Is it Just Me?

WilliamC
Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:35:18 +0000

Nope, it’s not just you!

You have to keep in mind that the majority of posters here are just starting their grad school research (so they are unclear about the admissions process) and are also in the sciences or engineering. Although the process is similar for us humanities people, we tend to have more separation between the Masters and PhD levels. In some fields (like mine, Classics) competition for the top programs has become so intense that a Masters is nearly a requirement for PhD program admissions.

But to your points:

1) When the grad school goers are done (and many will not finish) you’ll have 5 or 6 years of seniority in your job. By then chances are your employer will be happy to pay for grad school (for example, MBA’s are very commonly paid for by employers as are specialized certificate programs and all kinds of advanced study). Plus, you won’t have to worry about funding, grading cr@ppy undergrad papers, living in a rat-hole or eating Ramen and Cheerios for 5 years!

2) Nope. The only people that think that are the ones who haven’t done their research. Jobs in every area are out there - but chances are good you’ll have to be very flexible (but probably less so than a freshly minted humanities PhD).

Good luck!