Considering a PhD program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And what job would you hope to get with that?

Because you wouldn't get a tenure train professor position. Adjunct gigs are hard to come by and pay about three to six thousand per class.

Take a MOOC or something.

This. Friend's wife has a PhD in exactly what you are looking into with a focus on women's studies. She's now a professor of women's studies at a great school in New York. She makes 5 grand a class, which amounts to be about $25 - $30K a year.

Hmmm...More and more I'm coming to the conclusion that this would be a great second career, when kids are grown, and I'm close to retiring. It might be more fun then, when it wouldn't have such an impact on my current career, family balance, etc. And really, what is stopping me from reading off the syllabus of GW, etc classes for fun..

[Anonymous]

I got an adjunct professor job teaching college with a CPA and master's degree - teaching accounting and finance. I worked FT in the mid-1990's and made $23k a year. Yah! It was my dream to teach college, and I did it. But you know what, I found that I really wanted to get back to solving real life problems for clients, and I went back to public accounting. Now I make $160k and can't imagine I would be making that teaching college. I moved to corporate tax though for better work-life balance. I too looked into a PhD program. I mentioned to my dh that we could move to university housing at U. of MD college park so I could get a PhD, and he almost started to cry.

[Anonymous]

I have a PhD, and need it for my field (Clinical Psychology); I can't imagine getting one otherwise. The academic career path, even if you're primarily an adjunct, is one you *really* need to want to justify it, and the trade-offs are real. Adjuncts get very little respect in academia, so it's not just about the low salary, it's about being treated poorly, all the while doing a valuable service. I taught as an adjunct for a few semesters and really loved it, despite the lack of respect (also in addition to FT work). Hopefully I'll get back to it once we're done having kids, but it's too much for now.

So, yeah, proceed with caution. Keep it in your mind for a second career, by all means, but unless your husband has an extremely lucrative job and you can afford full-time help, I wouldn't do it with a young family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH went back for a PhD at 40. Not because he wanted to further his career, but because he adores going to school/learning and it was on his bucket list. We both work FT and have 2 kids. It took 7y years doing it part time while he worked FT. There were times it was a nightmare - he was exhausted from work/school and I was exhausted from work/doing 99% of the work for the kids/house.

But it is done and neither of us regret it. While it didn't change his career landscape, who knows what doors it will open in the future and he is so happy that he finished his dream. And I would have never stood in the path of his dreams.

OP here. This sounds like the reason I would want to go back. It sounds like it worked, but it was really tough on your family. This is really helpful; I completed my MA part time while my DH was working on a political campaign in Chicago, so it didn't impact him daily, but it's true, even if I did a part time program it would impact the family balance.

I am the PP quoted above. Your DH has to be 110% on board for you to do this if you have kids. He will be the one running kids to all the activities on the weekends, making sure that the kids have clean clothes for school,picking up after school and doing homework/cooking dinner, attending playdates/soccer games/etc alone (and explaining for the 1009734 time where you are and why you can't be there to your kids and the other parents on the sidelines), grocery shopping with kids in tow while you are home writing/studying, cheering you on when you want to quit (and he'd love for you to quit so you'd be home more!), etc. It really sucked being the one responsible for all of this, but I knew it would end. And it has. Good luck with your decision.

I couldn't agree more. I did it pre kids and pre relationship. I named my dissertation. It just sounded better....John and I are going to spend the weekend together. John and I are having dinner tonight. Oh, I can't go out with you tonight, John and I have plans. Yeah...John and I spent A LOT of time together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't take going into a PhD program lightly. As a 20something without children, it was emotionally draining, hard on my marriage, and exhausting. At times it got so so dark, even though it was a subject I loved and I was being paid to do it. You will be with people who don't have children and family obligations, and you have to compete against them. And unless you can receive funding, it's not worth it at all. It also may or may not improve your job prospects in the area that you want to teach.

Depends on the program. I am in one geared towards individuals with a masters and some work experience already. Some of my peers are married with at least one kid. Although i did start the program without a kid and am really glad that I got my classes completed before she came along- long hours at the school wouldn't have been easy with a kid.

Were you in a full tim PHD program in sociology? I cant think of a good program (ie one leading to TT even as a very remote possibility) that is geared toward older students.

Sorry, not sociology and it was a part time program. As a PP mentioned mine was probably similar to other pt programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got an adjunct professor job teaching college with a CPA and master's degree - teaching accounting and finance. I worked FT in the mid-1990's and made $23k a year. Yah! It was my dream to teach college, and I did it. But you know what, I found that I really wanted to get back to solving real life problems for clients, and I went back to public accounting. Now I make $160k and can't imagine I would be making that teaching college. I moved to corporate tax though for better work-life balance. I too looked into a PhD program. I mentioned to my dh that we could move to university housing at U. of MD college park so I could get a PhD, and he almost started to cry.

Actually you could make more than that if you were a tenure-track faculty member in Finance or Accounting. But the job is not mainly about teaching any more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH went back for a PhD at 40. Not because he wanted to further his career, but because he adores going to school/learning and it was on his bucket list. We both work FT and have 2 kids. It took 7y years doing it part time while he worked FT. There were times it was a nightmare - he was exhausted from work/school and I was exhausted from work/doing 99% of the work for the kids/house.

But it is done and neither of us regret it. While it didn't change his career landscape, who knows what doors it will open in the future and he is so happy that he finished his dream. And I would have never stood in the path of his dreams.

OP here. This sounds like the reason I would want to go back. It sounds like it worked, but it was really tough on your family. This is really helpful; I completed my MA part time while my DH was working on a political campaign in Chicago, so it didn't impact him daily, but it's true, even if I did a part time program it would impact the family balance.

I am the PP quoted above. Your DH has to be 110% on board for you to do this if you have kids. He will be the one running kids to all the activities on the weekends, making sure that the kids have clean clothes for school,picking up after school and doing homework/cooking dinner, attending playdates/soccer games/etc alone (and explaining for the 1009734 time where you are and why you can't be there to your kids and the other parents on the sidelines), grocery shopping with kids in tow while you are home writing/studying, cheering you on when you want to quit (and he'd love for you to quit so you'd be home more!), etc. It really sucked being the one responsible for all of this, but I knew it would end. And it has. Good luck with your decision.

I couldn't agree more. I did it pre kids and pre relationship. I named my dissertation. It just sounded better....John and I are going to spend the weekend together. John and I are having dinner tonight. Oh, I can't go out with you tonight, John and I have plans. Yeah...John and I spent A LOT of time together.

Ha! I named my senior thesis in college: Timothy. Friends knew to ask how Timothy was doing, and I could talk at length about our plans. I should have named my dissertation, but was dating my now-husband at the time, so didn't want him to get too jealous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd want to do a PhD in sociology with a focus in women's studies or race/class/gender.

This is wonderful news! The world is woefully under-equipped with people with PdDs in sociology! particularly those with a focus in women's studies/race/class/gender.

I can only imagine the contribution you will make.