Most U.S. trained professors are from a few elite universities

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by chrisjm18, Sep 23, 2022.

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  1. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    "One in eight US-trained tenure-track faculty members got their PhDs from just five elite universities: the University of California, Berkeley; Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; Stanford University in California; and the University of Wisconsin–Madison."

    https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02998-w

    Another interesting point:

    "Depending on the field, only 5–23% of faculty members worked at an institution more prestigious than the one at which they earned their PhD, according to the analysis."
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2022
    Dustin likes this.
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    This is hardly news. If you earned your PhD from an elite University - there aren't that many MORE prestigious schools to work at, than the one you um.. "doctorated" from. It just makes sense that you'd have to include schools of equal rank, or lesser rank than your own, in your job-search -- and you'd likely have better success at getting a position at one of those - simply because they're much more numerous than the ultra-prestigious Universities and consequently hire more professors.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2022
  3. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    While one could assume that, I don't think they would have known the five top schools that dominate in this area if not for this 2022 study.
     
    Johann likes this.
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    True - good info.
     
  5. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    It's also because schools chasing rank rarely hire professors from lower-ranked schools.
     
  6. life_learner

    life_learner Member

    For academics, publication is the currency (a business school professor stated so). Who controls the top research journals? Professors (editors) in the few elite schools.
     
  7. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    I love the term doctorated.
     
    SweetSecret likes this.
  8. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    University of Wisconsin-Madison? Really?

    I went there to earn a certificate in online learning. It was a good experience.
     
  9. MK1980

    MK1980 New Member

    There is this concept called the 80/20 rule (pareto principle). Basically, in layman's terms, the top of anything usually makes up the bulk of something.

    This concept applies to almost everything in life (top income earners make up the bulk of total income, etc). So the results from this study are pretty much just confirming the rule.

    In fact, if you needed to write a paper and did not have any specific topic in mind, applying this concept almost always results in interesting findings, whatever the field. For example, let's say you're in public policy - you can write a paper about how the top x% of congress writes the bulk of bills/laws.
     
    Suss likes this.
  10. JoshD

    JoshD Well-Known Member

    Interesting to see UW-Madison on the list.
     
  11. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    Law school faculty are far more restricted as to school. Nearly half of tenured law professors got their JD degrees from Harvard, Yale or NYU, the latter I suspect being heavily represented in the tax field. This is not a good thing.
     
  12. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    And law professors aren't even really "doctorated".
     
  13. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    The funny thing is the German language has the term "doktorieren" with exactly that meaning. However, the synonymous term "promovieren" is more commonly used in colloquial language.
    I've always thought it's a bit strange that there isn't a direct English translation for "promovieren" and "doktorieren".
     
  14. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    True. especially since we DO have "doctorand" for a doctoral candidate. But not "doctorating" at the finish line. The more I learn of other languages, the more I realize just how strange English is. Well, if several waves of invaders get to make the soup, you can't predict exactly what will be in it. :)

    Another thing. I note "doktorieren" and "promovieren" are both "borrowed" (foreign-derived) "-ieren" verbs. Borrowed from Latin, not English, I guess.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2022
  15. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    When my friend was accepted to some state university in Virgiania PhD program he was sad and happy.
    Sad because he knew there will be limitations and he may have huge challenge to get professor's position is good school. Happy because it took long time after many rejections to finally be accepted.
    He had BA, and MA from Cal State Long Beach.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2022
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  16. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    We do say someone has "mastered" a subject but that never means "received a masters degree". Strange.
     
  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    It's a chicken-and-egg thing. Depends which came first = the mastery or the degree. And EITHER can exist independently - I've seen it. Plenty of people have one without the other. :)
     
  18. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    I think "mastered" isn't derived from the term "Master's degree", but from "master craftsman". A few centuries ago, the Master's degree was virtually always called Magister.
     
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  19. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Master was a top craftsman.
    Master craftsman.

    The master was an established craftsman of recognized abilities who took on apprentices;

    The times of Guilds.
     
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  20. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    "Magister" is simply "master" in Latin. And yes - the academic title would be derived from earlier usage. A Roman schoolteacher would always have been "Ludi Magister" to his pupils. (Master of the elementary school - or ludus.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludi_magister

    Gehen Sie zur Meisterklasse, mein Freund! :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2022
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