Future plans

This is another post where we talk about where we think we might be headed in the future. I've been very happy being a stay-at-home dad for the past year and a half, and had a mild amount of success and a large amount of growth.

However, I am, currently, taking a few hesitant steps towards beginning my return to school. I could, of course, get a job, but we are still betting that riding out the end of the recession with more school is still our best bet, as long as we stay out of a substantial amount of debt.

So here it is. After a lot of soul searching and weekend discussions and family research sessions I am (in the process of) applying to graduate programs to get either a Masters of Library and Information Science (although the different schools give this degree different names) with the idea of being a librarian or information specialist at some level, but more likely a university or archive or a Masters of Divinity with the idea of being a minister in the Unitarian-Universalist Church.

Let's talk about what I'm thinking about, everyone's favorite topic. This will be information overload, but this post is serving a secondary purpose of organizing my thoughts on the topic.

Library Science vs Divinity Degree

Similarities:
-Obviously, both means reading lots of books.
-Not exactly high powered careers.
-Both programs have many more women than men.
-The prospects for jobs in both seem to be similar. A lot of librarians/ministers are supposed to be at the age of retirement but are putting it off due to the recession. Also a lot of libraries and churches have seen their budgets crunched and are cutting positions rather than hiring. Hopefully when I'm done with a 3 year degree, things are looking better. I could probably pick a path that is experiencing more growth now, but not seeing a lot of those anyway, unless I want to try my hand at shale oil exploration.
-Both would be quite enjoyable and fit my disposition and interests.

Librarian Pros:
-I will always like books.
-I will always like computers, although I still shy away from the full on computer geek world.
-I like the idea of the librarian's main mission being distributing knowledge, especially as technology speeds up that progress.

Cons:
-I've worked with a lot of librarians. They didn't seem to be inspired by their jobs on a regular basis. (But maybe I'm just looking for a peaceful way to provide for my family).
-I would almost certainly have to work as a librarian on campus in addition to going to school to get any sort of additional funding

Minsister pros
-I love reading about religion. There's no subject more interesting to me right now.
-I love the UU church. It just fits so well. The Mormon church is like the family I grew up in, which will always be special, but the UU church feels like the close group of friends that I actively chose, except they won't abandon me for some girl.
-A place to make a meaningful impact. UU ministers don't just take care of their congregations but are also focal points for social engagement on a whole range of social justice issues. Librarians also have a real impact on the lives of people, but not on the same level.
-A likelihood of getting a decent amount of funding without extra work, as the national UU association has scholarships available for potential ministers.

Minister cons:
-We've only been UU for a little over a year. I feel like I'm rushing into it a little (although rushing into relationships has worked out okay for me in the past). I envision us in UU for the long haul, but I also envisioned us in Mormonism for the long haul a few years ago. There's the possibility of us going fully back to the Mormon church, but even greater is that we become more fully un-churched in the future and find our social engagement somewhere else. At least there's no divine doctrine to have a faith crisis around.

So there's that. Next. Here are my top three program choices, which are probably the only ones I'll apply to for now, and some other options:

University of Wisconsin: School of Library and Information Master's Degree

This degree has been on the table since we came to Wisconsin and it's what I've been telling people my future plans are for a while now. I think this degree still remains in first place, but only slightly, just because we've thought about it so much and it is the only option for attending a real graduate program without leaving our current house.

Pros:
-No relocation
 *We love Madison
 *Established and mostly free child-care for the kids
 *Lots of friends here already
-In-state tuition
-Cait would not have to relocate at all while finishing her degree
-Competitive program
-I could get work on campus from the beginning
-Cost of living very reasonable

Cons:
-The program has slipped from the top-tier of schools in the last few years
-It has an emphasis on public and elementary school librarians, whereas I am interested in being a college librarian or using the information science aspect to do more technical work
-Madison is not a great place to get a librarian job if we want to stick around, because the system is glutted with students and not that large

Seattle University School of Theology: Master's of Divinity
Pros:
-Near some of Cait's family, and her parents have talked some of moving out there too as the only of their kids to have settled down at all have settled down there.
-Upper west-coast, where we've always felt would be a cool place to live
-Not a UU school, but they have classes for UU and lots of UU students.
-Better weather
-A distance learning program while Cait still has regular commitments on Campus and then a year or so in Seattle while I finish up and Cait works on dissertation

Cons:
-High cost of living
-Not a UU school

Starr King Theological Seminary
Pros:
-In Berkeley, which would also be a good place for us
-Great weather
-An even more flexible distance learning program
-A specifically UU school, with all the connections and opportunities that should bring
-Close to Davis where my friend Gordon is now (but for how much longer?)
-More scholarship opportunities as a potential UU minister

Cons:
-Even higher cost of living
-Are we too liberal for Berkeley?

Other options:
-Distance library program at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign or UNC Chapel Hill. Lots of library science programs offer distance programs, but these are the two best schools, so they would be my first choice.
-Some other distance library science program that is not as good, but cheaper.
-Meadville/Lombard Theological School. This is the only other UU school, and it offers a distance program that includes three week long intensive study periods on campus spread throughout the year.
-Move to Boston and go to one a half-dozen UU friendly theological schools
-Nashatah House Theological Seminary This is a fairly conservative Anglican school, but the only one close enough for Cait to commute that is certified by whatever association certifies schools to produce UU ministers. Also the campus seems really cool. But I'm not sure the UUA would accept a degree from such a conservative school, or if we could fit in with the community.
-Look for a school where cost of living is cheaper, although theological schools seem to end up in high-end places.