How Much Time Does a Ph. D. Need?
John A. Stevenson
Abstract of Presentation
That question leads to some subsidiary but related ones: do we design requirements and demands so as to encourage disciplinary mastery or to develop transferrable skills? How many years should a degree take? These are not questions most departmental curriculum discussions have faced up to. Perhaps this is just as it should be, and one can imagine colleagues who would say, some will find academic employment, and since those who do not will still have good skills for a successful career, go ahead and maintain curricula with academic employment in mind since a happy outcome awaits everyone. The benefits may be direct, they may be collateral, but the benefits are there, either way. xiii