which master's degree should I do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried about career stability, salary, and satisfaction. I've never had any of those.

Considering Public Health or Special Needs & Inclusion (it's not a teaching degree)

This is my personality: quiet, caring, sensitive, introverted, nurturing
I love special needs children. But I also think about problems like clean air, clean water, environmental issues and animal welfare issues.

Think first about what job you want. Then talk to people who have that job and see what they advise. It is a very bad idea to get a masters without first understanding what your ultimate goal job-wize is.

Can you give us some idea what your college degree was, and what classes you enjoyed and did well in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried about career stability, salary, and satisfaction. I've never had any of those.

Considering Public Health or Special Needs & Inclusion (it's not a teaching degree)

This is my personality: quiet, caring, sensitive, introverted, nurturing
I love special needs children. But I also think about problems like clean air, clean water, environmental issues and animal welfare issues.

Think first about what job you want. Then talk to people who have that job and see what they advise. It is a very bad idea to get a masters without first understanding what your ultimate goal job-wize is.

Can you give us some idea what your college degree was, and what classes you enjoyed and did well in?

My undergrad degree was in Communication Disorders (speech pathology). I excelled in writing and the classes within my major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried about career stability, salary, and satisfaction. I've never had any of those.

Considering Public Health or Special Needs & Inclusion (it's not a teaching degree)

This is my personality: quiet, caring, sensitive, introverted, nurturing
I love special needs children. But I also think about problems like clean air, clean water, environmental issues and animal welfare issues.

Think first about what job you want. Then talk to people who have that job and see what they advise. It is a very bad idea to get a masters without first understanding what your ultimate goal job-wize is.

Can you give us some idea what your college degree was, and what classes you enjoyed and did well in?

My undergrad degree was in Communication Disorders (speech pathology). I excelled in writing and the classes within my major.

And you didn't want to continue with speech pathology? It's such a great field. I think you need to decide if you want to be a teacher or not. Do you want to work with children? Adults? Would you rather work at a desk job as an administrator?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried about career stability, salary, and satisfaction. I've never had any of those.

Considering Public Health or Special Needs & Inclusion (it's not a teaching degree)

This is my personality: quiet, caring, sensitive, introverted, nurturing
I love special needs children. But I also think about problems like clean air, clean water, environmental issues and animal welfare issues.

Think first about what job you want. Then talk to people who have that job and see what they advise. It is a very bad idea to get a masters without first understanding what your ultimate goal job-wize is.

Can you give us some idea what your college degree was, and what classes you enjoyed and did well in?

My undergrad degree was in Communication Disorders (speech pathology). I excelled in writing and the classes within my major.

And you didn't want to continue with speech pathology? It's such a great field. I think you need to decide if you want to be a teacher or not. Do you want to work with children? Adults? Would you rather work at a desk job as an administrator?

I do want to continue with that, but none of the schools near me offer it and relocating is not an option for me. I could wait a while until I'm able to relocate, but right now I can't due to personal circumstances. But the other two are also degrees that would interest me. Is SLP that much better than the other two career options (public health and special needs and inclusion?)
I know some special ed teacher and only 2 loved their jobs. The rest were discouraging when I told them I was interested in it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried about career stability, salary, and satisfaction. I've never had any of those.

Considering Public Health or Special Needs & Inclusion (it's not a teaching degree)

This is my personality: quiet, caring, sensitive, introverted, nurturing
I love special needs children. But I also think about problems like clean air, clean water, environmental issues and animal welfare issues.

Think first about what job you want. Then talk to people who have that job and see what they advise. It is a very bad idea to get a masters without first understanding what your ultimate goal job-wize is.

Can you give us some idea what your college degree was, and what classes you enjoyed and did well in?

My undergrad degree was in Communication Disorders (speech pathology). I excelled in writing and the classes within my major.

And you didn't want to continue with speech pathology? It's such a great field. I think you need to decide if you want to be a teacher or not. Do you want to work with children? Adults? Would you rather work at a desk job as an administrator?

To answer the other part of your question, I like working alone sometimes, but I get depressed by that as well at times. I already work at a desk. It feels isolating at times. I love working with kids. But I also like time working alone! I can't decide. Some adults in my workplace are intimidating and I feel so much more at ease working with kids if that makes sense.

[Anonymous]

I know it is painful for an introvert (I am one!) but first talk to people in potential fields. Figure out how to interview people working in interesting areas. Try to figure out what you want to DO and then work backwards to a degree.

My impression is that mPHs often need other relevant experience or specialization to get a really good job. or they spend a lot of years paying their dues in low-paying positions. it could work out great, but have an endgoal in mind for the job you want; don't just figure out a next step in the abstract.

I think speech pathology is really interesting! are you interested in being a speech pathologist? doing research in that area? working on related policy issues? Or something else entirely?

[Anonymous]

So is the problem that you would like to be an SLP but that you can't pursue a master's in that at this time? Do you need a master's to find any work in that field? Are jobs in SLP available in your area?

