WTF - Doctor of Liberal Studies?

[NewAgeMustange]

I'm sorry I agree, this is worthless unless you already have made your millions or are going to be working in liberal studies for your life I don't see the added benefit of getting a general studies phd. I have enough problems trying to change careers and I only have phd-level experience not the actual degree. You only work yourself into that specifc niche further up you go.

But if your dream is to be a career student go for it.

[gostangs]

I think the point is to become a professor in the liberal arts. That would be about the only reason to do that - but yes, having a certain number of PHD's programs on campus does help our overall ratings, so this cant hurt anything. Good addition if you ask me.

[SMU Section F]

Would you really place a PhD in history above one in engineering?

Probably, yes. A PhD in history would significantly aid your career in that field, which is almost definitely academia. A PhD in engineering, while useful in some areas, would be pointless for all but the most specialized engineers (or those going into academia). Additional experience would probably be valued much more highly than the additional degree. Another example is accounting; a Master's might be useful in getting credits towards a CPA, but 99% of employers are going to prefer the CPA credential and Big 4 experience over any advanced degree you might hold. A PhD in accounting is an extremely niche degree; even more so than engineering. It all depends on your target field and personal goals.

That said, I don't have any problem with the Doctor of Liberal Studies degree. It's clearly not aimed at 25-year-olds needing to get out into the world and make money, but for those that have the luxury and make the effort it does afford the ability to create a custom course of study that could be very fulfilling.

[PonySnob]

Extra tuition dollars!

[ponyboy]

I'm sorry I agree, this is worthless unless you already have made your millions or are going to be working in liberal studies for your life I don't see the added benefit of getting a general studies phd. I have enough problems trying to change careers and I only have phd-level experience not the actual degree. You only work yourself into that specifc niche further up you go.

But if your dream is to be a career student go for it.

What's worthless is money. It's highly overrated.

[couch 'em]

Only people with money say such things

[ponyboy]

It really is, couch 'em. You've got more than 99% of rich people

[EastStang]

The Federal Government pay scale for example gives higher pay to people with doctoral degrees. It doesn't matter in what subject. Just as long as its a doctoral degree (even if its from an on-line school).

[DallasDiehard]

Would you really place a PhD in history above one in engineering?

If I want to teach history, yes.
If I want to go into political science, yes.
If I want to write anything for a living, yes.
If I want to build bridges or split atoms or program computers, no.
They're both very valuable, depending on what you want to do with your career.

[Digetydog]

The Federal Government pay scale for example gives higher pay to people with doctoral degrees. It doesn't matter in what subject. Just as long as its a doctoral degree (even if its from an on-line school).

Because my wife is in the same boat, we are looking for a low cost Phd program in the next 5-10 years (it really impacts retirement). By that time, we are hoping that there are low-costs online programs available to allow her to do most of the work in the Summer.

[SMU Section F]

The Federal Government pay scale for example gives higher pay to people with doctoral degrees. It doesn't matter in what subject. Just as long as its a doctoral degree (even if its from an on-line school).

Because my wife is in the same boat, we are looking for a low cost Phd program in the next 5-10 years (it really impacts retirement). By that time, we are hoping that there are low-costs online programs available to allow her to do most of the work in the Summer.

There are. Obviously I don't know her field, but my wife is/was in a similar situation and was able to find an affordable one fairly easily. She went with a reputable program, so it was a ton of work, but there are some "cakewalk" PhDs out there if you really just need the paper.

[Digetydog]

The Federal Government pay scale for example gives higher pay to people with doctoral degrees. It doesn't matter in what subject. Just as long as its a doctoral degree (even if its from an on-line school).

Because my wife is in the same boat, we are looking for a low cost Phd program in the next 5-10 years (it really impacts retirement). By that time, we are hoping that there are low-costs online programs available to allow her to do most of the work in the Summer.

There are. Obviously I don't know her field, but my wife is/was in a similar situation and was able to find an affordable one fairly easily. She went with a reputable program, so it was a ton of work, but there are some "cakewalk" PhDs out there if you really just need the paper.

Thanks. She needs a Phd or "sixth year certificate" to get her bump in pay. Once our kids are a little older, we will start looking seriously.

