Waitlist at Duquesne?

[Mr. David Jay]

I visited Duquesne last year and it took me a while to discover that they usually only fund 1 MA student per year. I also found out the PhD funding is not very generous (specifically the health insurance package was "unacceptable"). I would be wary of shelling out money for an unranked MA unless you are really interested in some one's work there, that is, if you're doing it for the love of philosophy not as a career move.

[dgobox]

Anyone else get an email today re: their amount of funding? I did. And I am pleased.

[dgobox]

I visited Duquesne last year and it took me a while to discover that they usually only fund 1 MA student per year. I also found out the PhD funding is not very generous (specifically the health insurance package was "unacceptable"). I would be wary of shelling out money for an unranked MA unless you are really interested in some one's work there, that is, if you're doing it for the love of philosophy not as a career move.

Thanks for posting this.

What makes you think that only 1 M.A. student per year is funded? This year I was told that the amount of funding depended upon the number of applicants.

And which rankings are you referring to? Leiter's?

[Billy Dean]

I agree. I am also pleased with my funding as an MA student.

It was between a fully-funded MA at U Toledo and a partially funded MA at Duquesne.

Toledo: They were really shady about answering my questions (Questions like: "Do many MA students go on to PhD programs?" "What courses are you offering next year?" "Do you have a list of current students?" If a department evades these questions, I take it as a bad sign), and there is NO ONE in the faculty who shares any of my research interests. Duquesne may cost me money, and I may have to continue working to put myself through school, but Duquesne is in a great city, has a department FULL of people I want to work with, and has expressed their commitment to helping me get into a good PhD program. Decided.

I also have to disagree in regard to PhD funding--I've heard numbers from current students: not so bad. I mean, the numbers may seem bad if you've lived a sheltered, privileged life and have never had to work or pay your own bills; I've been working for just above minimum wage and have not had health insurance for the last two years--I have no sympathy for people complaining about how their stipend is "only" 12,000 a year.

Ranked? Leiter's? I've had multiple professors--analytic, continental, from my university and elsewhere--tell me not to waste my time with Leiter's ranking; while some schools do tend to place their graduates better than others, it more depends on what you write, who you know, and how well you can relate the one to the other. I've heard horror stories of people going to what is now a "well-ranked" school and then spending 15 years on the job market. It's luck, talent, networking, and marketing.

Thanks for posting this.

What makes you think that only 1 M.A. student per year is funded? This year I was told that the amount of funding depended upon the number of applicants.

And which rankings are you referring to? Leiter's?

[dgobox]

Agreed. But I assume that is probably the list that this person was referring to...because it's pretty much (and unfortunately) the one that most people know of

I read a post somewhere on this site about a department that was hiring and brought in several faculty members to guest lecture a class. The candidates from departments that held a lot of cache lacked important skills having to do with the position. In the end, the job went to a much more well-rounded and versatile candidate from a mid ranked program.

That's purely anecdotal so take it for what it's worth, everyone.

Billy, do you know when we register for courses?

[Billy Dean]

I think I'll wait until they contact us; I've emailed a few times asking if there was additional paperwork, what the next step is, etc. and have been pretty much told, "Don't call us; we'll call you." Getting a little too anxious, I guess.

[dgobox]

Okay, thanks for the response. Good to know