What They Don’t Teach You in Graduate School

By Paul Gray and David E. Drew

Each year, Ph.D. candidates and young faculty members come into our offices and sheepishly ask us to tell them what they really need to know about building a career in academia. We usually take them to a long lunch at the Faculty House and give them the helpful hints that we share with you here. We start with tips for getting out of graduate school and into your first job. Subsequent pieces will offer tips for later stages of academic careers.

 

I. Understanding the Meaning of a Ph.D.

1. 1. Finish your Ph.D. as early as possible. Don’t feel that you need to create the greatest work that Western Civilization has ever seen. Five years from now the only thing that will matter is whether you finished. If you don’t finish you are likely to join the ranks of “freeway flyers.” holding multiple part-time teaching jobs.
2. 2. Be humble about your Ph.D. You don’t need to flaunt the degree. Everyone has one. Many of your colleagues, both in your institution and outside it, will be put off if you sign everything “Doctor” or “Jane Jones, Ph.D.” In fact, the main use of “Doctor” is in making reservations at a restaurant. When you call in and ask for a table for four for Dr. Jones, you will get more respect and often better seating. One of us recently received a letter from “John Smith, Ph.D. (candidate)” Don’t do that.
3. 3. Remember that a Ph.D. is primarily an indication of survivorship. Although the public at large may view your doctorate as a superb intellectual achievement and a reflection of brilliance, you probably know deep in your heart that it is not. It represents a lot of hard work on your part over a long period of time. You probably received help from one or more faculty members to get over rough spots. Your family, be it parents or spouse, stayed with you over the vicissitudes of creating the dissertation. You stuck with it until it was done, unlike the ABD’s who bailed out early.
4. 4. A Ph.D. is a certification of research ability based on a sample of 1. The Ph.D. certifies that you are able to do quality research. Unlike the M.D., which requires extensive work with patients, followed by years of internship and residency, it is based on a single sample, your dissertation. The people who sign your dissertation are making a large bet on your ability to do it again and again in the future.
5. 5. A Ph.D. is a license to reproduce and an obligation to maintain the quality of your intellectual descendants. Once you have the Ph.D., it is possible for you (assuming you are working in an academic department that has a Ph.D. program) to create new Ph.D.’s. Even if your department does not have a Ph.D., you can be called upon to sit on Ph.D. examining committees either in your own or in neighboring institutions. This is a serious responsibility because you are creating your intellectual descendants. Recognize that if you vote to pass someone who is marginal or worse they, in turn, have the same privilege. If they are not up to standard, it is likely that some of their descendants will also not be. Unlike humans who have a 20 year inter-generation time, academic intergeneration times are 5 years or less. Furthermore, a single individual may supervise 50 or more Ph.D.’s over a 30-year career.

II. Finishing the Dissertation

1. Finding a dissertation topic is not as easy as it looks. In fact, for many students it is the most difficult part of their dissertation work. Some students go to a professor they want to work with and ask for a topic. Usually they wind up desperately unhappy because they don’t “own” the topic yet are condemned to work on it. Often these students spend the rest of their life ABD.

2. Don’t assume that if you are having trouble defining a dissertation topic that the entire dissertation process will be that arduous. Once you define the topic, you are in problem solving mode, and most people do well in solving a problem once they know what the topic is.

3. Put a lot of effort into writing your dissertation proposal. The proposal has two important payoffs:

• It is usually one or more chapters of your end product, the dissertation.

• It is a contract between you and advisory committee on what you have to do to receive the degree. In general, if you do well what you promise in the proposal, the committee should sign the final document. If, because of circumstances, you cannot accomplish all you set out to do, you have the basis for a negotiation.

4. If little or nothing is written on your dissertation topic, don’t assume that an abbreviated literature review is acceptable. Thesis committees are used to having a minimum sized review and will insist on it. If only three previous papers even touch on your subject, reviewing them is not considered an adequate literature search. Furthermore, the new data you expect to obtain, even in a specialized topic, can affect a lot of intersecting fields. Those fields have to be identified. In short, a literature review not only discusses what has been done and why but it also points out the areas in which your work has implications.

