Well said Vanessa. I have but a small quibble. Twenty (in my case, 35 years) ago, undergraduate programs weren't doing anything more to prepare people for employment than they are now! Harry Harry Needham Special Advisor - Programme Development Canadian War Museum 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0M8 Voice: (819) 776-8612 Fax (819) 776-8623 Email: [log in to unmask] > ---------- > From: Die Valkure[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Reply To: Museum discussion list > Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 1998 3:47 AM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Advanced Degrees > > Hi all, as a student currently obtaining my advanced degree, I have been > watching the advanced degrees string with some interest, and I have been > finally motivated to throw in my two cents. My point is simple: Times > have > changed. 20 years ago I think someone who emerged from the higher > education system with only a B.A. was better prepared for a career. In > some ways, esp. in the business school or computer science, this is still > the case. However, things have changed a bit in other ways. I have a > B.A. > in history with a concentration in classical civ. All of that stuff about > a well-rounded, liberal-arts education preparing you for a variety of > careers aside, I was in no way prepared to do what I wanted to do, namely > work in a museum, without a professional (advanced) degree. I spent my > undergrad years taking classes all over campus and really taking some time > to investigate my interests. Someone pointed out that undergrads make > fabulous interns... well, they do. I worked in my first museum job as an > undergrad and I know from my rec letters that they thought I did a good > job, but they weren't prepared to hire me. Those of us who emerge with > undergrad degrees in liberal arts, or even a focused studio arts degree > really need to go pursue a professional degree to really focus our > education so we are more fully qualified to pursue our passions. (becuase > face it, you shouldnt be going into the arts for money, but that's another > 2 cents) > > That being said, I would also advocate advanced degree programs because, > when structured well, they can provide limitless opportunities for > experiential learning that I dont think can be found with equivalent ease > in the undergraduate setting. I myself have worked extensively with the > UOregon Museum of Art in registration. I have also put in time at the > UOregon Museum of Nat. History. In the spring I have plans to augment my > knowledge about bedgets and financial planning with practica with > developments offices in local non-profit organizations. In addition to > that, I am volunteering as archivist at the Hallie Ford M.A. at Willamette > Univerisity. (AND writing my thesis, thank you) These experiential > learning opportunities are invaluable, and the graduate level is the best > forum for them becuase the ability to immediately apply recently learned > knowledge with sometimes result in a finer understanding of the processes > involved. With just a little diligence, no grad student will emerge > over-educated and under-experienced. I know I won't. > > So maybe, just maybe, when employers today are using an advanced degree as > a cutoff tool, it doesnt mean that they are looking just for a bunch of > education, but rather for this unique mix of education and hands-on > experience that those vetrans of the advanced degree system have had > access > too. > > Them's my cents :) > > Vanessa > > > > > ******************************************************************** > Vanessa L. Ward > Laurel Intern > The University of Oregon Museum of Art (UOMA) > [log in to unmask] > http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~valkyri > ******************************************************************** >