When thinking about pursuing a PhD, you are likely to
have many important questions. These FAQs are some of
the questions that have been raised at the annual
"Thinking about a Ph.D.?"
PhD program here refers to research doctoral programs, not clinical
doctoral programs (i.e., AuD programs, clinical Ph.D. programs). The research
PhD program prepares a person for a career as a teacher, researcher, and
scholar, which may or may not include a clinical component. The FAQs have been
divided into four topics of interest. Click on each question to view the FAQs
and answers within that topic.
Is a PhD for me?
Questions in this section relate to one's decision to pursue a PhD
Is a PhD for me?
Why would I want to get a PhD?
A PhD is the terminal degree in many fields, and completion of the PhD
prepares individuals for careers as researchers, scholars, and teachers. Persons
with a PhD in communication sciences and disorders can pursue academic/research
careers in Schools and universities or in other facilities where research is a
component of their responsibilities. Thus, when a person chooses to pursue a
PhD, he or she is typically choosing to pursue a career in teaching, research,
and other scholarly activities.
If you want to pursue a PhD to gain more knowledge in a particular area yet
you expect to continue solely in a clinical career, a PhD may not be a wise
career decision. The structure of a PhD degree program is centered on
preparation of individuals for careers in research, teaching, and other
scholarly activities. Thus, when practicing clinicians decide to pursue a PhD,
they may appropriately view the degree as a career change, from a focus
primarily or solely on clinical activities to a focus on teaching, research, and
other scholarly activities.
For some academics, clinical teaching and clinical services are a component
of their job, but other teaching, research, and scholarly activities are
critical components of their professional activities.
- For an academic, teaching can involve classroom teaching, clinical
teaching, and research mentoring.
- Research involves the generation of new knowledge in a process of
posing questions and answering questions and publishing results.
- Other scholarly activities involves a range of activities including
writing book chapters that synthesize and analyze information in the field,
writing textbooks for academic preparation of students, peer review of journal
submissions, and presentation of continuing education.
What's the difference between a research PhD
program and a clinical master's program or clinical AuD program?
The purpose of the master's programs in speech-language
pathology and the
clinical doctorate programs (AuD or clinical PhD) in audiology is to prepare
knowledgeable, competent clinicians who will provide exemplary clinical services
to children and adults with communication disorders. Clinicians apply knowledge
for the benefit of patients.
In contrast, the purpose of the PhD degree is to prepare individuals for
careers as teachers, scholars, and researchers. Teachers, scholars, and
researchers convey knowledge to educate future clinicians and generate new
knowledge by conducting research that addresses questions regarding the nature,
diagnosis, and treatment of communication disorders.
The difference is in the outcome-clinical practice requires clinical
preparation, whereas teaching and researching require academic and research
preparation in conveying and generating knowledge.
What are the career opportunities once I
complete the PhD?
The majority of people in communication sciences and disorders who have a PhD
pursue a career within a college or university. Their responsibilities include
teaching, research, and other scholarly activities. There are currently many
opportunities for careers in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) within
Schools and universities, and it is anticipated that openings in faculty
positions in CSD will continue over the next decade and beyond.
The PhD
Program Survey Results 2002 Executive Summary explains anticipated faculty
shortages within CSD departments. Growth within the professions, the number of
retiring faculty, and perhaps fewer doctoral students are factors
that contribute to the anticipated shortages of PhD-prepared people in CSD.
Careers as teachers, scholars, and researchers can be pursued at many
different types of universities and Schools. And the balance of teaching,
research and other scholarly activities will vary across types of universities
and Schools. In addition, PhD individuals may be employed at hospitals or
clinics where clinical research is a part of the institution's mission. PhD
audiologists may be employed in industry, for example, by hearing aid companies,
for product research and development.
How long will it take me to finish a PhD
program? What are the factors that could affect the time of completion?
Typically, you will hear that a PhD program, completed post-master's, will
require at minimum 3 years. Few people finish in 3 years, but many complete
their PhD program within 4 years. This time projection assumes full-time
participation in the doctoral program across those 4 years. For persons who
combine a master's degree and a PhD at the same institution, 5 years seems to be
a typical length of time to completion. With the AuD degree being so new, it is
currently unclear how long a PhD will take after the AuD or the length of time
to complete a combined AuD/PhD (research degree).
It is difficult to predict with certainty the length of any individual's PhD
program because completion of the program entails course work, a variety of
research experiences, qualifying exams, and the dissertation. Different people
take different lengths of time to successfully complete these experiences.
Many factors influence an individual's rate of progress through a PhD
program. If you are a part-time doctoral student, your program will necessarily
be longer. Family obligations may cause a person to move more slowly through a
PhD program. Completion of research experiences, including the dissertation, is
influenced by the time needed, for example, to recruit appropriate study
participants, to prepare stimuli for the study, and to pilot test procedures.
When speaking with current and former doctoral students, ask about their time
line through the PhD program. Ask potential advisors how long their students
have taken to complete the degree.
I have a family, moving is not a likely
possibility, and there is no PhD program close to me. Can I do a PhD
through distance education?
The short answer to this question is no. A PhD program is an apprenticeship
in teaching and in research. The course work of the PhD is only one component of
the PhD experience. Daily interactions in the research lab and in the classroom
require one to be present and active. Successful teachers and researchers agree
that this apprenticeship would be impossible to achieve solely through distance
education.
However, it is likely that some distance education experiences may be
beneficial to an individual's PhD program, particularly if the distance
education experiences cultivate knowledge and expertise that would be difficult
to access within the home university. People with geographic limitations may
wish to explore options of completing a PhD in a related field (if there is a
possibility at a nearby university) with the intent of pursuing a career within
a CSD department after the PhD.
Do I have to get a PhD in communication sciences and disorders? In
what other fields might I get a PhD yet still pursue a career
within communication sciences and disorders? What about getting an EdD?
Traditionally, one might think that to teach and conduct research in a
communication sciences and disorders (CSD) department one needs a PhD in CSD.
However, you will find that this is not the case. Many faculty members in CSD
departments have a PhD from an interdisciplinary program or from a field related
to CSD, such as psychology or linguistics. In fact, some persons may argue that
for their particular area of interest, the interdisciplinary degree or degree in
another related field provided the most beneficial training for the career
teaching and researching in CSD. Some schools or programs award an EdD
rather than a PhD. An EdD is a sufficient degree so long as the program is
focused on research training.
How is my time spent during a doctoral
program? Do I still take classes?
The years of doctoral education are quite different from the years of
undergraduate and clinical graduate training, and many students do not know what
their doctoral program will be like. In a PhD program, the doctoral student
works very closely with one faculty member-the advisor or mentor-and the
doctoral program is guided by a committee of faculty. Indeed, you should think
of a PhD program as studying with a particular faculty member.
Let's assume that a PhD is finished in about 4 years. The first 2 years will
include taking courses, many of which will be courses from outside the CSD
department. The choice of course work varies by student but always includes
several research methods and statistical analysis courses. The remaining course
work is chosen to establish the student's expertise in one or more content
areas. In these first 2 years, the student will also participate in research
training experiences. Typically, these experiences will involve working in the
advisor's or mentor's research lab along with other graduate students, often on
funded research projects, and also some independent research projects.
Once course work and required research experiences are completed, the student
engages in a comprehensive examination process that typically involves oral and
written examinations. The purpose of this process is to establish the student's
proficiency and expertise in the area of study. The specific nature of this
process varies across institutions. Once this examination process is completed
successfully, the student advances to doctoral candidacy and completes the
dissertation under the guidance of the mentor. The dissertation typically takes
at least a year to complete.
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