5. Be skillful in whom you select for your dissertation advisory committee. The worst possible approach is to pick people because they are famous in their field. Rather, recognize that the role of the advisory committee is really to advise and help you. Therefore, choose people who can help you over the rough spots. If your thesis is experimental and requires expertise in two fields, pick an expert in each field and someone who knows about experimental design and statistics. When push comes to shove (and it will at some time while you are working on your dissertation), the person you need will be there to help you because he or she made a commitment to you. Simply hoping that the expert will contribute their time to your problem without being on the committee can prove naïve.

6. In doing a literature search, use the “chain of references”. Begin with one or two recent articles (a survey article helps!). Look at the references that are cited there. Then read those publications that seem apropos and look at their reference lists. Some things will pop out often. These are usually (but not invariably) the classics in the field that you MUST reference. Proceed from reference to reference until the law of diminishing returns takes over.

7. Couple your literature search (typically Chapter 2 of your dissertation) closely with the discussion of results and the conclusions (typically Chapters 4 and 5). You may find that as your dissertation progresses, some parts of your literature search are really irrelevant to your research. In this case, you have to be ruthless. Despite the brilliance of your prose and the long, tedious hours you put into creating the material, you have to delete these pearls. Of course, you should save the work as part of your file of references so you can use it over and over in future publications.

III. Hunting for Your First Academic Job

1. Job hunting is a research project and you should treat it as such. Gather as much information as possible. Read the ads. Contact sources. Follow up leads. Be aggressive. Use your contacts. See next rule. The chance of landing a good appointment is higher if you search broadly than if you sit in your office waiting for one or two possibilities. Begin job hunting early and make it a project done at the same time as your other work. If you are a graduate student, don’t wait until your dissertation is finished to start looking. (But if you find you simply don’t have the time and energy for both the dissertation and job hunting, focus on finishing the dissertation.)

2. Most academic fields are dominated by fewer than 100 powerful people. These people know one another and determine the course of the field. Early in your career you should get to know as many of them as possible. More to the point, they should know who you are. You want them to see you as a bright young person on the cutting edge. Although important, there are dangers associated with this tactic. You should not begin the process until you have mastered the literature (particularly the papers they wrote!) and developed some ideas of your own. If they get to know you and conclude you have no ideas, you’re finished.

3. Pick a place where you and your family want to live and which matches your lifestyle. City people are not happy in isolated college towns and small city people have a hard time adjusting to a megalopolis.

4. To get a job (and later, to get tenure) you will need references beyond your dissertation committee. Build a reference pool. That is, identify people who will say nice things about you. They don’t have to be famous or distinguished but they should hold impressive titles or be employed at prestige places. References from abroad are particularly desirable since they show you to be a world figure. Remember that colleges are lazy. When references are needed, they will ask you for a long list of names from which to choose. Pick your friends.

5. Résumés are important. They are the entree to the process. Invest in having them done professionally. They should be neat but not gaudy. Include everything that is remotely relevant in your resume. Some search committees have a checklist of skills, experiences, and other criteria they expect for this position. Do you know something about, say, medieval literature or data bases, since they want that course covered. A committee may blindly drop you from consideration if you don’t have a check next to each of their items. Your problem is that the list of items is different at every institution.

6. When applying for a position, interview your potential boss just as they interview you. You will have to live rather intimately with him or her for a long time. Make sure you are compatible.

7. If you are a new Ph.D. or an active researcher on a campus visit, many, if not most of the senior people who interview you have less, not more research productivity in the last three years than you have. This is particularly true for older faculty members who were granted tenure in easier times. When you are interviewed by such people, be kind. Stress the importance of your research but don’t overwhelm them with the details. You don’t want them to perceive you as a threat to the comfortable position they now hold.

8. Find the best possible institution for your first job. You can only go down the pecking order, not up, if you don’t make it at your first place. If you are a success, you can go up one level at a time. Stanford doesn’t hire from WinsockiState.

