Why You Shouldn’t Get a Graduate Degree in English
There’s a provocatively titled article that’s been making the rounds on the Internet from the Chronicle of Higher Education, titled “Graduate School in the Humanities: Just Don’t Go.” Written by an English professor at Michigan’s Hope College, the article goes into great detail on why the value students get from humanities graduate school may not be worth the often exorbitant cost and time it takes to pursue a Ph.D.
I link to this article not to burst anyone’s bubble or crush any readers’ dreams about teaching in a college environment. Rather, I think it’s worthwhile to get a reality check about the real possibilities that await you if you decide to go down this career path, and to make sure you have backup plans in case it doesn’t work out.
You can read the full article at the Chronicle of Higher education website.
5 comments
You are correct in that a back up plan is necessary. I would advise anyone who plans to obtain a graduate degree in English to thoroughly research their options and count the costs. Only a well-informed person has a decent shot at not experiencing buyer’s remorse ; )!
Luckily I didn’t have to pay much for my Master’s degree in English, because I got by on a teaching assistantship that waived tuition. Still, living expenses I incurred there still have me paying, a year later. The article listed in this post is excellent, and I would recommend it to anyone. In fact, I wish someone had written it before I decided to go. Maybe it would have helped me get some much-needed information. I’m a “learning for the sake of learning” kind of gal, but the high cost and low job prospects have me warning others not to go to grad school unless they already have a job that will pay for it.
Getting a Master’s degree in English is no worse than getting one in any other discipline. Sure, there is always the risk of not finding work, but that can be found in any field of expertise–I know plenty of engineers who would happily go to work for someone willing to pay a little above minimum wage! I think the chances of failure to find work go down incrementally with an increased drive to succeed–that and the ability to think outside of the box. Having a Liberal Arts degree should indicate that the bearer is capable of thinking creatively and, in doing so, finding multiple possibilities.
Thanks for the post. I actually emailed William Benton and asked him for career advice, he is a very nice guy. If you’d like to read more about my experiences of grad school and some strategies from turning your ambition into success outside of grad school, check out my blog
selloutyoursoul.com, it shows what you can expect if you decide to attend grad school as well as shows you strategies for turning your ambition into a meaningful career as a writer.
Thanks for the blog. I look forward to reading more.
hello everyone, i am a graduate from a university, majoring in English Literature – Linguistics, what kind of job or career i can track for now?
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