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Master of Arts – A waste of time? Please help.

Hello,

I’m junior marketing professional with a couple of years under my belt in financial services. My goal is to work in a top creative agency or as a marketing director in a gallery or museum. I have decided against a MSc in Marketing /Management due to the high cost and belief that my heart should be in it if I choose to spend that much money, time and energy studying.

A bit of background on me –
I went to college on a government grant (help from family not an option) and graduated in 2013 with a BA Honours degree in Public Relations from a small college, which was a close as I could get at the time to my ideal education– an English / History / Arts based BA Hons from a university. I found it very difficult to find a job after graduation (like most people) and can only now afford to support myself and postgrad study.

Question: Is there any point in doing an MA in Literature or Art History at this stage? Or is it just a waste of time?

I’m usually a practical person but I can’t really see the woods for the trees on this one. I’m not sure if I’m chasing something here that I wish I could have had or if a MA will genuinely help me become a better writer, give me an advantage over another applicant who just has a BA or give me an edge in creative industries (as so many of them have this background).

Appreciate any advice you can give - thanks!
Reply 1
Avatar for andyyy
andyyy
2
I have several friends with history of arts degrees, none of them work in museums / galleries although they wish they were because it's extremely hard to get into. The thing that gives you a edge over others is practical experience not degrees, there's way too many people with degrees out there compared with how few jobs there are - look at internships, volunteering, part-time positions at smaller local museums / galleries / archives. Yes, a lot if not most will be unpaid or very poorly paid but then you also don't get paid to do an MA degree.
Reply 2
Avatar for CeceOR
CeceOR
OP
3
Hi andyyy, thanks for letting me know, I just assumed people with those type of degrees had an easier time of it in this line of work - I will look into getting some experience in smaller museums / galleries before charging ahead with an MA degree.

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