lazaria

Congratulations! What's your area and language(s)? Since posting this, I came across an insightful post, though it is a few years old and from what I can tell, some things have changed at UCLA (i.e. the tech prerequisite.) Here it is.

I was just accepted to UCLA's MLIS and I wonder if anyone out there can speak to their experience or the reputation of the program?

Hi, I did not specify which - MA or PhD. I just generally inquired about my application, and they did not ask me for specifics. They, meaning, the department's secretary. She put me on hold briefly and then came back to report that all of the acceptances and wait list notifications have been sent out. The rest can assume a rejection and we will be hearing in March. Now, if you want to inquire about specifics, I would contact Dr. Miller-Young. She has been responsive via email with me and quite lovely. Good luck!

Yes, I second MITH and any other tech resources!

The library!

I posted this in the Gender Studies forum also, but I contacted UCSB on Friday. They said that all acceptances and wait list notifications have gone out. If we haven't heard yet, that is likely a rejection and that those letters will go out in March. However, before accepting an offer, it could be worthwhile to contact UCSB to inquire about your specific application since I don't want to give you bad advice! Good luck!

For anyone waiting to hear back from UCSB, I just called the department to check on my application. They said that they are in the process of doing campus interviews now and that all wait list notifications have been sent out. (Check your spam!) The rest of the applicants will hear back in March.

Congratulations! Questions I asked a DGS recently include: 1. Can I attend a class when I visit? 2. Can he describe the foreign language requirement? (That particular department's requirements were a little confusing on their website). 3. Can he speak to which of my classes from my MA at a different institution will transfer? 4. How big does he anticipate the cohort being? 5. What is the average class size? 6. Outside of my area, what are the department's strengths? Do they see themselves making any hires in the new future? 7. What formal relationships does the department have with local libraries or other institutions? 8. Is it likely that most PhD students finish their work in five years? Is there a possibility of a sixth year of funding? 9. When I am on campus, can I meet with x, y, and z professor? 10. Does the health care cover dependents? 11. Can they contribute toward the cost of my airfare and hotel? Hope this helps!

I noticed that someone got in off the WL today. Congrats!

Chiming in to thank you for this insight, Wyatt's Terps. I have to say that UMD has been incredibly welcoming to me thus far and I look forward to meeting more students and faculty.

Thank you! And thank you Prof Lorax for this excellent thread! I'm looking forward to visiting the campus March 11th.

I've long suspected this to be the case, given the frequency of newly-minted PhDs joining the market every year. Are there stats to support this somewhere? Any quantitative research on the number of unemployed humanities PhDs that you know of?

I've reached my upvotes for the day, but I would upvote this if I could. I like that you articulated needing to make a personal decision about where to draw a boundary line. (I also applaud your department. UTA's English dept has always impressed me as possessing a supportive and ethical atmosphere.) Your recommendation also allows prospective academics to look at their personal skill sets and dreams in order to discover myriad professions to which they could fit.

VAP = Visiting Assistant Professor. Thanks for the insight, Rising_Star. So, knowledge of the bleak job market aside, what should we all be doing to secure a better future for ourselves? To those who are facing the job market, if you could go back in time and confront your Ph.D.-seeking selves, what would you say, knowing full well that you were still carrying on in your doctorate? How would you advise yourself?

I appreciate the OP's, and other's, words of caution. Yet, I do find myself unsure of what exactly to do with this information as during my undergrad and my MA I was frequently reminded of the harsh realities of the academic market. Does VirtualMessage and others have any suggestions for preparing for an alt-ac position or something to fall back on if our dreams of academic employment do not manifest? Maybe an MA in TESOL? In my particular case, I'm already committed. I've bought in. Even still, I have no expectations of a TT right out of my Ph.D.; however, I do expect something a little more than adjuncting, which I currently do now for a living. (e.g. a VAP, a job at a research/teaching/writing center, a postdoc.) I've read frequently that Ph.D.s end up so specialized and professionalized that they find it quite difficult to articulate how their skills transfer toward a different profession. VirtualMessage, is this your experience as well?