Getting professor gig in Europe with American PhD?

[hejduk]

I have few contacts in Europe, and I'm currently pondering how to get a professor job in Europe once I"m done with my American PhD. It has come to my attention that European vs US PhD programs are quite different: US PhDs usually do coursework and then their dissertation, while European PhDs often go straight into their dissertation, with few or no coursework.

One person may state that an American PhD is better than a European PhD, but I'm sure it really comes down the field and school where you studied. I've also found out that PhD students in Europe are more likely to do postdocs in the social sciences, whereas it's basically unheard of in the US.

Knowing that I will probably have a US PhD with no postdoc, will I be competitive for European jobs against European postdocs? With US PhDs being held as more "rigorous", maybe I'll be a level playing field?

[ANDS!]

At the end of the road, your English counter-parts have done the same work that you have; they just may have done it at different times in their academic careers. An instructor of mine who did his PhD in America, found the coursework easy, because the classes they were taking at the graduate level, was the work he had already done at the undergrad.

I don't think it really has much do to with rigor (in the traditional sense), so much as how post graduate studies are set up.

But hell, what do I know. I bet it comes more down to the topic of interest than anything else (as it should).

Edited June 10, 2012 by ANDS!

[Dal PhDer]

I think it has to do with a lot more than where you got your PhD. I think it's your success track with funding and publications, your topic/expertise, and more important- who you will bring to the university. My graduate coordinator told me that when universities employee you, they are actually trying to hire the people you have worked with - so your supervisor, committee member, mentors, etc.

So I think to be hired, you need to fulfil various factors.

[Bones]

PhD in what discipline? Where do you want to work (Spain?)? It depends also on the country and on the discipline. Every country has a different practice. Also the language of instruction is important.

It heavily depends on your publications. A-journals will get you a position with tenure at most Universities. If you have C-publicasions, it will become difficult...