is getting a phd in history worth it

History Phd: Is it really worth it?

<p>I’m a history major, in my sophomore year of college. I’ve been looking at numerous careers post-college, and one of them is a history professor or historian. Is it worth it to get a Phd in History and become a professor? Does it pay well, and what exactly do you get to do? Do you publish a lot, write many books, travel to seminars, etc? All help is greatly appreciated. (Btw, I’m interested in general U.S. History).</p>

<p>Also, would it be better to just get a Master’s in History, or not?</p>

<p>Dont bother with a PhD unless you want to work in academe.</p>

<p>No, a pHD in History is completely worthless. </p>

<p>Careers in academia are extremely competitive and you’re more likely to come out working an entry level job, such as a cashier at Walmart.</p>

<p>If you somehow feel that a pHD in History would be a fulfilling aspect of your life and your family has money to throw around, I wouldn’t see the harm in working toward a degree. </p>

<p>Just be aware of your career prospects and keep your expectations in line.</p>

<p> Is it worth it to get a Phd in History and become a professor? </p>

<p>So first, you have to separate those two things.</p>

<p>The job market in history is <em>abysmal</em>. Many people are finding that once they finish their history PhD, they cannot find a tenure-track position, so they end up teaching adjunct classes for low pay or no benefits - or they do something that they didn’t have to use their degree for. I don’t think it’s all getting down to Wal-Mart cashier level - certainly some history PhDs are doing that, but most aren’t. Even still, few people want to spend 7 years earning a degree they’re not even going to use.</p>

<p>So you have to consider whether it’s worth it for you to earn a PhD in history knowing that chances are quite slim that you’ll get a tenure track position as a professor. They get better if you go to a top history program, but they are extremely competitive.</p>

<p>Now for the second part.</p>

<p>*Does it pay well, and what exactly do you get to do? Do you publish a lot, write many books, travel to seminars, etc? All help is greatly appreciated. (Btw, I’m interested in general U.S. History).</p>

<p>First-year assistant history professors can usually expect to make around $50-60K, depending on their university and the area of the country in which they live. It’s lower in places with lower CoL and salaries, obviously, and higher in urban areas.</p>

<p>History professors do scholarship and research in history, in addition to teaching history courses. You do all of the things you just listed: you will be expected to publish a lot (in history I guess that would include monographs, a few books, and some scholarly articles in historical journals), travel to present at seminars, and participate in the grander discussion of your field. You will also be expected to teach some courses. How many courses you teach will be dependent on the university - if you teach at a top-flight research institution you may only be expected to teach a 1/0 or 1/1 load (that means 1 class in the fall, and 0 or 1 class in the spring). If you teach at a middling research university, maybe 3/2 or 2/2. If you teach at a more teaching heavy institution, you’d be expected to teach a 3/3 or 3/4 load, or higher.</p>

<p>However, the kind and caliber of your research will also change based upon that. While you will be expected to do research at a teaching institution, the kind of research you’d be expected to do will be different than if you were at a Harvard or Yale.</p>

<p>Explore all other options is my first piece of advice. Second, read through American Historical Association’s publications on graduate school and jobs with a history PhD. </p>

<p>US history is the most competitive field. Largely, IMO, I is because so many American students don’t have strong language skills to do a non-US field. You really have to work at your languages to be competitive. Think about why you want to do American history and not any other geographical field. </p>

<p>As for the profession, julliet has the facts right. American historians rarely travel abroad for research and conferences.</p>

<p>My DH wanted to be a history prof. back in the early 70’s. He went to a top PhD program, but saw brilliant students around him graduating and taking one year temporary assignments in tiny rural outposts, if they were able to find jobs at all. (no offense to the rural posters…lol) Academia has always been difficult and very political…that’s something many students don’t understand until they get to the graduate level. Don’t think that just because it’s a university and not a private company that politics don’t exist.</p>

<pre><code>DH quit grad school after he passed his generals exams, with what they call an “all but dissertation”, or an M.A., on the diploma. He’s now making a very good living in business doing something completely unrelated to his major. He still loves history, but he wanted to support a family. Times were tough then, but I think they are even tougher now. Honestly, the only people that should be going into academia right now, in my humble opinion, are those who truly can’t imagine doing anything else. There are so few jobs, especially in the humanities. </code></pre>

<p>I got sick of my PhD in Pol Sci in like a semester. I am sticking with it until MPhil level just to have some return on my investment. Oh, and Grad School has fine honies.</p>

<p>Which makes it all the more imperative that, perhaps even more so than a humanities undergrad degree, a humanities PhD degree should best be pursued at a school with an elite brand name and high-powered alumni network and recruiting base. Qualifying schools would be the Ivies, especially Harvard, but also even those with relatively weaker graduate programs, Stanford, Berkeley, Duke, Chicago, and the like. That way, even if you can’t find a desirable academic position, you can still be competitive for a strategy consulting or - yes - even a finance position. {If Ibanks will hire Harvard history undergrads, why not Harvard history PhD’s?} </p>

<p>You can also use a PhD program as an opportunity to learn marketable skills, even in an ostensibly unmarketable discipline such as history. For example, some history scholars utilize statistical analyses to prove/disprove various hypotheses. If that is the type of research that you perform, then that’s a golden opportunity for you to develop useful and marketable skills with a statistical software package such as R, SAS, or Stata that you can utilize as a fallback career. Nowadays, even an entry-level worker who is SAS-certified can earn a highly respectable salary. </p>

<p>As for whether you should spend time developing such skills as opposed to concentrating on your research in order to obtain an academic position, while I don’t know the history job market well, I would surmise that by year 4-5 of your PhD program, you probably have a decent sense of whether you have a truly legitimate shot on the market or not. If you don’t, then that’s the time to begin developing marketable skills while still finishing your PhD.</p>

<p>Sakky, what a great response!</p>

<p>Instead of discouraging outright a difficult career path that he wants to pursue, teach him to go for it in such a way that there is a viable Plan B so that it would NOT be a waste of time regardless. </p>

<p>Bravo!</p>

<p>There is a really good article online called “Graduate School in the Humanities: Just Don’t Go!” by Thomas Benton. It does not, as I recall, address history in particular. But, in some ways, the market is worse in history. English PhDs can find nontenure track full time jobs teaching the composition requirement, and foreign language PhDs can find nontenure traxk full time jobs teaching introductory language classes; but there is no such equivalent for history. Here is thelink to the article: [Graduate</a> School in the Humanities: Just Don’t Go - Advice - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“ Graduate School in the Humanities: Just Don’t Go ”> Graduate School in the Humanities: Just Don’t Go )</p>

<p>Sakky’s answer is SO full of errors. S/he is not in the discipline and has no idea what is going on these days. I’m not even going to go into details because I’m not going to go into an endless debate that Sakky seems to like to start around here.</p>

<p>Agree with Juillet except that the 1/0 or 1/1 is reserved for the topmost profs with reps extablished over many years (or decades,) at schools with high endowments. Mid-schools can expect 6 or so classes/year and my friend at a CSU teaches 8/year. Until you have been at it a while, you mostly teach surveys- same material over and over, to a bunch of kids with a variety of intended majors and, in many cases, small or middling comprehension or interest. And, each class needing papers and exams graded, plus all the official school administrative duties (faculty meetings and an expectation to serve on committees.) Then, for tenure and standing in the field, an expectation of profesional productivity. If your employer doesn’t have a grad program, you won’t have these kids to run into at the watercooler, hobnob with, give advice, share ideas, etc.</p>

<p>Sakky is right that the quality of the grad program matters. But, IMO, the background skills that matter (research, including work with primary sources, analysis and high-level writing) all should be developed as an undergrad. The grad years are specific/intensive; you identify your special interest niche and plow forward.</p>

<p>In many respects, it’s your interest niche that makes you marketable, draws attention- but here’s the rub: general? more openings, but there is too much competition. specific? the colleges may not be interested at all in that focus. Most PhDs we know locally teach at 2-3 colleges or teach hs or teach a class or two, but earn their keep at something else.</p>

<p>And, publishing is not a matter of having something to say- it has to be of interest to the field and reflect intense original research.</p>

<p>*Agree with Juillet except that the 1/0 or 1/1 is reserved for the topmost profs with reps extablished over many years (or decades,) at schools with high endowments. *</p>

<p>Not always. I go to Columbia, and here even untenured assistant professors have 1/0 loads. My advisor is an untenured assistant professor who teaches one class in the fall and none in the spring, and I don’t know any untenured assistant professors in my department who teach more than 2 classes a year.</p>

<p>However, I’m not in history - so if you meant more specifically that in <em>history</em> only hotshot full professors have 1/0 or 1/1 loads, then I don’t know anything about that.</p>

<p>@Juillet: those professors are probably research professors who bring in grant money. Besides, Columbia is one of those highly-endowed universities. </p>

<p>Most humanities departments, even at mid-tier colleges and LACs, have a maximum 3/3 teaching load plus university service and graduate advising, even though the official full-time load may be 4/4. Professors in the sciences and social sciences generally teach less than that unless they have abandoned research altogether. It’s unusual for a research professor to teach more than 2/2; those with grant money more likely will have a 1/1 or 1/2 load. Except at the most highly-funded programs, it’s also unusual to have a 1/0 load. </p>

<p>Assistant professors often have a lighter teaching load in their first year (or more) because they are expected to establish themselves in the field, and departments acknowledge that the process takes a lot of time. </p>

<p>All this varies from university to university, of course. Some community colleges have a ridiculously high course load. I have a friend who teaches 6/6 to be full-time.</p>

<p>If Juillet is describing untenured…I’d guess they are part-timers, not covering the rent, possibly with no benefits- and sometimes, no guarantee, year to year. They could be emeriti, yes. But, part-timers. </p>

<p>The concept of “research profs” doesn’t necessarily exist at a LAC. Schools cannot necessarily afford these folks. Nor do they always value supporting a new person with benefits and etc, while they establish themselves. Schools have to have folks to teach the intro surveys and lower level classes. No new person I know was given a lighter load, just because. There are contracts where, every so often, a prof gets a one-course reduction (separate from sabbaticals) - but ime, these are for senior (or at least, established) faculty and not all schools have “contracts” with the faculty.</p>

<p>Assistant professors are not adjunct (part-time) professors. They are tenure-track professors at the beginning of their careers.</p>

<p>There are “asst prof” jobs available that are non-tenure-track.<br> OP’s question was: is it worth it? And he/she is interested in general US history. My point is, sure, some people get dream deals. There are more recent PhDs in humanities than FT, decent opportunities.</p>

<p>As a reference point, one university I’m familiar with has an official teaching load of 1/1 for the first year. No newly hired assistant professor teaches more than this for his/her first year. Some departments at this university have an <em>unofficial</em> teaching load for newly hired assistant professors of 1/1 for the first <em>two</em> years. If a professor of any level supports a lot of graduate students, the load is usually 1/1. Other professors teach 1/2, 2/2, 2/3, and 3/3, depending on their research commitment. This university is considered just below the top tier for undergraduate, lower for graduate studies.</p>

<p>The new hires at DH’s school are expected to earn their keep, so to speak, hit the boards running, in both teaching and research. To interact with grad students- and possibly have teaching load reduced- it has to be a school with a grad program, in the first place. Most LACs don’t have these. Most schools are reevaluating the whole nature of tenure, keeping sufficient numbers of PT faculty involved, because they are more easily set aside when budgets are tight. And, to get a job at a top school with these modified teaching loads available (while still being decently paid,) you have to be, somehow, worthy. You have to stand head and shoulders above the scores of other applicants- and that’s not always easy to plan.</p>

• Jul 22, 2022
• 11 min read

Is a PhD Worth It? The Pros and Cons of Getting a Doctorate

To get a PhD or not to get a PhD? That is the question.

Valerie David

Lifestyle and Career Expert

Reviewed by Hayley Ramsey

Entering the job market for the first time can be a stressful experience, especially if you don't feel completely prepared. When deciding how to take those first steps toward your ultimate career , and how to give yourself a chance at the best jobs, you may find yourself asking: “Should I do a PhD?”.

While academics looking forward to a life of learning may consider this a no-brainer, there are important factors for everyone to consider. Finances, job prospects and quality of life issues can greatly affect the success of furthering your education.

To help you decide if the time and effort of a PhD is worth it, here are the major benefits and disadvantages of getting that doctorate.

After four or more years of intellectual pursuits, adding a PhD may seem like overkill. Before you make your choice, let's look at all the benefits that are exclusive to earning the most advanced degree.

1. You can contribute new knowledge to the world

Embarking on a PhD programme means delving into your preferred subject in a much deeper way than you have in any of your previous studies. The beauty of this advanced degree is that it allows you to sail in uncharted waters. Your goal is to find new information, draw new conclusions and, hopefully, make a significant contribution to your field.

Your intensive research, travel, collaboration and study will lead you on an unpredictable path to telling a story that no one has heard before. For some students, this pursuit of knowledge and discovery is enough to make all the hard work of earning a PhD worth it.

2. You'll have access to more prestigious jobs

One of the key benefits of a PhD is that it opens doors to careers at the highest levels. This can include leadership positions in science and engineering, government roles in economics and political science, and prestigious teaching posts for English and arts majors. Even if an advanced degree isn't required for the job you want, that PhD can give you an extra air of authority in your field and an edge over other candidates.

Another obvious upside to continuing your postgraduate studies is that landing these powerful positions can lead to large financial rewards. Some areas of study, like medicine and the law, tend to be more lucrative, but it can also depend on the type of job. For example, a university professor or researcher post can pay well for a wide variety of disciplines. Check out sites like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Careers Service to investigate potential salaries.

3. Employers look for candidates with your superior writing skills

A study arranged by the National Commission on Writing discovered that blue-chip businesses (long-standing companies with stable stock growth) are spending more than $3 billion a year on remedial writing course for current employees. This includes staff with undergraduate degrees.

So, when a hiring manager peruses your résumé and sees that you've earned a PhD, they'll know immediately that you've spent years honing your skills at compiling research, organizing mountains of data and writing about your results in a cohesive and persuasive way. This will clearly set you apart from your competition, while landing your dream job will prove that pursuing that advanced degree was worth it.

4. You'll improve on all your soft skills

While pursuing your undergraduate degree, you likely noticed that you were learning more than just the subject matter taught in each class. Completing your studies also required time management skills , focus and problem solving .

Getting a doctorate degree requires even more of the soft skills that employers look for in applicants . Your intensive study and finished thesis should lead to improvements in your problem solving, critical thinking , patience and adaptability . These desirable skills won't just help you land a job but also excel in whatever career you choose to pursue .

