Reasons to do a PhD

[Thales]

I'm always curious to know what reasons current PhD students had for pursuing a doctorate.

I have found myself waffling between the possibility of pursuing professional studies (law or industrial relations) and a PhD. Obviously though, these courses of study tend to lead, in some respects, to completely divergent career paths. Applying my knowledge and expertise practically has always appealed to me, but in many ways, so has "research".

Perhaps my hesitation emerges from 1) the dismal job market for PhD graduate (or so I've read and heard), and 2) my inability to think of a really compelling reason to do a PhD. I have always thought the pursuit of a doctorate as something that you should truly enjoy throughout. Entering a PhD program with doubt is not something I would feel comfortable doing.

I have also heard reasons that were not as compelling from PhD students. For example, some have told me that they weren't ready for the workforce, that they felt the degree would lead to more money, that they were interested in the prestige that the degree would confer, and etc.

So what were your reasons? In retrospect, do you think your reasons were good ones? Candid replies are welcomed and appreciated.

[AKJen]

So what were your reasons? In retrospect, do you think your reasons were good ones? Candid replies are welcomed and appreciated.

My honest reason for pursuing a doctorate is that I'd gotten as far as I could get in my career without having the degree. I worked in public health research for a tribal health organization at a great job that was fulfilling and well-paying but without a terminal degree, I'd never advance any further. While I'd always planned on someday going back for a doctorate, the job situation is what really convinced me that not only would I be doing something I really enjoy but that I'd have a job when I finally finish.

However, one year in and my career goals have changed. I am being seduced by academia and the possibility of continuing research in an academic as opposed to clinical setting.

[TransnationalHistory]

Not officially in a program yet so this comes without first-hand experience on what it will be like, but I do have friends in grad school, and see what their lives are like. Anyway, this why I'm excited about grad school:

- For the most part I'll be my own boss. Sure, you have to be a TA, but besides that you will be supported, both monetarily and emotionally, to do your own work. Any horror story I've read about abusive faculty pales in comparison with the last boss I had. And from talking to current grad students in both programs I've been admitted to, as well as friends currently in grad school, it seems that for the most part being a TA is for the most part ranges from neutral-positive.

- More opportunities will open that wouldn't otherwise. I know someone studying Art History. As early as his first year his professors were connecting him with editors at top-national art magazines, and he's been paid for his essays/reviews. His second year he got a highly paid part-time job at an art gallery. While being in the program didn't instantly make him smarter, it did give him connections and a professional stamp of approval. As for me, there are archives that would be hard to access without either university affiliation or a PhD.

-Building on that point above, I see grad school as an excuse to live in another country. I know that sounds silly/self-serving, but it's true. I'll be getting paid to do summer research, which in my field will mean spending the summer abroad. Getting a paid job in another country is hard, so being paid to do research anywhere of my choosing (that's relevant to my research, of course) is exciting to me.

-The job market is dismal, and the stipends I've been offered are greater than what I've managed to earn in any of the four years since I graduated college.

-The challenge. The last time I felt I was really making the most of my life was my senior year of college. Not that I regret the last four years of my life, but I'm more productive when pushed by an outside force. This is not to say I'm self-motivated and unable to work independently --I didn't take any classes my last semester of college, just finishing up two year-long senior thesis projects-- but I doubt I'd have the drive to write a dissertation on my own.

- If I don't go to grad school, there's a chance that in 6-7 years I'll still be in the same state of limbo I've been in the last four years (a mix of freelance/contract/part-time/etc.). If I go to grad school, I might still not have my goals figured out, but at least I'll have a PhD, proficiency in 1 or more languages, more professional connections, and a slew of interesting experiences under my belt.

[The Dudester]

Ultimately, I want to be a university professor so I can read, write, research and teach. I have to get a PhD to do that. There is no better reason or no reason not to. People might say doing a phd is stupid or pointless or hard, but it is all moot because to do what I want, I need that PhD. So I'll try to get it.

