[Vision2020] English vs. US PhDs

[Nick Gier]

Greeings:

I would like to expand on Rose's good research to give details of my own 
religion PhD at Claremont Graduate University.  One faculty member at NSA 
told me that the reason why they don't stress the PhD is that they come to 
their teaching with a very narrowly focused research area from their 
dissertation.  Ironically, that's precisely what will happen if Ben 
finishes his "thesis only" degree at the small, largely unknown Evangelical 
Theological College of Wales.

Each of the following headings will indicate the superiority of the 
standard US PhD as opposed to the English thesis degree.

ENTRANCE EXAMS.  At Claremont I had to pass exams in four out of five areas 
in order to matriculate.

TWO YEARS OF COURSE WORK.  I was having such a good time, I added a third 
year to strengthen my philosophy credentials.

ADVANTAGES OF RESIDENCY. In addition to the course work which prepared me 
for my dissertation research, future teaching, and passing my qualifying 
exams, the interaction with students and faculty was invaluable. At 
Claremont the 60 religion grad. students had 30 faculty to choose from the 
six colleges, the grad. school, and the school of theology. There were 
regular conferences and visiting lectures by national and international 
scholars. Poor Ben will not have the advantage of anything like 
this.  Posting on Hatesplotch and defending his father-in-law's shoddy 
scholarship just doesn't compare.

QUALIFYING EXAMS.  Before one can defend one's Ph.D. dissertation a student 
must pass qualifying exams in five areas of his/her major emphasis.  During 
the summer of 1972 I spent an entire week taking these exams.

Our K-12 educational system may not have world ranking, but our graduate 
schools (both public and private) are the best in the world and this 
rigorous PhD program is the chief reason for our success.

Ben, you could have done a non-resident degree from the Graduate 
Theological Union in the Bay area, but I guess you couldn't trust the profs 
there, all fallen secularized Christians!

Does the faculty at ETOW know about your extracurricular activities on 
Hatesplotch?  I bet they would enjoy some of your postings.  But they also 
may wonder why you aren't working on that thesis!

I don't dig it!

Nick Gier





Nicholas F. Gier
Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Idaho
1037 Colt Rd., Moscow, ID 83843
http://users.moscow.com/ngier/home/index.htm
208-883-3360/882-9212/FAX 885-8950
President, Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/ift/index.htm