Surprises in Undergrad Schools Producing Doctorates: Punching Above Their Weight

[Shelby_Balik]

@MWolf

@roycroftmom

I am not sure a doctorate from Sam Houston State, for example, really improves anyone’s marketability,

I’m pretty sure that a PhD in Criminal Justice from SHSU will do a lot in helping somebody get a job which requires a PhD in Criminal Justice, especially if that job is in Texas. So it definitely improves their marketability for jobs that require a PhD in Forensic Science, or for which such a degree is preferred.

The market for people with PhDs, like the process by which a person earns their PhD, is not really comparable to any other type of job-training or job market. So one cannot simply extrapolate from the training and the job markets for other careers, including that of MDs.

Agreed. A Ph.D. at a school with a local or regional reputation can get someone a job in a career where local and regional reputations count. This is even true in academia, to an extent. A lot of departments in universities that many people consider lower-tier will favor job candidates with Ph.D.s from mid-tier universities, because hiring departments will assume that the Harvard Ph.D. won’t stick around. If candidates have experience that fits the department (often including working with underrepresented populations or teaching experience in “lower tier” institutions), they have a good shot.