[StrangeLight]

i was working as a journalist. i didn't like that i couldn't pick my own stories or topics. i didn't like that i couldn't write about things the way i wanted to write about them, like poverty or race or violence. there's no room for structure or power in journalism. i didn't like that someone was always fucking with my copy and always would be.

after lengthy conversations with journalists, professors, and journalists-turned-professors, i decided that i would only really be able to say what i wanted to say in a dissertation or a book. with a PhD in hand, people would seek me out for features and op-eds on my region of expertise rather than toiling away on a beat that has nothing to do with what i really want to talk about.

after being in a program for two years, i sometimes lose sight of this. i spend so much of my time doing coursework that i rarely get to really enjoy working on my own project. with general mounting stress and pressure, even when i do work on my research it's not always enjoyable. i can't wait until i'm ABD and can just do my own thing. that's the dream right now.

[socialcomm]

Ultimately, I want to be a university professor so I can read, write, research and teach. I have to get a PhD to do that. There is no better reason or no reason not to. People might say doing a phd is stupid or pointless or hard, but it is all moot because to do what I want, I need that PhD. So I'll try to get it.

Exactly this.

[starmaker]

I want to be a research PI. Research PI jobs exist in my field in academia, industry, and government - there's not a job shortage. I could work my way up to being a PI in some non-academic organizations with just an MS, but if I lost my job at one of those, I'd have a harder time finding a new job without a PhD, so I'd rather get one if I can. And besides, I want the research training. I love research, and I think I'm pretty good at it for this stage of my career, but intensive training under a higher-level researcher is a great way to improve.

[Thales]

Thanks guys. Any more thoughts?

[The Dudester]

Thanks guys. Any more thoughts?

Yup. You can be condescending to your friends with their silly Bachelor degrees.

[hardcrashxyz]

I came close to getting a Ph.D. years ago, and would regret never finishing. Also, I love the academic environment and will enjoy my time spent in pursuit of a doctorate. The work I want to do would benefit from getting additional focused training.

[40 Rounds]

Well, I have nothing else planned for the next five years. I'm being serious, not flippant. The idea of perpetual job-hunting or, if I got "lucky," struggling to get ahead while mired in some kind of soul-crushing drudgery doesn't appeal. (I'd much rather be mired in soul-crushing drudgery and emerge at the end with a PhD.)

[timuralp]

I like to do research, I was excited about it in undergrad and excited about it still. Often times I have to work long hours, but somehow it never really feels like work. I feel like I'm getting paid to do the kinda things I'd want to do anyway - what could be better?

[vtstevie]

Well, I have nothing else planned for the next five years. I'm being serious, not flippant. The idea of perpetual job-hunting or, if I got "lucky," struggling to get ahead while mired in some kind of soul-crushing drudgery doesn't appeal. (I'd much rather be mired in soul-crushing drudgery and emerge at the end with a PhD.)

pretty much this

Academic history was something I found myself to be fairly good at (at the risk of sounding full of myself) and the idea of working at some dead-end gig for years sounded truly horrible. It helped that I loved my undergrad department and had a great life in the town I did my undergrad in, so doing my MA there was a nice way to remain in town, maintaining relationships that mattered to me and preparing for my future at the same time. I knew that by the time I wrapped up my MA (a time which is now upon me!) I'd be ready to pack up and move somewhere else, and that's exactly what I'm doing.

[neuropsych76]

I love neuroimaging research and would enjoy teaching at the undergraduate level. Also, I didn't want to have to work another job I hated after I graduated. Worked too many of those already...

[M. Swann]

For philosophical reasons, I consider the development of new knowledge to be a strong motivating force. The academic path seemed like the most plausible way to work toward that goal, and a PhD is one step on that path. Though, it helps that I love learning and teaching too!

[Slorg]

Intellectual vacation!

[Bukharan]

1. I want to teach at college level. In order to do that I need a Ph.D.

2. I want to do research in my field. I really want to publish something new, have a book or two. A Ph.D. is a very first humble step towards this.

3. I am politically and socially liberal as hell. University campus is one of few places where I will feel comfortable and fulfilled.

That's the idea. That's also super-naive, I know that.