[leopold]

Whatever. Keep telling yourselves how worthless this is.

Look, I get it. There is probably only so much you can get from Hamlet. Shakespeare can get old fast.

But on the other hand, it's beyond frustrating to try to have a discussion with people about any major issue of the day, from war and the military to gay rights, to Title IX's impact on athletics, to questions on Religion - any number of topics that even end up on THIS board - and find that person spouting off some opinion they think is brilliant that has already run it's course and been run into the ground, only they don't bother to actually study it so they just shoot their mouth off and sound like a [deleted].

I see Tea Partiers who wouldn't dare condescend to read Emma Goldman, religious who don't read Hitchens, people who misquote and misinterpret history CONSTANTLY but wouldn't dare actually study it in a true academic sense, and then wonder why things are the way they are. Anybody have a daughter? Read Simone de Beauvoir. Anybody got a son? Read Norah Vincent.

Our ideas on freedom and equality might be simple in nature but they get more than complex VERY fast when applied to real life, and it took humanity thousands of years to get to that point just to write a Constitution proclaiming it and working out basic details, not to mention the progress that had to be made ever since. God forbid your kid has a high school history or English teacher that actually has tried to make a study of it at the source so that when your kid, and the money your spending on their education, has a serious question they can give them an informed, intelligent answer and not a damned sound-bite. Kierkegaard, Faulkner, Conrad, Nehbur, Orwell, Dostoevsky - these people actually matter, and they actually contributed to your lives.

I'm sorry, but you can't put an SMU degrees on your wall and tell try to tell everyone how great the school is, compare it to Ivy League institutions and other world-renowned places of learning, and then wonder why the school goes and tries to build on the fundamentals of what it means to be a great Liberal Arts University - which is the backbone of what that school is and strives to be.

[Grant Carter]

Generally well said but you might want to throw in some examples of people along other points of the political spectrum having similar issues to go along with your examples of tea partiers and religious people. I think that as written your post is largely going to bring out people arguing about that aspect rather than the overall point of the post which was good.

[Digetydog]

Whatever. Keep telling yourselves how worthless this is.

Look, I get it. There is probably only so much you can get from Hamlet. Shakespeare can get old fast.

But on the other hand, it's beyond frustrating to try to have a discussion with people about any major issue of the day, from war and the military to gay rights, to Title IX's impact on athletics, to questions on Religion - any number of topics that even end up on THIS board - and find that person spouting off some opinion they think is brilliant that has already run it's course and been run into the ground, only they don't bother to actually study it so they just shoot their mouth off and sound like a [deleted].

I see Tea Partiers who wouldn't dare condescend to read Emma Goldman, religious who don't read Hitchens, people who misquote and misinterpret history CONSTANTLY but wouldn't dare actually study it in a true academic sense, and then wonder why things are the way they are. Anybody have a daughter? Read Simone de Beauvoir. Anybody got a son? Read Norah Vincent.

Our ideas on freedom and equality might be simple in nature but they get more than complex VERY fast when applied to real life, and it took humanity thousands of years to get to that point just to write a Constitution proclaiming it and working out basic details, not to mention the progress that had to be made ever since. God forbid your kid has a high school history or English teacher that actually has tried to make a study of it at the source so that when your kid, and the money your spending on their education, has a serious question they can give them an informed, intelligent answer and not a damned sound-bite. Kierkegaard, Faulkner, Conrad, Nehbur, Orwell, Dostoevsky - these people actually matter, and they actually contributed to your lives.

I'm sorry, but you can't put an SMU degrees on your wall and tell try to tell everyone how great the school is, compare it to Ivy League institutions and other world-renowned places of learning, and then wonder why the school goes and tries to build on the fundamentals of what it means to be a great Liberal Arts University - which is the backbone of what that school is and strives to be.

Actually, my SMU diploma is on the wall of my son's bedroom next to my Yale diploma. With degrees from both schools, I feel comfortable comparing SMU to Yale.
Great Universities like Yale offer Phd programs in Liberal Arts. Great Universities don't offer a Phd based upon one's completion of "Survey of...."