12 reasons not to get a PhD

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by AV8R, Nov 3, 2013.

Loading...
  1. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I think that people need to enter the doctoral process with their eyes open, having a realistic view of what it takes to finish, how much it will cost and what they can expect once they're done. In some ways it's similar to starting a business. Beyond that I think the article was primarily fear mongering.
     
  3. distancedoc2007

    distancedoc2007 New Member

    It's a worthwhile read, but really only refers to the traditional 'carry on studying while still young, enter academia, strive for tenure' model. For that model, the truths in the article are not new. Grad students have always been farmed and exploited, tenure has always been a tough grind, and colleges have long been trying to control their labor costs and gain more flexibility in hiring. Getting a doctorate later in life to enhance an already successful career is a totally different story.
     
  4. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Points 5, 9 and 12 really stand out as being accurate.

    The basic master-tool of education is the Bachelors degree. That's all a person needs. It's the sheepskin that allows people to apply for jobs in management and/or it proves that the individual had the tenacity and intelligence to complete the requirements for a degree. Beyond that, it's up to the individual to forge his path in life.

    There will always be a need for graduate degrees, but that niche is very small -- and will remain small, although colleges and universities are flooding the market with graduates (masters and doctoral) who may have unrealistic ROI expectations. Catering to degrees at the masters and doctoral levels is a business and the ROI for those who are providing those educational services is good, but the ROI for those receiving those services may not meet the expectations of the vast majority of seekers/students.

    For the average Joe, it is best to take that Bachelors degree and commence living life with it. No other degree is necessary for success in the vast majority of circumstances.
     
  5. major56

    major56 Active Member


    In agreement, particularly the last paragraph...
     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I don't agree that a Bachelor's is all it takes. My Master's degree opened a lot of doors for me. Perhaps it's just that I've been in an area with a lot of people who have them, but those areas exist.
     
  7. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Many licensed professions require a grad degree.
     
  8. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Especially in the mental health and healthcare professions. The trend is that the requirements are going up. Pharmacy went to a doctorate, nurse practitioners are supposed to be moving to a doctorate, and all physician assistant programs will be master's degrees. The only mental health profession I can think of that generally does not require a graduate degree is substance abuse counseling. There is undergraduate-level licensing for social workers, but their job options are very limited.

    For accounting, sometimes it makes more sense just to get a master's degree since you need 150 credits to become a CPA in most states.
     
  9. Delta

    Delta Active Member


    There is a difference between these "doctorate" degrees and the "Ph.D." These doctorates are vocationally oriented. The schools call it a doctorate but the curriculum and focus is entirely different from the PhD! These professional doctorates prepare the clinician to hit the road practicing their trade with little to no emphasis on primary research.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 3, 2013
  10. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    My post was in response to the conversation about whether a graduate degree (this includes master's, professional doctorates, and PhDs) is worth it. For psychology, the Phd is preferred over the PsyD even for practice. For most of the mental health professions, occupational therapy, and physician assistant programs, the master's degree is the one for practice. So, again, I wasn't just talking about doctoral degrees. Then, there is the MBA and MPA people get to boost their salaries and chances for advancement. These are worth it if you can get into top schools. A master's degree is also needed to become an administrator in education. The job prospects for economics professionals are a lot better for those with master's degrees. Many jobs outside of academia for chemists, biologists, and physicists require master's degrees or higher.
     
  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    In many public school systems teachers are expected to earn a Masters within some given time frame begining with their hire date.
     
  12. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Even in school districts that don't require a master's degree, there could be a great ROI for those that pay more for a master's. If I were a teacher in my area, I would complete a cheap master's at WGU or somewhere else for the extra pay. Some police departments in my area pay an extra $1800 a year for a master's degree. I haven't calculated if the ROI would make it worth it to get a master's instead of settling for the lower incentive pay for bachelor's degrees. However, in addition to getting education incentive pay, the master's can knock off the years of experience needed to get an advanced-level peace officer certificate. Many police departments pay more for higher certificate levels, so you kill two birds with one stone. The same goes for corrections.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 4, 2013
  13. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    EDIT: k, everyone- I deleted my stupid off-topic post and just left my previously muddled point below. Sorry about that.

    There are only three reasons I can think of to get a doctorate. (1) Work. 2) Personal growth/satisfaction. 3) Vanity. As far as I'm concerned, (1) is better off not being harder than it needs to be and I already have (2) and (3) covered. No doctorate for me, my friends!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 4, 2013
  14. Delta

    Delta Active Member

    Okay. The OP was discussing about "12 reasons not to get a PhD". Just wanted to clarify that the "other doctorates" are not in the same context. I read the article and I believe it particularly mentioned the PhD however it may elude to other doctorates and if that is the case, then I disagree with the author because vocationally, those doctorates are absolutely necessary to practice as a clinician nowadays. It didn't use to be the case and most of those professions were bachelor degrees once upon a time. For some reason they evolved into a doctorate, PharmD, DNP, DPT, AuD, etc. I actually know some PA's that simply hold a certificate but most now are masters programs.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 4, 2013
  15. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    The article is about PhDs, but the thread got a little off topic in discussing master's degrees also.
     
  16. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    My favorite line is 12. "Unfortunately, you can't eat prestige."
     
  17. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Sounds like it was written by some grumpy old fart who wants to be the last person in the world to have been granted a doctorate.
     
  18. Syedadeel

    Syedadeel New Member

    PhD. is high risk degree! first of all you are not sure about the outcome. Majority of the students tend to lose their way, over the course of study and research. Secondly your entire learning experience depends on the quality of supervision you get from your supervisor/s and mentor/s. The other problem with a doctorate degree is that it tends to narrow down the area of specialization, unlike a Master's qualification. So make sure that your area of research helps you to work as an applied researcher in the real world.
    Surely you don't want to end up in some museum like an arm chair intellectual talking about Marx, Plato and Aristotle? Unless you have a lot of money sitting on your side.
    I personally feel that an Economics and Finance doctorate degree helps a lot. Most of the students end up at banks and other policy making or financial institutions. I am not sure about the scope of doing a PhD. in Natural Science, Liberal Arts and Humanities.
    May be you participants can throw some more light on this...
     
  19. jacobwilson8

    jacobwilson8 New Member

    I would not rather say of not having a Phd degree, but one needs to opt for it when he thinks that by having this degree would be of some importance in his career.
     
  20. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Isn't there a requirement that all mods have to get a doctorate within five years of becoming a mod?
     

Share This Page