9. Unless you are starving or homeless, don’t take a tenure-track faculty position without the Ph.D. in hand. We estimate the odds are 2 to 1 against your ever finishing your degree. Even if you do finish while on the job, your chances of being tenured have gone down because you have reduced the “seven-year“ clock. Furthermore, without a Ph.D. you will be offered a significantly lower salary and you may never make up the difference. If you must work, the only defense you have is to negotiate with the institution that the clock does not start until they legitimately call you “Doctor.”

10.Non-university research organizations offer the challenge of research without the need or the opportunity to teach. They include industry laboratories, major consulting firms, government laboratories, and nonprofit think tanks. Each has a distinctive culture. Many involve military work. In the not-for-profits and the consulting firms, you are only as good as the last contract you brought in. As a result, these organizations experience a high burnout rate among people 45 or older. If you want to go back to academia at some time in the future, you will have to create your own portable wealth by publishing. Many of these organizations encourage and require you to publish, at least to publish research monographs. Unfortunately, publishing is counter-culture in some of these organizations. In some industrial laboratories it is said that if you write F=ma or E=mc2, someone will stamp your report Company Confidential.

11. Avoid taking a job in a college that you attended, no matter how strong your loyalty as an alumnus. You will always be regarded as a graduate student by the older faculty and will be treated as such.

12. If your field is one in which there is an oversupply of people, one strategy is to seek a job as an assistant dean. This approach is quite tricky. Colleges are always looking for such necessary but non-glorious jobs as assistant dean for student affairs or assistant dean of administration or assistant dean for summer school. You, as an applicant, insist that you also have an appointment (even if not tenure track) in your field of specialty, say, history. You must also insist that you teach one course and that you have some time for research. Unless you do so, you will never have a crack at a tenure-track position. You must then be active in your department and be seen by the department as a member in good standing who gives them access to the Administration. Even then, you may never be fully accepted. However, you will gain experience that can be used later and you will have had the academic title (and the teaching and research experience) needed on your resume when you look for a job involving full-time teaching and research.

13. The law of supply and demand applies to academia as much as to other fields. You are playing a futures game on the job market, no different from a high roller in the stock market, when you select a field of study for your Ph.D. Since it takes 4 to 7 years or more to acquire the degree, you make the assumption that your services will be in demand several years from now. They may be, but then again they may not be. Fields move in and out of favor over time. When a hot new field or specialty opens up, it is an exciting time. Lots of people wander in from adjacent fields.They form departments or concentration areas and begin training Ph.D.’s in that specialty. There is a shortage of people and good salaries are offered. However, what usually happens is that within a relatively short period of time, the Ph.D. market saturates and jobs become scarcer. Furthermore, other new specialties emerge and colleges and universities cut back on the previous fad. A classic example is operations research (also known as management science). In the 1960’s, new departments were formed. By the 1980’s, the job market was saturated. In the last decade the supply exceeded the demand, and this in a field where there is industrial as well as academic employment. The obvious implication for graduate students is that fields with an oversupply of applicants, both initial jobs and tenure are much harder to achieve. Furthermore, the academic level of the school where you will be hired will, on average, be lower and so will the salary.

14. Institutions have their own cultures and, in large institutions, different schools and departments may have different cultures. The culture will range from cooperative to cutthroat. Often the culture will change when a new person is appointed president or provost or dean or department chair. That is what makes these appointments so critical to the quality of your life. A cooperative culture should be treasured. It will help the young faculty member. Conversely, a cutthroat culture is particularly difficult for the young faculty member because they come in not knowing the culture of the place nor being prepared for it. When interviewing, try to find out whether the members of the faculty like one another and try to assess from what they tell you what the cultural norm is. Asking graduate students about faculty infighting won’t help because they are usually insulated from it. Remember that, in addition to trying to assess your capabilities and fit with their needs, the interviewers are trying to present as good a picture of themselves as they can so that you will accept their offer if they make one. Thus, always assume that actual conditions are much worse than they are painted during the interview. If you are lucky enough to have multiple offers, investigate the cultures involved in your choice by speaking to people (if any) who are there whom you know and to people who have recently left there.

