How did you know when you were prepared to go for your Ph.D.?

Question

I can honestly say I wouldn't be doing it for the ego trip.... just need to do this to be sure I get the job I really want! Thanks for everyone who answered.

LACC? Hey neighbor!

Well, I don't live that close to LACC

Answer 1

I am still debating on getting my PhD or not... I am still working on my masters. I am studying nuclear engineering.

Personally, I want the PhD for the sake of it, since noone in my family are not very academic or professional bound. It would be nice to be called Dr. and stuff.

Maybe I am power triping, but it is honest. I really feel a masters hasn't really challenges me except my research. If my masters research is a success, then its implications could provide me additional topics to write a Phd on... or even others. Thats how it goes Other than that, I feel I haven't taken enough courses that I need to develop in the direction I need. When I entered the program, I had a hard time choosing the classes I want... I couldn't make up my mind.

Answer 2

I don't recall ever thinking that...I sort of fell into a Ph.D. program. I was in the last semester of my MBA program and had plans to start a career in HR/management. I had done a good job teaching a course as an emergency replacement instructor and enjoyed it, but I hadn't really thought about getting a Ph.D. until one of my professors suggested that I would be a good candidate for the new doctoral program at that university. I had no idea what to expect so I didn't have any way of knowing if I was prepared until I started the course work and started hearing more positive feedback from my professors.

Answer 3

It seemed a logical "no brainer" at the time.

I had just completed my MA mid-year and the college hired me full-time to teach for the Spring term as they were short staffed. I had been accepted to a PhD program with a research stipend and tuition waiver...the research was the next step up in the same area of my MA thesis.

However, though I was technically prepared to go for the PhD, I wasn't prepared for the politics associated with that level of work.

I had blinders on...funding and the research were my focus. I didn't do my homework about the department (how long did they have the PhD program, how many graduates, what areas, where did they go after their degrees).

I didn't fully realize how abstract and theoretical they expected the work to be...more like basic research...while my focus was applied research. (This probably had more to do with that particular department and may not be universal to all PhD programs...but do your homework).

Of the 15 PhD candidates starting that Fall, I was the only unmarried one. Later on, I found out that behind the scenes in faculty meetings, other faculty commented openly about not seeing me around the department much...and erroneously concluded that I must be a playboy and not a serious student. My supervising prof never said anything about the fact that I was working on 3 different field projects for him and driving 1/2 way across the state between classes.

Later on, I also began to realize that my supervising prof had marginal knowledge of my research area...but the mis-perception of the other graduate faculty was that he was an expert in that field. This culminated in my supervisor co-opting some of my research and claiming it as his own. I don't know how wide-spread this is...but I doubt it is an isolated or rare practice. I decided to drop out of the program when things came to a head and I was told directly that when he was a grad student, he had to eat s**t and now it was my turn!

So, I strongly suggest that you spend some time to do your homework about the territory you may enter....try to scout out the pit falls and mine fields before committing to venture forth on your PhD.

Hope this helps....and best wishes that you can have more success in your PhD than I did with my attempt.

PS...My career did not suffer for lack of the PhD. I was able to successfully get a job and culminated it with the top title in my profession and early retirement to continue enjoying life in other pursuits.

Answer 4

Depends on what is required.

My cousin did everything except his Disseration and he became a full professor at LACC

The head of my Cinema Department was a Doctorial Candidate, but it took him 10 or 12 years to finish his disseration.

A lot depends on the Dissertation requirements.

In the case of my Cinema department head he had to break new ground. So he had to device a testing method, device a screening method, pay for the materials, screen the material, review the questionaires, data base the scoring and then he had to show what it all meant.

It took a friend of mine 3 years to get her disseration researched, written and finally read by the department who like to drag their feet.

She did hers on the demise of artisan crafts as part of a History PHD and she reasearched in Mass for a year or so and she couldn't find what she'd hope to find so she had to re-submit her proposal with modifications.

Answer 5

About the same time I realized that it would just be an ego trip and would serve me know real purpose and the time and energy involved would be better spent with my growing family.

I have never regretted that decision.

Answer 6

When I was accepted into the program.