Switching schools from undergraduate to PhD
This morning, we were having a conversation over Twitter in regards to whether it is appropriate to have all your degrees from the same university. I complained this morning, because I was browsing the site of one of the academic departments of a prestigious (loca) university, where one of the faculty members had done a BA, MA and PhD all in the same university.
While I understand the constraints to mobility that having a family poses, I also realize that the reason behind this paradigm is to make faculty members broaden their horizons. So the theory is that if you do your undergraduate, Masters and PhD degrees in different universities, you will have absorbed different cultures, and be more well-rounded.
The case was also made about interdisciplinarity. I happen to have been educated in three different countries (Canada, England, Mexico) and in three different areas (environmental studies, chemical engineering, business administration). But I can’t say that this is the model to follow. I did one of my Masters degrees in the same university as I did my PhD, so that’s why I was feeling somewhat self-conscious.
It’s true – we need to re-examine the academic paradigms, not only with regards to interdisciplinarity but also with regards to what defines well-rounded. I, for example, think I would be a great addition to the faculty of the same university where I did my PhD. But, likelihood that I’ll be hired for a tenure-track there? Very slim. I wonder how much re-thinking about this will be done and when.
Related posts:
Curiously, in Japan it is expected that you will spend your entire career at the same university.
undergrad->masters->doctorate->faculty (if you get that far)
Interesting.. very applicable to my life right now as I’m deciding where to take my law degree after i complete my BA this year.
Do I want to go to the best school (which is incidentally local to me,) or do I want to move across the country to attend the 2nd best institution, but one where i will be exposed to Quebecois culture and practice my second language? Toughie.
[...] an academic. Hummingbird604 (Raul) brings up a question that I asked myself while still in school: Should you switch schools between your undergrad and PhD. I’ve always been told that you should should go to different institutions for your [...]