In the traditional academic model, at least in the United States, you get an undergraduate degree, followed by a master’s degree, and then finish your academic journey by getting a PhD. However, that isn’t the only way. Do you need a master’s degree to get a PhD? The short answer Read more…
A question I’ve gotten a few times: “Can I get a double PhD?” The answer is yes, you can under most circumstances. But why? While there are some exceptional cases, generally I’d discourage people from pursuing a second PhD. Here are some of the reasons why. After I cover those, Read more…
Just think, two months ago you were blissfully finishing up classes, starting on your dissertation path, or collecting data for your research. Then the COVID-19 crisis hit. How quickly things have changed. You may be reeling from the massive shifts and unsure about how they will affect your ability to Read more…
If you do an online search for finding an academic job you will find many, many websites with advice on how to find a job. You will also see a great deal of information about how few jobs there are and the ever increasing number of PhDs looking for those Read more…
Interviewing for an academic job is exciting. You have made it through the hundreds of CVs that were submitted and now you have been contacted for an interview. In this article, I’ll go over what you can expect during the academic job interview process, and give you some sound advice Read more…
Who among us has not had moments where thoughts like “They are going to figure out that I don’t know what I am talking about”? These feelings have become known as the impostor syndrome, which some describe as an inability to recognize one’s accomplishments. This is not a recognizable condition Read more…
Many people go into the process of getting a doctoral degree with big plans and even bigger dreams. Perhaps you want to do research that will change the world. Maybe your goal is to be a guide for the next generation. Or, you may be planning to show those in Read more…
What does ABD Mean? The term “ABD” stands for All But Dissertation. This means that you have finished everything in a PhD program except for the dissertation. Someone who is ABD has successfully completed all of the required classwork and any required comprehensive exams. The term itself has no academic Read more…
Congratulations, you completed your doctoral degree. It has been years in the making and now you are there. This is a time to relish what you have done and congratulate yourself. It’s also a time to consider what your next steps are. While you may have started your PhD program Read more…
So you’ve decided you want to teach online? Getting a job as an online professor is a little bit different from getting a traditional, in-person job (more on the differences in this article). Location independence widens the pool of potential applicants and makes it more competitive, and proficiency with technology Read more…