Doctoral Degrees in Linguistics

[french_preppy]

So I've been reading a lot about PhD Degrees in Humanities (Specifically anything French related), and the overwhelming consensus from professors and articles have been similar to this article: " Graduate School in the Humanities: Just Don't Go". But, while I am interested in French, I am actually much more interested in the Linguistics side of

Comments

[tsuyogari]

Linguistics is usually lumped in with humanities, but these days it's started to be considered more of a pseudoscience.

I think the job market depends on what you specialize in. If you're looking in academia, most fields in the humanities are hugely competitive and often fruitless. However, if you do something like Computational Linguistics, you can do research in computer applications, language software, things like that. Translation is of course a possibility. And, what I plan on doing (I'm applying to Applied Linguistics programs for Fall 2010), is teaching and communications. TESOL is not the goldmine it used to be, but it's still a relatively new and growing field, especially in the US.

[muckefuck]

I'm not sure what it was you meant to say, but I truly hope it wasn't really pseudoscience!

One of my colleagues used to refer to it as, "The most scientific of the humanities and the humanistic of the sciences." It was classed with the humanities at my institution whereas history was considered a social science; I think other places might have done exactly the opposite.

[tsuyogari]

Haha, sorry. That's what the faculty at my school (jokingly) call it all the time, that I kinda forgot it's not the usual usage.

[french_preppy]

You've piqued my interest.
Do you any Unis (American or otherwise), that have PhDs in Computational Linguistics?

[muckefuck]

Language Log has recently run a series of posts informally analysing the current job market for linguists. Read and weep!

[dark_age_pearl]

Thanks! That's very useful!

[claudee]

I just have to add one thing: I don't think you can really compare the US market for linguists with the European one.

[french_preppy]

Is there a bigger market in Europe?

[claudee]

I think there aren't as many linguists as they are in the US (at least not in Germany, not very sure about the other countries) and here, again I can only speak about Germany which France will be closer to than to the US I think, many, many linguists find jobs in fields that aren't exactly linguistics but also great jobs where they can use their skills. And jobs in academia ARE rare, that's right, but I completely don't understand the negative attitude because there always will be jobs somewhere ... I am writing my PhD Thesis at the moment and I am still quite positive. There might be a big number of linguist jobs in the US but I think there's a much higher number of people who look for such jobs. Every American/English speaking person I met know what linguistics are while here in Germany only a few people do.

[ein_wunderkind]

Well also there are very different dynamics at play for Europeans. In the USA, higher education is still an elitist institution that for most individuals costs an absurd amount of money.

In Europe you can pursue graduate studies without the economic risks a student in the US has to bear. Graduating and being unemployed with 30,000 USD in debt is not the same as graduating and being unemployed with little to no debt.

[sineala]

Don't go. Right now I wish I hadn't, for reasons entirely unrelated to the job market, which as far as I know is perenially lousy in academia and out of academia your only hope is if you can also program, and even then they're probably hiring programmers with CS degrees first. If you're a native speaker of French, you may have an additional boost, though.

Here's more information about current job postings, so you can get a sense of the market: http://www.linguistlist.org/jobs/index.html

(However, I am probably one of the more biased people you can ask. Feel free to private-message for more cynicism.)

[french_preppy]

I really appreciate your bitterness! you are saving me from making a mistake!

[french_preppy]

hahaha. wow, so getting a PhD sucks.
got it!

[misswrite]

I'm looking into MA TESOL programs right now. Would you say that your experience would apply to that too? I'm not saying that to sound defensive - I would genuinely like your opinion about whether you think I'd be making a mistake.