W&M vs. uVA for someone who wants to go for a humanities PhD after undergrad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The cheapest option, because a PhD in the Humanities isn't going to generate a lot of income. And if money is not an issue, then visit both and choose based on vibe.

Also, stop dumping on the happy parent with the Oxford kid - it takes a lot to get in, and they are understandably proud. It's an anonymous forum, it's all right to boast.

Boasting about an obviously impressive achievement is a fine. Oxford parent has taken over the thread. I’m sure Op would like more info than a sample size of one.

Oxford parent is more interesting than the original topic anyway so it's fine by me.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The cheapest option, because a PhD in the Humanities isn't going to generate a lot of income. And if money is not an issue, then visit both and choose based on vibe.

Also, stop dumping on the happy parent with the Oxford kid - it takes a lot to get in, and they are understandably proud. It's an anonymous forum, it's all right to boast.

Boasting about an obviously impressive achievement is a fine. Oxford parent has taken over the thread. I’m sure Op would like more info than a sample size of one.

Oxford parent is more interesting than the original topic anyway so it's fine by me.

+1

Lol!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Humanities PhD... don't do that.

(I have one.)

Hard agree (same).

Unless kiddo is fine teaching grades 6712, because that's probably where they'll end up.

What about jobs as heads of private schools - they make close to a million annually in my area !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Humanities PhD... don't do that.

(I have one.)

Hard agree (same).

Unless kiddo is fine teaching grades 6712, because that's probably where they'll end up.

What about jobs as heads of private schools - they make close to a million annually in my area !

Very few in number in actuality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Humanities PhD... don't do that.

(I have one.)

Hard agree (same).

Unless kiddo is fine teaching grades 6712, because that's probably where they'll end up.

What about jobs as heads of private schools - they make close to a million annually in my area !

Yes after 30 years experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Humanities PhD... don't do that.

(I have one.)

Hard agree (same).

Unless kiddo is fine teaching grades 6712, because that's probably where they'll end up.

What about jobs as heads of private schools - they make close to a million annually in my area !

Yes after 30 years experience.

and a luck of the draw, usually male, and usually very good at fundraising but not in being a HOS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP -- your child will not be able to get a tenure-track academic job with a humanities Ph.D. Whether or not they get funded to do the Ph.D., there is an opportunity cost for the years spent doing the degree that they could have been working. They are setting themselves up for financial hardship.

This is very likely to be true. Ask me how I know.

Maybe the student should chose a school based on their Plan B! Or their Plan B and their Plan C.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP -- your child will not be able to get a tenure-track academic job with a humanities Ph.D. Whether or not they get funded to do the Ph.D., there is an opportunity cost for the years spent doing the degree that they could have been working. They are setting themselves up for financial hardship.

This is very likely to be true. Ask me how I know.

Maybe the student should chose a school based on their Plan B! Or their Plan B and their Plan C.

My DD took a gender studies class last semester & her prof (tenured) complained to their section about not being able to afford a house near the school

[Anonymous]

I recently came across a former colleague from a respected humanities PhD program who is working at a grocery store. It's a large, nice grocery store, and a management position, but still.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently came across a former colleague from a respected humanities PhD program who is working at a grocery store. It's a large, nice grocery store, and a management position, but still.

They’re making more than they would as a tenured professor in the humanities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently came across a former colleague from a respected humanities PhD program who is working at a grocery store. It's a large, nice grocery store, and a management position, but still.

They’re making more than they would as a tenured professor in the humanities.

Irrelevant. Those are two completely different career paths. The tenured faculty prof went from college into a PhD (or Master’s then PhD program). During this time they are taught pedagogy and usually work as a TA or assistant at the college level. Then they submit applications to colleges and universities looking for someone to teach at the entry level in their field, usually for a pittance. They all know this fact before they even send out applications for the post-grad program. Then they start as an Assistant or associate professor and publish or perish. A lot perish. With very good luck they make tenure and make $67k to $80, which is why most moonlight.

The HOS is usually a fluke occurrence to fortunate private high school faculty who work their way up through private but are recognized as an excellent teacher with an agreeable personality and have fund-raising skills. Most do not have PhDs because they start teaching with the four year degree and sometimes but not always have teaching certificate. Many work towards getting a Master’s of Education on the side. (Our public high school prof did a doctorate in night school. They demonstrate their interest and hopefully get raised through their own private school, or they start sending out applications after getting the masters. Many HOS jump around as they move up the ladder. There are many more humanities profs than private secondary or high school HOS (only 3,400 in the US). A great one with the needed skill set is hard to find and deserving of a high salary but that’s only after he or she develops a track record as assistant HOS or Head of private elementary or middle school. And demonstrates competence, fund raising skills, personnel management skills, is skilled at teamwork, leadership and fundraising. Most educators don’t have all the qualities they make a good HOS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently came across a former colleague from a respected humanities PhD program who is working at a grocery store. It's a large, nice grocery store, and a management position, but still.

They’re making more than they would as a tenured professor in the humanities.

Yes, though obviously likely less than they would have made if they hadn't burned 7 or so years on a PhD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Professor here...agree both are great options and the student should look at specific faculty profiles and/or evaluate where they'll be happiest.

Botb are great. My UVA grad is doing a doctorate (DPhil) at Oxford right now.

When I was looking at graduate programs, I was warned that although a certain Oxbridge college had the best stash of materials for my chosen topic, no U.S. institution was going to hire me to teach with a DPhil. I was shocked, but it was my department chair, so he clearly knew about hiring.

Has that changed, or is your kid planning to do something else with their degree?

Definitely correct. There are over a hundred libraries at Oxford, the Bodlein being the most famous and one of the oldest in Europe. Most if the libraries have foreign language collections that no one else does. DC currently is prepping for the lsat. Yes the masters work ties in with law

Uh, you spelled it wrong. You're on here most constantly, trolling.

No, just a mom picking at a cellphone and never went to Oxford herself.

[Anonymous]

Lol at the you need a degree beyond the Bachelor to get into a top law school. You don’t.

Of the 559 members of the Harvard Law class of 2025, only 51 had an advanced degree. That’s right, folks - 508 of them didn’t.

In all likelihood, the majority of the 51 Harvard law school students in the entering class of 2025 had advanced degrees because they got their degrees and then decided to go to law school; they didn’t get them to boost their law school applications.

Information such as this is readily available to the public. Why not do your research before spouting off nonsense?

https://hls.harvard.edu/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/jdapplicants/hls-profile-and-facts/

[Anonymous]

Either school is fine for soft disciplines.