I would prefer to think of it as meaning not just a great deal of learning (usually advanced degrees but in unique cases not) AND one way or another providing that learning to others, whether by writing papers for people in their field or, much better, writing or speaking well beyond a single discipline.

Most MDs, not to mention NPs/PAs (Physical therapists have to have a doctoral degree btw) are highly trained. That is not necessarily the same as highly educated. (And find out what many MDs think about NPs/PAs and scope creep).

They mean that they have nothing of objective value to contribute to a conversation and think that because they went to a certain school or attended school for a certain number of years that their opinion on literally any topic should carry as much if not more weight than a less educated person’s, even if that person has more knowledge of a given topic or experience in a given field.

Anonymous wrote:JD or PhD

lol, pretty narrow definition!

This is such a DCUM thread.

Even a lot of teachers have questioned the value of these so-called master's degrees.

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/01/12/the-education-masters-degree-scam/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw posts recently that described a city as being “highly-educated” due to its hospital presence and I thought to myself, no. I don’t consider nurses, nurse practitioners or PAs to be highly educated. Hospital admins usually have degree mill MBAs. Now the doctors are obviously highly educated!

LOL, what? NP's and PA's have graduate degrees. MD's are not necessarily highly educated.

Is your argument that NPs/PAs are highly educated but many MDs are not? Hello, DNP (from online program no less!)!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem is there's been an expansion of rather questionable "master's" programs in the past 20 years or so. They're really short job-oriented programs with little academic content dressed up as master's degrees.

This is one of the reasons that I think "highly educated" means two master's degrees, a Phd, or an MD/Phd. Nearly anyone can complete one master's.

The variation in quality in master's degrees is enormous. An MA in philosophy from Tufts is very different from a master's degree in teacher education at some undistinguished school that can be completed in 10 months.

Anonymous wrote:JD or PhD

Please, not that again.

Anonymous wrote:The problem is there's been an expansion of rather questionable "master's" programs in the past 20 years or so. They're really short job-oriented programs with little academic content dressed up as master's degrees.

This is one of the reasons that I think "highly educated" means two master's degrees, a Phd, or an MD/Phd. Nearly anyone can complete one master's.

The problem is there's been an expansion of rather questionable "master's" programs in the past 20 years or so. They're really short job-oriented programs with little academic content dressed up as master's degrees.

Any graduate or professional school or an undergraduate degree from HYP or Oxbridge.

Anonymous wrote:I saw posts recently that described a city as being “highly-educated” due to its hospital presence and I thought to myself, no. I don’t consider nurses, nurse practitioners or PAs to be highly educated. Hospital admins usually have degree mill MBAs. Now the doctors are obviously highly educated!

LOL, what? NP's and PA's have graduate degrees. MD's are not necessarily highly educated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Graduate school from a school that’s at least somewhat competitive.

Sorry, not sorry. Your view is extremely elitist.

And?

Anonymous wrote:I hear people on DCUM describe themselves this way. Define which degrees this includes & format of degrees (I would think no online degrees?).

Eric Hoffer is a self-educated philosopher who worked as a longshoreman for decades and was highly intelligent and educated without even a high school diploma.

In my opinion, the groundwork for someone to be considered “highly educated” is set in K-12 years. Not just at school, but also what happens outside of school. I met several people who objectively did very well in graduate school (prestigious program) and professionally, who are not highly educated. They are intelligent and know their field very well (law, finance, etc), but know nothing about art, literature, history, classical languages, etc. Don’t think critically about these either.