Contemplating a Phd...advice requested

[rebecca1968]

Hello All,

 

I would like to hear from the graduate students in doctoral programs on this issue.

I received my Masters in 2008 and now I am contemplating a Phd. I have worked primarily

in the private sector but would like to shift gears and enter higher education in some

capactiy, ideally in teaching and research.

 

As I have a masters, I could theoretically be hired as assistant faculty, adjunct, etc...

however, a full professorship at some point would be virtually impossible without a doctorate.

I anticipate that I have a good 30 years of professional life left.

 

My question is, do those of you in programs currently and who expect to graduate with a doctorate feel

that the costs of your program and the debt are worth it today? I can't imagine escaping a program

without being less than 30 thousand in the hole...what say you on the concept of value vs cost?

 

Thanks,

Rebecca

[Seeking]

As Far as finances are concerned, ideally you should go for a funded PhD - where you get fellowships and teaching + Research assistantships from the University.

 

If you get partial funding and can't find additional funds from anywhere, you can pay partially for your PhD. But there is no point in paying all the way for a PhD when in most cases you can get funding.

 

Academically, it is worth it if you are really interested in the discipline you are applying to - that is the only reason you should apply - because you are really interested in getting an advanced research level experience in this discipline and you want to stay in this discipline for the rest of your academic life.

 

If you don't like the discipline, then it's not worth it. Because Doctoral research requires a high level of commitment, several years of investment in research and sacrificing many comforts of life because of this research. So, if you don't like the discipline enough to be able to stay in it for a long time and give your academic life to it, then don't go for it. Get a professional degree instead and go into the job market. 

 

You have correctly gauged that without a PhD your progress in academic career will be hindered. And you should get your PhD from a reputable school, because when you go into the job market for faculty positions, graduates from higher-ranked schools will always be preferred over those from lower-ranked schools - regardless of their knowledge level and academic potential. The academia prefers the tag of the school more than the knowledge level or the academic potential of the candidates. So, even if you get a funded offer from from a lower-ranked school, it's not worth it.

 

Before applying, do a survey of where a particular department and school ranks in the Universities ranking system and how their alumni have fared in the academic job market in the past few years. If you apply with this knowledge, it will be worth it. 

 

Also, it's not a good idea to change your discipline at the Doctoral level. Get a PhD in the discipline in which you have a Masters. In the application stage, most schools will expect you to have completed a minimum required number of courses in order to be considered for selection. If you have not completed this required minimum, it is difficult to get selected into a PhD program. There are few schools that will admit you into a PhD without it.

 

Usually, this required minimum corresponds to the courses required to obtain an Undergraduate Minor in this field.

 

After the PhD, when you apply for a teaching job, you will be expected to have studied a required number of courses in this discipline at Undergraduate and/or Masters level. If you have not studied these courses but have produced a brilliant PhD and have an excellent publication record in your Doctoral discipline, you are likely to lose your teaching job opportunities to someone who has an average PhD from a top-ranking school and not a shining publication record like you - because s/he studied a required number of courses at Undergraduate and Graduate level in this discipline and carries the tag of a prestigious school.

 

So, changing disciplines in Graduate school is a good idea from the intellectual perspective, because it opens your mind to receiving multi-dimensional ideas from different disciplines, but it doesn't work in the real  world of Graduate level teaching jobs. If at all you want to change your discipline, go for a closely allied discipline and make sure you complete the required minimum of courses at the time of applying.  

Edited January 2, 2013 by Seeking

[juilletmercredi]

With a master's, you can't be hired as assistant faculty in the US - assistant professors have PhDs, too.  You could theoretically be hired as an instructor, lecturer, or adjunct, but probably only at community colleges unless you are in a shortage field (like nursing).

 

But I agree with the above in that you shouldn't attend a PhD that is not at least partially funded.  Personally, I would not attend a PhD that is not fully funded - and by that I mean either the university provides funds or there is a reasonable expectation that you will be able to make up whatever the shortfall is (ex. in my program the university provides the first 3 years of funding, but nearly everyone finds some external source of funding for the remaining years, including myself).

 

It also depends a lot on your field.  Nursing and accounting professors are in high demand.  If you get a PhD in one of those fields or another like it, you're very likely to get a tenure-track position in some place that is desirable to you and be able to repay your loans.  But if you want to be a professor of English literature or American history, it's more of a gamble.