This subject has come up a number of times but this is the first time in my memory where some actual data has been supplied. The article seems to be an even-handed treatment of the subject and I assume that the study that is referenced is the same. I have to admit, however, that I'm surprised that such a large number of intelligent people make such a basic mistake. In fact, I'm so surprised and as I tend to be a "glass half-full" type person, I tend to think that the researcher has failed to ask the most appropriate questions. I'm guessing that these doctoral students, because they are quite intelligent, and because they have spent a large portion of their lives ensconced in the world of academia, know quite well that they may not land teaching jobs. I think that most of them know that it's extremely competitive and they go in anyway because they are optimists, they love what they do, they believe they will "land on their feet," and , perhaps, they have no other idea of what to do with their lives. For those of us who are earning doctoral degrees through DL while working at full-time jobs, we forget that WE are the exception. Most PhDs are earned full-time and the students who earn them are not paying for their educations as we are, they are actually receiving a stipend from the school that allows them, sometimes with another part-time job, to live a decent life in a college town, waiting to fall in love, waiting to become inspired, waiting to make that GREAT connection that will land them that GREAT job. They may be disappointed when the teaching job doesn't happen but, surprised? I bet not. Jack
I'd slightly change what Jack said. I think they are surprised that it happens to them, but not surprised it happens to others. That actually may not be true for those just entering their program, but long before they finish I'm sure they have an idea of what has happened to others. I plan to go full time to get my PhD and would love for my 'A' plan to work out. However, if I have to fall back to my 'B', 'C' or even 'D' plan I'll be doing what I love for five years and have 30+ years left in my work life. If at any time I find that the full time route isn't for me I imagine my job prospects will be better then most in the U.S. A MA in Economics and an MPA places gives me better job prospects then a MA in European History or Linguistic Anthropology.
Job prospects of MA in Linguistic Anthropology "A MA in Economics and an MPA places gives me better job prospects then a MA in European History or Linguistic Anthropology." I disagree. As a holder of an MA in Linguistic Anthropology (collected texts from a largely undescribed dialect of a Canadian First Nation language) I always had confidence that the decade I spent studying languages enabled me to say "Would you like fries with that?" in more than 45 languages!!!
Why bother getting a Ph.D if you don't want to teach? It was a good article with good replies. If I pursue a Ph.D, it will be not be to obtain a teaching position, thus, maybe I am the exception. My little brother is a full-time professor in a state university system and he likes it. More power to him, but it's not for me. I am always asked why I would want to obtain a Ph.D if I’m not going to use it to teach. They ask the question as if it will be a waste of my time, effort and money. If I pursue a Ph.D, then it will be for these primary reasons: Personal enrichment (yes, this is a valid reason). It may open doors in the future, due to having the credential. This is the element of the unknown. IMO, having the credential will be an asset and will eventually pay off. I can't "turn off" the desire to get a Ph.D. Every time I suppress the desire, it keeps coming back. Consequently, I give up; it must be destiny. I will get one.
In a more serious vein, outside of academia the marketability of graduate work is often times not so much in the discipline or research topic as it is in the fact that you accomplished a big task and that you developed research and cognitive skills en route. I worked for a number of years in the area of organizational learning with degrees that had little to do with the actual training and research I delivered. I remember one older consultant pulling me aside and informing me that they were buying my brains (i.e., the potential) not the actual content.
Re: Why bother getting a Ph.D if you don't want to teach? I totally agree with you... especially on the last point. For years I thought, maybe my internal desire was simply a lack of self-esteem and therefore I wanted to make up for it by a p***s extension ( ) ... but as I got older and grew out of those testosterone and developmental issues and deficits, I realized that there was more to it than met the eye. Like you, I could not turn the desire for a Ph.D. off. I spent probably thousands of hours over the years researching and speaking to graduate schools. I finally concluded that this must be part of my life mission. I sort of see that there is a Divine aspect to all of this... much as Bolles' "Parachute" book says about finding your mission in life. There is a destiny... it awaits you and me. It is a vacuum in future history that can only be filled by one person. We must decide so... Hence, I am in my Ph.D. program... attempting to heed that inner thing... four courses and 88 papers later... five more to go... then comps... then the biggie... Thanks!
Re: Re: Why bother getting a Ph.D if you don't want to teach? Wow! I thought for a long time that I'm the only person who thinks this way. I joined this forum some time back because I had been looking everywhere for the right fit for doctoral studies. I never felt the urge to earn specifically a Ph.D., but I knew that doctoral studies were/are a must. It was almost compulsive. Recently I stopped ignoring the desire and came to grips with the fact that I enjoy academia and find my greatest satisfaction in teaching. So, very shortly I hope to commence doctoral studies. I think of it now as a calling I've ignored for some time.
OCD and the academic ladder Maybe we're all suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder? Maybe that's why we're all here?
David Sternberg in How to Complete and Survive Your Doctoral Dissertation (a book I recommend highly to any in--or considering--a doctoral program) described his own dissertation in sociology. He studied a group of chiropractic students. One of the things he measured was their outlook on their (individual) career prospects. He also asked them about prospects for chiropractics in general. What he found was they rated their own prospects higher than those for the field. In other words, they saw the difficulties ahead for graduates, but figured those woudn't happen to them.
Re: Why bother getting a Ph.D if you don't want to teach? Me again, Thanks for helping me identify my main reasons for pursuing a doctorate. You expressed my truest feelings about this academic endeavor. Roscoe
