Yes, I would like to restate my thank you. I never even realized that there were full MA Museum Studies programs online and that is a very good option to consider and look into. -Melanie On Fri, Sep 7, 2012 at 6:58 AM, Kathie Gow <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Brian, and everyone who's contributed to this thread, thanks so much for > your thoughtful and concrete insights, not just for Melanie but for all of > us, even if our museum job vs. masters/certificate decisions are not so > close at hand! > > --Kathie > > > Kathie Gow > > Oral History Producer > http://www.wordspicturesstories.com > > Curator, Hatfield Historical Museum > http://hatfieldhistory.weebly.com > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On > Behalf > Of Brian Rayca > Sent: Friday, September 07, 2012 8:45 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Continue working in a museum vs. Museum studies > Master > > Melanie, > > Just to finalize my thought and re-reading your situation. I'm a big > believer in practical learning. I feel that the time I spent > volunteering and then working for museums informed my studies for my > MA as much as having the MA now informs my work. since you are > already working, I think your question is will an MA help in your > work. The short answer is yes. Why should you get it? Well it > shouldn't be because employers will hire you, although that is a > factor. The answer should be because this is the career you want, and > an MA will make you a better professional. That being said, ANY > museum studies program will help you do that. However, as you said > you are in a bit of a situation stuck with the unenviable choice > between an in-person program and a job in the field. It is my belief > that right now, in this economy, a job in the field is more valuable. > As we have mentioned there are other programs, online and distance > learning that would not require you to make this choice. You can work > and go to school, with another program. > > Your job right now is teaching you through experience. It has value, > and is putting food on the table and a roof over your head. If the > in-person program where closer then I'd say your situation was > different. The registrar here at West Point Museum went the NYU while > I was at Hopkins. Hers was in person, mine online. We compared > notes and found them comparable, but I wasn't making a two hour > commute every day to Manhattan. We both worked full time during our > studies and got excited when reading and projects and discussions > could be applied at work sometimes within hours of learning them in > the classroom. > > For your situation Melanie, I would definitely hold on to the > invaluable experience of working in the field. The MA will come when > you think you need it, and there are programs that don't require you > to leave your job to attend them. > > Brian Rayca > Museum Technician > West Point Museum > > On Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 12:55 PM, Melanie C Deer > <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Hello everyone, > > > > I'm stuck in a sticky situation and I was hoping some of you had some > > advice. I volunteered/internship/did independent studies at the > > undergraduate level at the Arizona State Museum (ASM) in Tucson, AZ (as > > Southwest archaeological museum) for about two to three years and then > > managed to get a student position in the Repository and held that for a > > year, graduated with a BA in Anthropology and Creative Writing and I am > > currently employed full time at ASM working on a major repatriation > project > > as well as working on finishing an article on a research project I did > with > > Southwestern Prehistoric pottery that I hope to get published. Before I > got > > the full-time position I had applied to Arizona State University's Museum > > Studies Master program and was accepted. I am scheduled to start classes > > Fall 2013 (I've already postponed enrollment the max amount of time, due > to > > a different situation). My employers already knew about my plan to attend > > graduate school in a year before they hired me, so that is not a factor. > > > > I am wondering whether it would be better to stay at my full-time > position > > and pursue a Masters later (in other words tell ASU I will not be > attending > > classes in Fall 2013, potentially closing that door permanently) or if I > > should leave my full-time position to attend classes as originally > intended > > risking not having a job when I graduate. > > > > An idea I had was to get an online Museum Studies Certificate while still > > working full-time at ASM and possibly do night classes to get an > > Anthropology MA. But I'm not sure how highly or lowly Museum Studies > > Certificates are viewed in the museum world. > > > > Any advice/opinions would be greatly appreciated. > > > > Thank you, > > Melanie Deer > > > > ________________________________ > > > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > > ========================================================= > Important Subscriber Information: > > The Museum-L FAQ file is located at > http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed > information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail > message > to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read > "help" > (without the quotes). > > If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to > [log in to unmask] . 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The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).