Korean Job Discussion Forums

[joe_doufu]

Am thinking about going back to grad school (already have a BA and MBA) perhaps permanently - that is, get a PhD and become a university teacher of some brand. Has anybody ever been thru a PhD program? Know what it's like? Care to share?

Unlike undergraduate and masters degrees, there are no books written about PhD programs, no websites that I can find offering an overview of what they are like. I can't even figure out if you have to pay tuition for them, or if they pay you like you're an employee, I've heard both. I'm trying to figure out generally what a PhD program is like and how to judge them. I'm holding off on e-mailing some of my favorite professors with these questions, as they already think I'm pretty fickle and I don't want to tease them with yet another career I'm considering but might not follow through on.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Why don't you ask someone that cares?

[tzechuk]

[stvwrd]

Check out the book: Getting What You Paid For

I bought this to help with my decision to get my master's. The author is a little cynical and seems to believe most people shouldn't go to grad school, but the information gives you a decent picture of how the system works. I also found it to be perhaps more relevant to potential phd's than master's students.

Pretty much everything the author said was a sign you shouldn't go to grad school (can't get a job, not sure what you want to do, already have substantial student loans) was true in my case. I read the book and decided it was still the right choice for me. I just made sure to get into a program that would open doors for me rather than specialize me into oblivion, since I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do.

I just completed my Master's in Public Administration and was able to do my final semester here in Korea as a study abroad (wasn't easy to finagle that). Hoping to end up in Federal Law Enforcement or State Department. But in realistic terms, I'll probably start out at the state level. Just hoping for a department that does some international work, like Dept of Economic Development or something.

[stvwrd]

Also, the thing you want to shop for is Assistantships. If you really want to teach, rather than research, you should be able to land one.

I don't know your field, but I know people in the hard sciences and a lot of them actually make a pretty good income (by student standards) in addition to the free tuition. I don't think many people getting phds actually pay tuition because of the assistantships. It literally becomes your job to study, research, and teach.

In my case, I got an assistantship but even though I got free tution the stipend ($400/month) was impossible to live off of, so I still took out a bunch of extra loans.

Edit: To get assistantships you have to apply early, and be realistic about getting into a school that will feel the need to "lure" you. So although you may be able to get into Harvard, for example, will Harvard feel any need to "convince" you to go there? A lot of schools use assistantships for recruitment and/or various inter-departmental politics that play themselves out. Be ready for it.

(even taking out loans to pay full tuition and living expenses would surely be worth it in Harvard's case though, considering you'll never be unemployed for long... this is just an example)

[rapier]

A PhD is a sucker waste of time for the intellectually vain.

2 yrs study for a piece of paper...5 years to pay it back. Probably the best years of your life gone.

I'm smarter than anyone i ever met with a PhD. so who cares?

[tzechuk]

[joe_doufu]

[periwinkle]

My friend got her PhD. She had a scholarship, though- a full scholarship, I think. She also got paid for teaching, and I think her teaching counted as credit hours towards her PhD. I didn't hear her talk about her classes- just teaching and thesis work. Sounds like you do a lot of independent research and check-in with the profs from time to time. She's an assistant professor (English lit.), and she's had a hard time finding work. She signed for another year at the uni she's at (small-town Indiana- NOT what she was looking for, but pickings were slim).

Another co-worker is going to work on her PhD at Cambridge Univ.- she had to prove she had around $150,000 in the bank in order to gain acceptance. I remember she needed several reference letters from former employers and professors from her master's program.

[rapier]

[periwinkle]

[rapier]

$150.000 could support thousands of third world families for a year.

French Lit ain't gonna do anybody any good.

[simone]

One of my profs at Biz school was onto me about getting a PhD.

Of course, he was a real shyster himself - He knew he was onto a good thing, and wanted to encourage a few of his favourites to tread down the golden path.

"Seriously, do your PhD while the kids are small, and then when you're ready, you can teach at ANY business school. I'll write your recomendations.... seriously.... seriously..."

I'm not ruling it out if I can't cut it in real business - but I went back to school in order to stop teaching...
not pick up a new subject.

He *did* mention one school in London that doesn't require comprehensives, and basically all you do is write a biz-style book for publication, some academic professor rubber stamps it, and you've got your PhD, plus a book to publish with your name on the cover announcing you're a PhD. Pretty win-win if you want to go down that route.

Can't remember the name of the place. Don't want to email "seriously" Prof just yet - he'll get waaay too excited thinking I've changed my mind.

Simone: BA, MBA

[VanIslander]

[trevorcollins]