[eklavya]

in addition to what you all guys have said above, i also have this desire to add the 'dr' prefix to my name. or the 'phd' suffix.

c'mon, you guys want this too... don't act too innocent here

[RockDenali]

in addition to what you all guys have said above, i also have this desire to add the 'dr' prefix to my name. or the 'phd' suffix.

c'mon, you guys want this too... don't act too innocent here

Practical reason: It's guaranteed employment for the next 5 years.

Idealistic reason: Expand my mind, valuable research, yada yada yada. It's guaranteed employment for the next 5 years.

[beanbagchairs]

I enjoy doing research and teach. PhD allows me to do that. Plus, as bikhaari said, listening to other people refer to you as Dr( or later --hopefully--) Professor YourName is pretty dang cool

One can dream, you know

[Thales]

No offence, but most of these sound like really bad reasons to spend another 5-7 years in university (i.e. to have the prefix "Dr." appended to one's name, to avoid the labour force, etc). These are reasons that I am trying to avoid propelling myself to making this kind of choice.

A "love of research" sounds reasonable, but how many undergraduates (or MA graduates, to be fair) have legitimate experience conducting research? Is there anyone here that truly loves their field and never once doubted the prospect of pursuing a PhD for its own sake?

Perhaps I'm being naive.

Edited March 19, 2011 by Thales

[eklavya]

No offence, but most of these sound like really bad reasons to spend another 5-7 years in university (i.e. to have the prefix "Dr." appended to one's name, to avoid the labour force, etc). These are reasons that I am trying to avoid propelling myself to making this kind of choice.

those were mentioned to introduce some humor in the thread. we all know why we want to do a phd. if we didn't and weren't serious about this whole thing, we wouldn't be doing this here on the first place.

[was1984]

I'm a masters student currently in transition to a PhD, and I've been doing 'real' research for the past two years. I absolutely love my work. After spending the past 2 years making $20,000 a year doing what I have been, and continuing to make nearly 4 times that much a year in industry like I did the previous two, I find that the last two years have been -far- more fulfilling. I would have done the same thing even if there were no 'degree' at the end of the road.

That's why I'm pursuing a PhD.

Edited March 19, 2011 by was1984

[psycholinguist]

I have all these ideas for projects and research, and I want to be able to do something with them. I'm part of a field that I miss terribly when I'm away from it. Can't get enough of coming up with new thoughts and sharing them. Descriptions of about 95% of the jobs outside academia make me want to run away screaming, and the remaining 5% are all either almost impossible to get into (e.g. lexicography) or extremely difficult to make a living at (e.g. creative writing). I've always liked the environment of a university-campus, and I tend to very much enjoy the company of anyone intellectual-ish.

All this marking and homework and research and teaching and committee-meeting-attending and email-writing adds up to a pretty busy life, but it's one that I absolutely love and that has never come close to making me feel burned-out. The issue of job-prospects makes me mildly nervous, but at the end of the day I can't get too worried about that, because I'm doing exactly what it is I want to be doing.

Edited March 20, 2011 by psycholinguist

[starmaker]

A "love of research" sounds reasonable, but how many undergraduates (or MA graduates, to be fair) have legitimate experience conducting research? Is there anyone here that truly loves their field and never once doubted the prospect of pursuing a PhD for its own sake?

Well, some of us have been conducting research full-time (as academic lab techs or research hospital techs, as junior scientists in industry or government, etc) for one or more years. And you do find undergrads who have legit experience...I knew people who had 3-4 years of working 10-15 hours/week as undergrad research assistants, and had co-authored peer-reviewed publications, by the time they finished undergrad. They were special cases to be sure, but they're out there.

What do you mean by "for its own sake?" If you mean "for no reason except to have a PhD," then I'm not sure that's the best reason to get one. You're making a big commitment; most people want to have more to it than jumping through a hoop for no reason except that hoop-jumping is cool. If you mean "for the love of your field," then I think there are many people who want PhDs for primarily that reason (my sister, for one). For myself, it's a combination of field-love and more practical reasons. But I have not had serious doubts about pursuing a PhD in this field since I originally decided that I wanted to. I have had some fleeting doubts during nights when I'm especially stressed about MS classes, and thinking that life would be so much easier if I stopped with school, but the doubts go away when I get through the work.