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Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > Theological Q&A > (No Subject)
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a2rutled
Registered Member
Date Joined Jun 2003
Total Posts : 22
| Posted 1/19/2004 10:23 AM (GMT -6) |   | Hey
I am currently a 19 year old sophomore at Western Michigan University and I have a desicion that lies before me. I am contemplating the pursuit of philsophy as a career and I need to know that i am not crazy! What kinds of opportunities are there for philosophers (specifically as professors), how long does it take to get immersed into a steady position, is there such a thing as "job security" in philosophy? What kind of money can I expect to be making after 5 years, 10 years, 20 years? How important is publication? How political is the system? Can I support a family as a philosopher? Am I crazy for wanting to go into this perfession?! HELP!!!!
Sincerely,
Aaron S. Rutledge | | Back to Top | | |
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Alan Rhoda
Registered Member
Date Joined May 2002
Total Posts : 680
| Posted 1/19/2004 1:10 PM (GMT -6) | | Aaron: What kinds of opportunities are there for philosophers (specifically as professors), how long does it take to get immersed into a steady position, is there such a thing as "job security" in philosophy? What kind of money can I expect to be making after 5 years, 10 years, 20 years? How important is publication? How political is the system? Can I support a family as a philosopher? Am I crazy for wanting to go into this perfession?! HELP!!!!
Alan: There are regular job opportunities posted by the American Philosophical Association in their "Jobs for Philosophers" publication. The job market right is and has been for some time very tight. It is not unusual for there to be 100-200 applicants for any one tenure or tenure-track opening. It does take committment and hard work to land a tenure-track position, but it can be done, and most Ph.D.'s who seriously pursue it are able to find a tenure-track position within about 5 years. If you can get that far, then you've got a good chance of getting tenure and with it job security. Starting salary for assistant professors begins at about $40K, depending on the school and area of the country. Associate professors typically make $50-$60K, and full professors typically make $60+. The stars in the profession often land "endowed chairs" and can make over $100K. Part-time and non-tenure-track positions are fairly easy to come by. They don't pay very well, but most new philosophers start out that way for their first couple years. The importance of publication depends a lot on where you hope to teach. At community colleges and small private colleges, emphasis is typically on teaching, not publication. At state universities and larger private universities, emphasis will probably be on publication. How political is the system? Well, that varies a lot from college to college. As with other academic disciplines, some departments have internecine strife and others don't. And, as in any field, WHO you know is often more important than what you know. Can you support a family? Sure. I know many philosophers who are raising families. Of course if you are looking to get rich, or to live like a millionaire, philosophy is not the field to go into, unless you are independently wealthy. But nobody goes into philosophy for the money anyway. People, such as myself, pursue it because it is what we love to do, and it seems to us that we'd be crazy not to pursue it.
Hope that helps.
Alan | | Back to Top | | |
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