How important are publications in PhD applications?

[katherinegm]

I am finishing my Masters in Art History at a Canadian university, and am strongly considering applying to PhD programs in the US, UK and Canada. I feel I have a very strong application with regards to grades, relevant paid work experience and internships, research assistant positions, study abroad semester and language (bilingual in French), but the only category that is weak is academic publications. (I have a few publications in small exhibition catalogues, newsletters, etc. only)

 

I am wondering how important are academic publications for a Phd application, especially for competitive US and UK programs? Would it be preferable to wait a year to apply to programs, and spend the year trying to publish my thesis and/or portions of it? What is a typical number of publications for a PhD applicant?

 

I really want to develop a well-rounded application going into this daunting process.

[condivi]

Publications are not at all important, and at this point in your career no one expects them. In fact, I would strongly recommend not publishing anything until you're well into your PhD program. You will probably come to regret them later on--who wants their juvenilia floating around? If your writing sample is good, that's all you need, but even that needn't be necessarily "publishable." Mine certainly wasn't.

Edited December 3, 2014 by condivi

[Gvh]

I'd have to slightly disagree with condivi - I think it really depends on the program. While I don't think a lack of pubs would hurt you per se, having high-quality publications (i.e. demonstrating your ability to do research) can boost an application. One program I know of in particular noted that publications made a "night or day difference" (words from the program director). Just my $0.02. In other words, if you get pubs great, if you do not, don't worry. 

[katherinegm]

Thanks so much for your advice. I'm glad to hear that it likely won't instantly disqualify me from a PhD program. On that same note, I don't have any academic awards, conferences or scholarships on my resume either (tuition for residents of Quebec is extremely low so there is less of an urgency to apply for bursaries and scholarships). Together with the lack of publications, I feel like I have much less of an "academic" application - rather, I have a lot of practical experience in the "real world" of the art history field on an international level (I work as an art appraiser/cataloguer at an auction house and am also cataloguing a major Canadian private art collection, and previously did curatorial and collections internships at US museums, studied abroad at La Sorbonne).

 

I feel that all of these experiences complement each other well and can be incorporated into my PhD topic and application, but I guess I'm wondering how universities would view this type of applicant as opposed to someone with experience mostly or exclusively in academia. 

 

Thanks again for your help! Trying to make this less of a "this is my personal experience-what are my chances of getting in?" post, and more about what schools are looking for in PhD candidates in general. 

[1Q84]

I feel that all of these experiences complement each other well and can be incorporated into my PhD topic and application, but I guess I'm wondering how universities would view this type of applicant as opposed to someone with experience mostly or exclusively in academia. 

 

 

I don't have anything to say about art history specifically, so take this with a grain of salt, but I do know that many programs value that exact type of "real world experience" as it shows that you can be that all-around strong student, holistically. You would have those not-strictly-academic skills like interpersonal skills, time management, responsibility, stick-to-itiveness, etc. that is required from real-world work situations that, often times, strictly academic students lack.

 

If you're anxious about the profile you're presenting, I wouldn't hesitate to highlight that you feel these real world experiences bring many unique strengths to your approach to academia and would serve you well in a high-pressure, high-responsibility environment like grad school. 

[qwer7890]

condivi is right. publications before graduate school are not expected. don't worry. however, do make sure your writing sample demonstrates a good cogent argument, methodological approach and deep engagement with the best, most recent scholarship. demonstrate your "academic" credentials with a solid writing sample and a smart personal statement. 

 

also, in the time being, if you're concerned about looking more "academic," submit a few abstracts to conferences... 

[happy little pill]

Thanks so much for your advice. I'm glad to hear that it likely won't instantly disqualify me from a PhD program. On that same note, I don't have any academic awards, conferences or scholarships on my resume either (tuition for residents of Quebec is extremely low so there is less of an urgency to apply for bursaries and scholarships). Together with the lack of publications, I feel like I have much less of an "academic" application - rather, I have a lot of practical experience in the "real world" of the art history field on an international level (I work as an art appraiser/cataloguer at an auction house and am also cataloguing a major Canadian private art collection, and previously did curatorial and collections internships at US museums, studied abroad at La Sorbonne).

 

I feel that all of these experiences complement each other well and can be incorporated into my PhD topic and application, but I guess I'm wondering how universities would view this type of applicant as opposed to someone with experience mostly or exclusively in academia. 

 

Thanks again for your help! Trying to make this less of a "this is my personal experience-what are my chances of getting in?" post, and more about what schools are looking for in PhD candidates in general. 

Publications don't seem to affect things that much, but I can say that for sure at Concordia, "academic mindset" is important (I've been at the school for five years now). They understand that students have real world experience, but the caliber of applicants is so high that they are looking for a) an absolute knock-out SOP and b ) academic potential and internal community participation. Concordia's ARTH department is big on having its students start initiatives or take part in existing ones and they are conference fiends. One of the most popular phrases in the department is "so what conferences have you applied to?"

 

As for tuition in Quebec being lower so there's less pressure... I disagree. Yes, maybe you can afford to pay the $1500.00 for your tuition a semester, but in the long run, not applying for federal and provincial grants is going to hurt your career. Funding begets other funding (this isn't just a stupid saying, I've been much more successful in other funding endeavors since getting SSHRC) and if you're looking to work in academia, especially, they're going to want someone who has a proven track record of getting funding from funding agencies. You're also at a disadvantage by not applying because you don't have the expertise of having your proposal looked at by your professors, who most likely have gone through this process successfully.

Edited January 16, 2015 by happy little pill