ࡱ> NPM ]IbjbjcTcT ;\>>]A,$099999LNNNNNN$^rr99 99LL9bg$800\rr : Life after your BA in History. What lies ahead? Lets start with graduate and professional schools for advanced degrees. Next time, well look into jobs and careers. Whats the difference between graduate and professional schools? Some terminologygraduate schools offer advanced academic degrees leading to the PhD; professional schools offer field- and career-specific education and training leading to professional degrees (e.g., MBA,MEd/EdD, JD, MD) . History terminal MA, MA/PhD, and PhD programs. Other, related fields Museum Studies, Library Science, American Studies, International Studies, Womens and Gender Studies, other ethnic or religious studies programs, etc. Business, Education, Law, Medicine Whats the difference between the different history programs? Terminal MA programthe MA is awarded independently of any expectation of continuing on for the PhD MA/PhD programthe MA is awarded during an advanced academic program leading to the PhD PhD programthe PhD is awarded without an MA, though the coursework required for an MA is needed to satisfy the doctoral degree (if one already has an MA in the field, the coursework may be applied) What do I do to get in? Whats needed? Undergraduate GPA (cumulative and in field)usually graduate admissions require a 3.0/4.0, though occasionally a student whose GPA is below this level may be offered probationary or conditional acceptance. Emphasis is usually given to the GPA during the last two years and in the field. Writing samplethis is a substantial piece of writing which may (or may not) be research oriented. Choose something which best represents your abilities and potential for future, advanced academic work. Letters of recommendationpreferably from those who can assess your academic work in advanced courses, independent studies, and seminars. The key areas which are commented on are written work, participation, and maturity. Consider choosing faculty who are alumni of the university to which you are applying. GREusually required, sometimes to simply provide more information by which the university can more fully assess your abilities and potential. What is required for the MA in History? The DePaul programthe DePaul MA program is a terminal MA program that is based on historiography, not areas of concentration. As such, it has an appeal to a wide range of students, only some of whom which to continue on to further academic studies at the doctoral level. Areas of concentrationusually, though not at DePaul, students prepare anywhere from two to three areas of concentration. Some programs distinguish between a major and minor field(s) of study. Some areas are geographical, others are chronological, while still others are thematic. Some programs offer combinations of the above. Language competencyusually students prepare one to two languages for their graduate work. Competency does not mean fluency, especially oral fluency. Competency usually means the ability to read and translate a document or article from a language other than English. Some universities accept specific skills, such as archeological skills or a knowledge of statistics, in lieu of one of the languages. Thesis/no-thesis options and competency (comp) examsmany universities offer MAs which allow for a thesis/no-thesis option for the degree. Generally, if you wish to go on for another advanced academic degree, you should probably elect the thesis option. Competency exams may also be required, but many programs substitute a last-year, capstone seminar for these exams. Time to completionanywhere from one year (full-time, full course load) to four years (part-time) What about the PhD? Is it true that it takes anywhere from 30 years to forever to finish? PhD studenta student accepted to a PhD program is considered a PhD student Areas of concentrationusually one to two fields more than the masters degree (i.e., three to four fields). These are usually indicated as a major field, with two (or three) minor fields of specialization. (Sometimes, the major field is referred to as the research field and the minor fields as the teaching fields.) Some universities will allow a minor field to be inside the major field (Civil War within US History) and may allow fields to be outside of history or which are self-designed. Language competenciesusually one to two languages more than the masters degree (i.e., two to three languages). Many universities require that the languages support the major and minor fields. Often universities require that language competencies be met prior to the preliminary exams. Preliminary examsdoctoral programs traditionally are divided into roughly two equal parts. First, PhD students prepare their major and minor fields by enrolling in graduate history courses, independent reading studies, etc. This involves completing extensive reading lists which become the bases for the written preliminary exams for each field (the major prelim exam is often 50% to twice as long as the minor prelim exams). Successful completion of the written prelim exams is usually required in order to progress to the oral exams. Oral examsusually these exams are extensions of the prelim exams, revisiting or expanding beyond some of the issues raised in them. These exams are intended to test your ability to handle high-level discussions in your fields. Some offer the student the opportunity to discuss their ideas for research. Successful completion