15. Two pieces of data about an institution which are important to you are whether you are being offered the right amount of money and the chances of your achieving tenure. To this end, obtain information on the salary levels for people in your field. The American Association of University Professors publishes salary averages for many (but not all) colleges.

16. Tenure levels are a little trickier. First, the number of tenure cases per year in an academic unit tends to be small. You need data for your specialty. However, knowing the tenure fraction for the institution as a whole is also important. If a college tenures 1 in 10 it is a far different place than one that tenures 8 in 10. Just knowing success in the tenure process is not enough. Some colleges weed out at the three year point. Others make tenure so tough that faculty “self-destruct” by resigning early. Talk with people who recently made tenure in the department. They will usually have the best view of what the current situation is.

17. Evaluate a postdoc carefully, particularly if you are in the sciences. You should think of a postdoc in cold, hard economic terms. It as an investment (or speculation, depending on your point of view) just like buying stocks or real estate. You will certainly be paid less than if you took a teaching position but you may gain additional knowledge and experience to make more money in the long run in your chosen field. The anticipated benefits must exceed the short run costs to make the investment worthwhile. Some conditions under which a postdoc is appropriate are:

• You are in a field where jobs at good places are scarce and you did not get one or you failed to follow Rule 1 and delayed too long in starting your job search.

• You feel you need to gain specific research tools (or, if a scientist, experience with specialized equipment) to be able to move your research past your Ph.D. thesis.

• You want to work with a specific individual (preferably one of the powerful 100, see Rule 2) who will further your growth.

• You want to build up your publication list without using up your seven-year clock.

A postdoc is not appropriate if you are afraid of teaching or talking in front of people. You are merely delaying the inevitable. A postdoc is also not appropriate if you lived on a shoestring for years and/or have a family to support.

18. Ask about the retirement system when considering an institution. It is really not too early to worry about retirement when interviewing for your first job because it can affect your mobility economically from then on. Recognize that you will most likely be in a state retirement system or in the TIAA retirement system. TIAA is subscribed to by most private and some public institutions. In TIAA, once vested (usually, these days, at once) you keep what you have when you move to another institution. State retirement plans are portable within the state but not from one state to another. The major problem comes when you move from a TIAA college to a state institution or the other way around.

David Drew and Paul Gray are professors, respectively, of education and information science at Claremont Graduate University.

Comments

Needed Advice

This is a useful list — although I might quibble with a few of the details.

Your suggestions highlight the complexity and contradictions of trying to succeed in academia: eg. Apply for jobs before finishing your dissertation but don’t start a job before finishing. Don’t try to write a magnum opus but try to get known by as many of the top 100 people in your field as possible. Assuming that you have multiple job offers (unlikely for most newly minted Ph.D.s) pick the most prestigious university but also pick one where you are likely to get tenure.

Finishing the Ph.D. and getting a desired tenure-track job is a multi-faceted challenge that takes a lot more than book smarts. We need more senior professors giving this type of advice to their doctoral students.Thanks.

Mary McKinney, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist & Academic Coach at http://www.SuccessfulAcademic.com, at 8:03 am EST on November 30, 2005

Two Thinga:

First, I think this article is fairly accurate and mildly interesting. One glaring omission is the choice of one’s graduate advisor. In my opinion, the choice of someone with whom you will work, what?, for at least the next ten years, is far more important than the specific details of the research topic.

When I began writing in mathematics – after completing the course work and passing the qualifying exams for a Ph.D. in two other areas — I was 32 and my research advisor was 23 (he was very bright). At our first meeting outside class, I told him what I had in mind for my dissertation. He asked me to let him think about it for a week. At the end of the week he told me (1) he would take me on as a student, (2) he generally thought my dissertation topic was interesting and achievable, and (3) he had a plan (which he had outlined in detail).

