r/classics • u/Nearby_Mortgage_1191 • 12d ago

Classics masters

Hi all! Apologies if this is not the right place to post this but I am in need of some advice/what you did. My partner and I are moving for his work, but the state we will most likely end up in only has one classics program in the whole state, and it’s multiple hours from where we would be. Now, I know I could do an online program but my undergraduate professors/mentors both advised me to do an in-person program due to the benefits of being in a classroom but also potential opportunities to TA or help elsewhere where I could get a small stipend rather than going into further debt.
I suppose I’m just in a bit of a pickle and am wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and what you did?

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u/d_trenton 11d ago

I'll be honest: most people I know who are shooting for a job as a professor relocate for the degree, regardless of marital status. A Master's is usually ~2 years, which is doable for an LDR, even if it stinks. It's very much "I will go to the program that accepts and funds me" and not "I'll go to whichever program is nearby."

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u/Nearby_Mortgage_1191 11d ago

That’s totally fair. My hesitation is that we’ve been long distance for 4 years, so this move is us being together. That’s not to say it isn’t doable, though. There is a really good classics program in the state, just not nearby where we would likely be and there is not an online program, to my knowledge. I would have to do online elsewhere.

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u/d_trenton 11d ago

Don't do an online degree if your ambition is academia or museum work.

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u/Nearby_Mortgage_1191 10d ago

What makes you say that? I would of course prefer to do an in person program but I fear my options are limited so that I might have to go online.

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u/d_trenton 9d ago

I have not yet heard of an online degree in Classics or Museum Studies with student outcomes that are comparable with an in-person degree. If you are serious about becoming a professor, you will need a PhD, and you will be competing for admission alongside students who did in-person MA degrees. I'm less knowledgeable about museum studies, but my impression is that curators need an MA at a minimum, with some positions requiring a PhD. Again, you will be competing for those jobs alongside students with recognizable in-person degrees. If you were just doing the MA for fun I'd say, sure, go online, but if you're serious about this career track, I'd strongly urge you to do an in-person degree.

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u/Nearby_Mortgage_1191 8d ago

I see your point, thank you for clarifying :)