Do this...or just forget it?

[AchtungBaby80]

OK, I just graduated in May, and I need to get started on grad school if I'm going. The thing is, I really don't know how practical my major is (fashion), so I was thinking as a backup I could always turn my French minor into a major and get teaching certification in that. So here's the dilemma--do I get a master's in historic costume, or do I switch to French? The master's requires 30 hours; for the French thing, I would have to make up the undergrad courses I'm missing for the major (about 18 hours) and then get certified (which means taking about 24 hours of education classes). It would be quite complicated, but probably more useful. No, I don't know which I like better, so don't give me the same advice my parents did.

[Cardinal026]

Maybe it would help to look at the job market for each of those fields. Grad school is usually only two years, so if one of those markets is really stable, go for that. I'm afraid I don't know much about your options as a French major, so the best advice I can give is go for the one that will give you the most options, in terms of variety of jobs, job location, pay, etc. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[SoCalGirl]

I would think it'd be "easier" {read: more sociably acceptable} to later go back and do the French major and teaching certification thing than to later get your master's in historic costume. What kinds of things would each lead to? I just keep picturing you taking off to Paris and becoming the next Edith Head! (How long will it take for someone to post Edith Head's sorority affiliation?)

[Excelsior301]

I know exactly what you're going through, in a way. Originally, my only major was Radio/TV and my minor was French. Then, I realized that broadcasting can be a difficult field to pursue so I just changed my French minor to a major last week. When I graduate, I will still pursue a career in broadcasting, but knowing that I have French to fall back on makes me feel a little better.
I see that you said you want to do teaching if you go the French route. Is it possible for you to change your French minor to a major and get a masters in the fashion field as well? Knowing another language fluently never hurts, especially in the fashion field. And, if you decide to change gears and go the teaching route some day, all you have to do is get your teaching certification.
I hope this helped a little bit. Good luck with your decision

[AchtungBaby80]

The only thing that makes this complicated is that I've already graduated once (), so it took me forever to make the two schools I'm looking at understand that I am considering getting another bachelor's. I guess basically the question is, do I do historic costume because that would be easiest and take the least amount of time even though I will probably not be able to use it, or do I take out tons of loans and study French and possibly use that degree to get an actual job? I'm leaning towards French at the moment because I really want to teach...it's fun.

Edited to fix annoying grammar

[DGMarie]

I have a French major (minor in Intl Studies). I found that even with a French major, getting work as a French teacher was v hard and the pay was lousy. Getting a masters meant that my most liekly occupation was going to be in teaching for sure (either high school or college) but still the pay was not great. I don't know about a major in Fashion or what that really means.

Have you thought about business as a masters? I did my masters in International Business (and Brazilian portuguese as my second language). It opened up many more doors. And certainly if you desire to open your own business or work in the fashion field, a business background would be of benefit.

In the end, I found myself managing international marketing research for a multi-national communications company. Do I use my French and Portuguese? Occasionally. But having learned them and being able to put them on my resume (along with my business masters) made finding a good job much easier.

Keep your eyes open to other options. BTW, I did not take a single business course as an undergrad and I still was accepted to business school.

Marie

[AchtungBaby80]

Originally posted by DGMarie
Have you thought about business as a masters?

Hell, no. I hate business. My degree is a variation on a business degree except that I had to know about clothes and textiles, too, and the business part was my least favorite. If I liked business, I'd stick with the degree I have and not worry about going back to school. But thanks for the suggestion.

Anyway, here's my update (and another dilemma)...I'm not going to study French because I dreaded all my French classes in college and I don't want to subject myself to more. I still want to teach, though, so I've decided on English since it was always my favorite subject in school. So now I have to decide between going back to the school I graduated from or going to a smaller one a little nearer to home. Both are under an hour away, but the difference is that the school I went to is slightly more prestigious but costs more, and the smaller school is less-known but costs about $800-1,000 less per year. Both have the program I want. Help!