His plan was for me to study all of the research in my area (naturally) and write five quite different but closely related papers to be submitted for publication (he had broad outlines for each of the five). Having done that, I would write a dissertation by preparing an introduction and providing the “filler” that integrated the five “chapters.” Together we made some minor revisions to his plan, and I was on my way. In fact, it took me about a month to write the actual dissertation. During the process, we uncovered several other lines of research that we pursued together after I had degree in hand.

Four years after my advisor presented his plan, my dissertation defense was a three-ring circus. I had seven members on my committee, and four of the five papers had already been accepted for publication (the fifth was accepted about a year later). I made a fifteen minute presentation, my committee members got in several extended arguments with each other while I sat there twiddling my thumbs, and two hours later they kicked me out, Ph.D. in hand.

You may be certain the fact that I had four published papers and another already under review sent an important message to those schools where I subsequently submitted my application.

Second, I have often thought the Ph.D. process was the most INTELLECTUALLY unbearable part of my life. Focus, focus, focus, narrow, narrow, narrow, grind, grind, grind. Prospective academics should have the option of writing a Ph.D. dissertation (Zzzzzzzz) or completing three, more or less related (and be creative in relating them) master’s degrees, all with serious master’s theses, of course.

Writing those papers for publication as a graduate student was quite wonderful — even exciting at times – but I would have much preferred completing a master’s in mathematics (probability), a master’s in physics (“modern” physics), and a master’s in philosophy (history of science). Now, wouldn’t that have been fun? And if education can’t be fun ... well what’s the point?

Needless to say, I have answers to all of your caveats and objections.

RWH, at 10:10 am EST on November 30, 2005

THANK YOU!

Jonathan O’Brien, Doc Student at Univ of California, Irvine, at 10:11 am EST on November 30, 2005

Great article, particularly, the post-doc advice which I believe deserves much more attention considering the competitive market now for assistant professorships. All of my colleagues, most whom are now assistant professors at prestigious universities all had post-docs prior to taking on a professorship. In many respects, the post-doc is almost the standard for many schools, and often makes candidates look much better on paper particularly when the post-doc is completed at a well-respected institution with a respected senior scholar. For me, the post-doc made all the difference in the world, it allowed me to write, I published twice during my post-doc, and frame my new research agenda. Emotionally, which few have talked about here, it gave me time to decompress from the emotional rigors of the dissertation. My dissertation was qualitative and longitudinal which required much more time and effort to research and write. A post-doc may not be good for many but if you need time to sort out where you want to take your research and writing without the pressure of the tenure clock, I believe it is a worthwhile option for newly minted PhD’s. The experiences and advice I received as a post-doc has been invaluable.

Thanks

Joseph Richardson, at 12:00 pm EST on November 30, 2005

I agree with the part about doing several Master’s instead of PhD. Many schools misuse students’ with Master’s degree in that they know that students have the neccessary skills to do research but these poor fools are still made to go through the PhD grind since they serve as cheap and skilled labor. In this respect choosing a PhD mentor who understands that you may be on an accelerated track is the key. Having a Master’s definitely cuts down on the time needed to learn the ropes but this can be grossly misused.And don’t forget, you can change your field after your PhD, as long as you have a good publication record and recommendations. A judicious choice of mentor is certainly the key to success in a PhD program.Again, a post-doc employer who understands you long term goals and supports them is also important. Research requires working in a close enviroment so choosing your colleagues and boss helps in the long run! The options are always there if you look hard enough.

Soniya Sinha, Penn State University, at 6:07 pm EST on December 1, 2005

I found the article interesting, too, but where are the students? I am a teacher/ Asst Prof because I love what I do. I am one of those lucky ones who found a position in a two-year college and was awarded tenure after 3 years of having my teaching observed (as well as my community service and — to a degree — my work as a researcher). I trying to finish up a Ph.D. but I will never want to work anywhere else but at a two-year school. Sure, I have tons of students (and papers to grade!) but I love what I do. The cold, biting commentary above is interesting — but I am not willing to NOT be a teacher ...

