Thinking About a PhD?Deciding to Pursue a Research PhD

This presentation has been compiled andadapted from Schuele and Bacon (2001) andseveral presentations at the ASHA Conventionfrom 1999 to 2003. Appreciation is expressed toall who have participated in the ASHA sessions.Permission is granted to individuals to use oradapt this presentation in their recruitingefforts.

Credit this source as appropriate:Schuele, C. M. (2004). Thinking about a PhD? Deciding topursue a research PhD [Presentation prepared for the AmericanSpeech-Language-Hearing Association. Available fromwww.asha.org

PURPOSE

Do I want to get a PhD? This presentationprovides some background information onresearch/academic careers incommunication sciences and disorders(CSD). This information may beparticularly useful to someone thinkingabout a career in research/academia.

The accompanying presentation, Thinkingabout a PhD? Finding a Research DoctoralProgram provides more specificinformation for those students looking fora PhD program.

Shortage of PhDs in CSD

There is a documented shortage ofpersons with PhD degrees to assumeacademic and research positions in CSD.This shortage is likely a result of growthwithin the professions and anticipatedfaculty retirements in the years ahead.

Thus, there are currently (and areanticipated to be in the future) manyopportunities available for persons withPhD training in CSD.

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH CAREERS INCSD

Persons who have academic and researchcareers in CSD typically have their PhDtraining in speech-language pathology,audiology, or speech, language, or hearingscience.

However, it is not uncommon for CSDfaculty members to have their PhD inrelated fields such as linguistics orpsychology, or to have an interdisciplinarydegree. Thus, you may wish to explore PhDtraining programs in related disciplines aswell as CSD.

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH CAREERS IN CSD

An academic and research careertypically entails three dimensions ofactivity. Faculty positions at variousuniversities emphasize theseactivities in varying proportions:Research and scholarly activity TeachingService

Activity: RESEARCH & SCHOLARLYACTIVITY: Ask questions, answer questions

Faculty members conduct research that answersbasic and applied questions in CSD. Theydisseminate their research findings at conferencesand in scholarly publications (e.g., journalarticles, book chapters).

Faculty members also mentor undergraduate andgraduate students in research.

Scholarly activities can include writing bookchapters in an area of expertise, providingcontinuing education, and so on.

Activity: TEACH: Undergraduate and graduatestudents

Faculty members engage inteaching activities that includeclassroom instruction, clinicalinstruction and supervision, andresearch mentorship. The types ofinstruction that a faculty memberengages in vary by institution.

Activity: SERVICE

Faculty members are expected to provideservice to the department, to theuniversity, and to the community. Activitiescan include, for example, student advising,curricular revisions, providing continuingeducation to practicing professionals, andpeer review for journals.

The types of service that faculty membersare expected to participate in varyaccording to the type of university in whichthey are employed.

Research & Scholarly Activity –Teaching – Service

Prospective doctoral students willwant to identify PhD programs thatwill prepare them to engage inthese three activities:Research and scholarly activity TeachingService

PhD: A RESEARCH DEGREE

PhD training involves research training thatleads to a research degree. PhD trainedpersons engage in generation anddissemination of knowledge.

This stands in contrast to the role of clinicians,who primarily engage in the application ofclinical knowledge to meet the communicationneeds of individuals with communicationdisorders.

A PhD prepares you for… An academic career where you engage in

teaching and research. A research career where you engage in research. A clinical research career where you engage in

research alongside clinical practice.

A research PhD is not a degree that preparesyou for clinical practice. The clinical doctorateor master’s degree prepares you for clinicalpractice.

PhD: A RESEARCH DEGREE

The PhD is not merely a 4-yearmaster’s program or AuD program

Conture (2003) defined thedifference between the work of aPhD and the work of clinicalpractitioner (master’s or AuD).

This dichotomy differentiatesclinical training from researchPhD training as well.

Knowledge Production andDissemination

Individuals with a PhD: produce (research) anddisseminate (teach) knowledge. Their pursuit ofeither may be mainly for the sake of (a)understanding, (b) use, or (c) a combination of(a) and (b).

