Harrison Middleton University: A Classical Educator's Perspective

There are several dated threads regarding why one would undertake Harrison Middleton University's DL DA and EdD programs - rather than necromancing these threads, I thought to post a new one, providing a more detailed analysis of a profession in which HMU's terminal degrees would be considered both desirable and prestigious: classical education. I have no compelling interest or conflict of interests in undertaking such exposition, but would like to clarify some ostensible misunderstandings and long-standing queries posed on this forum as regards HMU in general that I believe myself qualified by my experience to address. Classical education is a small but growing subset of the U.S. secondary private and charter education system focusing upon the investigation of the "great books" of Western culture and civilization. As an administrator at a classical school (no relation to Harrison Middleton), I thought to elucidate why, in my opinion and experience, one might reasonably complete one of these degrees - and also, why, in some situations, one should not do so.

First, a HMU degree will not in my estimation qualify one for a tenure-track job at any university of established reputation - not because such degrees are "useless," but because this is a misappropriation of their intended use. If you desire to obtain tenure-track employment, then eschew DL degrees of all flavors and by all means attend a reasonably prestigious brick & mortar institution for a PhD in the desired field of teaching or research.

A degree from a classical college like HMU, New Saint Andrews (in Idaho), John Witherspoon College (in South Dakota), New College Franklin (near Nashville), and several other universities certainly facilitates employment in the reasonably niche classical education market - one in which it is customary to remain in employment whilst pursuing the graduate degree, gaining pedagogical experience as one completes the course. A majority of these colleges are accredited by DEAC, TRACS, ABHE, etc. Regional accreditation is not (in my experience) considered important in the classical school community, because there are only a select few universities catering to this community, which are known and respected by members of the community by merit of their word-of-mouth reputation(s) rather than their precise USDE accreditation status.

Administrators, lead teachers, and education consultants in the classical space are certainly not obliged to possess such a degree, but an appropriately supervised postgraduate degree from such institutions, combined with the appropriate field-specific pedagogical experience, is a strong advertisement of one's qualifications in the great books arena. Additionally, a nontrivial number of church staff (especially of a reformed persuasion) tend to appreciate such qualifications, as they often value a broad liberal arts education combined with field-specific vocational ministerial training. Incidentally, a number of reformed clergy serve in classical schools and academies, in which such training is considered of value.

If you are seeking a position at a community college, you will in my estimation be de-facto required to possess a RA Master's degree with additional education increasingly being required. Unless you are slated to teach very general liberal arts courses and have the full vetting of the department(s) in question, you should pursue a PhD degree in your specific field of instruction.

If you are seeking a tenure-track position at a regionally accredited college, you should in my estimation seek a terminal degree from a highly regarded brick & mortar college and possess (or be willing and able to maintain) a solid program of peer-reviewed research, which would often (but certainly not always) be acquired during a postdoctoral internship.

If you are seeking a position as a senior teacher; deputy head teacher; principal; or administrator at a classical school; an independent school of like persuasion; or private-sector employment in which a generalist liberal-arts education is an asset (I am not competent to comment upon these positions precisely), in my opinion, as a classical educator, a degree from a classical college could be a substantial asset.

The continued discussion with respect to DEAC vs RA is entirely irrelevant to the conversation at hand, as each professional community, including the classical education community, determines its own qualifications and vetting procedures for professional and continuing education. The nature of the discussion regarding degrees from classical colleges and universities should instead revolve around the nature of the employment one desires to obtain with such education. As in virtually all fields of which I am aware, the degree should be calibrated to the specific employment interest - not the other way around - and should be carefully weighed against the standards and unspoken customs of the specific community in question.