Applying with a previous PhD in another field

[catullus]

I already hold a recent PhD in religious studies from (according to some rankings) a top-ten program, but I have been finding my interests drifting away from my original field (Second-Temple Judaism and Early Christianity) and more towards philosophy, particularly metaphysics and phenomenology. I didn't have much formal training in philosophy (2 courses) as an undergrad, but I developed a very strong grounding in (and took a comprehensive exam on) ancient philosophy in grad school, just by virtue of the historical context of my specialty.

 

So I am contemplating the insane move of going back in for a second doctorate in philosophy. My question is, how far will holding an advanced degree in a neighboring discipline go towards making up for my lack of formal preparation? Or will it actually be a hinderance (I know some programs flat out won't admit current PhDs)? My GREs are outstanding (I re-took them last year on a lark), and my grades in grad school were in the 3.8 range. I've also got a couple of publications under my belt, and a good bit of TA and teaching experience. If I can produce an outstanding writing sample, do I stand a chance of getting into a highly-ranked PhD program?

 

I know the conventional--if contested--wisdom for those in my position is to go into an MA program first, but the few of those that offer any funding at all rarely offer enough to live on, and I simply cannot take on any more debt at this point.

Thoughts?

[Eigen]

My understanding is that most schools will not accept you with a PhD unless they are in very different areas (ie, humanities vs sciences). 

 

The idea is that once you have a PhD, you have a PhD, and you have all the preparation you need to move into a new area through your own scholarship and publishing. 

 

You can find a number of threads discussing it on the CHE forums, as well as blurbs on many school websites stating that they will not accept PhD holders unless the fields are totally unrelated. And I wouldn't think religious studies and philosophy are unrelated fields. 

 

It's sometimes acceptable to go back for a second masters in the new field to get up-to-speed, but even that can be seen as iffy. 

 

You will likely do more harm than good for future job prospects by going for either an MA or PhD now, even if you could get in. 

[fuzzylogician]

I suspect you'll have to reach out to potential schools of interest (or advisors of interest) and ask them directly. We have a student in my cohort who already has a PhD in philosophy and is now doing a second PhD in theoretical linguistics. He got in through a connection with a professor who was just starting to develop an interest in the area that this student was interested in studying. His work for his previous PhD and his current work are sufficiently distinct from each other such that there won't be any overlap in the dissertations, but I think generally this situation is quite unusual.

[outlaw]

Or you could also enrol yourself in such PhD programs that does not require a complete engagement. And, one school that might be a suitable avenue in this regard is European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, in which classes are conducted only during Summers, although one remains a full time student. Given your interests in metaphysics and phenomenology, and the fact that you already have a PhD, it will not be difficult to secure admission into EGS as long as you can pay the fee. In your situation (as far as I would recommend) you can pursue your (academic) career in your primary field at the moment, so that you are both pursuing your career and your academic interests. EGS (although it has of course substantial drawbacks as well) hosts some of the leading thinkers, such as Jean Luc Nancy, Agamben, Negri, Hardt, Zizek, Badiou, Ranciere.

 

This is what probably I would have done in your situation. But, at the end of the day, you are not me, and I am not you!

[Balatro]

I'd strongly advise against attending EGS if you want your degree (and by extension, you) to be taken seriously.

[catullus]

My other option, of course, is to make the discipline switch by sheer force of will, viz., studying on my own, attending conferences, and trying to publish in the field until I can gain a modicum of credibility. An awful lot of philosophers started out as theologians, classicists, and mathematicians anyway.

 

The reason going back for another PhD is appealing is it would let meto devote myself to this full time, rather than having to work a day job to make rent and pay my loans. It would also be useful for me to make personal contacts; I failed to do this effectively while earning my first degree, and it is costing me.

[catullus]

I'd strongly advise against attending EGS if you want your degree (and by extension, you) to be taken seriously.

 

Yeah, I gathered that.

[outlaw]

I'd strongly advise against attending EGS if you want your degree (and by extension, you) to be taken seriously.

Well I had an idea that it was more of a philosophical summer school (more so for the 'well established' philosophers) but considered that it might be a good place to develop contacts and to show your work to your supervisors. Did not that it might be that bad! 

[outlaw]

Yeah, I gathered that.

Lol

[Eigen]

To me, the important part is how search committees will look at a double degree. The feeling I've gotten from my campus, and from the CHE forums, is that it makes them very skeptical. 

 

If you're teaching somewhere, though, you should definitely be able to take courses (likely for free), and start to develop collaborations within that school. 

 

You might also look at VAP positions, or even post-doc/research fellow positions (I know they're rarer in the humanities), as they would be more focussed on a short time to focus your research. 

 

I have a friend that's transitioned the breadth of one field (one end to the other) and into a related field over the last 5 years or so. He's done it incrementally, by publishing more and more in fields related to the new area, which makes him competitive for jobs in those areas, and lets him publish more. 

 

You also have to work with the fact that you have a different background, and highlight that it's not a bad thing. You will approach questions differently than a classically trained philosopher, which might be a very interesting perspective to have. And especially if you look at smaller jumps than moving straight to metaphysics, like publishing more in philosophy journals related to your current area, it's not such a bad road. 

[tomjonesy517]

Famous radical feminist philosopher Mary Daly received PhDs in both theology and philosophy. Her first PhD came stateside, and she received her others in Switzerland. Perhaps someone can mention the benefits/possibilities of getting that other PhD in Europe.