Pentateuch PhD, Cambridge vs. St Andrews vs. Trinity Evangelical? And hiring prospect for ethnic minority?

[xypathos]

39 minutes ago, Elwynn11 said:

 

Thanks Xypathos. I do have a Bachelor's and Master's in engineering, and worked a few years as an engineer. So I can always teach STEM classes... I hope that should be a plus too?

Love to know that at least high schools are still in demand of qualified teachers. I started my MA in theology thinking maybe I can become a high school teacher (I got a little tired of engineering, and thought a teaching job with summers off would be cool), but as I did pretty good on my studies, I thought I should pursue a PhD. But it is good to know that high schools are always a good option.

Bottomline, at this point I just hope there are realistic outlets after the PhD so I can pay off the loan quickly. I don't want to change a life passion/path just for some 50k which I may be able to pay back in one year or two.

I think a bachelor's and master's in engineering, in addition to a master's in theology, would make you a hot commodity!

[sacklunch]

1 hour ago, Elwynn11 said:

I see the mounting problem here as no matter how (even if you get a tenure track in a university), you cannot easily do that research work that you always dream of (unless you teach an intro class for 30 years and become a professor emeritus?). This is really the obstacle that is hard to get over. So again, my question is, are there other, or creative ways for us to still be able to engage in research and publication even outside of standard academia?

So that's why I was thinking about teaching high schools (it pays well and you have summers off so can use that time for research). Or back to engineering, so I can work for a few years and save enough money to take a few years of leave (this is how I got my MA in theology in the last a few years).

There are a lot of practical challenges of doing research outside of a traditional academic job. Most importantly, you won't have easily and free access to books and articles. This is a serious cost consideration (you could easily spend hundreds or even thousands for a book project). Time is a factor. I just don't think summers are enough. They are enough for smaller projects and shorter articles, but not much more in my opinion. You will also have trouble finding a close group of trusted readers in your subfield (experts), given your time commitment and academic status (or lack thereof). You won't have the time to go to and present at conferences (critical for building networks of readers and opening opportunities to publish).