5. You'll collect an extensive network of professional colleagues

When weighing the pros and cons of earning a PhD, consider all the professional contacts you'll make during the course of your studies. Working closely with professors, department heads, experts in your field, as well as fellow researchers, helps you develop an important resource. This network of colleagues can provide continual assistance with references, job leads, career advice and collaboration.

6. You can wait for a more favorable job market

Job prospects may not look that promising when you've completed your undergraduate degree, or even after you've been in the workforce for a few years. While there's no guarantee things will improve after a delay, some students may appreciate the benefit of a steady graduate assistant salary while they work on enhancing their résumé with a doctorate.

If you couldn't get a good internship during or after your undergrad studies, the PhD work also gives you the time to build that professional network . These contacts could prove to be the key to breaking into a specialized or highly competitive field.

You may still be thinking about all that time and commitment and wondering, “Is a PhD worth it?”. While there are always positive results from improving your education, there are some downsides to getting your doctorate.

1. It's expensive

This is a substantial factor for many students when weighing the merits of pursuing a PhD versus entering the job market right away. If you already have student loans , continuing your education will just increase your burden and add substantial pressure when you eventually begin your job search.

If cost is a concern, investigate graduate assistant jobs that help with expenses. Some programmes offer tuition assistance in return for teaching or research work. For those who already work full time and are hoping a PhD will help them advance in their career, consider keeping that job and pursuing your studies on a part-time basis.

2. Getting a PhD can be a lonely experience

Despite your interactions with professors and other students, pursuing a doctoral degree is ultimately a solitary pursuit. Your thesis topic is unique to you, and you'll spend a lot of time alone doing research and writing. Your social life can suffer, especially if you're also working in addition to your studies.

Career experts often talk about the necessity of work-life balance for physical and mental health, and this is just as important for PhD students as anyone else. It may take you a little longer to complete your degree, but it's worth taking the time to visit family and hang out with your friends. These positive interactions can help you stay motivated through the most tedious parts of your work.

3. You'll experience extreme stress and frustration

Pursuing a PhD may seem like a noble and interesting endeavor, and extended life as a student can appear more attractive than wading into the job market. You must be aware, however, that getting a doctorate can be a very stressful and frustrating experience.

A topic that seemed intriguing at first may not live up to years of scrutiny, causing boredom at best or requiring a complete thesis change at worst. Not all programmes are well-run, either, and you may have a supervisor who is too critical, offers poor advice or is just unavailable and unhelpful.

The difficulties of a PhD programme lead to rather substantial dropout rates. In the US alone, only 57% of PhD students obtained their degree within a decade of enrolling. If you want to be in the successful half of those stats, take extra time to review your choice of supervisor and topic focus. Ask every professor you have for advice on making the right decisions and talk with current graduate students to see what their experience has been.

4. There may be limited job openings

While getting a PhD can qualify you for better and higher-paying jobs , it can also put you in a position where you're competing for an extremely limited number of job openings. This is especially true of university jobs, where the number of advanced degree graduates far outpaces the need for full-time instructors, researchers and administrators.

Earning your PhD with a very obscure thesis in a niche speciality can also limit your options. When there are only a handful of jobs that suit your expertise, and they're already occupied, it can make you feel that your doctorate was a waste of time. Consider the job market before you make decisions about getting another degree. If you're determined to study in a niche area, think ahead of time about related fields or industries where your knowledge and skills will also prove useful to employers.

5. There may be little to no financial reward

While most studies concur that having a PhD increases your income potential substantially over the lifetime of your career, it's not a guarantee of job security or a financial windfall. A study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that 5 years after earning their doctorates , 45% of grads in Germany were still on temporary contracts and 13% ended up in lowly occupations.

Other European countries, including Slovakia, Belgium and Spain, had similar results. In the US, in fields like engineering, the difference in pay scales between employees with a master's degree and a PhD was a mere 7%. When that small bump in salary is weighed against the amount of debt taken on in order to get your degree, you may decide it's not worth it.

6. You could lose out on valuable job experience

New forms of technology continue to change how organizations operate, and those changes can happen fast. If you've already spent several years in school, toiling away in solitary study of obscure subjects can cause you to fall further behind in learning the skills you'll actually need for a future career.

Before you invest in getting a PhD, research your chosen field and learn which type of degree will give you the most value. Many scientific, financial and computing careers rely more on skills acquired on the job, rather than in coursework that can quickly become outdated.

Questions to ask yourself

You’ve listed out the pros and cons, but that still may not be enough to help make your decision. When it comes to a life-altering change like getting a doctorate, it’s okay to take enough time to ask yourself specific questions to ensure you’re making the right move. Consider asking yourself the following:

• Why do I want to get a PhD?
• Do I have the pre-requisites to move forward to a PhD?
• What are my strengths and limitations?
• Am I financially prepared?
• Am I mentally prepared?
• How will this affect my relationship with my family or friends?
• Where will I study?
• What am I trying to achieve?
• What jobs will be available to me after I get my PhD?
• Are there other options or avenues to consider?

Unfortunately, you may not have the answer to every one of these questions, because let’s face it, you don’t know what you don’t know. You might not know how it will affect your relationship with family or friends, but why not ask them? Reach out to those closest to you and see how you pursuing this degree could trickle down to them and allow that to play into your decision. Evaluate the answers to these questions and use it to help you make an educated decision on your future moving forward.

The best PhD degrees

If you’ve weighed out the pros and cons, asked all the important questions, and now you’re set on getting your PhD, congratulations! To help you along the way, let’s look at a list of the most valuable PhD programs to start you on your way to this degree.

• Criminal Justice
• Engineering
• Cybersecurity
• Business Administration

These fields are rapidly growing and are among the highest-paying doctorate degrees in 2022 , so they might be worth considering as you start your journey.

Key takeaways

Pursuing your PhD requires an incredible amount of commitment, and it's important to take the necessary time to make the decision. As you’re evaluating a doctorate degree, remember the following:

• Evaluate the pros and cons list right from the beginning to ensure you’re weighing out both sides of the coin.
• Ask yourself the necessary questions. A doctorate degree commitment can affect more than just you, so be sure you’re factoring that into your decision.
• Review specifically which PhD would be best for you and your field progression.
• Research your chosen field carefully and evaluate the job market before you finalize your degree choice.
• Once you’ve selected your degree, stay focused and stay driven. It’s going to be a hard few years, but it will be worth the work!

Who knows, this may prompt you to move on to postgraduate study — never stop achieving!

Have you decided to pursue your PhD, or are you still considering your options? Join us in the comments below and let us know what’s stopping or encouraging you from getting a PhD.

Originally published on July 24, 2019. Updated by Shalie Reich.

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Everything you need to know about studying a PhD in History

Part of humanities.

History is the study of past events, their consequences and impact on modern societies. It aims to answer questions like: What are the most significant episodes in our past? What were the causes or chain of events behind them? How has our social, economic, and political landscape changed throughout centuries?

Academically, History is often split into different courses or subdisciplines, which are associated with a certain period, country, or subject. Here are a few examples: Economic History, Political History, Cultural History, Women’s History, Ancient History, Contemporary History, Indigenous Studies, Western Civilisation, and others.

A typical History curriculum includes classes in Historical Approaches and Methods, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, Major Wars, History of Women, Social Movements, Modern History, Medieval Europe, Politics and Society, Heritage, etc.

People who study History want to know where we come from in order to grasp what the future might look like. Analysing the past is important because trends and events have a natural tendency to repeat themselves. As the old saying goes, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

History graduates can find employment as historic buildings/conservation officers, museum/gallery curators, archaeologists, broadcast journalists or academic librarians.

View all PhDs in History . Keep in mind you can also study an online PhDs in History .

Interesting programmes for you

Best universities for history on phdportal.

• Ranking (2018)

Specialisations within the field of Humanities

• Language Studies
• Theology and Religious Studies
• Ancient History
• Christian Studies
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• General Studies
• Islamic Studies
• Liberal Arts
• Modern History
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Is Getting a PhD Worth It?

Perhaps you’re finishing up a bachelor’s or master’s degree, or maybe you’ve hit a wall in your career. Now you’re wondering: Should I get a PhD? In the long run, is this the best choice for my career and personal goals? 

You may have friends who have completed doctorate programs or even observed coworkers or professors excelling with PhDs but wondered if it’s the right fit for you. There’s usually a series of roadblocks between the initial daydreaming and enrolling. You hesitate, wondering if this is the right time, if it will pay off, or if you’ll be able to succeed. 

The short answer: Yes. Most PhD students will tell you the time and effort are worth it. The long answer? Ultimately, only you can decide that but the pros outweigh the cons. 

What benefits are there to earning a PhD?

Well, most importantly, you’ll get two new letters in front of your name: Dr. Knows A. Lot.

Reputation Building

Jokes aside, earning a PhD earns you credibility . Employers, whether within academia or off-campus, understand the discipline, knowledge, and tenacity required to complete a doctoral program. 

In most cases, completing a PhD program is enough for others in your field to consider you an expert. Pursuing and completing a PhD shows all future employers you know your industry and you have the fortitude to work hard.

Return on Investment

It’s not always easy to calculate the monetary value of a PhD, but many PhDs will tell you that the return they’ve received on their investment (ROI) was more than worth it. When it comes to ROI , it matters where you get your PhD. 

Depending on your field and the school you choose, the ROI on a PhD is made significantly higher if you don’t have to pay tuition. Many schools, SMU included, offer fellowships and stipends for PhD students, often in addition to a full tuition waiver. This isn’t meant to convince you that PhD students are raking in cash — just a reminder that tuition isn’t necessarily a burden for doctoral students. PhD students do get paid

Pursuit of Passion

You may have experienced the dread that comes with a job search where you’re under qualified. You see the posting. You notice the employer and job title. Wow, this is your dream job . You skim the description and think, “I could probably do that!”. You get to the bottom, “Preferred Qualifications”. Yikes. You’re not quite there. Your PhD will open those doors, remove the barriers, and welcome you to the highest level of your career. Gone are the days of being under qualified. This is your time to shine.

Remember those doors that were closed before? Your PhD helps you find a network of people who can help you open them. Your classmates turn into colleagues, your professors into trusted friends, and those barriers start to fall down as you surround yourself with people who share your passion. 

Oh yeah, that little thing. Your passion. The subject and field you’ve been dreaming about since you were a child. Or maybe just since undergrad. It’s become part of your personal identity. Pursuing a PhD allows you to learn more, dig deeper, and climb higher in the field that you already enjoy. Even if you’re not looking to stay in academia forever, the PhD in your chosen field gives you the ability to stay a while longer and decide how best to use your skills.

What are the Reasons Not to Get a PhD?

Getting a PhD has a lot of benefits, but there are risks to consider, too.

The time commitment : this may take years. PhD programs take an average of 6 years to complete. 

The financial commitment: if you’re not in a fully-funded program, this may cost a lot. Not only in tuition, but in “lost wages,” too. Most PhD students don’t have time to work on top of earning their degree. 

But, the financial commitment is often offset by the earning potential of a PhD. On average, PhDs make over $30,000 more annually than those holding only a bachelor’s degree, but keep in mind that number varies between the humanities, business, and science industries. 

The energy commitment: earning a PhD can be hard work. The good news is you’re not in it alone at SMU. We offer a robust career services office and dedicated student support services for PhD students like housing, counseling, and community connections.

The risk: what if this doesn’t work out? But what if it does? 

Have you ever considered that in pursuing a PhD, you’ll be the expert on your chosen topic? You’ll have your classmates to lean on, but your thesis is specific to you. Your dissertation, though a lot of work, will put you as the thought leader of that specific topic. Combining your passion, credibility, network, and dreams to launch into your next phase of life. 

So, is a PhD worth it? We think so.

Learn more about

doctoral degrees at SMU, and how you can choose the right program and thrive in it, in our Guide to Getting a PhD.

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Is it a good time to be getting a PhD? We asked those who’ve done it

Researcher, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

Postdoctoral Research Associate, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

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Career Sessions was sponsored by a grant from Inspiring SA ( https://inspiringsa.org.au/ ).

Flinders University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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The number of Australian PhD graduates reached around 10,000 a year in 2019, twice as many as in 2005. However, the number of PhDs has been exceeding the available academic positions since as early as the mid-1990s. In 2020, universities purged around 10% of their workforce due to the pandemic, and many university careers are still vulnerable .

Given these statistics, you might wonder if doing a PhD is still a good idea. Based on our discussions with PhD holders, there are still plenty of very good reasons, which is good news in 2021.

Read more: 2021 is the year Australia's international student crisis really bites

In June 2020 we interviewed 12 PhD holders from multiple disciplines for our podcast Career Sessions to investigate the question: why do a PhD?

Why do a PhD?

The PhD is a mechanism for developing high-level research skills, learning about rigours of science or the development of theory. It sets you up with project management, problem-solving and analytical skills that are meaningful within and beyond academia.

“It just taught me all those transferable skills, project management, and also now starting businesses. I’m amazed at how close starting a business is to doing a science project.” – Dr Andy Stapleton

For our interviewees, the PhD is an opportunity to dive deeply into a topic they are passionate about. They also considered contributing new knowledge to be a privilege. The process taught them to be better thinkers, critical thinkers, and to view the world through new eyes.

“The mental fitness to work at a high level, to be able to think at a high level, to be able to write it […] The topic is less important.” – Dr Gareth Furber

The PhD is a voyage of discovery to a better understanding of how things work. It gives them a credible platform from which their voice can be heard and respected, and they can contribute to change.

“I think it’s definitely like a springboard or something. It launches you into a whole other place and it gives you […] more of a voice. It’s a political act for me. It’s about making change.” – Dr Elizabeth Newnham

The PhD is a tough and sometimes painful journey, but ultimately rewarding. The extraordinary was tempered by frustration, and the experience shaped their lives, increasing self-confidence and leading to new self-awareness.

Read more: PhD completion: an evidence-based guide for students, supervisors and universities

When asked whether they would they do it again, no-one hesitated in saying “yes”.

“You will never stretch your brain in a way that a PhD forces you to.” – Professor Kate Douglas.

The PhD is not necessarily a golden ticket to an academic career, but the experience and skills you develop will be meaningful for your future.

“What I’d done in my PhD gave me a lot broader sense than just my own personal experience. There were a lot of people that have heard me speak and a lot of that’s been informed by the PhD. So it might not be direct, but it’s informed who I am.” – Dr Susan Close

Advice from our guests

Keep both your eyes and your mind open. Pick a topic you are passionate about. Speak to people both within and outside academia to find out where this could lead. Think about whether you actually need a PhD to get to where you want to be.

