Options after my Masters

[thinblueline123]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post here so be gentle on your responses .

Basically, I am looking for options after my Masters degree that pertain to education. I am in the process of finally getting in the field I wish so I am not interested in employment options- only education options.

My original goal up until this semester of my Masters I wanted to earn either a Doctorate or a PhD. The discussion of a doctorate not having a dissertation seems ignorant with a bit of research. Every doctorate program I came accross (online) requires a dissertation just like a PhD. This semester hit me hard with the reality of how much I stress over school. I want a family and personally do not think it is right to bring a baby and a new wife into a grumpy, moody, stressful life of a PhD student. Maybe yours was easy but like I said I have stressed alot.

Overall, the research and writing part I like but the time doing nothing BUT that is getting old and burning me out. I no longer want to do a PhD or Doctorate because of the long dissertation work (plus the money aspect as I am not funded). Northcentral claims my tuition will be about 40,000 but I expect more than that based on its reviews.

So what are my options after I get my Masters? Is there anything I am missing here? Any degrees that are higher but do not require a dissertation or multiple research papers (that will consume me)?

Just to give a quick overview I had recently thought of the EJD from concord (my BS and Masters is in Criminal Justice) or possibly going back to get another Masters, or even attend a UK law school to get a LLB then go straight to the LLM which is only a year.

Policing will be my profession but I do not want to stop learning. I want to continue my education. I want the EJD or LLb simply because they are law related. I understand neither will allow me to practice law but remember my profession is policing...

What do you think? Are there any other options that might fit my "profile"? What do you think about getting a second Masters?

I appreciate your responses!

[sanantone]

Ed.S is an education degree that is halfway between a master's and an Ed.D. It does not require a dissertation. There are professional degrees that do not require a dissertation such as a JD, MD, DNP (nursing), PharmD, DPT (physical therapy), etc. I think there are a couple of PsyD programs that have a major research project instead of a dissertation, but they aren't online. The doctor of health science degree from AT Still went from having no dissertation, to having a dissertation, to now having a major research project. I think Texas A&M has an Ed.D that requires a project in place of a dissertation. The health science degree at Nova Southeastern has a research project, but you have to have a medical background to get in. The Doctor of Behavioral Science at Arizona State University is online and has a research project. However, until they come out with their management track, you have to have a master's level clinician license in order to be admitted. I believe that some of Colorado Technical University's programs allow you to write 3 publishable papers in place of a dissertation.

I think I'm missing something. As you can see, I've researched this topic very thoroughly. :p Oh! Valdosta State University's DPA program has a final project and you can create concentrations such as social work and criminal justice.

[thinblueline123]

Thank you for the response! My research produced much of the same results. I have to throw out the MD and JD and all of the PsY that need special clinician degrees to enter the program. Do certificates hold significance in the world of academia? The post-graduate certificates?

What does everyone think about the eJD?

I need to research that education degree you mentioned! That sounds like a good one.

[rebel100]

JD sounds like the best option to me. Colleges tend to be in love with the concept of a Lawyer teaching in their CJ programs...but that comes strictly from my limited personal experience.

I would encourage you to check out this group of learners... DegreeInfo Distance Learning - online degree forum IC is the best at methods for earning the BS/BA. this other group tends to focus on post baccalaureate education and there are several that have considered your path.

Best,
Mike

[Yanji]

JD/LL.B seems like a good idea to me too. There are some universities which offer distance LL.M programmes for non-lawyers too, if you're interested in a particular area of law. I mean, CJ is great for policing but as someone who has worked in a policing-related profession before I agree with you that studying law from a broader perspective will serve you well, probably more so than a doctorate in CJ as far as the world outside academia is concerned. Have you seen if there are any part-time JD programmes available in your area? I'm inclined to believe that a part-time JD from a local school will probably hold more weight than a JD from a for-profit school. (IANAL but I think we all know there's a certain degree of contempt towards online/for-profit education in the US legal profession)

I'm surprised nobody suggested an MPA programme yet. There's many distance ed options out there and considering you're in the public sector it could be a great asset for both your career and educational goals.

[sanantone]

As was mentioned above, a part-time JD would be better. I'm not sure how far you can get in academia with an EJD, especially if it's not from an ABA-accredited school and you're not licensed to practice. But if all you want is to further your education, I guess it would be okay.

[LaterBloomer]

If you want to be an educator, and I assume in the field of policing, have you checked with local colleges and universities to determine which degrees will allow you to teach?

[thinblueline123]

The local colleges are vague in their requirements to teach. The universities only accept PhDs but the local colleges require anything above a Bachelor's degree and some field experience.

I was looking at a Masters in Legal Studies but then I thought about being more specific for a Masters in Criminal law. Does that exist online? It does not need to be ABA accredited just regionally accredited.

[Demo18cc]

Rest...that's a good option after Masters lol

[sanantone]

Earlier I meant to say A.T. Still's Health Education program, not Health Science.

I haven't seen any criminal law programs, only legal studies. The more focused master's degrees tend to be in environmental law, health law, and tax law. You might find this interesting.

Master of Science in Legal Studies: Criminal Justice Curriculum : CAL U - California University of Pennsylvania