Two Great Articles Weigh the Value of Doctor of Arts Degree...

Two great articles for those weighing the value of a DA degree. First article is from a teacher's perspective, while the second one is from the perspective of a community college administrator. Both are great articles and other insight into how these degrees are perceived. I am sharing these here because they answer a lot of the questions I had when I started research on DA degrees. Maybe some will get some use out of this info!

Takeaways from articles:
-DA degrees are looked down on in some lights, despite the degrees being just as rigorous as PhD requirements in a lot of cases.
-They are not always looked down on in hiring, per se, but in many cases a PhD might win out.
-DA degrees are mainly designed to better the craft of teaching a subject.
-DA is suited more for those not interesting in publishing/research.

"Why We Need to Remember the Doctor-of-Arts Degree"
Why We Need to Remember the Doctor-of-Arts Degree - The Chronicle of Higher Education

"Ask the Administrator: The Doctor of Arts Degree"
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-college-dean/ask-administrator-doctor-arts-degree

 

This statement is a bit self-contradictory.

 

It makes sense to me. Upper middle class shoppers don't always look down on Walmart, but they often choose to shop at Target instead.

 

Of course, you're right. But then it's really an exercise in saying nothing. "Some people will like you, but some people won't."

 

The way I see it, schools don't necessarily have anything against DAs, but prefer PhDs.