Probably. Last week, I addressed the question of whether graduate school was a path to certain doom. In the comments of that post, John questioned my use of statistics to show that people with Ph.D.s had relatively good job prospects in this economy. He shared a personal experience with trying to find a tenure-track faculty position in the humanities. Now that is a completely different matter than simply getting a job, and the outlook isn't nearly as bright. James K.A. Smith has written a series of posts offering … [Read more...] about Is a Tenure-Track Job a Futile Dream?
Advice for Entering Graduate School
Is Graduate School a Path to Certain Doom?
Every few years, another publication discovers that becoming a tenured professor at a research university is hard work. Most recently, it was Slate, which ran an essay by Rebecca Shuman which, fittingly for an essay about literary study, had two different titles depending on whether you looked at the text on the page or the title in your browser: Thesis Hatement: Getting a literature Ph.D. will turn you into an emotional trainwreck, not a professor. There are no academic jobs and getting a Ph.D. will make you into … [Read more...] about Is Graduate School a Path to Certain Doom?
New Vision in an Academic Desert
Monica Greenwood (pseudonym) is semi-patiently excitedly awaiting the day she walks into her first graduate seminar in philosophy. Until then, she is an undergrad studying philosophy at a state school known for its agriculture program. ----------------------------- In contemporary America, we have whittled the purpose of college down to pre-job entry training and partying on the side, so it makes sense that a Christian's vision of college is blurred by the misconceptions of their culture. Indeed, it makes further … [Read more...] about New Vision in an Academic Desert
Headed to Graduate School: Witness in the Academy
Thus far in two prior posts I've suggested that the end-point of a graduate education is to “become a person” in the Biblical sense – that is, to grow into the image of God. This holistic vision will encompass within itself more common educational ideals such as becoming an intelligent, productive citizen and serving the good of humanity. Secondly, I asked readers to integrate their faith with their field of study, and to do so in the context of Christian community. I hope you'll take time to read these two … [Read more...] about Headed to Graduate School: Witness in the Academy
Headed to Graduate School: A Time of Re-imaging
In my prior post I encouraged students who are headed toward grad school to begin their journey with a lofty end-point in mind: to grow into a person. In the Biblical sense, personhood has to do with fulfilling one's potential as a creature who is created in the image of God. So if I stop and ask myself, Who am I? – that is, who am I at the core of my existence, the answer from scripture is that I am a representation of God, a mirror image of his being. Unfortunately, this “image” has been damaged by the Fall, yet it … [Read more...] about Headed to Graduate School: A Time of Re-imaging