You’ll have to make some judgement calls about how a PhD can fit into your life.

And find the right supervisor! They are the most important relationship you will have throughout your candidature, and they are a solid reference for what comes next. Finding the right supervisor will always enhance your PhD experience .

Read more: Ten types of PhD supervisor relationships – which is yours?

A PhD isn’t right for everyone. Ask yourself, is it the right time for you and your research interests? Are you resilient? Mental health among PhD students is poor

Our podcast guests have witnessed PhD students’ struggles. The pathway of a PhD candidate is not linear. There are many ups and downs. You will meander in many unplanned directions and often take wrong turns.

When you have completed your PhD, the hard work is really just starting. It is a gateway, but there are a lot of PhDs out there. It is what comes next that really counts.

“It’s a gateway. You’re learning how to do research. But if you really want to be successful afterwards, you need to apply that, and be diligent about that as well, and have a good work ethic.” – Dr Mark Krstic

Read more: 1 in 5 PhD students could drop out. Here are some tips for how to keep going

A PhD in any field is an achievement. Even the most niche topics will contribute knowledge to a field that is important for many people. The reward is intrinsic and only you can identify how doing a PhD will contribute to your life. It gives you a great toolkit to identify the doors that are appropriate for you.

“The first paper was the most exciting thing. […] at that time I thought of papers as like a version of immortality. My name is on something that will last forever. I think this is my legacy.” – Dr Cameron Shearer

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• Is a PhD Worth it?

Written by Mark Bennett

Whether a PhD is worth it or not entirely depends on what you want to get out of it. If you want to enter academia, then you'll likely need a PhD. However, those who don't need the degree for their career still find that doctoral study helps them gain and refine useful skills benefitial to industry.

This page will help you to define the value of a PhD degree and understand how much a PhD is worth (and to who).

PhD careers and employment prospects

One of the first ways you might decide if a PhD is worth it is by working out whether it will improve your career prospects. So, how employable are PhD graduates – and what jobs do they actually do?

You may be surprised how diverse the answers to these questions are.

PhD employment statistics

Data suggests that PhD students are very employable, with the majority finding work or going on to further training (such as a ‘PostDoc’) after graduation.

As you can see from the table below, a PhD can make a difference to your employment prospects when compared with a taught Masters qualification.

For more information and statistics on this, check out our guide to PhD employability .

What's a PostDoc?

A PostDoctoral Fellowship (or 'PostDoc') is often the next step in an academic career, after a PhD. PostDocs are short-term paid positions that usually focus on a specific research project. You can find out more about PostDoctoral projects and opportunities at FindAPostDoc.com

What can you do with a PhD? – typical careers

The modern PhD is a surprisingly versatile qualification that develops a wide range of transferrable skills. Universities also support students within broad doctoral programmes that focus on developing employable PhD graduates.

All of this means that the job market for PhD students is quite diverse.

Many students do go on to careers in higher education, but these include administration and leadership positions as well as academic posts.

Others take their research and teaching expertise into other professions – including secondary and further education, industry or public administration.

What else do PhD graduates do?

A PhD does far more than prepare you for a career in higher education. Read our guide for more information on popular non-academic careers with a PhD – and how to get started with one.

Assessing the value of a PhD to you

Whether a PhD is worth it very much depends on your individual aspirations and plans.

It’s common for students to set out on a PhD with an academic career in mind – inspired by a passion for their subject at undergraduate and Masters level.

There’s nothing wrong with this, but you should also spend a bit of time considering the higher education job market – and learning a little about what an academic career involves.

Our Pulse survey shows that there’s almost an even split between those of you interested in doing a PhD because you want a career in academia, and those of you that aren’t interested in going down the academic route. We dug a little deeper into the survey and around 5% more of those interested in going into academia are interested in Arts and Humanities academic roles. There’s also around a 10% difference between those interested in studying STEM and those interested in AHSS when it comes to subject interest, with STEM being more motivated to study due to subject interest.

The vast majority of university researchers and lecturers in countries like the UK do have a PhD. But that doesn’t mean that the majority of PhD graduates go on to become university researchers and lecturers. In fact, many don’t.

If you are pursuing a PhD as the next step in an academic career, that’s great. Academic work is incredibly rewarding (and potentially very well paid). But it it’s prudent to understand the profession you’re preparing for – and to keep your options open.

Do you want to be an academic?

If you are pursuing a PhD as the next step in an academic career, that’s great. Academic work is incredibly rewarding (and potentially very well paid). But it’s prudent to understand the profession you’re preparing for – and to keep your options open.

Do you have another career in mind?

For some, a PhD is enough to scratch their ‘research itch’ and they decide to take their skills and experience into other careers . Others find that the academic job market is very competitive or that an academic job doesn’t appeal to them. And an increasing number have a completely different career in mind.

The modern PhD is a versatile qualification offering the transferrable skills described above as well as the chance to acquire incredibly advanced expertise.

There are plenty of careers that benefit from the kind of diverse CV a PhD develops. And, even if you want to be an academic, it’s worth thinking about a few of them before you start.

Will funding be available?

PhD fees aren’t actually that high. They’re a lot lower than undergraduate fees and usually less than those for Masters degrees.

But the full cost of a PhD needs to take into account more than just tuition fees. You’ll need to support yourself for at least three more years of study.

That’s three years in which you won’t be earning very much and during which your career development will probably be on hold. So there’s an ‘opportunity cost’ involved in PhD study – the earnings or career progress you might otherwise have made.

The simplest way to offset this is by acquiring funding for your PhD. A range of options are out there, from pre-funded projects to individual scholarships and doctoral loans.

Set aside some time to find out what kind of support might be available for the kind of project you want to complete. Researching research funding may not be exciting, but it could well be worth it.

Are you committed enough to see the project through?

You may decide that a PhD is definitely worth the cost, but will it be worth the hard work?

This may seem like an odd question to include here. Surely your dedication to further study and the value of the qualification you gain are two different things?

Well, not quite. For the simple reason that, whatever the worth of a completed PhD, an uncompleted one is worth a lot less.

It doesn’t matter what you plan to do with your PhD or how much it ends up costing you: if you don’t finish your project you’ll have little to show for whatever time and money you have invested.

That’s not to say that failing to complete a PhD will ruin your life. Some students do exit their programmes early and go on to have productive careers. Some even submit for alternative qualifications such as the MPhil .

But failing to complete a PhD is rarely a desirable or ideal outcome. So go into the process with your eyes open and make sure you know what’s involved. Our advice on doing a PhD is a good place to start.

Transferrable skills – what else does a PhD teach you?

PhDs are highly specialised qualifications. In fact, they’re the most specialised qualifications available. By its very nature every PhD is a unique project, focussing on a topic no one has researched before.

But PhDs aren’t just about specialisation. Successfully completing a three-year research project means developing many more general skills, all of which are highly transferrable.

There are relatively few non-academic careers based on the theological significance of eighteenth-century lyric poetry or the effects of altitude on arboreal biodiversity.

But there are lots of careers out there for self-motivated project managers with excellent organisational skills, experience of public speaking and event planning plus the ability to effectively analyse and communicate large amounts of complex information.

Those people are very employable. And your PhD could make you one of them.

The following are some of the core transferrable skills you’re likely to develop during a PhD.

Project management

This one is fairly obvious, but it’s probably more significant than you give it credit for.

A PhD requires you to complete an extended research project and to do so almost entirely independently. You’ll have support from your supervisor, but the day to day management of your time, resources and objectives is down to you.

You’ll need to assess the demands of specific tasks, plan ahead to ensure the availability of key materials and solve a wide range of problems (both anticipated and unforeseen).

You might also be responsible for managing expenses and keeping your project within the limits set by its own funding – or that of the research group you’re working within.

Even a self-financed PhD involves managing a budget – and potentially securing additional investment for your work.

Professional networking

Successful managing a PhD project can also mean successfully managing your relationships with other people.

You’ll need to maintain a productive relationship with your supervisor and with fellow students within your laboratory, workshop or department.

Looking further afield, you’ll need to identify and connect with researchers working on similar topics at other universities. And, if you present at conferences yourself, you’ll become experienced in sharing information within an expert network and discussing ideas with your professional peers.

It’s also highly likely that you’ll work more closely with other researchers at some point during your PhD. This could be part of a short-term project, or whilst organising a conference or other event (see below).

So don’t be misled by the image of the solitary scholar: collaboration, team-work (and team building) are also important parts of a modern PhD.

Teaching and mentoring

Academic teaching is another part of the typical PhD experience. Most universities provide at least some opportunity for postgraduate researchers to lead classes, demonstrate experiments or mentor undergraduate students.

This is important training for an academic career, but it’s not just limited to work in the university sector.

Teaching experience is obviously useful if you’re interested in working in other branches of education – such as a secondary school or sixth form college. Showing that you can communicate your specialist subject knowledge is a great way to leverage a PhD for these careers.

Academic teaching also tends to involve coursework assessment, feedback and one-to-one tutorials. These skills can transfer out of purely educational contexts as you develop experience in mentoring others and providing leadership.

Publication

Academic publication isn’t part of every PhD, but many students do have the opportunity to author journal articles or produce other records of their research.

This kind of publication is obviously different to ‘commercial’ or ‘popular’ publishing (we’re not suggesting it’s a short-step from a Nature paper to winning the Man Booker Prize). But some of the skills you’ll gain are common to all forms of publication.

Preparing, copy-editing and proofing a professional manuscript is necessary to publication in all contexts: whether you’re authoring a journal article, a novel, an industry whitepaper – or a website.

And proficiency in composing and communicating complex ideas is valuable in many careers – even the ones that don’t actually involve ‘publication.’

Public speaking

You might think it strange to think of PhD research as an opportunity to develop skills in oral communication, but the presentation and discussion of your ideas will play an important role in their development.

The majority of students speak at academic conferences at some point during their doctorates. This is an important means of making the academic community aware of your work and of receiving expert feedback.

In the process you’ll also become a capable public speaker, with the ability to select and shape material for a presentation and the confidence to deliver that presentation professionally and effectively.

And remember, the topic of a presentation isn’t important. It doesn’t matter if you’re speaking about economic history in front of an audience of academics or about market research in front of an audience of clients. Both scenarios require you to present specialist information, effectively, to other specialists.

Event management and organisation

PhD students don’t just speak at conferences: they often have the chance to organise them. This can range from running small seminar events to planning and arranging large international conferences.

The challenges involved in this – booking venues, setting up facilities, advertising, registering, taking care of delegates – aren’t unique to academia. They also crop up in a range of professions where large conferences and events are a regular occurrence – from politics to trade fairs.

Branches of some careers – such as marketing or entertainment – actually focus entirely upon events management.

One of the most valuable skills you gain with a PhD could, quite simply, be the ability to do research.

The task of identifying, managing and analysing large amounts of complex information isn’t simple. Nor is it easy to digest that information and re-present your conclusions in an appropriate and useful format.

As a PhD student, you’re going to become an undisputed expert in doing all of this. Because, if nothing else, your doctorate will make you a professional researcher.

And professional researchers don’t just work in academia. All sorts of careers draw upon these skills, from public administration, government and politics to public relations management, marketing and journalism.

Ready to do a PhD?

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We've answered some of the most frequently asked questions about PhDs, covering course types, applications, funding and the benefits of further study.

Will a PhD help you get a job or earn a better salary? And what are your career prospects in and outside of academia?

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• Is Doing a PhD Worth It?
• Finding a PhD

Undertaking a PhD shouldn’t be a light decision. In fact, it’s one of the most challenging academic journeys you could embark on. This begs the question: Is a PhD worth it?

A PhD is the highest globally recognised postgraduate degree that higher education institutions can award. The degree, which is awarded to candidates who demonstrate original and extensive research in a particular field of study, is not only invaluable in itself, but can lead to improves job prospects, a higher salary on average, and sets you up for invaluable skills and traits. If you are a graduate student considering undertaking doctoral studies, read our guidance to help you make an informed decision.

Career Prospects

Although a full time PhD takes on average three to five years to complete, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a long-term goal, especially with the possibilities that come with it. It’s a common misunderstanding that PhDs only open the door for educational based roles such as university lecturers and training providers. Although obtaining a PhD does lend itself to an academic career, the opportunities extend far beyond the traditional academic job. In fact, recent data from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) indicates only 23% of PhD graduates take a position in educational roles. This low percentage is primarily because PhD graduates have a wide range of skills that make them suitable for a broad spectrum of roles. This is being seen first hand by the increasing number of PhD graduates who are entering alternative roles such as research, writing, law and investment banking.

Percentages aside, one of the most desirable post-doctoral fields is working within independent Research and Development (R&D) labs and new emerging companies. Both industries, especially R&D labs, have dedicated groups of PhD graduates who lead research activities, design new products and take part in crucial strategic meetings. Not only is this a stimulating line of work, but the average salaries in R&D labs and emerging start-ups are incredibly lucrative. In comparison, an undergraduate with five years of experience within their given field will, on average, likely earn less than a new PhD graduate taking on an R&D position. Completing an advanced degree programme demonstrates that you have developed a knowledge base in your research area which gives you a head start over other candidates who many only have an undergraduate degree or masters degree.

Pursuing your Interests

One factor to consider when asking ‘is a PhD worth it?’ is what your interests are. A doctoral degree is a fantastic opportunity to spend time learning about something that appeals to you. Having an interest in your research area as a PhD student is a massive advantage as you will always be motivated to push the boundaries of your research. Possessing an advanced degree in a field your are genuinely interested in can also help shape your career path and help you land your dream job.

Transferable Skills

PhD students are widely in demand for their wide range of skills they develop during their studies. Not only do these skills extend beyond that obtained by an undergraduate counterpart, but the transferability of the skills is what makes them stand out amongst employers.

Professional Networking

To successfully undertake a PhD, it’s paramount to have a good working relationship with your PhD supervisor and other students in your laboratory, workshop, or department. This relationship will also extend to undertaking short-term collaborative projects, delivering joint conferences and co-authoring research papers. The modern doctorate needs to demonstrate effective team working, collaboration and networking to be successful in their chosen field. This skill is highly sought by all employers, as open and effective communication is key to any project.

Publication

Although publishing isn’t a requirement of all PhD projects, all students will have the opportunity to produce technical or informative texts, regardless of whether it’s in the form of reports or academic journal articles.

The preparation, research, writing, and editing of such texts demonstrate your ability to amalgamate information and communicate complex ideas. Regardless of an employer’s field, the ability to record and summarise essential information is a fundamental skill they look for. Demonstrating you’re capable of delivering factual documents will help set you apart from colleagues, which will help make strides in your career.

