MA program in history - DePaul or Loyola? (Chicago: employment, buy)

[polala]

Hello, everyone!

I apply to the graduate schools - MA program in history. I love both - DePaul and Loyola Universities. And I was thinking, if anyone could advice me, which is better? Pros and cons for each?

Thanks!!!

[chicago103]

Is the University of Chicago or Northwestern or even the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) are outside of your consideration, a PhD would actually be better from any of these for history. DePaul and Loyola are both solid schools but I am not sure what kind of prospects there are for an MA in history unless you plan to get a PhD somewhere else after the MA or if DePaul or Loyola offer PhD programs.

[chet everett]

I too wonder if any University really has a "terminal" Master of Arts "admissions policy" for a major like history. If you had a background as an elementary teacher and wanted to do more coursework and teach at a high school I suppose it might make sense to get a subject area MA, but short of that what kind of employment prospects would be enhanced with such a program??

Both Loyola & DePaul have fairly large number of students that earn Education degrees, often for being an admistator, and maybe there are some folks that do get a MA in history while doing so, but I would not use that to judge the relative merits of "standalone" MA.

I wonder what the costs would be?

What sort of undergrad background does the OP have? Once upon a time a fair number of seminarians may have been part of the MA students at either DePaul or Loyola, though that probably has not been the case since about the Vietnam era...

[TheSunshineKid]

Originally Posted by chicago103

DePaul and Loyola are both solid schools but I am not sure what kind of prospects there are for an MA in history unless you plan to get a PhD somewhere else after the MA or if DePaul or Loyola offer PhD programs.

Originally Posted by chet everett

If you had a background as an elementary teacher and wanted to do more coursework and teach at a high school I suppose it might make sense to get a subject area MA, but short of that what kind of employment prospects would be enhanced with such a program??
.

Maybe the OP just wants to get an advance degree for the sake of learning?

[chet everett]

If they want the opinions of others then perhaps they ought not be so thin skinned as to assume legitimate questions about what they wish to accomplish are knocks against them.

If the OP were to have asked about a MA in Math or French my answer would have been the same -- both Loyola & DePaul have lots of students earning Ed degrees and combining an MA in a subject arae with an Ed degree is not the same as stand-alone degree programs.

If they asked which has a stronger PhD program I would simply have referred the OP to the standard rankings/resources, but at least a PhD is terminal degree that qualifies one to seek out a faculty position in that field. The same cannot be said for MA.

Even if one is consumed with a passion for knowledge the practical matters of entering into any college program ought to part of their consideration, otherwise they could just buy a mass of textbooks and audit classes for all eternity.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by polala

Hello, everyone!

I apply to the graduate schools - MA program in history. I love both - DePaul and Loyola Universities. And I was thinking, if anyone could advice me, which is better? Pros and cons for each?

Thanks!!!

Careful on the wording----I'd ADVISE you to call the universities for more ADVICE.

Admissions committees might pick up on stuff like this...

[TheSunshineKid]

Originally Posted by chet everett

If they want the opinions of others then perhaps they ought not be so thin skinned as to assume legitimate questions about what they wish to accomplish are knocks against them.

What on earth are you talking about? I offer an alternative motive in a non hostile way. The OP never mentioned whether is was for employment and/or for educational gain.

Even if one is consumed with a passion for knowledge the practical matters of entering into any college program ought to part of their consideration, otherwise they could just buy a mass of textbooks and audit classes for all eternity.

Whoever said attending classes for a lifetime? A masters is either one to two years. Bold: they could but that's a bit extreme.

[polala]

Thank you for your reply! I consider the U of C too, but I know that my chances are not as high there. My goal is to start with MA and than continue with PhD (in some other school OR in Loyola, which has PhD program in history)

[polala]

Originally Posted by chicago103

Is the University of Chicago or Northwestern or even the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) are outside of your consideration, a PhD would actually be better from any of these for history. DePaul and Loyola are both solid schools but I am not sure what kind of prospects there are for an MA in history unless you plan to get a PhD somewhere else after the MA or if DePaul or Loyola offer PhD programs.

Thank you for your reply! I consider the U of C too, but I know that my chances are not as high there. My goal is to start with MA and than continue with PhD (in some other school OR in Loyola, which has PhD program in history)

[polala]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I too wonder if any University really has a "terminal" Master of Arts "admissions policy" for a major like history. If you had a background as an elementary teacher and wanted to do more coursework and teach at a high school I suppose it might make sense to get a subject area MA, but short of that what kind of employment prospects would be enhanced with such a program??

Both Loyola & DePaul have fairly large number of students that earn Education degrees, often for being an admistator, and maybe there are some folks that do get a MA in history while doing so, but I would not use that to judge the relative merits of "standalone" MA.

I wonder what the costs would be?

What sort of undergrad background does the OP have? Once upon a time a fair number of seminarians may have been part of the MA students at either DePaul or Loyola, though that probably has not been the case since about the Vietnam era...

I only consider it as a stage of having PhD degree in the future.