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What is your actual BA in.. a "liberal art" is too vague? What kind of job do you want to do? How old are you, when did you graduate? What do you really think a second BA is going to do for you? Do you NEED a master's degree?
What is your actual BA in.. a "liberal art" is too vague? What kind of job do you want to do? How old are you, when did you graduate? What do you really think a second BA is going to do for you? Do you NEED a master's degree?
I really hate to give out personal info, but I guess it can only help.
I got my degree in History and I shudder because before the recession, no one really cared, now afterwards, it is like why the hell did you study that? I am in my mid 30s. I originally was thinking about becoming a professor, but there are too many phds in the humanities out there and I can't do an MBA because I barely made a C in college algebra. I just really wanted some options because when people here what degree that I have, they always ask me why am I not teaching? I really hate that question..I feel miserable, like a made such a big mistake in my life. I think that getting a masters in a liberal art is a waste of time, an MPA is too and people now say MBAs are a dime a dozen and I wouldn't be able to pass the math anyway. I just thought maybe a second degree might help, maybe in communications since I write well. It is better to play up my strengths anyway. It just seems to me like it is either teaching or retail and for the life of me, I can find people that are successful with English degrees, but not History ones and I have no idea why.
I really hate to give out personal info, but I guess it can only help.
I got my degree in History and I shudder because before the recession, no one really cared, now afterwards, it is like why the hell did you study that? I am in my mid 30s. I originally was thinking about becoming a professor, but there are too many phds in the humanities out there and I can't do an MBA because I barely made a C in college algebra. I just really wanted some options because when people here what degree that I have, they always ask me why am I not teaching? I really hate that question..I feel miserable, like a made such a big mistake in my life. I think that getting a masters in a liberal art is a waste of time, an MPA is too and people now say MBAs are a dime a dozen and I wouldn't be able to pass the math anyway. I just thought maybe a second degree might help, maybe in communications since I write well. It is better to play up my strengths anyway. It just seems to me like it is either teaching or retail and for the life of me, I can find people that are successful with English degrees, but not History ones and I have no idea why.
English is a liberal art as well as most of the subjects of interest you listed.
According to the Georgetown study, the average unemployment rate for someone with a communications degree is 7.4%. It's better than history, but it's not amazing. That's around the overall unemployment rate for the whole country. The average unemployment rate for someone with an English Language or Literature degree is 9.2%. That's only a point below the unemployment rate for history majors. Surprisingly, the unemployment rate for recent economics graduates is 9.4%! Political science and government: 9.1%. Common foreign languages: 7.9%.
The unemployment rates do get lower with experience and a graduate degree, but the same is also true for history. History graduate degree holders actually have a lower unemployment rate than economics graduate degree holders. Economics majors just have a higher salary potential. Those with graduate degrees in history also have a lower unemployment rate than those with graduate degrees in communications.
I really hate to give out personal info, but I guess it can only help.
I got my degree in History and I shudder because before the recession, no one really cared, now afterwards, it is like why the hell did you study that? I am in my mid 30s. I originally was thinking about becoming a professor, but there are too many phds in the humanities out there and I can't do an MBA because I barely made a C in college algebra. I just really wanted some options because when people here what degree that I have, they always ask me why am I not teaching? I really hate that question..I feel miserable, like a made such a big mistake in my life. I think that getting a masters in a liberal art is a waste of time, an MPA is too and people now say MBAs are a dime a dozen and I wouldn't be able to pass the math anyway. I just thought maybe a second degree might help, maybe in communications since I write well. It is better to play up my strengths anyway. It just seems to me like it is either teaching or retail and for the life of me, I can find people that are successful with English degrees, but not History ones and I have no idea why.
You've not made it clear what your goal with the new degree is?
Do you want a more stable career or advance in your current career, do you want to make more $, do you want a more fulfilling job?
Based on your kinda vague post, I'd say your going through a semi-mid career crisis. Common. I think though, now is a good time to act.
Things that come to mind that you can go into with your background (or with a little prep work):
I really hate to give out personal info, but I guess it can only help.
I got my degree in History and I shudder because before the recession, no one really cared, now afterwards, it is like why the hell did you study that? I am in my mid 30s. I originally was thinking about becoming a professor, but there are too many phds in the humanities out there and I can't do an MBA because I barely made a C in college algebra. I just really wanted some options because when people here what degree that I have, they always ask me why am I not teaching? I really hate that question..I feel miserable, like a made such a big mistake in my life. I think that getting a masters in a liberal art is a waste of time, an MPA is too and people now say MBAs are a dime a dozen and I wouldn't be able to pass the math anyway. I just thought maybe a second degree might help, maybe in communications since I write well. It is better to play up my strengths anyway. It just seems to me like it is either teaching or retail and for the life of me, I can find people that are successful with English degrees, but not History ones and I have no idea why.
I am not sure where you are getting the whole "people with English degrees are more successful than history degrees". Is there some hidden market that English majors have an edge over History Majors? And don't say journalism/writing/publishing- history majors have just as much a shot at those jobs as English majors. In most cases what is going to get you that writing/journalism job is past experience, it is not as if being an English major automatically gets you hired in journalism.
It doesn't make sense to me. If you already have a BA, why are you getting another? You can get a Master's in some of those same subjects with just about any undergrad degree, and the degrees you are talking about are unlikely to get you a job any more than what you have (whatever that is). It sounds like a waste of time and money.
