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Subject:Taking it to a higher degree From:Edward Savitz <sg94cshj -at- DUNX1 -dot- OCS -dot- DREXEL -dot- EDU> Date:Tue, 26 Nov 1996 10:20:10 -0500
Taking it to a higher degree.
The good old American freemarket system has made degrees above
baccalaureate as "necessary" as high school diplomas were a generation or
two ago to be fully employable in our culture.
PhD's I've worked with are telling me that the glut of doctors
of philosophy, education, etc. has diminished the marketable value of such a
degreed person.
In the teaching profession, a PhD/EdD may have a slightly higher chance of
being _considered_ for a full-time post at a university, but in terms of
salary, there is really a slim difference between MS/MA and PhD/EdD.
The line of demarcation salary-wise, I am learning, is in traditional
hands-on skills. This represents a pendulum swing away from the mindset
that said - the degree is the litmus-paper (parchment paper) test.
A masters-level individual who also worked in the field and has proven
leadership ability or has actually produced, invented, instructed, etc.
may be on an equal footing or even have a slight advantage over a
doctoral-degreed person. Of course this varies with the discipline.
Bottom line: Take heart. Accomplishment and ability are again becoming
the criteria for success. Now if we can eliminate racism, sexism and all
the other -isms from the equation, we'd have career heaven. Stay tuned.
Ed Savitz sg94cshj -at- dunx1 -dot- ocs -dot- drexel -dot- edu