Research Skills

One of the most valued skills you’ll gain during your PhD study is the ability to undertake original research. Not only does this demonstrate you are able to think independently, but also that you are prepared to take on responsibility and can contribute original ideas to the workplace. In undertaking a PhD, you will prove yourself as a professional expert in this area, making you a suitable candidate for research jobs.

Data analysis

A PhD programme, in particular a STEM PhD project, is likely to involve identifying, managing and analysing large amounts of complex information. In addition to this, you could be required to assimilate this information in an appropriate and understandable format. Because of this a data driven doctorate degree is highly desirable in numerical industries such as banking and engineering.

Public Speaking

In today’s industries, excellent oral communication skills are becoming more and more essential. Although many individuals struggle with this skill, as a PhD graduate, you’re more likely to excel in this area. This is because of the many public speaking opportunities you’ll be exposed to during your course. Through conference talks, presentations, and posters, you’ll learn to become confident and engaging when speaking to a broad audience. You’ll also showcase to future employers that you know how to present complex ideas and defend them.

Project management

Even if your career goal isn’t to become a project manager, all jobs require some project management. Fortunately, PhDs are a project management exercise. To complete your thesis, you must design a project, establish a realistic timetable, manage stakeholders and overcome failures. While attempting to achieve the long-term goal set out by the PhD, you must also set, manage, and achieve short-term goals to make progress.

This scenario accurately represents any modern workplace. You’ll be given the autonomy to manage your projects and workload and be expected to do so at a competent level. With this in mind, PhD holders can show they are more than capable of managing a team, and in doing so broaden their career options when entering the job market.

Critical Thinking

Every doctoral student will gain unparalleled skills in exercising critical thinking. This is due to having been trained to address problems, identify connections and analyse information to come to sensible conclusions. A critical thinker is exceptionally beneficial for any industry.

Co-operation

Nearly all careers place a strong emphasis on team working and interpersonal skills. Although producing a PhD thesis is an individual task, to complete your doctoral degree you’ll need to collaborate with others, whether it be to conduct experiments, collect data, operate as part of a larger research group or co-write manuscripts. To complete these tasks, you must know how to divide the task, share with others, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts. All these skills carry over to any workplace, not just those in an academic position. By demonstrating that you can work as part of a team, you’ll significantly increase your desirability for any role.

Many prospective PhD students see a future in academia. Strong communication skills are essential in this line of work as in addition to giving lectures you may be involved in the supervision of graduate students during their final year projects.

As a graduate student you will have spent the last few years in university and likely have some student debt. A doctorate programme is a further large financial commitment, in particular if you self-fund your studies which can take 3-5 years to complete as a full time PhD student. Even if you secure a funded PhD, the available living stipend will comparatively be less than you would potentially earn if you had gone into employment instead. Part time PhD programmes also worth looking at for PhD candidates, as they allow researchers to work during their PhD course who can then spend their earnings towards their living costs and tuition fees.

In analysing the career prospects and transferable skills gained in undertaking a PhD degree, it is clear that pursuing a PhD is an extremely worthwhile venture.

You will develop deep knowledge in your research area which gives you an advantage when applying to academic jobs (for example a professor or research advisor/PostDoc). During your doctoral years you’ll also gain many skills valued in any career path, from problem solving, to managing tasks and communicating complex ideas. Possessing a PhD correlates to higher median salaries, and can aid career progression as a PhD holder can use their specialist skills to seek out unique opportunities in industry. These skills, combined with the new roles that open up for doctorate holders, such as working within innovative Research and Development teams, presents an exciting and prosperous future.

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Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

Is a PhD Worth It? Should I Do a PhD?

It’s been almost a year since I was officially awarded my PhD. How time flies! I figure now is a good time to reflect on the PhD and answer some of life’s big questions. Is a PhD worth it? Does having a PhD help your future job prospects? Am I pleased that I did a PhD and would I recommend that you do a PhD?

In this post I’ll walk through some of the main points to consider. We’ll touch on some pros and cons, explore the influence it could have on your career and finally attempt to answer the ultimate question. Is a PhD worth it?

Before we get into the details, if you’re considering applying for a PhD you may also want to check out a few other posts I’ve written:

• How Hard is a PhD?
• How Much Work is a PhD?
• How Much Does a PhD Student Earn? Comparing a PhD Stipend to Grad Salaries
• Characteristics of a Researcher

Are you seated comfortably? Great! Then we’ll begin.

The Pros and Cons of PhDs

When I have a difficult decision to make I like to write a pros and cons list. So let’s start by breaking down the good and bad sides of getting a PhD. Although I’ve tried to stay objective, do take into account that I have completed a PhD and enjoyed my project a lot!

These lists certainly aren’t exhaustive, so be sure to let me know if you can think of any other points to add!

The Good Parts: Reasons to Do a PhD

Life as a phd student.

• You get to work on something really interesting . Very few people outside of academia get to dive so deep into topics they enjoy. Plus, by conducting cutting edge research you’re contributing knowledge to a field.
• It can be fun! For example: solving challenges, building things, setting up collaborations and going to conferences.
• Being a PhD student can be a fantastic opportunity for personal growth : from giving presentations and thinking critically through to making the most of being a student such as trying new sports.
• You are getting paid to be a student : I mean come on, that’s pretty good! Flexible hours, socialising and getting paid to learn can all be perks. Do make sure you consciously make the most of it!

Life As A PhD Graduate

• The main one: Having a PhD may open doors . For certain fields, such as academia itself, a PhD may be a necesity. Whilst in others having a PhD can help demonstrate expertise or competency, opening doors or helping you to leapfrog to higher positions. Your mileage may vary!
• You survived a PhD: this accomplishment can be a big confidence booster .
• You’ve got a doctorate and you can use the title Dr. Certainly not enough justification on it’s own to do a PhD, but for some people it helps!

The Bad Parts: Potential Reasons Not to Do a PhD

• It can be tough to complete a PhD! There are lots of challenges . Unless you’re careful and take good care of yourself it can take a mental and physical toll on your well being.
• A PhD can be lonely ( though doesn’t have to be ), and PhD supervisors aren’t always as supportive as you’d like them to be.
• Additionally, in particular now during the pandemic, you might not be able to get as much support from your supervisor, see your peers or even access the equipment and technical support as easily as in normal times.
• You might find that having a PhD may not bring the riches you were expecting . Have a certain career you’re looking to pursue? Consider trying to find out whether or not having a PhD actually helps.
• Getting a job with a PhD can still be tough . Let’s say you want to go for a career where having a PhD is required, even once you’ve got a PhD it might not be easy to find employment. Case in point are academic positions.
• Even though you’ve put in the work you may want to use your Dr title sparingly , it certain industries a PhD may be seen as pretencious. Also, use your title sparingly to avoid getting mistaken for a medic (unless of course you’re one of them too!)

Is a PhD Good For Your Career?

If you’re wondering “Should I do a PhD?”, part of your motivation for considering gaining a PhD may be your career prospects. Therefore I want to now dive deeper into whether or not a PhD could help with future employment.

It is difficult to give definitive answers because whether or not a PhD helps will ultimately depend a lot upon what kind of career you’re hoping to have. Anyway, let’s discuss a few specific questions.

Does a PhD Help You Get a Job?

For certain industries having a PhD may either be a requirement or a strong positive.

Some professions may require a PhD such as academia or research in certain industries like pharma. Others will see your qualification as evidence that you’re competent which could give you an edge. Of course if you’re aiming to go into a career using similar skills to your PhD then you’ll stand a better chance of your future employer appreciating the PhD.

In contrast, for other roles your PhD may not be much help in securing a job. Having a PhD may not be valued and instead your time may be better spent getting experience in a job. Even so, a PhD likely won’t have been completely useless.

When I worked at an engineering consultancy the recruitment team suggested that four years of a PhD would be considered comparable to two or three years of experience in industry. In those instances, the employer may actively prefer candidates who spent those years gaining experience on the job but still appreciates the value of a PhD.

Conclusion: Sometimes a PhD will help you get a job, othertimes it wont. Not all employers may appreciate your PhD though few employers will actively mark you down for having a PhD.

Does a PhD Increase Salary? Will it Allow You to Start at a Higher Level?

This question is very much relates to the previous one so my answer will sound slightly similar.

It’ll ultimately depend upon whether or not the industry and company value the skills or knowledge you’ve gained throughout your PhD.

I want to say from the start that none of us PhD-holders should feel entitled and above certain types of position in every profession just for having a PhD. Not all fields will appreciate your PhD and it may offer no advantage. It is better to realise this now.

Some professions will appreciate that with a PhD you’ll have developed a certain detail-orientated mindset, specialised knowledge or skills that are worth paying more for. Even if the position doesn’t really demand a PhD, it is sometimes the case that having someone with a PhD in that position is a useful badge for the company to wave at customers or competitors. Under these circumstances PhD-holders may by default be offered slightly higher starting positions than other new-starters will lower degree qualifications.

To play devil’s advocate, you could be spending those 3-4 (or more) years progressing in the job. Let’s look at a few concrete examples.

PhD Graduate Salaries in Academia

Let’s cut to the chase: currently as a postdoc at a decent university my salary is £33,787, which isn’t great. With a PhD there is potential to possibly climb the academic ladder but it’s certainly not easy. If I were still working in London I’d be earning more, and if I were speficially still working at Imperial in London I’d be earning a lot more. Browse Imperial’s pay scales here . But how much is it possible to earn with a PhD compared to not having one?

For comparison to research staff with and without PhDs:

As of 2023 research assistants (so a member of staff conducting research but with no PhD) at Imperial earn £38,194 – £ 4 1,388 and postdoctoral research associates earn £43,093 – £50,834 . Not only do you earn £5000 or more a year higher with a PhD, but without a PhD you simply can’t progress up the ladder to research fellow or tenure track positions.

Therefore in academia it pays to have a PhD, not just for the extra cash but for the potential to progress your career.

PhD Graduate Salaries in Industry

For jobs in industry, it is difficult to give a definitive answer since the variety of jobs are so wide ranging.

Certain industries will greatly reward PhD-holders with higher salaries than those without PhDs. Again it ultimately depends on how valuable your skills are. I’ve known PhD holders to do very well going into banking, science consultancy, technology and such forth.

You might not necessarily earn more money with a PhD in industry, but it might open more doors to switch industries or try new things. This doesn’t necessarily mean gaining a higher salary: I have known PhD-holders to go for graduate schemes which are open to grads with bachelors or masters degrees. Perhaps there is an argument that you’re more employable and therefore it encourages you to make more risky career moves which someone with fewer qualifications may make?

You can of course also use your PhD skills to start your own company. Compensation at a start-up varies wildly, especially if you’re a founder so it is hardly worth discussing. One example I can’t resist though is Magic Pony. The company was co-founded by a Imperial PhD graduate who applied expertise from his PhD to another domain. He sold the company two years later to Twitter for $150 million . Yes, including this example is of course taking cherry-picking to the extreme! The point stands though that you can potentially pick up some very lucrative skills during your PhD.

Conclusion: Like the previous question, not all industries will reward your PhD. Depending on what you want to go and do afterward your PhD, it isn’t always worth doing a PhD just for career progression. For professions that don’t specifically value a PhD (which is likely the majority of them!) don’t expect for your PhD to necessarily be your ticket to a higher position in the organisation.

Is a PhD Worth it?

What is “it”.

When we’re asking the question “is a PhD worth it?” it is a good idea to touch on what “it” actually is. What exactly are PhD students sacrificing in gaining a PhD? Here is my take:

• Time . 3-5 (more more) years of your life. For more see my post: how long a PhD takes .
• Energy. There is no doubt that a PhD can be mentally and physically draining, often more so than typical grad jobs. Not many of us PhD students often stick to normal office hours, though I do encourage you to !
• Money. Thankfully most of us, at least in STEM, are on funded PhD projects with tax free stipends. You can also earn some money on the side quite easily and without paying tax for a while. Even so, over the course of a PhD you are realistically likely to earn more in a grad job. For more details on how PhD stipends compare to grad salaries read my full analysis .
• Potential loss of opportunities . If you weren’t doing a PhD, what else could you be doing? As a side note, if you do go on to do a PhD, do make sure you to take advantage of the opportunities as a PhD student !

When a PhD Could Be Worth It

1. passion for a topic and sheer joy of research.

The contribution you make to progressing research is valuable in it’s own right. If you enjoy research, can get funding and are passionate about a subject by all means go and do the PhD and I doubt you’ll regret it.

2. Learning skills

If there is something really specific you want to spend three year or more years learning then a PhD can be a great opportunity. They’re also great for building soft skills such as independence, team work, presenting and making decisions.

Do be aware though that PhD projects can and do evolve so you can’t always guarantee your project will pan out as expected.

If there is the option to go into a career without a PhD I’d bet that in a lot of cases you’d learn more, faster, and with better support in industry. The speed of academic research can be painstakingly slow. There are upsides to learning skills in academia though, such as freedom and the low amount of responsibility for things outside your project and of course if you’re interested in something which hasn’t yet reached industry.

3. Helping with your career

See the section further up the page, this only applies for certain jobs. It is rare though that having a PhD would actively look bad on your CV.

When a PhD May Not Be Worth It

1. just because you can’t find another job.

Doing a PhD simply because you can’t find a job isn’t a great reason for starting one. In these circumstances having a PhD likely isn’t worth it.

2. Badge collecting

Tempted by a PhD simply to have a doctorate, or to out-do someone? Not only may you struggle with motivation but you likely won’t find the experience particularly satisfying. Sure, it can be the icing on the cake but I reckon you could lose interest pretty quickly if it is your only motivation for gaining a PhD.

Do I Feel That My Own PhD Was Worth It?

When I finished my undergrad I’d been tempted by a PhD but I wasn’t exactly sure about it. Largely I was worried about picking the wrong topic.

I spent a bit of time apprehensively applying, never being sure how I’d find the experience. Now that I’ve finished it I’m very pleased to have got my PhD!

Here are my main reasons:

• I enjoyed the research and felt relatively well fulfilled with the outcomes
• Having the opportunity to learn lots of some new things was great, and felt like time well spent
• I made new friends and generally enjoyed my time at the university
• Since I’d been interested in research and doing a PhD for so long, I feel like if I’d not done it I’d be left wondering about it and potentially end up regretting it.

In Summary, Is a PhD Worth It?

I’ve interviewed many PhD students and graduates and asked each one of them whether the PhD was worth it . The resounding answer is yes! Now of course there is some selection bias but even an interviewee who had dropped out of their PhD said that the experience had been valueable.

