Opportunities in Academiafor those with Graduate Degrees

John Keyser

For CPSC 481

Academia – Types of Schools

• Research Universities– Research is a major part of the school’s

function– Usually offer full range of graduate degrees

• Teaching Universities– Primary focus is on the teaching aspects of

education– Usually focused on undergraduate education

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive• Master’s Colleges and Universities I• Master’s Colleges and Universities II• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts• Baccalaureate Colleges – General• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive– Several Doctorates/Year over several subjects– TAMU, UT-Austin/Arlington, Texas Tech,

North Texas, Houston, Rice, SMU• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive• Master’s Colleges and Universities I• Master’s Colleges and Universities II• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts• Baccalaureate Colleges – General• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive– Several Doctorates per year– TAMU-Commerce/Kingsville, UT-Dallas/El

Paso, Baylor, TCU• Master’s Colleges and Universities I• Master’s Colleges and Universities II• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts• Baccalaureate Colleges – General• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive

• Master’s Colleges and Universities I– Bachelor’s, Several Masters in 3 or more subjects

– Remaining TAMU/UT schools, Sam Houston State, Houston – Clear Lake/Victoria, ACU, Trinity

• Master’s Colleges and Universities II

• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts

• Baccalaureate Colleges – General

• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges

• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive

• Master’s Colleges and Universities I

• Master’s Colleges and Universities II– Bachelors, several Master’s– LeTourneau, St. Edward’s, Texas Wesleyan

• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts

• Baccalaureate Colleges – General

• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges

• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive

• Master’s Colleges and Universities I

• Master’s Colleges and Universities II

• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts– Mainly Undergrad, most in liberal arts

– TAMU Galveston, Univ. of Dallas, Southwestern University

• Baccalaureate Colleges – General

• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges

• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive

• Master’s Colleges and Universities I

• Master’s Colleges and Universities II

• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts

• Baccalaureate Colleges – General– Mainly undergraduate, minority in liberal arts

– Houston – Downtown, Texas Lutheran, McMurry, Lubbock Christian

• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges

• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive

• Master’s Colleges and Universities I

• Master’s Colleges and Universities II

• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts

• Baccalaureate Colleges – General

• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges– 10-50% Batchelor’s, rest Associate’s– None in Texas

• Associate’s Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Doctoral/Research Universities – Extensive• Doctoral/Research Universities – Intensive• Master’s Colleges and Universities I• Master’s Colleges and Universities II• Baccalaureate Colleges – Liberal Arts• Baccalaureate Colleges – General• Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges

• Associate’s Colleges– Associate’s but no or few Batchelor’s– Blinn, Texas State Technical College, most

Junior/Community Colleges

Academic InstitutionsCarnegie Classification

• Specialized Institutions– Theological seminaries– Medical Schools– Health Schools (e.g. nursing/chiropractic)– Engineering/Technology focused– Business and Management– Art, Music, Design– Law Schools– Teachers Colleges– Others (e.g military academies, maritime, etc.)

• Tribal Colleges

Positions in Academia

• Faculty

• Administration– For many upper-level positions, graduate

degree is needed– Often move to administration from faculty

• Support– Specialized services/technologies/knowledge

Faculty Positions

• Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

• Teaching Faculty/Lecturers

• Research Faculty

Research Faculty

• Primary duty is research– Expected to be funded from grants– Sometimes coordinate rather than work directly

on research topics

• Limited other duties– Usually don’t teach, limited service– Might still serve on graduate student

committees, but usually won’t chair

Teaching Faculty

• Primary role is teaching– Most do not actively pursue research– Usually have ~2x teaching load of tenured faculty

• Research Universities:– Lecturers– Not Tenure-Track

• Teaching Universities– Faculty– Can be tenured

Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty

• The “regular” faculty members

• Research, Teaching, Service

• Supervise graduate students

• Tenure-track (pre-tenure) or Tenured

What is Tenure?

• Reviewed after ~5 years, by senior faculty/administrators – Process takes about 1 year– Sufficient experience prior to joining can be used

• Demonstrate “high level of scholarly accomplishment”– Research (publications/grants) often considered most important– Reviews from faculty outside of your own University– Teaching, Service also considered

• Usually either get tenure or must leave• Security

– Freedom to choose research directions/express opinions– Economic security (Incentive for academic jobs)

The Role of Research

• The role of Universities is the “the pursuit, understanding, and dissemination of knowledge”

• Knowledge transfer is expected– Teaching in classes– Graduate students– Publications/Presentations to larger community– Cooperation with industry/government

• Research plays a large role at Research Schools, less so at Teaching Schools

• Research is a (THE) major part of graduate studies, particularly for Ph.D.

Why do You Need a Graduate Degree for Academic Jobs?

• Of course, provides a “certification” of sorts• If you will be doing research, need to have

demonstrated research aptitude– Almost always means Ph.D.

• Supervising graduate students (know expectations)• Can demonstrate knowledge level sufficient to

teach• Master’s/Ph.D. needs change depending on school

type.

Recommended Resources

• Texas A&M Faculty Senate, TAMU Faculty Facts (Answers to questions about faculty roles and responsibilities at TAMU)– http://www.math.tamu.edu/%7Earthur.hobbs/all.html

• Tomorrow’s Professor Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering– Richard Reis, IEEE Press, 1997

• Carnegie Classification:– http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/Classification/