My friend Jeff is a professor of history at a liberal arts college in Wisconsin. He earned his PhD Michigan State University and his MA at the University of Cincinnati. He is a two-time Fulbright Scholar. Here’s what he has to say about grad school:
I would never do grad school again unless it led to a better paying job. The absolute BS in kowtowing to one’s dissertation committee, the complete absence of free discussion and debate in many seminars dominated my experience in the doctoral program.
Adding insult to injury was the poverty—perhaps it remained my fault for trying to raise a family in the midst of the Reagan Recession. The uncertainty of work outside of campus, plus the uncertainty of graduate student assistantships, all made it virtually impossible to know how to survive the degree requirements. At any time, the whole enterprise could be imperiled by your advisor simply finding a way to deny funding, or turn down your written efforts—and then BAM! All the time and money and hard work in pursuit of a dream would be gone.
Despite a number of long-lasting friendships and the knowledge acquired about so many subjects, the price exacted was not worth it. Better to get a PhD in a more saleable commodity, because that’s all it means. Grad school is all about credentialing for a marketable skill and the smart student will seek a better return on the investment for hard work and stress.
I am sympathetic to Jeff’s plight and agree that aspects of grad school are heading toward a “credentialing only” system. I would submit, however, that gaining knowledge, and the ability to research, evaluate, analyze, organize and make informed decisions will always be a saleable commodity.