Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of students enter Ph.D. programs each year.
And historically, a Ph.D. has been a ticket to some kind of career in academia.
But in recent years, these academic pursuits have developed a dark side. The
number of Ph.D.'s on welfare has spiked since the great recession. At least
33,000 U.S. Ph.D. graduates are now on food stamps. Many earn less than minimum
wage teaching at universities large and small.
An increasing number of Ph.D.'s means that the supply of academic specialists
far outstrips the demand for their services. In response to funding cuts in
higher education, university administrators have replaced many tenure-track
professors with part-time adjunct instructors. As adjuncts, Ph.D.'s lack health
benefits and job security. Worse still, they earn what many say is far below
a living wage.
So why do so many universities continue to encourage students to follow the
Ph.D. track?
Simply put, more researchers leads to more research. Like any employer whose
high-quality employee pool will sustain low wages, a university has an incentive
to bring on more fine minds to bolster its output and reputation.
Ph.D. students share in the responsibility, since they continue to pursue doctorates
irrespective of lagging demand. Moreover, advocates note that unless Ph.D.'s
form unions, they won't be able to negotiate better contracts.
For their part, universities could accept fewer Ph.D. students to shrink the
pool of academics on the market. They could also provide better career services
for Ph.D.'s seeking jobs outside of academia.
As the number of Ph.D.'s on welfare rises, how do you weigh in? Should Ph.D.'s
be ready and willing to settle for a life of poverty? Who should be responsible
for matching supply to demand in the Ph.D. job market?
By Marlene
Spoerri
For more information see
By Stacey Patton, "The
Ph.D. Now Comes With Food Stamps," The Chronicle of Higher Education,
May 6, 2012
"The
disposable academic," The Economist, December 6, 2010
Photo Credits in Order of Appearance:
Philip
Squires
Joss
Rogers [also for picture 10)
Vince
Laura
Billings
Xbxg32000
Sewanee:
The University of the South
Kevin
Tong/UC Davis College of Engineering
WCN
24/7
DeSales
University