If you’ve got this far in the post and are still a little on the fence about whether or not a PhD is worth it, my advice is to look at the bigger picture. In comparison to your lifetime as a whole, a PhD doesn’t really take long:

People graduating now likely won’t retire until they’re in their 70s: what is 3-4 years out of a half century long career?

So Should I Do a PhD?

Whether a PhD is worth all the time and energy ultimately comes down to why you’re doing one in the first place.

There are many great reasons for wanting to do a PhD, from the sheer enjoyment of a subject through to wanting to open up new career opportunities.

Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that practically every PhD student encounters difficult periods. Unsurprisingly, completing a PhD can be challenging and mentally draining. You’ll want to ensure you’re able to remind yourself of all the reasons why it is worth it to provide motivation to continue.

If you’re interested, here were my own reasons for wanting a PhD.

Why I decided to pursue a PhD

Saying that, if you’re interested in doing a PhD I think you should at least apply. I can’t think of any circumstances where having a PhD would be a hindrance.

It can take a while to find the right project (with funding ) so I suggest submitting some applications and see how they go. If you get interesting job offers in the meantime you don’t need to commit to the PhD. Even if you start the PhD and find you don’t enjoy it, there is no shame in leaving and you can often still walk away with a master’s degree.

My advice is that if you’re at all tempted by a PhD: go for it!

I hope this post helped you to understand if a PhD is worth it for you personally. If it is then best of luck with your application!

Considering doing a PhD? I have lots of other posts covering everything about funding , how much PhD students earn , choosing a project and the interview process through to many posts about what the life of a PhD student and graduate is like . Be sure to subscribe below!

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4 Comments on “Is a PhD Worth It? Should I Do a PhD?”

Hi Thanks for the post . I have been struggling to make a decision regarding doing a PhD or doing a second masters . I’m currently doing an msc civil engineering online (because of covid) so for my research I am not able to conduct lab experiments. Therefore my research is more of a literature review / inductive research. So I feel I’ll be at a disadvantage if I were to apply for a phd program especially at high ranking universities like oxford , imperial etc What are your thoughts?

Hey Esther,

I completely appreciate that it’s not an ideal situation at the moment so thanks for reaching out, it’s a great question. A few thoughts I have:

• If you are already tempted by a PhD and would do a second masters simply to gain lab experience, there is no harm in applying for the PhD now. At the very least I suggest considering reaching out to potential supervisors to discuss the situation with them. The universities realise that current applicants won’t have been able to gain as much research experience as normal over the last year. Practical lab experience has halted for so many people so don’t let it put you off applying!

• If you don’t get in on the first go, I don’t believe it looks bad to apply again with more experience. I applied for PhDs for three years, it doesn’t need to take this long but the point is that there’s not much reason to give it a go this year and stand a chance of getting accepted.

• Although we can be optimistic, even if you were to do a second masters it may not be guaranteed that you can gain as much lab experience as you’d like during it: even more reason to start the ball rolling now.

I hope that helps, let me know if you’d like any other further advice.

Best of luck. 🙂

Funny, every one i have talked to as well as myself when we asked ourselves and others whether the PhD was worth it is a resounding ‘No.’

I guess it comes down to a Blue or Red Pill, LoL.

Hi Joe, thanks for sharing this. I’ve spent enough time on the PhD subreddit to see many other people who haven’t had good experiences either! On the flipside many people do have positive experiences, myself included. There is perhaps an element of luck as to what your research environment turns out to be like which could somewhat dictate the PhD experience, but ultimately I do think that answering whether or not a PhD has been worth it really depends a lot on why someone is pursuing a PhD in the first place. I’m keen to make sure people don’t have unrealistic expectations for what it could bring them. I really welcome hearing about different experiences and if you’d fancy sharing your perspective for the PhD profiles series I’d love to hear from you.

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Is a Ph.D. Worth It Anymore? Cont'd

Three more readers share their critical experiences of working toward a Ph.D. and the postdoctorate that often accompanies it. Here’s Mary:

I spent (too many) years in a prestigious PhD program. During my post-doc, I saw newly-hired Assistant Professors work 60-hour weeks to generate preliminary data in order to secure funding during lean years (early ‘90s). They spent their Saturdays in the lab, bringing their young children with them. (The kids wrote on white boards. One spouse cleaned the lab.) Quite simply, I did not possess the interest or drive for this kind of life. When my son was born, I determined that I would earn a living in a way that provided economic security, as well as time to be there for him. Initially, I was fortunate to secure a non-research position in a government agency. I later moved to the private sector. There is an arrogance about academia that is imparted to doctoral students: that the tenure-track position is “pure” research and the only honorable path for a PhD. Stuff and nonsense.

Begin with the rate at which students for a particular advisor may graduate. One per year? One every other year? In a 30-year career, a lab chief may churn out 20 PhDs. There are far too few academic positions to justify this; rather, graduate students and post-docs are inexpensive labor. I wonder about the thinking that keeps trainees believing that they will be the exceptional ones to beat those odds. I love what I do, and those 10 years were worth the opportunity cost. In my 21-year career, I have used my training, and the way I learned to think, most days. Bonus: I have a life outside work. Look around, students: The academic career is not your only, or even your best, option.

Ilya would agree, and he emphasizes the upsides of the private sector to drive scientific progress:

Bachelor’s degrees are not for all people and all walks of life, and advanced degrees all the more so. I tried to get a Ph.D. in an engineering field. Leaving with a master’s was a great decision, even though it was largely forced on me. Over the ensuing years, I watched my friends who had stayed for the long slog become increasingly bitter. Here’s why. Academic research is the right channel, if not the only channel, for strikingly original, pathbreaking work. Once a field begins to attract private investment, however, academia needs to step back. Once a field has reached a certain level of popularity and recognition, the number of strivers greatly exceeds the number of original directions available, leading to duplicate work and dissertations of little value. In fields (such as mine) that require expensive and temperamental lab equipment, a company can afford to buy the best tools and hire technicians to maintain them. Graduate students waste years fussing over obsolete instruments. And, finally, academia tends to breed faculty with outsized egos who abuse students as a source of cheap labor for their pet projects. Companies, although not perfect, are much better at aligning the interests of frontline workers and management, and at killing projects that aren’t worthwhile. A doctorate remains the minimum credential to be a professor, which is fair. In some fields, though, even companies will not consider applicants who lack doctorates. This is part fetishism, part hazing ritual. In my field, I have found a Ph.D. to be usually valued as much or less than an equivalent number of years of private-sector experience, and we’re all better off for it.

This anonymous reader, like Ilya, will probably settle for a master’s:

All of my comments are in reference to graduate school in STEM disciplines, since I do not have experience in grad school in other fields. As a graduate student considering exiting my program as a 5th year, I can tell you in all honesty that a PhD is not “worth” it—for me, at least . Too many eager students earning a bachelor’s degree in STEM are told that they cannot have a worthwhile career without entering grad school. I saw the PhD as one more hoop to jump before I could land a great job that would provide me with the challenges and stability I wanted in a career. I have learned a massive amount and I don’t regret coming to grad school, but I am increasingly regretting staying . Most of what I will take from the PhD will be things I learned in my first two years. In other words, a master’s degree would have been perfect for me. Unfortunately, master’s degree programs in STEM are not encouraged and sometimes frowned upon. The few master’s degree programs that exist do not usually cover students’ tuition or offer any sort of stipend. At top-tier universities where students can only enter PhD programs, master’s degrees are only handed out as “ consolation prizes.” In other words, a master’s degree is a mere exit option for those not able to “tough it out” through the PhD. From an institutional perspective, this makes some financial sense. Why offer a paid master’s program, where students will be novices in the lab and still refining their techniques, when a PhD student will make up for these formative 2 years by effectively “working” 3+ years after the initial phase of their training? This is certainly the case in my lab. I used to fumble with equipment and make rookie mistakes daily. I now train newer students on instruments, assist with experimental design and analysis, and manage a good deal of the lab. I don’t get credit for it, though; I have the same low stipend that I did as a first year. My experience is the norm. It’s expected that you “pay back” for your training in the form of working more and publishing. In fact, certain fellowships require that you financially pay them back if you decide to pursue work outside of academia. Keep in mind that these fellowships are a trainee’s paycheck. If I was awarded one of these postdoctoral fellowships and decided to quit an unhealthy postdoc in month 11, I would owe back 11 months’ worth of my paycheck . If this isn’t indentured servitude, I don’t know what is. Coupled with emotional distress, not knowing where I might be working in a year, the lack of benefits (will I ever be able to retire if I stick with the PhD?), and an overwhelming desire to do something that I am good at and getting compensated appropriately, I can’t see sticking around any longer. The PhD is not the route to career satisfaction that I envisioned. It is no longer a simple hoop; it’s a long, winding, and seemingly never-ending tunnel.

For further reading, Tim recommends:

This entertaining but serious essay by history professor Timothy Burke was required reading when I was at Swarthmore almost 20 years ago. It begins, “Should I go to grad school? Short answer: no.” The essay holds up today—and the job market worries he touches on have, of course, gotten incomprehensibly worse.

Update from a reader:

Big thanks to your reader who pointed out Timothy Burke’s essay on graduate school in the humanities! It led me to Timothy Burke’s blog , which has some fascinating viewpoints on current events around globalization, Donald Trump, and the like. Speaking of which, I’m intrigued that so many of the responses on the worth of graduate school are about the sciences rather than the humanities. Is this because the story in the humanities is old news by now? Whereas, in science, you get this weird disconnect between “we need more STEM majors” on the one hand, and the same old math about how many more PhDs there are than tenured posts, on the other. Do we really need more STEM majors? Because a lot of us are pretty worried about becoming unemployed, or spending our lives in badly-paid adjunct posts with no job security.

Here’s one more reader, who stands up for the Ph.D. track and brings us back to the theme of government funding that started this discussion thread:

I’m at the end of my 5th year of my PhD and will graduate in the next year. In many ways, I’m lucky. I work in food safety and microbiology. Since everyone wants to know their food is safe, government funding has been cut less, and we can usually persuade industry or trade associations to fund our applied research. However, we’ve been able to do less basic research than we would have hoped, because when funding is tighter, the government funds projects which are more likely to have immediately applicable results (applied research), and industry only funds applied research. So a lot of good basic science doesn’t get funded. Is a PhD worth it? So far, yes. As a graduate student I've had opportunities to teach, write grants and fellowships, mentor undergrads, help manage the lab, and work on international development projects. I’ve also seen mentoring failures, abusive advisers, and nasty department politics. It is a hard road to a PhD (though I think attributing “Navy SEAL-like brutality” to it is going too far), but it does offer a lot of personal growth opportunities and the joy of research along with the frustration of repeated failure and impostor syndrome. I plan to stay in academia because there is no other position I know of which combines teaching and basic research and opportunities for international development projects like academia does. So I’ve mentally given myself a few years to postdoc and try to get a tenure track job. I think I have a decent idea of what I'm getting myself into ... we shall see. Research funding is the thing which worries me the most.

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Don't Do a PhD in History

By Lascaux December 2, 2020 in History

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Years ago I frequented Gradcafe while applying for a PhD in history. Not all of the advice I received here was good, but much of it was. Partly as a result of that advice, I was admitted to a good PhD program where I had excellent mentors, made some dear friends, and learned a great deal about the craft of writing history. Everyone battles depression at some point while doing a PhD, but on the whole I remember my PhD with fondness. So hear I am with my PhD in hand, ready to pay it forward. This is the best advice I can give you: don't do a PhD in history. Don't do it.

I know that you have heard about how bad the job market is, but "bad" is misleading. It suggests that it is highly competitive, in a slump, leaving some good people behind, or something like that. The reality is that the historical profession is dying. There are no jobs and there won't be any for a long time. By that I don't mean that there are few jobs. I mean that there are none. My field is a large one. Every big history department in America has at least one scholar in my area. And this year there is not a single job that I'm eligible to apply for. If you complete a PhD, you need to realize that there is a good chance that you'll be in the same boat. And if there are two or three jobs when you finish, you'll be competing against hundreds of other scholars desperate for work. Many of your competitors will be 5-7 years out of their own PhDs, have books with good presses, and years of teaching experience. Even if you show enormous promise, why would risk-averse departments hire you instead of someone who has been doing the job well for years?

I attended a top-five PhD program (overall and in my field). I wrote an award-winning dissertation. I graduated with multiple good publications. I received excellent course evaluations for the courses I TA'ed and taught as instructor of record. My mentors wrote fulsome letters of recommendation. I produced polished job application materials. I did a postdoc at another top-five university. I am a friendly person who interviews well. None of those things altered the brute fact that there were no jobs. My profile isn't that of a superstar, but it is the profile of someone who did everything you're supposed to do. 

I'm not bitter about my experience. I have an academic adjacent job that is in some ways better than a tenure-track job. I don't really regret doing a PhD, but I am keenly aware that it came at an enormous cost. If you're on this board, you've heard the rule now that you should never pay for a graduate degree in history. That's true, but the real cost of doing a PhD is time . Everyone pays for their PhD. Even if you are among the vanishingly small number of prospective historians who get a tenure-track job, it will probably take seven years of a PhD work and then several years of struggling in temporary employment. That's probably a decade of your life receiving highly specialized training for a job that doesn't really exist anymore. You will pour most of your youth into a discipline that almost certainly won't have a place for you. 

What should you do? If you are thinking about applying for a PhD in history, don't. If you can't imagine doing something else, work on strengthening your imagination. There are lots of ways to engage in the life of the mind outside of the university. If you are in the first few years of a PhD program, I would recommend getting an M.A. and getting out. If you are close to the end of your program, it might make sense to hang on and finish. But you should write a good-enough dissertation and spend most of your time figuring out how to build a path toward a non-academic future.

Again, I'm not angry or bitter. I had a good experience in my PhD experience and will continue to publish some. But the historical profession is dying. History enrollments have fallen more than enrollments in any other discipline. Administrators are cutting lines or even eliminating departments. It probably won't get better for a generation, if ever. 

• Wanderingmind , AfricanusCrowther , ImissTraveling and 14 others

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December 2, 2020

Years ago I frequented Gradcafe while applying for a PhD in history. Not all of the advice I received here was good, but much of it was. Partly as a result of that advice, I was admitted to a good PhD

For a long time, this paralleled my thoughts on the matter. But, as an adviser pointed out, a guaranteed 5-7 years making $30k with excellent health insurance coverage isn't nothing in this prepostapo

December 9, 2020

Coming out of lurk mode to give my two cents: this topic was my specialty--a conversation I fought tooth and nail to have at my university--until I circumstances placed me in a position to realize tha

AfricanusCrowther

Thank you for sharing this. You will likely face criticism from a couple of the old timers. I hope everyone who reads this post takes it extremely seriously. I'll add this article (perhaps a tad too alarmist) for some broader details that reflect the current crisis.

