Appropriate listing of academic credentials

Is it appropriate to list an earned doctoral level "Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study Recognition" (completion of all doctoral coursework, NOT including the comprehensive exam), with all other earned degrees and certifications, IF one is not an ABD, on the signature line of an email or letter?

 

In my inexhaustive experience, a CAGS is a distinct credential that one earns in a discrete program. It is not a credential that one earns as a step towards some other, higher credential. So I would agree with Steve. If the school has actually awarded you a CAGS (with the actual certificate) then yes, you can say you've got one. If not, not.

 

The CAGS, as we know it today, was originally designed for teachers and was originally called a “masters plus 30.” It represented the next step up on the pay scale for teachers who already had earned a masters degree. It was loosely called “half a doctorate,” but that was never an official form of nomenclature.

I’m with Steve and Kizmet – if you have an official CAGS, list it. If not, not.

Want a title? Wait until you have passed your comps and had your dissertation proposal approved, then use "Ph.D. Candidate." Until then, the most honorable title you can use is Jan. (I already have a Ph.D., and the title that honors me the most is still Steve. That, of course, is because I'm humble and unpretentious.:slaphappy:

 

To expound on what Steve said, the CAGS has been largely replaced in Education field with the Education Specialist (Ed.S). You still see CAGS programs around, but they're mostly in mental health & counseling related fields.

 

That is definitely true. One of the rare exceptions seems to be Northwestern which offers CAGS in a variety of fields:

Advanced Graduate Study Certificate Programs Offered at Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies

 

Based on what you have accomplished with your doctorate, the most honorable title you can use is Truck driver (lol).

 

Jan, bubaleh, I thought I was being rather nice by telling you that you don't need titles to affirm your self-worth (or lack thereof). You may think you're being funny, but it comes off as merely another one of your attempts to have a pissing contest.

Tell ya what, kiddo - since I don't need to tout my accomplishments (you can find them on Wikipedia), let's have a pissing contest once you have a doctorate. (And it must be a legit one.) Then I'll consider you worthy of mutual dissing. But not until then.

But you're right - I do consider trucker an honorable title. There's nothing I've ever considered as much fun as being a paid professional tourist. So, regardless of what I do or do not do with my Ph.D., I still have one - and you still don't.
:arms:

 

We've heard of people who continue to list themselves as ABD long after they've stopped even trying to finish their degree. At a certain point you have to just admit that ABD = DNF.

 

If you haven't finished you're dissertation but are still working on it, you're a PhD candidate; if you've stopped trying, you're an ABD.

 

Bubaleh, you're projecting again. I've never had any "passing contests" with you or even entertained the desire to enter into one. This is your skewed perspective, not mine. You've missed the point entirely. An academic degree does not define the identity or credibility of a person but what they have done with their lives and for others. In short, I'm not impressed with your doctorate, or for that matter any others, but am impressed with how one conducts their lives in a contributory manner. Sorry to disappoint you bubelah, but If it is used merely to impress, gain one-upmanship and bully others, it just doesn't meet this criteria.

 

You insulted Steve for absolutely no reason. It was out of the blue, he'd done nothing to provoke it.

 

WOW. See, you're relatively new here. So to take on Steve for no good reason, especially just to have a tantrum, does you absolutely no favors. This is not the place to show your a$$. This is where you come to give and receive advice, help, and guidance. When my 10 year old can behave better online than you just did, I say you need a time out.

 

NMTTD, I understand that you may want to be a "loyal sycophant but you are obviously not aware of how Bubelah Levicoff has been attempting to undermine me since I started on this forum. So I suggest that you allow Levicoff to fend for himself. Unless you feel he is not up to the task?

 

The povocateur/fomenter strikes again under the guise of defending and being concerned about Levicoff. Very transparent FTFACULTY. With all those academic credentials you bragg about you can hopefully do better than that!

 

He did nothing to warrant that cheap shot.

 

Your "concern" for the well being of Levicoff is extremely touching. Unfortunately, it is merely a disingenuous means of expressing your anger, having nothing to do with the defense of Bubaleh. Why don't you to try to openly express your anger rather than engaging in subterfuge so that we can ALL understand your true motive. Just an observation.

 

I'd say in defense of anyone, not just Steve. I've crossed swords with Steve before on this forum. It's about mocking someone's career in that manner. You know that's cheap, it's vulgar. You know that.

 

To reiterate, you are engaging in your familiar manner of attempting to undermine other posters. I have observed you doing this to others in a passive/aggressive manner. Not very subtle my friend but very revealing!

 

There's nothing passive aggressive about telling you that you were engaged in cheap shot behavior by mocking Steve's career and that it was a vulgar thing to post. That's very direct, not subtle.

Do you think you were justified to mock his career that way based on his post which was essentially nothing?