We at Beyond PhD Coaching firmly believe that diversifying academia is both necessary and important – and well past overdue. There’s no denying that higher education equals more power in society. This power has been unequally distributed for centuries because graduate schools have been exclusionary – both by intent and Read more…
Academics are like polar bears. We live alone; we hibernate. If you walk down the halls of academic offices, you’ll find that almost all of the doors are shut. We live a solitary existence, occasionally coming out only to do collaborative research or eat an undergraduate. But some of us Read more…
If you’re curious about how to be a good PhD student, this article is a good place to start. As a professor for over 30 years, much of that as a Dissertation Committee Chair, I’ve watched many students navigate the PhD process–some better than others. Here’s my advice for how Read more…
Many PhD students believe that turning their dissertation into a book is a great idea. I’ve even run into some people who are counting on recouping some of the costs of their program by turning their dissertation into a book and selling it. The first question I ask them is, Read more…
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Brittne Martin, founder of Doctoral Mom. Doctoral Mom began as a Facebook group intended to provide support to mothers in doctoral programs. It has since grown beyond the limits of social media into a community of 1,000+ mothers pursuing their doctoral degrees. Read more…
Is a PhD worth it? That depends on who’s asking. If you’re talking about the educational benefits, the opportunity to make new discoveries, or the chance to make a difference, then the answer is almost always a resounding “yes.” However, if you’re talking about purely economic benefits, the answer is Read more…
There’s a joke that in Austin, Texas: even the cab drivers have PhDs. With tens of thousands of PhDs granted each year, getting a job with a PhD now means you have to be a lot more entrepreneurial than you would have had to be 30 years ago. Some years Read more…
I’ve been a professor for over thirty years. However, when I entered grad school, that wasn’t my plan. Part-way through my program, I realized that I didn’t want to go back into the corporate world. Instead, I wanted to teach. Teaching was what I was passionate about, and it remains Read more…
The COVID-19 crisis is already increasing the market for adjunct professors. As the crisis brings to light a lot of the economic uncertainties that a lot of schools have, many full-time positions are being put on hold or going away entirely. But schools will still have to offer the classes Read more…
What is the difference between a dissertation and a thesis? Here is a simple answer: A thesis is usually done as part of a master’s program. A dissertation is written as part of a doctoral program. However, that’s where the simplicity ends. Because in truth, the use of those terms Read more…