I am grateful that my PhD (still in the making) has led me to spend many months conducting research in a country I never would have visited otherwise, and allowed me to live the life of the mind. But I fear that at the end of this process I will come to see that these benefits will have come at a great professional and personal cost.

For a long time, this paralleled my thoughts on the matter. But, as an adviser pointed out, a guaranteed 5-7 years making $30k with excellent health insurance coverage isn't nothing in this prepostapocalyptic hellscape. So I'm not so sure anymore.

• Pierre de Olivi , BenCookie , rab1803 and 9 others

Good post and one that really bears repeating. Leaving with the MA was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  And for the record, I see the "alt-ac" thing as a crock. With a few exceptions, "alt-ac" jobs are jobs you can hold with a PhD, not jobs requiring a PhD. I'm sorry, but your dissertation on discourses on bodily fluids in the 18th century or the literary culture of immigrants in the early 20th century isn't a key element of becoming an insurance adjuster or a grants manager. These are jobs you can hold with the PhD.

By the way, if I sound angry about this, it's because I am. American graduate education is rotten from the core. The "alt-ac" push is, in part, a way to justify the cost (financial and opportunity) of students who complete a PhD and cannot find permanent academic employment.

If it's at all possible, mods, please, sticky this thread. Every prospective graduate student needs to read this post.

• Boarskin , michiganundergrad , BenCookie and 1 other

Even though I was told by a professor that I might have gotten a job had I been born a decade earlier--"maybe"--I would never advise someone not to pursue a personal or professional goal. (The day I passed quals, the committee member who represented my outside field said Think of yourself as a teacher . By which he meant that it was my responsibility to give people information that enabled them to achieve their goals--my opinion of those goals notwithstanding.)

I would (and have) recommended doing a herculean amount of due diligence--including reading the OP again and again. There may be "nothing new" to some readers who are aware of some of the patterns that have been developing since the early 1990s. To many others, the post adds crucial nuance.

 I also recommend setting up job alerts in Linkedin and elsewhere so one understands how graduate degrees may or may not translate into requirements for job qualifications and professional experience. Some consultancies and government agencies require the kind of research experience that cannot quite be satisfied by a master's degree.

FWIW/Neither here nor there, I do take slight exception to the lumping together of the academic job market for professional academic historians as the most important key performance indicator of the profession's vitality or sustainability. 

• psstein , historyofsloths , Pierre de Olivi and 3 others

I'll wade carefully here as an old-timer. 

When I started my PhD in 2012, I was already ambivalent about being a professor or entering academia. I wanted to get my PhD and work as a historian in a very large museum, which was viable then.

I didn't know what academia was really about. 

I had never run a classroom.  I was told that to be a TA meant running discussion sections and grading but I had no idea that there were positions that involved only grading.  Due to declining student enrollments, my department dropped discussion sections and added more grading positions. Opportunities for teaching sessions before candidacy were quite limited. I didn't get to do it until after I passed my candidacy (partially due to fellowships in my first 2 years). I fell in love with teaching and interacting with students but stopped short at "quality over quantity" approach, unlike so many graduate students who focused on "more classes I teach, the better my CV will look for teaching jobs!"

Throughout my time, I was truly bogged down by heavy coursework load (due to fellowship requirements), research (including writing funding applications and trip and budget planning), conference papers, a journal article, and mental health issues that nearly took over my life. I simply had  no  time to develop and hone skills that employers valued such as computer programming, organizing and executing events and conferences, etc., etc. However, I did immensely improve my written and oral communication with the incredible support of professors, mentors, and colleagues. I did get to travel the world (literally) which I would have not been able to do until... maybe retirement, much thanks to the fund-raising that I did.  I never imagined that I would have an overall satisfactory experience compared to many horror stories that I had heard.

The pandemic hit when I was interviewing for postdocs. When the campus shut down and hiring freeze went into effect everywhere, I realized that there would be no second wave of postdocs and visiting assistant professor positions that came between March-May. I took advantage of one semester of funding that remaining to postpone my dissertation defense.  I realized that a December graduation meant that I wouldn't be able to secure an academic job to start in January. I started getting used to the idea that I would have to apply for non-academic jobs in this situation and I gradually became OK with that because I've been there before. 

Now, i am applying for a combination of academic and non-academic jobs to see what will bite. When it comes to non-academic jobs, my topic or historical content knowledge  does not matter  and it is important to separate myself from those and focus on the  skills  that I have to bring to those jobs. The PhD is simply another degree on your resume, nothing more, but you will have a section under "Work/Grant-Writing/Teachingetc. Experience" which you can tout the skills you have used to complete the degree.

Do I regret going for my PhD? Nope. I was so hungry for an opportunity to dive deep and become an expert in specific historical fields. I went through a MA program (2008-2010) and studied a new language abroad for several months (2010-2011) just to be sure that the PhD was what I wanted, even though I decided in 2006. The key to survival, I think for me, was knowing that I had prior work experience and was developing valuable skills (especially fund-raising if you're great at it) which to highlight while applying for non-academic jobs. And perhaps the comfort of knowing that I may never need to work to become fluent in all of my reading languages again.

And I'm a risk-adverse person. Really know yourself before you apply. Are you the type of person who can complete a big job which you've devoted hours and hours and breathed your life and walk away within weeks?  Do you have the grit and resiliency to overcome obstacles that come your way? The PhD journey is much more suited to street-smart people than book-smart people. If you're the latter type, go for the MA which is less intense in the way of non-coursework stuff.

• Procopius , gsc , ladydobz and 2 others

GradSchoolGrad

Just curious. What do you see as the non-academic jobs available to History PhDs these days?

- Federal government?

- Consulting?

- Advising media productions? 

On a separate note, I found this website to be super interesting: https://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/history-phd-career-outcomes-statistics

The problem is that they don't narrow it down by year group - just 2004 to 2019

7 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said: Just curious. What do you see as the non-academic jobs available to History PhDs these days? - Federal government? - Consulting? - Advising media productions? 

Honestly, anything that YOU want to do outside of academia. Your goal is to demonstrate that you have the required skills to complete the job that you are applying for.  How the hiring managers/employers/recruiters view your degree is anyone's guess but know that unless they mention it, don't assume that it's your PhD degree that got you the interview .

12 minutes ago, TMP said: Honestly, anything that YOU want to do outside of academia. Your goal is to demonstrate that you have the required skills to complete the job that you are applying for.  How the hiring managers/employers/recruiters view your degree is anyone's guess but know that unless they mention it, don't assume that it's your PhD degree that got you the interview .

Tell me if what I am about to say is completely wrong though (which it might).

1. Do you think that one of the reasons why History PhDs don't do as well in the job market as sister fields (Political Science and Sociology) is because history doesn't really touch on data analytics and data based story telling? Anecdotally, In my collaboration with PhD, I was amused by the lack of familarity with excel, stata/SPSS, and tableau --> foundation tools for those other fields which have lots of cross-marketability with non-Academic job.

Ultimately, what I'm alluding to is that due to how the way history has been studied/researched hasn't really evolved with the times, nor has the right skilling to get history academics to be professionally competitive. For those in academia, there might be a trickle down effect whereby undergrads don't want to take classes in something / major in something whereby the field hasn't modernized enough sufficiently. 

2. I have noticed that my super successful non-academic career History PhD friends (and they earned their PhD within the last year or so) spent their dissertation time aligning with organizations with deep pockets (e.g., government organizations that have a vested interest in history to shape their current operations), but they told me this made them weirdos in the history department who were "passion driven". Is there something to be said that history has too long been history for history's sake and not enough history for practical application? 

If I'm off base let me know. I looked into a History PhD a while ago with an interest to go professional sector (like consulting for the CIA in my Jack Ryan dreams), but these were the concerns I had with the field that made me stray away (I went to Policy instead). I wonder if they are still relevant. 

• Narwhallaby

59 minutes ago, GradSchoolGrad said: Just curious. What do you see as the non-academic jobs available to History PhDs these days? - Federal government? - Consulting? - Advising media productions?  On a separate note, I found this website to be super interesting: https://gradschool.duke.edu/about/statistics/history-phd-career-outcomes-statistics The problem is that they don't narrow it down by year group - just 2004 to 2019

Federal government: yes, either as historians (an official hiring category of the feds) or as regional specialists.

Consulting: yes. PhDs in the humanities show that you can successfully analyze lots of information and present that information coherently. Management consulting firms like this sort of thing.

Advising media productions: no idea.

Other fields (leaving out the obvious): secondary school teaching, non-profit management, scholarly publishing

7 hours ago, AfricanusCrowther said: Advising media productions: no idea.

I really need to pitch my TV show  Merovingians: LOL you thought GoT was Bloody and Confusing

• AfricanusCrowther , Manana , NotAlice and 3 others

I have never personally regretted having gotten my PhD in history; it enabled me to have so many experiences I would never have had otherwise, to live abroad, to make wonderful friends, live the life of the mind, etc. I'd be a very different person if I had stayed in the job I worked in before applying to PhD programs; the experience of the PhD helped me grow so much and I would never take it back.

But, I want to second a lot of what the OP said.

It could well be that there will be far fewer jobs in the next few years than there have been this last decade.

In recent years history has lost more majors than any other discipline. See here https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/11/27/new-analysis-history-major-data-says-field-new-low-can-it-be-saved Admins seeing fewer majors and lower enrollments require fewer history classes, which means they need fewer history profs, so retirees are not replaced and job adverts are rare.

The situation is worse than a "bad" job market. There have been more than 1,000 History PhDs awarded per year every year for the last decade even though the number of TT jobs for assistant professors is far, far lower. The numbers are just horrible. In popular fields (American and European) you do literally compete against hundreds of other people - including frequently, nearly all of your professional friends unless they are significantly older or younger than you. The experience of applying for these jobs is extremely time-consuming, brutally stressful and heartbreaking.

When I was applying I had this idea that I would come to the end of my PhD and there would be this sort of, referendum moment - either I would get a job or I would not and if I did not, I would move on and do something else with my life. But this is not how it works in reality. One of my advisors told me it often takes people three years on the market to get a job, if they do at all, and frequently in those three years they have to hustle to find temporary positions year to year, whether its extending their PhD, a postdoc, a VAP, adjuncting, "self-funding" (if you're rich), or one of those paper positions where you get affiliation but no salary (again, if you're rich). The reality is that in the final years of this process you often have to continuously make decisions about how much you are willing to sacrifice in pursuit of the dream of a TT job. You may have to weigh whether it's better to work on more publications or take a side job, if you should take an onerous adjucting teaching load that may leave you no time for research or writing good job applications, if it is worth it to uproot your life and move (at your own expense) across the country for a one year position (a bigger challenge for anyone with a partner or spouse). Living with not knowing what you will be doing the next year, and having to weigh these decisions can be very stressful. And, you may feel when you begin a PhD that you would be willing to move anywhere, take any job, do anything, sacrifice anything, in pursuit of the dream, but you cannot necessarily anticipate how those sacrifices will feel when you are older (especially if you have a partner or children).

I want to echo what the OP said about how a PhD comes as a enormous cost, even if it's fully funded, because the true cost is time. Yes, if you get into a good program you may be making a guaranteed 30k (though, to be honest, in many cases less) with health insurance for five to seven years. There is something to that, yes. But being a grad student freezes you at entry level, both financially and socially (as you are always in a junior, subordinate position in the career) for somewhere between 5-10 years. Your salary will likely not increase over your time in the PhD, or if it does, it will do so only minimally. Often, it will not keep up with inflation or rising cost of living, especially if your program is in an expensive city so you will actually be able to live less well in your final PhD years than at the beginning. What seems to you like a generous, comfortable salary when you are 22 or 24 may feel frustratingly or embarrassingly low when you are 30 and your friends from college are starting to make good salaries, get married, have children, and buy houses. You will still be making the same money you made when you entered your PhD.

You need to consider the opportunity cost. The true cost is everything else you could have been doing and earning during the time you were getting your PhD if you weren't doing the PhD. In all that time you spent being a grad student and making what is a 22-years-olds entry-level wage you lose all the time you could have been investing into another career path, in which you could have been moving up, getting raises and promotions, saving for retirement and getting that sweet compounding interest. If you do go on to get a TT job, your time spent in your fully-funded PhD will have been an investment, but if in the end you transition into another field you may be starting over at square one and you will have lost the opportunity for all those other gains forever. 

There are enormous benefits to getting a PhD in history. The work of a history grad student is fun, intellectually stimulating, fulfilling, and prestigious. You usually get a flexible schedule, meet interesting amazing people, travel, etc. But you pay an enormous price - financially in lost time and opportunity, and too often with damage to your mental health. Things worked out very well for me personally and I don't regret my PhD at all. But I know for sure that even though I thought I knew all about how the job market was bad, I did not really understand what the true costs would be when I signed up for this path.

• TMP , Thulcandran , AfricanusCrowther and 5 others

Has anyone considered the job market outside the United States? A PhD degree from top US schools would be very comepetive in other countires. 

3 hours ago, remenis said: You need to consider the opportunity cost. The true cost is everything else you could have been doing and earning during the time you were getting your PhD if you weren't doing the PhD. In all that time you spent being a grad student and making what is a 22-years-olds entry-level wage you lose all the time you could have been investing into another career path, in which you could have been moving up, getting raises and promotions, saving for retirement and getting that sweet compounding interest. If you do go on to get a TT job, your time spent in your fully-funded PhD will have been an investment, but if in the end you transition into another field you may be starting over at square one and you will have lost the opportunity for all those other gains forever. 

How many careers are envisioned in the scenario above? 

https://www.kornferry.com/content/dam/kornferry/docs/article-migration/Briefings38_Nomad-Economy.pdf https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/nlsoy.pdf

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED582350.pdf

IME, working in the private sector (three industries) is not without challenges and risks.