of the oral exams is usually required in order to progress to the second part of the PhD program where the student is now referred to as the PhD candidate. PhD candidacy (ABD)this designation formally begins the second part of the doctoral program (sometimes referred to as ABDAll But the Dissertation). Some universities only admit students to this status after they submit a research topic and abstract which is approved by a dissertation advisor or committee. The dissertationthis is the culmination of years of historiographical and archival research. The requirement of the PhD is to submit an original work of scholarship that contributes to our understanding of the field. Usually this is a sustained piece of historical scholarship of over 250 manuscript pages. In some programs this is the equivalent of a book manuscript. Programs differ on whether the dissertation is reviewed by the dissertation advisor in stages, first, or in toto, once the draft manuscript is completed. Once the manuscript is ready for submission, the advisor convenes the defense committee. The defenseis the final arbiter of the doctoral program. Once the defense committee has read the manuscript, the committee meets with and questions the candidate on the research. This defense committee determines whether the dissertation is accepted, accepted with revision, returned with revisions required, or returned without passing. If the dissertation is accepted (or accepted with revision), the candidate must submit a pristine copy of the manuscript to the graduate college and file for degree conferral. Time to completionanywhere from five to ten years (seven to ten are the norm for completed degrees); attrition rates prior to completion. How do I know which program is the best for me? First, what do you wish to do professionally? Second, if you wish to continue on to graduate study, what would you like to study? Third, does the program offer opportunities for teaching and research? How do I choose a school? What factors should I consider? Rankings can be important, butequally so are the reputations and connections of faculty. Dont fall too quickly for the status game. Program rankings are highly subjective, occasionally unreasonably so, and need to be viewed with skepticism. Be more inquisitive and research a programs faculty and their areas of interest, research, and other professional contributions. You may find a better match that way. Location and potential job market. Cost and other financial considerations. Assistantships, fellowships, and other opportunities. What are the prospects for careers in academia? What is an academic career like? (What do tenure-track, tenure, and ranks mean?) More next time. What about other history-related graduate programs? Do I need to complete additional requirements? Many programs in related fields honor the history degree as satisfying their requirements for admission to graduate study. Some of the more obvious programs for history students are: museum studies, library science, American studies, international studies, womens and gender studies, and the many ethnic and religious studies programs which have developed over the years (these include, for example, Arabic Studies and Islamic Studies). Okay, this has been helpful, but I need to get a job sometime. What about professional schools? First, a non-professional degree does not limit you to an academic career. Many, many individuals can have very gainful and rewarding careers in areas outside of academia, with their history or history-related MAs and PhDs. In addition to many careers in the non-for-profit sector, graduate degrees can assist in careers in business, government, journalism, consulting, archival work, and research. And, interestingly, in website content development. But, some careers, such as those in education, law, and medicineand to a lesser degree businesshave additional credentialing beyond the bachelors degree. Business Though the MBA (or MM) is not required for careers in business, many add professional education to their undergraduate credentials to create opportunities for advancement. Many of the best MBA programs prefer that students do NOT have business undergraduate degrees and they seem to prefer students who have degrees in the liberal arts (and history is very popular among these programs). (Did you know, for example, that in the high-growth 1990s, the bachelor degrees of most of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies were in the liberal arts, including a good number from history? USA Today, 24 July 2001) What these programs also emphasize is work experience. In other words, they favor undergraduate work in the liberal arts and post-graduation experience in business or other career-oriented work. In order to apply to an MBA program, one usually has to take the GMAT exam. MBA programs can take 2-4 years to complete, depending on whether the program is a full-time or part-time program. Education The BA in a content area is especially helpful (and sometimes required). This alone may allow a graduate to begin a career in teaching at a private or parochial high school. Some states (especially those with shortages of teachers) also have provisional certificates so that individuals without certification may begin to teach while they earn their additional credentials. However, teaching at a public high school requires additional credentials, or certification, by the Illinois State Board of