Are you in the US? I'm not familiar with a master's in special needs and inclusion. You said it's not an education degree--in what department is it offered? And if it's not an education degree, how will pursuing it get you into the classroom? If you want to work in special ed, you need an M.Ed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So is the problem that you would like to be an SLP but that you can't pursue a master's in that at this time? Do you need a master's to find any work in that field? Are jobs in SLP available in your area?

Are you in the US? I'm not familiar with a master's in special needs and inclusion. You said it's not an education degree--in what department is it offered? And if it's not an education degree, how will pursuing it get you into the classroom? If you want to work in special ed, you need an M.Ed.

I'm temporarily out of the US (but I'm a US citizen). I would probably choose SLP over these other two, yes. I definitely need a master's in SLP to work in the field. Jobs in SLP are available in my area and pretty much everywhere, it seems.

I like Public Health because I would like to work on issues like clean air/water, etc.. But it seems like getting a job like that might be difficult.

Also, Special Needs & Inclusion (as the university explained it to me) can allow someone to work in positions that support special needs individuals in health care, education, etc... but I would have to add on the education certification. I'm not sure how that would work if I needed to move back to the states though. I wouldn't want to have to do a master's degree in special education in addition to this.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and the Special Needs & Inclusion degree is offered in the school of education. It just doesn't certify you to be a teacher. You have to do that separately. It's a one year master's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, and the Special Needs & Inclusion degree is offered in the school of education. It just doesn't certify you to be a teacher. You have to do that separately. It's a one year master's.

Well, in a way, that's how it works in the US, too. For example, many education schools offer a 5-year program wherein you get a BA/BS in a major subject, and complete the master's education work (and your student teaching, I think). And in the master's work, you specialize in secondary ed or elementary ed or special ed, etc. It sounds like the degree you are talking about is also a specialization that typically is pursued by people who are getting or already have gotten their teaching certification.

If you came back to the states with that degree, you would still need to get certified to teach, and in most states that means completing the education requirements and doing student teaching. So you would still be at least a year away from getting into a classroom. If that's where you even want to be?

I'll be honest, it doesn't sound like a great plan to me, it sounds like spinning your wheels. If what you really want is to be a SLP, can you wait until you get back to the states and go back to school then? How long will you be abroad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, and the Special Needs & Inclusion degree is offered in the school of education. It just doesn't certify you to be a teacher. You have to do that separately. It's a one year master's.

Well, in a way, that's how it works in the US, too. For example, many education schools offer a 5-year program wherein you get a BA/BS in a major subject, and complete the master's education work (and your student teaching, I think). And in the master's work, you specialize in secondary ed or elementary ed or special ed, etc. It sounds like the degree you are talking about is also a specialization that typically is pursued by people who are getting or already have gotten their teaching certification.

If you came back to the states with that degree, you would still need to get certified to teach, and in most states that means completing the education requirements and doing student teaching. So you would still be at least a year away from getting into a classroom. If that's where you even want to be?

I'll be honest, it doesn't sound like a great plan to me, it sounds like spinning your wheels. If what you really want is to be a SLP, can you wait until you get back to the states and go back to school then? How long will you be abroad?

I am spinning my wheels, you are right. At first public health sounded great to me. But now I keep hearing about how bad the job prospects are, etc. It scares me.
I can do the master's in SLP next year, but it would also be abroad. The US and several other countries (including the one I'm in) have agreements with one another to recognize the qualifications. I just really don't want to wait another year for various reasons. But I also don't want to make a bad decision. I have one friend encouraging me to do public health.

[Anonymous]

I think you are getting a master's for the wrong reasons. It will not improve your job security. It will not make you able to get better jobs.

Please, don't just go back to school because you don't know what else to do, don't know what you want. First find the job you want, then figure out if you need more schooling and of what kind to get it.

Schools love insecure, immature kids like you. They see you as cash cows. Don't be one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you are getting a master's for the wrong reasons. It will not improve your job security. It will not make you able to get better jobs.

Please, don't just go back to school because you don't know what else to do, don't know what you want. First find the job you want, then figure out if you need more schooling and of what kind to get it.

Schools love insecure, immature kids like you. They see you as cash cows. Don't be one.

Well without an MPH, I can't get into that field. Without a degree in special needs, I can't get into that field. I don't want to be a cash cow, but I need a master's for any of these careers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you are getting a master's for the wrong reasons. It will not improve your job security. It will not make you able to get better jobs.

Please, don't just go back to school because you don't know what else to do, don't know what you want. First find the job you want, then figure out if you need more schooling and of what kind to get it.

Schools love insecure, immature kids like you. They see you as cash cows. Don't be one.

Well without an MPH, I can't get into that field. Without a degree in special needs, I can't get into that field. I don't want to be a cash cow, but I need a master's for any of these careers.

That's not true at all. You can work as a paraeducator with special education students in school systems with a BA. You can work as an assistant at any kind of health agency with a BA. You should first work at a lower level in the job area of your choice and only then decide to go back and get a MA. It should never be the first step you take in a new career.

[Anonymous]

I vote for Masters in Health administration.
Then you can work with hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, rehab centers...