• I'm currently in an industry that had two firms that bear the name of one of its founders. He is with neither.
• In a different industry, founders --and many others-- were tossed aside when corporate decided to change strategy.
• At will employees can be terminated with zero warning. Turn over your keys, sign this document, here's a live check. GTFO.
• "Exempt" employees can be required to work more than eight hours a day for weeks at a stretch without additional compensation.
• Non compete agreements can limit future opportunities. (Even if your pockets are deep enough to get you through the litigation.)
• Firms that practice "just in time" hiring will expect you to do the job with minimal to no training. 
• Your plans for a career path centered around areas of practice and types of clients make you the ideal candidate to on board the strategic hire.
• Sometimes, bosses want to get your attention.
• Other benefits can be offered on a use it or lose it basis and can be discontinued from one year to the next.
• Not every employer offers 401(k)s nor matches employee contributions.
• KPIs are generally centered around numerical metrics that don't always add up and sometimes work at cross purposes.
• The "grand strategy" of the Powers That Be can be unknown and ultimately at cross purposes of what bosses, middle managers, and worker bees are told. 
• The pace of work can be bone crushing. Imagine your busiest weeks as a teacher the slowest weeks of a year. Or two. 
• The paper you write days before it is due -- imagine it being worth tens thousands of dollars to your firm and hundreds, if not millions to a client, even though the client has gone for months without giving you information it said it would provide during the project kick off meeting.
• Undergraduates unhappy with your work? Try managing Teamsters.
• Uncooperative colleagues? Try getting members of private and public sector unions to see it your way when they know they damn well don't.
• "Toxic" work environments/coworkers/supervisors? Unless you get to HR first with clear and convincing documentation, STFU and get back to work.
• "Scope creep"==> project budget exhausted? Do the work on your own time.
• "One set of integrated comments" from the client? Here are ten sets of comments, some contradict others. 
• Disagree with how the work should be done on a project? That's nice. STFU and get back to work.
• Intellectual freedom? Ah, well, now that you've learned of the existence of that NDA, you may never again talk about it nor the project nor the client.
• Risk management is everyone's responsibility even if you've never been trained on how to manage risk. 
• Free and open exchange of information ==> email blast from the bosses after a project manager's POV is printed in a newspaper.

Morale check?

• TMP , Manana , SocialKonstruct and 1 other

8 hours ago, Sigaba said: IME, working in the private sector (three industries) is not without challenges and risks.

What are you comparing this to? Public-sector work outside academia?

11 hours ago, d1389jjch said: Has anyone considered the job market outside the United States? A PhD degree from top US schools would be very comepetive in other countires. 

Yes and no. A lot of US graduates have the same thoughts. Plus, the overwhelming likelihood of non-US employment is not a nice position somewhere in Europe. The countries investing most heavily in higher education at this point are repressive petrostates like Saudi Arabia (there was an opening not too long ago at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals) and equally as repressive countries like China.

On 12/3/2020 at 9:48 AM, GradSchoolGrad said: 2. I have noticed that my super successful non-academic career History PhD friends (and they earned their PhD within the last year or so) spent their dissertation time aligning with organizations with deep pockets (e.g., government organizations that have a vested interest in history to shape their current operations), but they told me this made them weirdos in the history department who were "passion driven". Is there something to be said that history has too long been history for history's sake and not enough history for practical application?

To your last point, yes. Part of the withdrawal of history into ever-increasingly narrow and specialized niches has had the effect of making historical scholarship arcane, inaccessible, and generally not too useful to people outside of academia. That's not a criticism of any specialized field, for the record. I actually find some of that work fascinating (e.g. Andrew Warwick's work on mathematical physics education at Cambridge). But, speaking from my history of science/medicine perch, my subdiscipline has actively disengaged from its original mission and attempted to become more integrated with the historical community writ large.

It is extremely common now to see monographs with practically no engagement of the serious scientific issues at hand, especially in history of medicine. I'm not against the social turn at all; it was a good thing and it needed to happen. With that said, the issue is now that the field doesn't actually engage scientists. Instead, it turns its attention towards historians (and other humanities disciplines) that want to know something about the science.

Put more bluntly, a microhistory about the ontology of bodily fluids in 17th century Spain doesn't draw much interest outside of a very narrow crowd of academics.

2 hours ago, AfricanusCrowther said: What are you comparing this to? Public-sector work outside academia?

The comparison is my experiences and observations in the private sector to the scenario laid out by @remenis  . My point is simply that sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is another train or a gorilla with a flashlight. IRT public sector work, my department does a fair amount of project work for public clients. I would not want to have a public sector job right now. The needs of the here and now are outpacing other considerations.  Strategic plans are being shelved, day to day operations are in constant flux, budgets are getting slashed to the bone. Positions are being eliminated to save money even though qualified to have those jobs could help put out fires right now.

24 minutes ago, Sigaba said: The comparison is my experiences and observations in the private sector to the scenario laid out by @remenis  . My point is simply that sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is another train or a gorilla with a flashlight. IRT public sector work, my department does a fair amount of project work for public clients. I would not want to have a public sector job right now. The needs of the here and now are outpacing other considerations.  Strategic plans are being shelved, day to day operations are in constant flux, budgets are getting slashed to the bone. Positions are being eliminated to save money even though qualified to have those jobs could help put out fires right now.

The absence of good alternatives is doubtless why so many of us wish to enter academe. Alas, there are no jobs.

From my perspective, it seems like secondary education teaching is a great alternative to academia for PhDs. It offers decent pay (particularly if you're willing to move to certain cities and/or towns), unionization, and retirement plans. Not to mention, PhDs are treated exceptionally well in high schools, by faculty, admin, and students. Sure, it's not as glamorous, and it may feel like a bastardization of history, but nonetheless it's consistent -- and (potentially) rewarding. 

What are others thoughts on this? Perhaps those who considered this alternate path but opted not to? Would love to hear from folks who have completed their doctoral degrees.

- A high school teacher hoping to be admitted to a PhD program. 

On 12/2/2020 at 8:17 PM, psstein said: If it's at all possible, mods, please, sticky this thread. Every prospective graduate student needs to read this post.

1) Sticking it will give it an  imprimatur  I'm not sure I want it to have. 2) We already have too many stuck threads in this subforum.

2 hours ago, psstein said: Put more bluntly, a microhistory about the ontology of bodily fluids in 17th century Spain doesn't draw much interest outside of a very narrow crowd of academics.

A good dissertation makes a coherent contribution to a historiography. A great dissertation explains why those who don't have any interest in its particulars should read it. 

That is, yes, in some ways academia is all about counting angels on pinheads, and it always has been. But whether that's all it is rests very much on your own shoulders as a writer and a communicator. 

As unlikely as it is to get an academic job these days, it is even more unlikely if you cannot communicate to a broader audience why your work matters. If you can't think about what you do on that higher level, you will also have difficulty marketing your skills outside of academia. 

• psstein , gsc , TMP and 1 other

2 hours ago, AfricanusCrowther said: The absence of good alternatives is doubtless why so many of us wish to enter academe. Alas, there are no jobs.

Yes, unfortunately. Having just gotten off an interview with a consulting firm, they're also getting hammered. Plus, I wouldn't overestimate the value of a PhD to them, at least based on people I've spoken to in them. FWIW, of course.

@Sigaba makes an excellent point. The private sector is bad right now. The public sector is teetering on an apocalypse. Many states have had irresponsible or outright incompetent budget management for years. With COVID-19, the day of financial reckoning draws nigh.

41 minutes ago, psstein said: The public sector is teetering on an apocalypse. Many states have had irresponsible or outright incompetent budget management for years. 

2 hours ago, exitiumax said:  unionization, and retirement plans.

It's not all on the pols and bureaucrats. Not in California, anyways. In the 1990s, voters kicked a can down the road. The resulting sinkhole is being filled with crumbling infrastructure and fading dreams.

It's worth pointing out that while budget management is ultimately pragmatic and political in nature. If you were to have 100% budget transparency, "concerned citizens" could sandbag approved policies and projects by sharpshooting costs through the mistaken belief that running a public organization is just like running a business which is just like balancing a household checkbook. ("Why $x.xx for a Z? I can get it for less at Target.")

ExponentialDecay

The public sector is not a monolith tbh. Of course, the various museums, schools, public transports and other parks and rec are very much in flux right now. But a huge proportion of the government machine is countercyclical. If you have skills in macro modeling, bank closure, and a whole slew of obscure economic-financial subdisciplines, you can have a job yesterday - and the number of these positions will only increase in the next 2 ish years. If US public policy were run differently, a bunch of other sectors, from education to infrastructure, could also be countercyclical.

I don't like to park my fat butt in a conversation outside my discipline, but tbh I think this sense of Universal Suck has more to do with historians not having the kind of experience and credentials that are in demand than with everything being irredeemably shitty. Unless you're brilliant or rich, of course you will have to work long and hard to build a life that is bearable (I'm no historian, but my impression is that the mere opportunity to have a bearable life is a historical exception currently unique to the western world), let alone secure or leisurely. Starting the race with no relevant skills, networks or institutional knowledge implies playing catch-up, even if you can hit the ground faster because you're older and wiser. Doing back breaking work (metaphorically - we are all privileged to be here) for 10 years then having to do it all over again in a new industry at 30 - that's the real cost of the PhD.

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• Is A PhD Really Worth It? Or A Waste of Time?

Some may look back 5 years or even 10 years post-PhD and say it was definitely worth it. Others may be fresh out of graduate school and have a different view/opinion or may only feel frustration.

It may be defined by the job you ended up with (or ultimately want), the opportunities that your PhD led to, or how you define success . Others may say the PhD gave them more credibility, upwards mobility, and technical expertise needed for their job. Others may have pursued a different field apart from their PhD training and claim the PhD served a much different purpose (such as self-discovery).

The skills learned during a PhD are also invaluable in many ways, but the reality is that these transferable skills still don’t seem to be enough by themselves  to land your first job in many cases (although very job and company dependent). But whether a PhD program ‘fully’ trains or prepares you for the job market or not, still doesn’t define its worth. The point is that a PhD-even if it doesn’t pay off now-certainly can (or will) later. But one very important point to make is this :

How you define the value of a PhD or if it was worth 5-7 years of your life (and time out of the workforce)-is entirely individualistic .

With that said, let’s go into this article-which is written by Michelle Capes, along with 2 other PhD’s who offer their perspective. Please keep an open mind as you read through the comments, as each PhD will have their own experiences which may be different from your own.

Is A PhD Really Worth It? – Michelle Capes

I am often asked whether my PhD was worth it. Would I do it again?

PhD programs are almost universally trial-by-fire experiences. When they’re completed, many new PhDs find out that they’re underprepared for finding jobs in anything but academia .

This should come as no surprise to any PhD . But the real question is what are you doing about it ? With the flood of articles that are heightening awareness and pitching the idea of careers outside of academia as the norm, it all becomes diluted unless you actually put it into action .

As they begin their job hunt, they run up against the “ overqualified, inexperienced ” wall with a resounding thud. They are often turned away from entry-level positions in favor of bachelors and master’s level candidates, and become disillusioned about having earned their PhD at all.

I decided to ask couple of my colleagues about their thoughts on this question before weighing in with comments of my own. This article will give you three different answers and perspectives on the question “Is A PhD Worth It?” From there, you decide (it is very individualistic).

Debbie completed her PhD in 2012 and is currently on her second postdoc . Although she had funding for another year, she realized that complacency was not an option. She got a head start on her job search by participating in frequent networking events, serving on a committee to organize biotech events in the community, and building up leadership cred by acting as president of her university’s postdoctoral association.

She is no stranger to the frustrations of the job hunt, having weathered some truly frustrating situations: being told, for example, during an informational interview with an industry scientist that she should complete a third postdoc in order to broaden her skill set, and losing out as #2 on the short list after several exhausting interviews.

At the time of this writing, Debbie has accepted a position as Associate Medical Writer at a large contract research organization.

Debbie’s response to “Was your PhD worth it?” was this:

The answer is no longer the obvious ‘yes’ that it would have been in the past. With a tough job market and increasingly high [hiring] standards, having a PhD doesn’t seem to mean as much as it did in the past. However, there is more to the picture as well. Getting my PhD ensured that I was trained to think as a scientist. It altered my whole thought process for the better and that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Debbie also spoke about her sense of accomplishment:

I kept working through some tough times and finished my degree. I’m proud of that. I eventually realized that the job market is going to be tough at any level – it is what it is. No matter what level you are at, what job you are trying to get, if you apply yourself to networking and distinguishing yourself from the herd, eventually you will earn yourself a good job.

I knew Holly while I was in graduate school, when she was completing a postdoc in a neighboring lab. After the postdoc, Holly became assistant scientist in a clinical research lab , then left for a position with a global leader in the medical device industry . Her pathway toward deciding to pursue a career outside of academia sounds (unsurprisingly) familiar.

Here’s Holly’s response:

Yes, my PhD was completely worth it, although for surprising reasons. Following my decision to pursue a career in the industry, I was unsure of what to expect since I had previously been pursuing an academic track. The decision was largely due to frustration with: (1) the grant landscape  (2) the lengthy amount of time to impact patient’s lives pursuing academic research (I was interested in bench-to-bedside science). The benefit of having a PhD was realized as early as my interview. I had pursued a clinical research position and discovered that while PhD’s in the bench-science arena are very common, if not required, in clinical research, it is not necessarily expected. My PhD, along with some experience in clinical research, and the ability to communicate effectively, landed me the job . The most surprising element of my training which has given me the best advantage? My post-doctoral years. These years have set me apart from other colleagues who have a PhD. Having 1 or more post-doctoral years has shown my ability to expand my knowledge into another area , and also the ability to manage my own research ideas and projects . In my experience, research in the industry is not only about what you know – it’s also about project management and the ability to communicate across groups of people .”

Holly continues:

Another benefit of the PhD is the characterization that you are a learner . ‘Learner’ personalities love to expand and grow, which is encouraged in the industry. If [they are] going into industry, someone with a PhD should understand their value is not necessarily the knowledge they bring to the company (although that is important), but the characteristics that are needed to finish a PhD which include: (1) persistence , (2) resilience , (3) idea generation , (4) project management , and, (5) dedication . This list is not comprehensive, but gives a view into the dimensions [that] a PhD has to offer. Potential PhD students, current students and post-graduates should reflect on what their PhD experience will or has taught them, not just about the science, but the soft skills that help to set them apart – I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to figure it out; it might have paid off even sooner .

And I’m back (Michelle Capes).

For my part, I am very happy to have earned my PhD and I would do it again , although not for the original reason I had in mind when I began my program. Sure, I gained a lot of expertise in a niche area of science, and that was all very interesting. But I knew it wouldn’t sustain me for my entire professional career.

When I made the decision to leave academia, I had to capitalize on the other things I learned during grad school and my postdoc, beginning with marketing myself effectively during my job search .

I attained a position as a scientific recruiter precisely because I had a PhD. The agency prided itself on “scientists recruiting scientists,” and having that credential after my name lent credibility to their selling point. (In fact, when my first set of business cards arrived without my credentials, they were immediately re-ordered at the supervisor’s request.)

Now that I have launched my own business venture, I realize that the network I built during graduate school and my postdoc is  priceless . I have numerous contacts, both in academia and industry, who know me well and are willing to vouch for my abilities, refer potential clients, and put me in touch with additional colleagues.

