The Long, Slow Game

I mentioned the University of Birmingham program to my wife and she said "Do it!!!!!!"

Whether she was encouraging me or expressing exasperation at how many different ideas I've bounced by her, I'm not sure

Hey, that's some good stuff!! How's the program so far? Drexel is a great school, and you picked the perfect time to take up a public health program.

 

I've been able to narrow down my decision to two different programs: MA in Applied Linguistics from University of Birmingham and MS in Human Relations & Business from Amberton University.

It's a such a hard choice that I may even do both one day.

Anyway, I made this post because I have a question for those who may be in the know. Given these two choices, which one, if any, would better enhance the prospects of someone interested in freelance grant writing?

It's far from my only consideration, but it's certainly something I've been wanting to pursue.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Oh, if it makes a difference- it's possible to complete 2 graduate "specialization" certificates along the way to getting the MS from Amberton. I'd most likely get one in Project Management and the other in Executive Communication Skills.

EDIT: Oh! To answer a possible tangential question- I won't consider a degree in Grant Writing, Writing or English. My employer will not pay for it, which seals the deal for me. Even so, such degrees wouldn't help me much in any of the other goals I'm interested in pursuing.

 

If your goal is grant writing, are you sure this shouldn't be on your list?

https://gme.cuchicago.edu/online-grant-writing-management-masters/

 

Thank you for all of your responses. I'll try to address the suggestions and points that you all have made.

Human Relations is different from Human Resources, even though it sounds similar.

Applied Linguistics is a writing intensive field of study, but is not in and of itself a writing degree. Also, Applied Linguistics is something I already "do".

I can't do the Concordia degree because my current employer will not pay for it. It's not closely related enough to either my job, or any job I might have for them in the future. Language, communication, management and health sciences are the ones I can best justify.

I'm aware that there are a plethora of different types of degrees that grant writers hold, and that a track record of success is significantly more important than any degree. I have a plan on how to get myself started that I think is a pretty decent one. It includes taking grant writing courses, starting with some free ones, and building my way up to certificates and/or certification and taking jobs for little or no pay until I start hitting impressive numbers.

Also, grant writing is not my #1 goal at this point, I just really like the idea of it. It's one of a few things I'm trying out, to see what I like and see what sticks. I'm just wondering if one degree lends itself better to the cause than another. Especially someone who's just about to start out and may need an extra umph to be noticed. It's among a large number of considerations I have running through my mind. If it made a difference, it could be a factor that tips the decision in favor of one or the other.

 

There are two questions I asked myself today, and they both led me to the same place. First- what degree, of any degree, has the widest amount of applicability to everything I have set myself out to do? Second - what degree, of any degree, would make me feel the most confident if I had to start a new career from scratch?

The answer: MS in Human Relations & Business from Amberton. It's not the sexy degree. It's not the dream degree. It's not the degree that sets me apart from the pack. It's the degree that trains me in the skills that I need, affords me the broad applicability that I need, and strengthens the backdrop of all of the other abilities and accomplishments that do set me apart from the pack.

Even as I sit here today, as confident as ever that I have finally made my choice, I'm sure there will be other temptations that come along. However that just may be exactly why this is the program for me. It won't matter how many times I change my mind because, just like my degree in Social Sciences, the MS from Amberton won't pigeonhole me into a single rigid path. If/when I need to start something new, I may be able to get what I need with a graduate certificate and/or professional certification coupled with this degree. It would be greatly to my advantage to have already completed a Masters at that point, as I would be much closer already to whatever further finish lines I have ahead of me. I also appreciate how the Amberton program allows you to finish 1-2 specializations along the way to getting the Masters. They can serve as sign posts, or mid-term goals, much like my AA was toward getting my BA.

Some possibilities:

Maniac Craniac

MS in Human Relations & Business - Amberton University
Real Estate Broker's License

MS in Human Relations & Business - Amberton University
Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing - Northern Arizona University
Certified Grant Writer

MS in Human Relations & Business - Amberton University
Graduate Specialization in Project Management - Amberton University
Certified Project Management Professional

MS in Human Relations & Business - Amberton University
Graduate Certificate in Health Promotion - Liberty University

Throw in fluency in a handful of languages and some creative storytelling to cohere all of my weird and wild professional and volunteer experiences and I'd be feeling really good about my resume.

My friends, I think we have a winner! In any case, it's getting down to the wire. If I'm not enrolled in a program soon, then I will have to miss out on an entire semester of reimbursement. One way or another, we are approaching the point of no return. It's GO TIME, baby!!!!

Thank you all for humoring me so much and for so long. Hopefully, I won't let you down by changing my mind again!

 

Awesome! I'm sure I'm not alone here in looking forward to regular updates.

 

I've moved on to deciding which specialization(s) to pursue with the degree.

https://www.amberton.edu/programs-and-courses/specializations/index.html

My first several choices for dual specializations didn't match up well with the degree requirements, so I'd have to take extra courses to complete them. Not something I'm interested in, but I suppose I could take another couple of courses after I get the degree to get another certificate.

https://www.amberton.edu/programs-and-courses/masters-degree-programs/human-relations-and-business/degree-plan-details.html#degreePlanDetails

The pair that I'm currently most interested in, that do fit within the degree requirements, would be Project Management and Human Resources Management. I am very interested in PM, and have been for a long time. HRM, not so much. However, I like the idea of cracking the door open to multiple fields with the same program, and I can see how HRM skills are essential for PM and vice versa.

Heck, I've even seen job listings for "Human Resource Project Managers", which makes sense to me because every Human Resource initiative either is, or is composed, of project(s) that need to be managed.

 

I spoke with a recruiter today. He did an amazing job answering my questions and selling me on Amberton being the right fit.

I asked him if it would be possible to take courses from other schools during my enrollment with Amberton and have them transfered in to my Amberton degree. He told me that many students do just that, I just have to work with my advisor to see how it fits in with the degree. That's exact what I wanted to hear! The possibility is there to work towards a grad certificate from another school and use most if not all those same credits toward Amberton. What an awesome way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone!

I won't be able to know I until I actually gain admission and work with an advisor, but I love the idea of getting this degree along with a grad cert in professional writing. So many possibilities come to mind, including one's I've mentioned already.

I'm getting more and more excited now that I have half a clue what I'm doing

 

This is a good point and a good reason why I like this degree. It fits with a lot of other add-ons. Lots of ways I can specialize later, including all sorts of certifications. Most important is that I get this done!!!