Deep Fried Angst

Those of us with two often did an MA and another degree, resulting in closer to the hours of an MDiv. Also, degrees from non-academic focused seminaries tend to be full of not PhD preparing courses (Foundations in Missions, Vocation of Ministry, etc.) so multiple degrees can be needed to get all the courses one needs to be ready. Thus the MDiv + Thm method for some when the MDiv didn't have a lot of room for upper level electives in HB/NT and Second Temple if one is in the biblical studies area of things.

As for the vaccines, I wouldn't be surprised if universities will create a plan for students who are not able to get a vaccine to arrive on campus two weeks early with a negative COVID test and then be vaccinated by the on-campus health clinic, and then be good to go. Thinking of the J&J vaccine. One does. Two weeks typically to receive full effects. Cheap and easily stored. This is purse speculation, but it might become reality.

Sharing a link to the most recent report from the Society of Biblical Literature and American Academy of Religion on jobs: https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/JobsReportAy20.pdf These are for jobs in all fields and areas of religious studies. TL;DR Jobs went down an unprecedented amount last year. Most of the decrease happened before March, and therefore the pandemic's affects are not reflected in this report. There are still jobs. TT jobs. But the number of them are shrinking.

I'll start applying for jobs next academic year. I'll have my dissertation proposal accepted in a month or so (I already have confirmations from my board, I just need to do the paperwork and go through the process). Hopefully come summer's end I'll have three chapters done, so enough to have time to submit applications.

To be fair to @Chicago Guy and his love of UChicago, the above assessment is also be true of may other universities. (And no, I'm not a slightly bitter PhD candidate looking upon the job market with despair.)

I'm gonna push back on this because Chicago has a reputation for "forever" PhD students who take 7-10 years to graduate. This is not needed. You need to get those three letters behind your name so you can have a chance at a job search. is Chicago a good school? Yes. Are they rigorous? Yes. Are they built around a model that reflects a decades old view of the job market and post graduate job stability? 100%. Working harder doesn't = a better program. It may mean a less humane one.

SBL, for those whose interests fall within its purview, has a call for papers open til March 23.

There's a couple things to do depending on your situation. If you have an offer on the table from another program but are on the waitlist at your dream school, let that dream school know you have an offer. Email the head of the grad program, say you have another offer but your first choice would be their school so you want to know where you are on the waitlist. There's always a (small) chance that them knowing you have another offer may make you more desirable in their eyes. They're not magically going to find money for you, but they might rethink your position in the waitlist line. If you are only waitlisted, you can always inquire where in line you are. But this should probably be a one time email a month or two after initial acceptances have gone out (an initial inquiry is also fine; you want to know the outlook). Any more frequent and they will know that you haven't got in anywhere. Not a bad thing, but desperation is never a good look. Lastly, if you are only on waitlist(s), start developing your backup plan. If you are slated to graduate, you will need a source of income if these apps fall through. Start that process now. You can always back out of a job application/interview process later if you get accepted to a school. But waiting until all hopes are exhausted may put you way behind other spring graduates in the job market.

Where else did you apply and for what subfield?

@cosmo92, I'm in the JCA concentration. Applied for the 2017 cycle I believe. TBH, I know the least about ethics concentration, but feel free to message me if you have any questions about the program in general.

@cosmo92, most years there is some, though not a ton of waitlist movement. Marquette tries to get acceptances out early, but that also means people typically sit on them until they hear back from other programs. Once ND, BC and others get theirs out, you might see some more movement. You can always email Dr. Dempsey, the DGS, and she'll do her best to update you. Since there's not a set number each concentration get within the program, sometimes you might get some movement if one other concentration is getting declines of their acceptances. If you are high on the waitlist, I would say there is hope, though some years (like mine) everyone in a particular concentration may accept the admissions offer immediately and no waitlist movement happens. (Marquette PhD Candidate here)

Baylor would also give you access to Whataburger. This should not be taken lightly as part of the decision making process.

That is their typical method. Those interviewed are split into the people who are offered and those who are waitlisted. Since they are typically one of the top schools on most people's list they rarely go far into their waitlist (or in some sections, rarely into it at all). If you aren't offered an interview at a school which typically interviews, you are most likely not going to get in, even if given a waitlist spot (e.g., Baylor sometimes waitlists people without inviting them to interview).

Contingent employment and NTT employment typically does not affect how your research is seen by others since most people are aware of the state of the job market. One of the top prizes in early career scholars for SBL The Achtemeier Award was given to a contingent faculty this year. However, most of these positions have a much higher work load for less pay than TT and Tenured jobs. Less money and less job security makes it harder to do research and have continued research progress, especially if the schools you become connected to don't have a great library section in your research area. The terminology varies from department to department. Mine only has instructor for PhD Candidates who are getting teaching fellowships beyond their fifth year. No lecturers. And everyone else is some from of Adjunct or VAP. To my knowledge a couple Post-Docs is fine, but after that I'm not sure how that would look of if post doc committees would be ok with hiring someone on their 5th post doc. The key thing to do is let departments in your area know you are there and open to taking on a course or two at their institution if anything opens up. You might end up taking on a medical leave or a sudden departure (someone leaves right before the semester begins) teaching load for a semester. Posting a job and doing a long hiring process for an adjunct is a lot of work for a little payoff. Many times departments will hire those who they know are open to doing the job without ever posting a position.

To Be or Not to Be: Why Pursue a PhD in Bible? This will be a luncheon webinar aimed at recruiting more minoritized scholars into biblical studies. The webinar is a follow-up to the recent #BlackScholarsMatter symposium and is co-sponsored by the Society of Biblical Literature and Forum for Theological Exploration. Panelists will discuss why one should pursue a PhD in Bible, how to position oneself for it, support structures one can avail to succeed in their PhD program, and the various available career paths in the changing landscape of theological education. The webinar is scheduled for 31 October 2020, 1:00–2:30 pm (EST) and is free for students of color interested in pursuing a PhD. Registration will be limited to 100. Registration for this event is now full. Please check back on this page after the webinar has concluded for video of the event. Eligible participants will receive complimentary registration to the 2020 Annual Meeting and may order their own meal and be reimbursed by SBL for up to $25.* Each registrant will also receive a copy of one of these books: Jesus in Asia by R.S. Sugirtharajah (Harvard University Press) The Dawn of Christianity by R. Knapp (Harvard University Press) Reading While Black by Esau McCallley (InterVarsity Press) A Multitude of All Peoples by Vince Bantu (InterVarsity Press) Christ in Latin America by Samuel Escobar Brown Church by Robert Chao Romero (InterVarsity Press) Theological Formation: Making Theology Your Own by Mark Ellingsen (Mercer University Press) A Biblical, Historical and Theological Guide for Students by Kathryn Muller Lopez, et al. (Mercer University Press) The Edward Wimberly Reader: A Black Pastoral Theology edited by Mary Clark Moschella and Lee H Butler (Baylor University Press) Church in Color: Youth Ministry, Race, and Theology of Martin Luther King Jr. by Montague R. Williams (Baylor University Press) Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond by Nijay Gupta (Cascade Books, an imprint of Wipf & Stock Publishers), with a new chapter “Advancing Towards a More Healthy, Diverse, and Inclusive Academy.” We are grateful to Harvard University Press, InterVarsity Press, Mercer University Press, Baylor University Press, and Wipf & Stock Publishers for their support. SBL is gathering information from several PhD programs about their application process and the support they offer minoritized students to succeed in the program and during job search. This information will be available on the SBL website. https://www.sbl-site.org/meetings/ToBeorNottoBe.aspx