Whatever the case, they are the knowledgeproducers of our profession; they areexpected to live and work on the cuttingedge, the frontiers of our knowledge.

Knowledge Application

Individuals with an MA/MS or AuD: apply theknowledge from the above individuals, clinicalexperience, etc., to the assessment andtreatment of people with speech, voice,language, and hearing disorders.

Although they also may disseminateinformation/knowledge, and some mayengage in knowledge production, the vastmajority apply knowledge to assess andtreat people.

Source: Presented as part of the Thinking About a PhD? panel. ASHA Convention, 2003

Which universities offer the PhD?

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement ofTeaching (www.carnegiefoundation.org) classifiesuniversities into categories based on the mission of theuniversity. This classification is relevant when choosingan institution in which to pursue a PhD and whenchoosing an employment setting. On their Web site youcan find the classification for each institution. Forcategory definitions:www.carnegiefoundation.org/Classification/CIHE2000/defNotes/Definitions.htm

See the ASHA Web site for CSD departments thataward PhD degrees. www.asha.org/students/academic/doctoral/doctoral_pr

ograms.htm

Universities and Colleges:Differentiating Types

Doctoral/ResearchUniversities - Extensive:Research PhD education is integralto the mission of the university with50 or more doctoral degreesawarded per year across at least 15disciplines.

Master’s Colleges andUniversities, BaccalaureateColleges, Associate’sColleges: Primary focus is teaching,with minimal expectation of researchproductivity.

Doctoral/ResearchUniversities - Intensive:Research PhD education is integral tothe mission of the university with atleast 10 doctoral degrees awarded peryear across at least 3 disciplines or atotal of 20 doctoral degrees per year.

Source: Carneige Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

Universities and Colleges:Graduate and undergraduate programs in CSD can be found at many types ofuniversities. It is helpful to understand this classification for choosing a doctoralprogram and for thinking about the type of university/college in which you wantto work after your PhD.

Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive Universities in this classification typically have bachelor’s,

master’s, and doctoral programs.

Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive Departments of CSD in universities in this classification may or

may not have a doctoral program. They may focus onundergraduate and master’s/AuD level preparation.

Master’s Colleges and Universities CSD departments in universities in this classification have

undergraduate and master’s programs.

Baccalaureate Colleges There are many colleges that only have undergraduate programs

in CSD. (Find more information on the ASHA Web site.) Facultyat these colleges are focused solely on undergraduate education.

All kinds of CSD programs

There are career opportunities at many different typesof universities and colleges. A career at a large researchuniversity can be vastly different than a career at anundergraduate college. But, importantly, both careerscan be equally rewarding! With the doctoral shortage inCSD there are likely to be many different facultypositions to choose from when you begin to look for ajob. One size definitely does not fit all.

Visit the Academic and Research Career Profiles, wherefaculty share insights about their academic/researchcareers.

DO I WANT A PhD?Am I interested in an academic and/or researchcareer?

Choosing to complete a research PhD is abig commitment. The typical doctoralstudent will take 3 to 5 years beyond themaster’s program to complete the PhD. Thetime to complete a PhD beyond an AuD isvariable. It is a commitment of time andresources. Years spent in a PhD programare years not spent in employment.

Typically, PhD students receive funding tocover their tuition and expenses, but ifthose years were spent working, muchhigher financial remuneration would result.

Thus, one should be clear about what aPhD will lead to. A PhD prepares a personfor a career in teaching and research.Teaching and research can be a veryrewarding career, but it is a very differentcareer path than clinical practice.

DO I WANT A PhD?Am I interested in an academic and/or researchcareer?

DO I WANT A PhD?Do I want to do research? Do I want to teach?

Most college and graduate students in CSD havea fairly good idea of what the teaching part of aresearch career entails. You have been on thereceiving end of education for quite some time.Also, you may have gotten a hint of whatteaching may be like for you if you have beenasked to lead a discussion in class or presentpart of a lecture. But few students have theopportunity to experience the research side ofan academic career.

DO I WANT A PhD?Do I want to do research? Do I want to teach?

