11–20 of 87 posts
I would love to study the humanities. One of my favourite classes in college was British Lit. But universities are just too damn expensive. If I'm going to spend ten of thousands on an education it's going to be one that can pay off loans.
To be fair, this post is about a literature Ph.D., not one in a field like Mathematics or Computer Science. Not that the job outlook is a lot rosier on that side, but it's an important distinction to be made.
I think we should clarify that the research-job outlook is not rosy in CS. There are plenty of corporations that want to hire CS PhDs for non-research work. And there is always the entrepreneurial route (the smart VCs aren't going to hold the PhD against you).
To be fair, this post is about a literature Ph.D., not one in a field like Mathematics or Computer Science. Not that the job outlook is a lot rosier on that side, but it's an important distinction to be made.
I think we should clarify that the research-job outlook is not rosy in CS. There are plenty of corporations that want to hire CS PhDs for non-research work. And there is always the entrepreneurial route (the smart VCs aren't going to hold the PhD against you).
Last year there was something in the news about the payment of professors, which was about $5000 a month. This is an entry level pay of a software developer (without Master or PhD) in Germany.
I know several electrical engineering professors (PhD's from Carnegie Mellon, etc). They have no issue getting jobs at universities or in private sector. They are paid very well too.
What a bad article. First, a humanities PhD has little relation (from a career and financial perspective) to a STEM PhD. So I don't understand why this link is on Hacker News. Second, while I complain about the relatively-not-high compensation and limited opportunities available to CS PhDs, it isn't that bad if you graduated from a top 10-20 program. Lets stop it with the PhD bashing already. - a CS PhD
The article is specifically about literature PhDs. I don't know why that isn't in the title here.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The article is specifically about literature PhDs. I don't know why that isn't in the title here.
The 3 people I know with lit PhDs had full-time jobs/careers and did the PhD for love of the subject rather than anything else. None of them expected to get a tenure-track faculty job - an adjunct teaching appointment at the local college from time to time was more in line with what these people wanted.
Not that love of subject is a bad reason to get a PhD, but if the end goal is teaching a local course every now and then, you could presumably do that after you have the MS and (potentially) while pursuing the PhD, right?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think we should clarify that the research-job outlook is not rosy in CS. There are plenty of corporations that want to hire CS PhDs for non-research work. And there is always the entrepreneurial route (the smart VCs aren't going to hold the PhD against you).
In Germany there are plenty research-jobs, but most of them in civil service, so no CS-PhD want it. The industry just pays much better. Last year there was something in the news about the payment of professors, which was about $5000 a month. This is an entry level pay of a software developer (without Master or PhD) in Germany.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think we should clarify that the research-job outlook is not rosy in CS. There are plenty of corporations that want to hire CS PhDs for non-research work. And there is always the entrepreneurial route (the smart VCs aren't going to hold the PhD against you).
In Germany there are plenty research-jobs, but most of them in civil service, so no CS-PhD want it. The industry just pays much better. Last year there was something in the news about the payment of professors, which was about $5000 a month. This is an entry level pay of a software developer (without Master or PhD) in Germany.
Where? I'm near what, as I understand it, is considered a good area for high-tech workers (Ruhr area), but I don't see many jobs paying this much (maybe I'm looking in the wrong places?)