Dianna Shank, Southwestern Illinois College, at 12:33 pm EST on December 5, 2005

As one of the authors, I would like to respond to several of these thought-provoking comments. Ironically, two authors who have been committed mentors may not have emphasized sufficiently the importance of choosing the right mentor/advisor. More generally, (and in response to professors Muscatine and Shank) I have found the rewards from teaching are extraordinary—an opportunity to directly affect people’s lives. Also, the research/teaching dilemma is a false dichotomy. Good professors can and should expect to do both well. Our goal in these articles is simply to protect PhD students and newly minted PhDs by giving them frank guidance as to how the reward system in higher education works presently. Without such guidance, some students who love teaching and love learning may find they are unprepared for the realities of the academic job market....DD

David E. Drew, at 4:38 am EST on December 7, 2005

Did not finish

I am one of those individuals who did not finish a PhD program, but not by choice. Although I completed the progam’s educational course requirements with a 3.4 gpa, I was unsucessful in writing the comprehensive examination...made two attempts to write acceptable comps.

I do not wish to give up on earning an earned PhD, so I am planning to enroll in a few courses to improve my writing and analytical skills. My question is as follows: The same institution where I matriculated in a PhD program offers a Master’s program in another College but in a subject matter of even greater interest to me.

Considering that the Master’s program should not take more than one-year, should I take the support courses or go for another Master’s and then apply to the PhD program in the same area, which would take another two-years?

At this time, I am considering all options. Thanks.

edna johnson, at 2:29 pm EST on December 8, 2005

other horizons?

My congratulations to the authors for a very well done discussion; having served on numerous PhD committees with both of them, I can attest to the quality of their mentoring and to the success of their graduates. This discussion does, however, hinge on a couple of assumptions — first, that the student comes toward the end of a PhD program without much of any professional record, and second, that s/he is really interested in a traditional tenure-track academic position. In many schools, mine among others, most of the PhD students are in fact in mid-career folks, with a pretty well-established professional base, and with aspirations not for a whole new life but rather for a tweak upwards along their current path. In addition, there are lots of ways to put together a satisfying and productive academic career without confiding oneself to the tender mercies of the tenure system; I can personally attest to this. So while the advice rendered here is useful and valid, there may in fact be numerous other paths to the Elysian Fields of Academe available to a substantial and probably increasing fraction of PhD program students.

JD Eveland, Professor at Touro University International, at 5:15 pm EST on December 9, 2005

Kudos and Ditto

I am one of those mid-lifers that Dr. Eveland refers to in his post above. I am also the first PhD in my extended family, and had no idea what the academic field was like when I entered my doctoral program. It would have been helpful to have read this article before choosing my doctoral program, but my aspirations were for consulting, not academe, though I found I had a talent and passion for the latter as I progressed through my program.

The authors’ advice is excellent, but only reflects a narrow, traditional range of the field. Today there are innovative markets for PhDs, including in academe.

Also, many believe that tenure is slowly going the way of the dinosaur. For example, I heard Warren Bennis (USC) speak at a conference during my doctoral program, and he pointed to a future in which tenure-track positions would become the exception rather than the rule. Many schools now offer alternative tracks and contract positions that provide greater freedom and flexibility for both the school and the professor.

Also, there may be an inverse relationship between between level of emphasis on tenure and research innovation. For example, when I was struggling with the question of whether to follow a traditional design and topic for my dissertation or to conduct innovative, controversial research, I was advised by one of the top 100 in my own field that I could postpone the innovative research until after I became a PhD, but then I’d worry about whether my research would be favorably viewed by tenure committees, so I might not want to brave the unknown at that point either. Then finally, if and when I obtained tenure, I probably would have forgotten the innovative ideas that initially fueled my imagination and spirit, and I would have been fully socialized into the conventional. I chose the creative outlier path, and received awards from the leading association in my field (Academy of Management) for that work.

So, at least in part, I would advise doctoral students to (a) do your homework and be aware of the tradeoffs associated with various career trajectories such as those described in the focal article, and (b) know thyself, and trust that you will find or create a match that’s right for you, which may be far outside of the traditional tenure-track box. Above all, do NOT morph yourself out of fear in order to try to “fit” a career path or academic paradigm that isn’t right for you.