If you are in school, you might volunteer to do someresearch with a faculty member. You might thinkabout doing a thesis or a small research project.Although faculty members may not be advertisingfor students to do research, you might find a wealthof opportunities if you volunteer.

Whether you are in school or not, interview facultymembers about their research and scholarlyactivities. Most faculty love the opportunity to sharetheir experiences and history.

DO I WANT A PhD?

Am I interested in WHY?

Faculty members spend a lot of time askingand answering WHY, whether they arepreparing a class lecture, designing aresearch study, collecting and analyzingdata, or writing a journal article.

If you have a burning desire to know moreabout WHY, you may find anacademic/research career fulfilling!

DO I WANT A PhD?Do I enjoy working independently?Do I enjoy mentoring others?

Faculty members work independently andcollaboratively. They set their own agendas –deciding what and how to teach in their classes anddeciding what studies they will conduct. Theytypically collaborate with colleagues but must bemotivated, independent individuals in order tosucceed.

Faculty members mentor students in class, in clinic,and in research. Successful mentors are capableguides, knowing when to provide support and howto provide such support.

How do I decide if a PhD is for me?

This is a question only you can answer.But you can gather helpful informationfrom others to help you answer thequestion. Talking to current doctoralstudents and faculty members can giveyou a better idea of what their careersentail. There as many paths to a PhD asthere are persons with PhDs. Thus, youwill want to gather information from avariety of people.

Some questions to ponder …

If I am currently a practicing clinician, amI ready to make a career shift to anacademic/research career?

Do I have an idea of the type ofacademic/research career that willprovide a good fit for me?

Have I talked to people to get an idea ofthe range of academic/research careers inCSD?

Am I like other people who get a PhD?

There are no typical candidates. Some doctoral students go straight from a BA

or MA program into a PhD program. Somedoctoral students practice as clinicians for oneor several years and then return to school.

Some doctoral students have a background inCSD; other doctoral students come to CSD fromother fields of undergraduate or graduate study(e.g., psychology, linguistics, premedicine).

Am I like other people who get a PhD?

Do I have what it takes to get into a PhDprogram? This usually takes the form of aperson asking if they are smart enough.

A more important question is Do you havethe interest, the motivation, and thededication to pursue the intellectualchallenge of a PhD program and career inacademe/research? Have you done your research so that you have

an idea of what you are getting into?

Am I like other people who get a PhD?

Do I have what it takes to get outof a PhD program? This is perhapsa more important question. It isprobably fair to say that it is easierto get into a doctoral programthan to get out of a doctoralprogram.

Am I like other people who get a PhD?

Getting through the years of a doctoralprogram relies on your personal driveand your perseverance. In the master’sprogram or AuD program, completion isa matter of completing a number ofclinical and academic requirements. Youare typically moving through thoserequirements with a peer group of 15 or30 students.

Am I like other people who get a PhD?

In the PhD program, progression ismuch more individualized. Some peoplefinish in 3 years, some people finish in 5years. Both people work really hard thewhole time. YOU have to complete thedoctoral program.

DIVERSITY IN CSD

In the current climate of thedoctoral shortage, our field willbe enhanced by a pool ofdoctoral applicants who arediverse in a number of ways.

DIVERSITY IN CSD

GENDER: We need men and women.

RACE: We need persons of all racialorigins.

ETHNICITY: We need persons whorepresent a range of majority andminority ethnicities.

DIVERSITY IN CSD

CULTURAL: We need persons fromminority and mainstream cultures.

LINGUISTIC: We need persons who aremonolingual and bilingual and dialectspeakers.

SOCIOECONOMIC: We need personswho come from a range ofsocioeconomic backgrounds.

DIVERSITY IN CSD

LIFE EXPERIENCES: We need peoplewith a background in CSD and thosewith a background in other fields. Weneed young people and not so youngpeople. We need people who practicedas clinicians and people who wentstraight through.

Conclusion: Is a PhD for Me?

Consider your own motivations forwanting a PhD.

Explore career options in CSD bytalking to faculty members andcurrent doctoral students.

Explore career options at varioustypes of universities and colleges.