All But Dissertation

Kandi,

I think we have about 95% of the picture now, thanks for sharing. This survey appears to be for an assignment and you decided to throw it in during a post about a program you are excited about. The survey is written like it applies to people that go to or are familiar with ACE. If the goal is just to get random people to take the survey, the current method may work. The results will likely be useless though.

 

Greetings JBjunior,
Thank you for your reply. I was curious about the response to the questions regarding ABDs but also, I wanted to join this group in order to discuss the ABD situation, offer suggestions, receive feedback and to contribute as much as possible. As a 'newbie' I am also reviewing the topics of others, and their replies. I appreciate your feedback and thank you for taking the time out to read my posts.

 

Here is another discussion board that might be of interest to you as it is specifically for people who are ABD

http://www.phinished.org/

 

I think the usage of ABD is potentially ambiguous. It can refer to those who are in a limbo, maybe gave up their degree, are taking much longer, or had to stop, etc. Or it could refer to people making normal or even fast progress and who may be on the job market.

 

No ambiguity about it. If you are in limbo, have given up your degree , or had to stop, you are ABD. If you are making normal or fast progress and are on the job market, you are a PhD candidate.

 

Actually, there is an unambiguous definition of the term. The problem lies in people trying to stretch that definition. For example, if you are not actively enrolled in the program then you’re not ABD. You are simply an unenrolled xstudent

 

Then, how come the overwhelming majority of professor job ads use the term "ABD?" They don't hire ABD applicants with the expectation that they won't finished; they explicitly state that they expect you to finish. There is not a single definition for PhD candidate. You can be a PhD candidate without having all of the coursework finished. ABD means that you have finished everything except for the dissertation; this is the reason why most colleges and universities use this term in their job announcements. There's really no ambiguity in the term ABD, but there is ambiguity in the term PhD candidate.

 

Because there are too many people, including people who should know better, who don't know the difference between ABD and PhD candidate.

 

So, you're saying that everyone in academia doesn't know the difference? PhD candidacy varies by school, so there is no single definition.

I searched these terms on Indeed.com.

"PhD candidate" "professor" - 6 results
"Ph.D candidate" "professor" - 2 results
"ABD" "professor" - 1,233 results

https://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=%22ABD%22+%22professor%22&l=

 

I know that in the South African schools, where there is no doctoral level coursework, the student becomes a PhD Candidate once their dissertation proposal has been accepted. Frequently this is at the end of year 1 but it can happen sooner. I've been led to believe that if your proposal has not been accepted by the end of year 1 then you might be in a little trouble. Otherwise I think it does vary a bit from school to school. I don't really care too much except in the case where someone continues to call themselves ABD after they have left school with the dissertation unfinished. To me, the term ABD implies that the person is still in the process of finishing. If you have stopped your studies, are not enrolled, not on administrative leave or whatever else a "special status" might involve, then you're not ABD. You just never PhinisheD. Some places will give you a "Terminal Masters Degree." Some not.

 

Sanantone is correct for the reasons stated above. ABD is heavily used in such advertisements. Some users may be familiar with an antiquated or narrow definition of the term. Languages and words, including acronyms, are always evolving.

 

I think it would be nice if that were the case, but languages and terms evolve, including colloquial usage. And it is used in that context to indicated someone who never finished but wants to indicate they did more than beyond master's level work. The more proper definition is in the usage of it in a more formal academic setting to indicate someone who has completed all doctoral coursework, any qualifying exams, and had their doctoral proposal approved. This may vary from school to school, country to country. At that stage the only work left is to complete the dissertation and then the defense. That is the more "proper" academic usage, and what is assumed in the advertisements Sanantone mentioned.

 

That's what I'm thinking. A few here might be familiar with an old, or maybe even incorrect, usage of the word. But, it doesn't really matter who is right or wrong. Thousands of schools use the acronym ABD to communicate whether or not they are willing to hire someone who is almost finished. They do not use the term to communicate whether or not they are willing to consider someone who will never finish. They usually expect the ABD hire to finish within six months to two years or to be finished before the first day.

 

Yes, a person who is the informal definition of ABD (someone who gave up) would not meet those qualifications and would not be considered for those positions.

 

I'm really not sure what you mean. This is the case. Right now. In a country far from here. You seem to be responding to a post other than the one you've quoted.

 

I was responding only to part of that quotation: "If you have stopped your studies, are not enrolled, not on administrative leave or whatever else a "special status" might involve, then you're not ABD."
I was not responding to anything about how the system works in South Africa. I meant it would be nice if the "alternate" definition of ABD did not exist--i.e. quit, gave up, ended the program--but like it or not, it is broadly used that it does indeed exist. I think usage in such cases could be misleading or possibly deceptive, but such is life.

 

This is an example of a "special status." While I have used UMass as an example, I would be willing to bet that every other legitimate school has a similar policy for this and other circumstances.

https://cesd3.oit.umass.edu/gradbulletin/2012-2013/Page6343.html

 

Was that directed to me? I knew what special status was and did not say anything about it specifically. All I have said in this thread is there are dual definitions of ABD, and one or both can involve special status.

 

Well, you've said a lot more than that and you've said it a lot less clearly, but don't worry, don't get defensive. Here's the definition of ABD

"Students are ABD -- "all but dissertation"-- when they have completed the Preliminary Requirement for the PhD and are at work on their dissertations."

https://www.umass.edu/philosophy/financial-aid-0

I could pull a hundred citations, all of them essentially the same. I'm not sure what you mean when you say "dual definitions." Do you have a citation for an alternative definition?

 

I would revisit the thread if confused. Some additional discussion can be found here: https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/28717/when-can-a-person-be-called-a-phd-abd, touching on some of the same points brought up here. Good luck.