Bon chance, mon ami!

Steve

Steve Fitzgerald, Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Touro University International, at 6:07 pm EST on December 13, 2005

a bit narrow-minded

Overall, there is some beneficial advice in this, though it comes off rather snobby and reeks of the “old boys network.” Why must you suck up to the top people to get a job you deserve because you are good, and not because you can ingratiate yourself effectively? Give some real advice. The article is also, frankly, depressing: “Stanford doesn’t hire from Winsocki State.” Why not? I’ve written one book, have a contract for another, edited or am editing 5 collections, have published numerous articles and essays and given dozens upon dozens of conference papers, and am still stuck at a “Winsocki State.” I am convinced (based on some evidence, too) that this is due to reasons not discussed by our esteemed authors: newly minted Ph.D.s, while unproven quantities, are cheaper than experienced ones; “cutting edge” scholarship is really NOT desirable in the department—just on paper; sexism and racism still exist (yes, they do). Give us the real picture, and not the ivy-league, ivory tower one.

Michelle Sauer, at 4:38 am EST on December 15, 2005

Advising PhD Candidates

I applaud the article’s essence, that is to shed light on a sometimes dark subject. Matriculation through a PhD program is academically challenging. Adding to the challenge is the knowledge gap that sometimes exists from student to advisor on what needs to be done and when.

At Wayne State University, the Graduate Department hosts an annual forum where prospective PhD students can get answers about University policies and procedures, thus minimizing the information gap.

The greater need is for academic advising for those of us who may be mid-career, and interested in researching our dissertation topics further. I really liked the idea of point “12″ above. This is an option that can keep one interested and engaged at the same time.

Jeff Mosley, Wayne State University, at 9:14 am EST on December 20, 2005

great stuff! having submitted my dissertation a couple weeks ago, i’m finding all of this rather dizzying and am glad for these tips. if only #6 about the chain of references had come along four years ago! it’s commonsensical enough, but no one really told me how to research...

Matt Jenson, University of St Andrews, at 7:26 pm EST on December 28, 2005

Midlife Solutions for back-to-school

I’d add just one other point. Before you get this far, choose the right doctorate or masters program.

As a career consultant, I work with clients in transition and wrote a Special Report for midlife career changers who want to make education part of their transition plan. Many midlife career changers choose a university that seems convenient — not one that will lead them to their goals. Some programs will actually harm your career. And most career consultants and counselors are not familiar with resources and alternatives.

Cathy Goodwin, PhD, at 6:20 pm EDT on April 17, 2006

Masters now....Ph.D....future

Excellent advice and comments. I am currently completing my Masters program. I had no inkling or inclination whatsoever, or wanting to go further to complete a doctorate. However, I feel hooked and driven to continue after the Masters. I am older that most students, being almost I took sabattical time to complete the Masters and I will be able to retire (younger than most) from my current career. What I have to decide is to do my doctorate at the same institution, or a different one from the one where I am completing my Masters ( and which is home). I won’t have the long career that most students will have after the doctorate — and perhaps it doesn’t matter if I stay at the same institution. Thoughts?

All the best, thanks, Andrea

B. Apple, at 9:35 pm EDT on July 22, 2006

South Of The Border

As A US citizen teaching in Mexico I find your article very useful. Even thought the mechanics and culture are somewhat different in Mexico than those in America, most rules apply. There are many private universities that replicate the American college system, but as any educational structure it must have its own needs to satisfy Mexican society and culture. This makes teaching delightful down here I enjoy the challenge.

Thanks for the advice.

Walter A. Ayala, PhD, at 5:25 am EDT on August 14, 2006

Well if you come from an unknown university, its not just the quantity of publications that matter, but your quality, maybe you are just not “good enough” to get into stanford. I hate women who unnecessarily accuse places of sexism. I’m a woman and I find affirmitive action insulting.

Manjari, at 7:05 pm EDT on August 22, 2006

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