Education. This can be accomplished by taking the required coursework (without any additional degree), but also through a masters program in education (either an MA in Education or an MEd). In some instances, universities allow students to complete their certification requirements while enrolled in other, content-based, graduate programs. If you are seeking certification in high school social studies its best to keep in mind that all high school students must take US History and that most of the other social studies offerings are history or history-related. In other words, the other non-history social studies offerings are fewer in number; thus, history majors have an edge in these certification programs and the job market. In order to apply to a masters education program, many schools (though by no means all) that applicants take the GRE or another exam. Again, a master degree program usually takes two to four years to complete. Law The BA in history is an excellent preparation for a career in law. Contrary to popular belief, there is no nationally recognized pre-law program of study or degree. (Many students major in political science thinking that it is the pre-law major. It is not.) Indeed, there is no nationally-recognized pre-law concentration either. The American Bar Association clearly states its position, but notice the first choice of majors: The ABA does not recommend any undergraduate majors or group of courses to prepare for a legal education. Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline. You may choose to major in subjects that are considered to be traditional preparation for law school, such as history, English, philosophy, political science, economics or business, or you may focus your undergraduate studies in areas as diverse as art, music, science and mathematics, computer science, engineering, nursing or education. Whatever major you select, you are encouraged to pursue an area of study that interests and challenges you, while taking advantage of opportunities to develop your research and writing skills. Taking a broad range of difficult courses from demanding instructors is excellent preparation for legal education (ABA website 1/10). It also lists its preferred skills and values for students seeking to continue their education in law school (all of which can be gained through an undergraduate history program): * Analytic / Problem-Solving Skills * Critical Reading * Writing Skills * Oral Communication / Listening Abilities * General Research Skills * Task Organization / Management Skills * Public Service and Promotion of Justice The study of history involves the critical evaluation and development of written and oral arguments based on documentary (and other forms of) evidence, attributes which it shares with the legal profession. Law schools require applicants to take the LSAT exam. Law school usually takes three years of full-time equivalent coursework. Medicine Yes, medicine. According to a 1999 report of the Association of American Medical Colleges, history majors had one of the top two acceptance percentages (53%) among all majors applying to medical school. By comparison, 46% of applicants majoring in the Physical Sciences were accepted, 45.5% of other Non-Science majors, 40% of Biological Sciences majors, and 27% of Health-Related Professional majors (AAMC report, 1999). History majors again had one of the top two percentages (55.3%) among all majors accepted to medical school two years later. It is the leading non-science major for applications and acceptances to medical school. It led all science majors, except neuroscience, for acceptance rates (AAMC report, 2001). According to the latest statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Humanities majors (including history) had the highest GPAs of any majors (including the sciences and mathematics) applying (3.54) and matriculating (3.67) to medical school. According to this report, Humanities majors applying to medical school also scored an average of 29.3 on the MCAT, only slightly less, on average, than physical science majors (29.7) and mathematics majors (30.0). On the other hand, Humanities majors outscored social science majors (28.0), biological science majors (27.7), and specialized health sciences majors (25.5) applying to medical school. Humanities majors matriculating to medical school scored an average of 31.5, with physical science majors (32.0) and mathematics majors (32.3) slightly ahead. Humanities majors again outscored social science majors (30.9), biological science majors (30.6), and specialized health sciences majors (29.5) matriculated to medical school (MCAT and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools by Primary Undergraduate Major, 2009). Okay, so how can this be done? By combining a history major with a standard pre-med curriculum, which usually requires: One year of general biology (satisfies the entire Scientific Inquiry requirement), One year of general chemistry, One year of organic chemistry, One year of general physics, and One year of calculus (or one half calculus, one half statistics; one quarter of calculus satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning requirement, LSP 120). Medical schools have turned to Humanities majors because of their critical thinking skills as well as people skills, as the medical profession is now focusing on patient-centered care and medical ethics. 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