Sometimes this is technically true, but one may often be loaded up with so many undergraduate prerequisite courses en route to master's admission that it makes sense just to finish the second degree. I am an economics graduate and it would take nearly thirty more hours of courses for me to have all the core accounting prerequisites to enter an MAcc program in TN. That's not even mentioning in business classes I may lack. If I didn't get the BS Acc, I'd be left with nothing should I finish the master's program. At least one is guaranteed something by completing a second bachelor's. I can't imagine what it would be like trying to apply in an MSCS or MSIT program (as I work in IT) from economics. A second bachelor's would be virtually required. As always, one's own experience and situation needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Does it have to be a bachelors degree? Are you good with computers? My son went to ITT Tech studying computer tech. Before he graduated he was offered a job with an international sports wear company as an IT at their regional warehouse nearby. Starting pay was $42K. He worked there 5 years and got a letter from another company wanting to talk to him about a job with them. He started there a year ago at $47K plus company vehicle and a few other perks. He loves it!
English is a liberal art as well as most of the subjects of interest you listed.
According to the Georgetown study, the average unemployment rate for someone with a communications degree is 7.4%. It's better than history, but it's not amazing. That's around the overall unemployment rate for the whole country. The average unemployment rate for someone with an English Language or Literature degree is 9.2%. That's only a point below the unemployment rate for history majors. Surprisingly, the unemployment rate for recent economics graduates is 9.4%! Political science and government: 9.1%. Common foreign languages: 7.9%.
The unemployment rates do get lower with experience and a graduate degree, but the same is also true for history. History graduate degree holders actually have a lower unemployment rate than economics graduate degree holders. Economics majors just have a higher salary potential. Those with graduate degrees in history also have a lower unemployment rate than those with graduate degrees in communications.
Economics is a field that is useless at the undergraduate level AND at the graduate level unless you are coming from a prestigious economics program. The top graduate economics programs often lead to investment banking and often produce some of the highest average earnings graduates in the country.
I remember reading that average starting salary for econ grads was $47k when I graduated in 2010, but the study methodology was never divulged. Out of my five to ten reasonably close friends in our economics program, only one got a job out of undergrad relating to finance/economics in any way. Others went to graduate school - most of us are involuntarily out of field.
Economics is a field that is useless at the undergraduate level AND at the graduate level unless you are coming from a prestigious economics program. The top graduate economics programs often lead to investment banking and often produce some of the highest average earnings graduates in the country.
I remember reading that average starting salary for econ grads was $47k when I graduated in 2010, but the study methodology was never divulged. Out of my five to ten reasonably close friends in our economics program, only one got a job out of undergrad relating to finance/economics in any way. Others went to graduate school - most of us are involuntarily out of field.
That's interesting....was it your degree or your desire to work in the very small field of investment banking that created your situation. My spouse has an Econ degree, BS and has been gainfully employed for many years. Econ is one degree we see frequently on the various job search websites as a desirable degree to have. Several of our friends have econ degrees and have been gainfully employed as well...all making WELL over 47K.
I would also ask, where did you apply? Did you expand your geographic search? Did you limit yourself to only the "high paying" jobs or were you willing to go about it the old fashioned way and take a job in a company that had the potential to get you into the job you wanted....aka, taking an entry level position...
You've not made it clear what your goal with the new degree is?
Do you want a more stable career or advance in your current career, do you want to make more $, do you want a more fulfilling job?
Based on your kinda vague post, I'd say your going through a semi-mid career crisis. Common. I think though, now is a good time to act.
Things that come to mind that you can go into with your background (or with a little prep work):
Accountant
Urban Planner
Lawyer
Librarian
I think that you are right. Although I originally wanted to be a lawyer. So here are my choices and why I did not do them.
Lawyer- wanted to be this my whole life, did not know anything else. I then realized that I would have to do it without ANY help at all. The risk of me possibly failing is too great as I would have nothing else to fall back on. On top of all this, I hear that there are way too many lawyers and many cannot even find stable or decent employment.
Librarian- I did want to be a librarian or even a school librarian. Problems here include, I need a master's degree, the places that offer these degrees are not anywhere close to me and the only one online that I know of is Texas Woman's University. How funny is that going to be on my resume considering that I am a guy lol. I also considered being a school librarian, but changed my mind when I saw all the BS that the school librarian actually had to put up with and how the students in there won't ever shut the hell up and don't know what be quiet actually means.
Professor: I was interested in Spanish and History. Same problem, there are not enough jobs or you have to be the best of the best to actually get jobs. If you don't teach with it, then you pretty much wasted your money.
MPA- I liked this one, I really did, however, the program that I was in had almost no math. Yay!, but now I will probably end up moving away from here and there is no distance option.
Med- probably the easiest one to get, I was thinking about getting this one in either administration, esl, or educational technology. I don't mind being a teacher, but I want to know that if I ever want to get out of the rat race there, that I will have options and will be able to do so. So for no one has been able to tell me what I can do with these two degrees other than being an Asst. Principal, not even the school that I go to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dazeddude8
I am not sure where you are getting the whole "people with English degrees are more successful than history degrees". Is there some hidden market that English majors have an edge over History Majors? And don't say journalism/writing/publishing- history majors have just as much a shot at those jobs as English majors. In most cases what is going to get you that writing/journalism job is past experience, it is not as if being an English major automatically gets you hired in journalism.
Sorry, I did not mean to offend you. It's just that when you look up jobs for English majors, it is stuff like copy writer, editor, marketing, journalist. That sort of thing, however, when one does the same for History, it's just teacher, professor, lawyer...that's it. I thought that's all that I could do with it.
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