It was during the PhD program that I got my first experience doing many of the things that I now offer as services through my business, including grant writing and editing, writing articles, and mentoring . When I pitch these services to prospective clients, having a PhD imparts a high degree of clout. It’s also helpful to be able to point to the successful grant applications I prepared during grad school and my postdoc.

Let’s re-visit the original question: “Is a PhD Worth It?”

I’ve related three positive responses about the value of a PhD. However, a simple Google search will turn up a plethora of negative responses, along with doom-and-gloom articles relating the poor job prospects for PhDs .

If you’re asking this question and you already have your PhD, it probably means that you’re not planning to stay in academia. It likely also means that you’ve made the realization that your training didn’t include the part about looking for jobs, writing resumes, interviewing, etc .

You’re in good company: many other PhDs are waking up to the hard reality that there simply are not enough academic positions for the 64,000-odd PhDs awarded every year in the U.S. alone. Some would make the case that this imbalance is a good thing, because more students are given the chance to succeed and to benefit from one-on-one advice from professors during their education (Source: The Wire ).

Regardless, the realization that too many PhDs were being cranked out for the number of tenured academic positions available set in as early as  the 1990’s . Way back then , PhDs were forced to search for employment in other sectors, belatedly realizing that they were woefully unprepared to transition into such careers.

That the situation has not been remediated almost twenty-five years later is reprehensible , especially now that funding crunches are forcing not only new PhDs and postdocs into the non-academic career path, but also established professors .

I recently read an article on The New York Times titled “ When Education Brings Depression .” The comments (which admittedly got off-topic) about the article ranged from personal experiences of depression in grad school to questioning the point of going through graduate school at all, with one reader (we’ll identify her as Suzanne) complaining, “If I had it to do over again, I would never have devoted all those years to a doctorate. Graduate school is definitely a total scam .”

To which “lxp19” replied the following (emphasis added):

It [grad school] is only a scam if you only went into it to get a job…if you went into it thinking it was the ticket to a job…or if you were misled by the department, who sold it as a ticket to a job. Education is about a lot more than getting a particular job. I agree that grad schools need to promote and prepare students for a broader spectrum of professional opportunities. But learning to understand the world in more depth, to develop our own ideas in more depth is not a scam. But it may be an expensive proposition that does not quickly turn into a lucrative career .

One article I came across recently provides a colorful narrative explaining that the only PhD worth getting is in economics , and pointing out the drawbacks of pursuing a PhD in other fields.  The author suggests that those who pursue a PhD in the life sciences are either “suicidal fool[s]” or “incomprehensible sociopath[s].”

Further, he cautions, “if you are considering getting a lab science PhD, please immediately hit yourself in the face with a brick. Now you know what it’s like.”

However, the author brings up several caveats, among which was my major bugaboo with the article: “if enough people read and believe this blog post, it will cease to be true. There’s a piece of economics for you: as soon as people become aware that a thing is overvalued, they will start bidding up its price.” Every time there’s a mention of a shortage in X sector, you can be reasonably sure that there will be an excess in 10 years’ time.

(Side thought: You don’t get a PhD for money. If you are-it is for the wrong reasons)

A great example of this is the purported STEM shortage touted by the Obama administration. Though the debate continues to this day as to whether that shortage actually exists, one piece of evidence stands out to me. The National Institutes of Health recently trotted out a program to help new biomedical PhDs find alternative careers in the face of “unattractive” job prospects in the field.

Regardless of the situation across STEM fields as a whole, the situation at the top seems clear: there are too many biomedical PhDs . The overwhelming numbers of resumes that flood in for nearly every industry position posted further bolsters this conclusion .

As a recruiter, I was frequently contacted by PhDs wanting to apply for positions advertized for bachelor’s-level candidates.

The conversations would go something like this: Candidate X calls to inquire about a position with Y Biotech Company. “I’m familiar with that position,” I might say, “and it’s honestly too entry-level for someone with your credentials.” I say this based on the fact that I’ve spoken personally with the hiring manager for the position to see what points they might be flexible on. Hiring a PhD to do menial tasks is not one of them.

Candidate X protests, “but I’m willing to do any kind of [grunt work] and I’m okay with the [horrible] salary. I just want to get my foot in the door in industry.” There it is. Candidate X has told me a whole lot of things about him-/herself that are not conducive to getting a job at Y Biotech .

At this point in the conversation I’m already put off. And then it happens. Candidate X drops the bomb. “Would it help to leave the PhD off my resume?”

This question has sparked numerous, sometimes heated debates—one of which has been raging on LinkedIn since 2011, with almost 400 comments (see http://ow.ly/CkDPq ). This seems like a no-brainer to me: it’s completely unethical. Starting a new position under false pretenses is never a good thing. And nobody —not even the PhDs themselves —really believes that a PhD will be happy with an entry-level industry position involving, say, calibrating lab equipment .

Employers are savvy to this strategy: candidate X will exploit valuable company resources and training to get the critical “1-2 years of industry experience” that every job description seems to require, and then pursue a better opportunity elsewhere. Trying to convince them otherwise simply will not work.

Let’s recap again. Despite my earlier positive reflections on whether getting a PhD is worthwhile, I believe (and I’m sure I’m not alone here) that there should be far, far fewer students entering PhD programs. The job market, be it in academia or industry, just can’t support such a top-heavy pool of candidates, and there are plenty of embittered, unemployed, or underemployed PhDs to prove it .

If you do decide to pursue a PhD, you should know exactly what you want to get out of it. Choose your advisor carefully : if yours is the old-school, 24/7/365 in-the-lab type of person , you will have very little opportunity to do anything other than lab work, let alone career development . When you finish, you’ll be well prepared to be a postdoc. If you decide to pursue a career outside of academia, you will have a very hard time.

Realize that you need MORE than just a PhD . You have to squeeze as many transferable/soft skills as you possibly can out of your degree program . THESE are the skills that will allow you to make a successful transition .

EDUCATE YOURSELF about other sectors and career paths where your skills apply .   A lot of PhDs I’ve spoken to have a very narrow view of career opportunities for PhDs in STEM. They are accustomed to doing research in academia, so the default answer for industry seems to be R&D Scientist.

There are so many more opportunities out there that capitalize on your PhD training ! You are severely limiting your chances of finding a job if “R&D Scientist” is the only avenue you pursue. I highly recommend checking out Toby Freedman’s book, “Careers in Biotechnology and Drug Development” to investigate the diverse career paths that are available.

Make a list of possible careers, and write down the value proposition you bring to each one. What I mean is this: just about anyone can do a Western blot or run a PCR. But do you have the sort of dynamism it takes to head up a lab, lead a project, or be effective in a customer-facing role? Did you organize seminars or conferences? Serve in a leadership role? Manage the lab? Mentor people?

Believe me : if you are up against 30 other PhD-level molecular biologists, there have to be extra qualities that differentiate you­ from the herd.

  “Was your PhD worth it?”

If you’re asking yourself this question, here’s my advice: It doesn’t matter. You got your PhD. Be proud of your accomplishment and move on: a defeatist attitude will not get you a job. Remember that YOU get to create the lens that potential employers view you through, and that starts with crafting a positive narrative to explain who you are and what you want to achieve.

Further Reading

The culture of non-responsibility must be changed

Point of view: How postdocs benefit from building a union

Hit the Ground Running: Life After Academia (The PostDocWay) 

PhD as a training of the mind

Why won’t anyone respect me for the years of work I’ve done (instead of getting ‘work experience’) and give me a job?

Enough doom and gloom Part 3: Standing upon the great infrastructure of science

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Morning Rundown: Biden pardons veterans convicted under law against gay sex, CDC issues dengue fever alert, and one month to Paris Olympics

Trump floats green cards for noncitizen college graduates

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump suggested in a podcast released Thursday that noncitizens in the U.S. should "automatically" get green cards when they graduate from college.

"What I want to do and what I will do is you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," Trump said. "And that includes junior colleges, too."

Trump made similar comments during his 2016 campaign, only to limit legal migration when he was in office.

Trump was responding on the podcast to a comment from one of its hosts, who said, "We need high-skilled workers in this country." Another chimed in, noting that three of the four hosts are immigrants.

"Can you please promise us you will give us more ability to import the best and brightest around the world to America?" a host asked, prompting Trump's green card response.

Trump said he did promise that, adding that it was "so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools, and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools, also."

In a statement Friday morning, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the former president's proposal would apply to "the most skilled graduates" who are "the most thoroughly vetted."

“President Trump has outlined the most aggressive vetting process in U.S. history, to exclude all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges," Leavitt said. "He believes, only after such vetting has taken place, we ought to keep the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America. This would only apply to the most thoroughly vetted college graduates who would never undercut American wages or workers.”

Earlier in the podcast appearance, Trump had repeated his frequent unfounded claim that migrants crossing the southern border into the U.S. are coming from jails, prisons, mental institutions and insane asylums. He also asserted without evidence that "we have terrorists coming into our country at a level that we've never seen before."

At a 2016 Republican primary debate, Trump said that "we need highly skilled people in this country" when he was asked about visas for highly skilled workers.

"They’ll go to Harvard. They’ll go to Stanford. They’ll go to Wharton. As soon as they’re finished, they get shoved out," Trump said in March 2016. "They want to stay in this country. They want to stay here desperately. They’re not able to stay here. For that purpose, we absolutely have to be able to keep the brainpower in this country."

However, visa denials and extensions increased during Trump’s time in the Oval Office, making it more difficult for some noncitizen workers to stay in the U.S.

In 2019, Trump laid out a merit-based legal immigration system to prioritize highly skilled migrants. But in 2020, he also signed an executive order that froze new visas for foreign workers.

In a statement, Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz said that Trump "made it his mission to rip apart immigrant families for his own political gain."

"Trump’s empty promise is both a lie and an insult, especially to the countless people that have been permanently damaged by his first-term in office," Munoz said.

Now campaigning for another term, Trump often makes anti-migrant rhetoric a centerpiece of his campaign speeches.

Trump has compared migrants to Hannibal Lecter from the movie "The Silence of the Lambs." He has asserted that migrants coming to the U.S. are "poisoning the blood of our country," rhetoric the Biden campaign has compared to Adolf Hitler's . Last month, he asserted without evidence that migrants are bringing "very contagious disease."

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Jillian Frankel is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Jake Traylor is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

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The MTV News website is gone

A year after paramount global shut down mtv news, over two decades’ worth of stories are now no longer accessible..

By Andrew Liszewski , a senior reporter who's been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2011, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

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The archives of the MTV News website, which had remained accessible online after the unit was shut down last year by parent company Paramount Global, have now been completely taken offline. As Variety reported yesterday, both mtvnews.com and mtv.com/news now redirect visitors to the MTV website’s front page.

In May of last year, Showtime / MTV Entertainment Studios president and Paramount Media Networks groups CEO Chris McCarthy announced layoffs for 25 percent of its employees and said that MTV News , whose staff had already been reduced by previous layoffs, would be shutting down entirely.

Although the MTV News website was no longer publishing new stories, its extensive archive, dating back over two decades to its launch in 1996, remained online. But as former staffers discovered yesterday, that archive is no longer accessible. Patrick Hosken, who served as a music and news editor at MTV News for eight years, shared their frustration with the decision on X :

According to Variety , Paramount Global also took down the archives of MTV News sister site CMT.com last week, which featured several decades’ worth of journalism focused on the country music industry.

Game studio co-founded by Dr Disrespect ‘immediately’ terminating relationship with the streamer

Twitch banned dr disrespect after viewing messages sent to a minor, say former employees, auto industry pleads with biden administration to ‘reconsider’ automatic braking rule, the boox palma is an amazing gadget i didn’t even know i wanted, google announces surprise pixel 9 hardware event in august.

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Paramount Plus is getting yet another price hike

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The Portal for Public History. Please read the rules before participating, as we remove all comments which break the rules. Answers must be in-depth and comprehensive, or they will be removed.

I'm considering the PhD in History, am I dumb?

Dear Historians, I am currently in the process of completing my MA in history at a pretty solid university (a plan I devised to make my applications to Ivys, etc more competitive) and I've been trying to determine if my dream to join the historical profession is worth pursuing in the twenty-first century academy. I've read some articles like:

http://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/january-2013/the-2012-jobs-report

http://northwesthistory.blogspot.com/2011/11/open-letter-to-my-students-no-you.html

which are most optimistically saying that "there was sort of an increase in entry level hiring in 2012, but there was a higher increase in PhDs conferred and the job market is cloudy"

and most pessimistically saying: "the historical field is essentially dead and this is the last generation of conventional, tenured, professional historians in existence."

My teachers in the program give me answers like "the job market is hard, but not impossible." This is the view of middle-career professionals in tenure-track positions at an Ivy league school. I do not know if it is reflective of the field at large.

Tl:dr: Does the job market for history look like it will be heading to 1990s level-crisis, or worse? Is the professional historian an endangered species? Finally, do PhDs from higher-prestige institutions (U Chicago, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, etc.) provide any insulation from the hellish job market, or is everyone in this together?

I love history. I really really want to do this. But I have to accept defeat if that's whats in the cards.

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Recent High School Grads: Tell Us Why You Decided to Go to College or Not

Students across America are asking whether college is worth it. We want to know why you decided that it was — or wasn’t — a good choice to attend.

By Jeanna Smialek

Jeanna Smialek is an economics reporter who is working on an article about the shifting U.S. labor market.

Polls, enrollment statistics, social media posts and education economists agree: We are seeing a growing skepticism of college among many American teenagers and their parents.

Whether that is a short-term trend spurred by a strong job market with plentiful opportunities or a longer-term change will be important for the future of the work force. It could also shape economic mobility, inequality and other facets of the economy in the years ahead.

That is why we want to hear from people who have graduated high school in the past several years or who are graduating in 2025. How are you thinking about your decision to attend college? What factors mattered to you, what did you decide, and how will you determine whether you are happy with your decision?

I will read every response to this questionnaire as I’m researching my article, because I’m looking for a wide array of perspectives to inform my reporting. I will reach out to you if it makes sense to include your example, because I want to make sure to get the details right. I will not publish your response without following up with you first. I will not use your contact information for anything but my reporting, and I won’t share it outside our newsroom.

Please fill out this form only if you are 14 or older. If you are between the ages of 14 and 17, a reporter will ask to get in touch with your parent or guardian before talking with you further.

Tell us about your college decision.

Are you attending a college or university? Do you think higher education is worth it?

Jeanna Smialek covers the Federal Reserve and the economy for The Times from Washington. More about Jeanna Smialek