Tara L. Kuther, Ph.D.
Western Connecticut State University
As an assistant professor of psychology, students
often seek my advice in applying to graduate school. Many students express the desire to
earn a doctoral degree in psychology to practice in a private or hospital setting, or to
work within academia. However, with the advent of managed care and the increasing use of
masters-level professionals in hospital and private-practice settings, the doctoral degree
offers little assurance of a position after graduation. Even in academia it is not
uncommon for Ph.D.s to complete several temporary postdoctoral appointments or visiting
assistant professorships before securing permanent positions. Others choose to leave
academia for careers in government and corporate research or with social service agencies.
Despite this seemingly bleak picture,
opportunities are available for creative and resourceful psychologists; however students
should be aware of these trends and begin to innovate early in their graduate school
careers. Specifically, graduate departments should maintain current information about
post-graduate career opportunities and should modify programs in light of such findings.
Graduate programs have an ethical responsibility
to provide students with information about the utility of a graduate degree in seeking
permanent academic and nonacademic positions. Specifically, departments should assess the
progress of graduates at regular intervals. It is particularly important to determine the
proportion of students who obtain positions within academic and nonacademic settings, and
to determine whether the nature and content of the coursework was sufficient to prepare
graduates for their careers. Academic departments have a responsibility to use
assessment-based information to refine their programs in light of the realities that
graduates experience (Association of American Universities, 1998).
Some might argue that these recommendations go
beyond the scope of a graduate department’s responsibility. It is indisputable that
goals of graduate education include the provision of knowledge, the indoctrination of
students into a profession, and the promotion of student welfare. According to the
Association of American Universities (1998), "in designing graduate programs and
advising graduate students, university administrators and faculty members must hold the
interests of students paramount." Does the responsibility to promote the welfare of
students extend beyond graduation? I believe that it does. For example, most faculty
advisors offer assistance to their students in job-seeking before and after graduation. It
is generally expected that advisors will offer introductions, make phone calls, and write
letters of recommendation on behalf of students, suggesting that some level of
responsibility on the part of advisors extends beyond the commencement ceremony.
The decision to attend and to remain in graduate
school is much like the informed consent process in that the provision of accurate
information is critical to decision-making on the part of students. Graduate students must
be informed of the availability of academic and alternative careers. Therefore, faculty
have an obligation to be familiar with, and to encourage students to become aware of, the
changing scope of career opportunities.
However, it is the responsibility of students to
actively seek such information in guiding their careers. Graduate students should explore
career opportunities within academic and nonacademic research settings. Specifically,
students should be introduced to the possibility of nonacademic research and policy
careers not as alternative careers, but as careers that are appropriate to their level of
training. So, when students approach me for graduate school advice, I encourage them to
think beyond the handful of years in graduate school, to seek information on post-graduate
career opportunities, and to be open to innovation.
This article first appeared in the Summer 2000 Edition of the APAGS Newsletter, Vol.
12(2)
