PLANNING THE LAST THREE YEARS OF GRAD SCHOOL

1. PLANNING THE LAST THREE YEARS OF GRAD SCHOOL Bill Carbonaro Dept. of Sociology September 2010

2. YOUR MAIN GOALS FUNDING • Securing Funding for ABD Years DISSERTATION • Finding a Dissertation Project • Writing and Defending the Proposal • Writing and Defending the Dissertation CAREER • Getting Ready for the Job Market • Going on the Market (and finding a job!)

3. N.D. Sociology Timeline* * If you have an approved MA, you should move this timetable up by about one year.

4. PLANNING AHEAD COMMON PITFALL FOR GRAD STUDENTS  Failure to look far enough ahead! BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE!!!

5. PLANNING AHEAD THE CHALLENGE: The Last Three Years of Grad School require MUCH MORE ADVANCED PLANNING than the first THREE! STEP ONE: Recognize your NEEDS STEP TWO: Customize your experiences to meet your SPECIFIC NEEDS (One size does not fit all)

6. THREE KEY QUESTIONS IN YEAR 3 or 4, ASK YOURSELF: • What kind of job do I want? • Academic-Research • Academic-Teaching • Non-Academic • Am I ready to compete for that type of job? • What do I need to do to be ready?

7. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE JOB MARKET • Answering these questions is VERY IMPORTANT in shaping your planning for the last TWO years of Grad School • Tailor your last two years to prepare yourself for what YOU want to do!

8. JOBS – STRATIFICATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION R-1, R-2, and TEACHING JOBS Differences to consider: • INCOME (SHORT AND LONG-TERM) • STATUS • TEACHING LOAD • SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH ($$$, TIME, PEOPLE) • TENURE REQUIREMENTS

9. JOBS – STRATIFICATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION R-1 POST-DOCTORAL OPPORTUNITY R-2 GRADUATE SCHOOL TEACHING SCHOOLS

10. The Dissertation Proposal When should you start working on it?  Beginning of your third year COMMON PROBLEM: Waiting too long before starting to the proposal. EARLIER is better because: • Doing so typically leads to better dissertations. • It better positions you to win dissertation grants/fellowships and for the job market. When should you have it finished?  Early in your fourth (not late in the spring semester)

11. The Dissertation Proposal

12. The Dissertation Proposal • BOTTOM LINE: • Don’t get pulled along by the deadline for finishing! Instead, set your own timeline. • The proposal does not need to be perfect – just “good enough” to help you write your dissertation.

13. The Dissertation Proposal THREE GOALS: GOAL #1: TOPIC, QUESTION, PROJECT Finding a Topic Finding a Research Question Devising a Project to Answer Your Question

14. The Dissertation Proposal THREE GOALS: GOAL #1: TOPIC, QUESTION, PROJECT Tips for finding a topic/question: • Prepare for Area Exam with this goal in mind (Aspire to pass the exam AND find a dissertation topic) • Look for gaps in our knowledge • Look for methodological weaknesses • Read the “semi-popular” press (Ex – Education Week, Sojourners, Foreign Policy, etc.) • Keep an eye out for newly available, or underutilized data sources. • Ask your Advisor (or someone else on the faculty) to give you one!

15. The Dissertation Proposal THREE GOALS: GOAL #2: MAKE A PLAN Formulating a Plan – The proposal is your blueprint for the dissertation. ** The more complete the blueprint, the easier it will be to do the project.

16. The Dissertation Proposal THREE GOALS: GOAL #2: MAKE A PLAN Be sure to include: • VERY thorough review of the literature • Make sure that no one has done your project! • A theoretical framework • Try to make an INTELLECTUAL contribution  have an idea, not just a new variable, data set, or method • Extensive discussion of key features of the data (especially if the data set is unknown to your committee members) • Make sure the committee can evaluate whether the project is actually “do-able” • Descriptives, cross-tabs preliminary analyses, etc. • Helps you figure out whether you can actually do what are proposing

17. The Dissertation Proposal THREE GOALS: GOAL #2: MAKE A PLAN Be sure to include: • Projected Outline with Chapters • What will the final project look like?  Set a target for yourself. • Projected Timeline • Break this big projects will no real deadline into many little projects with many intermediate deadlines

18. The Dissertation Proposal THREE GOALS: GOAL #3 Use the Proposal to get feedback from your Committee. ** Defense is when you will receive the most thoughtful, useful, and constructive feedback on your project from committee members

19. The Dissertation Proposal THREE GOALS: GOAL #3 Stay in touch with your committee members after the defense! REMEMBER these people will be writing your letters and therefore will need to know your work

20. What kind of dissertation should you write? TWO OPTIONS: • Traditional Dissertation: One big idea pursued in great depth; something resembling a book • The Three-Paper Model: Three Journal-type Articles with an Common Theme (Bookended by an introductory and concluding chapter)

21. What kind of dissertation should you write? • READ THE REPORT BY THE GRAD STUDIES COMMITTEE FROM LAST YEAR • DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOUR TOPIC, SUBSTANTIVE AREA, RESEARCH STYLE, ETC. • DO WHAT YOU THINK IS BEST FOR YOUR FUTURE • DISCUSS THIS QUESTION WITH YOUR ADVISER (and OTHER FACULTY)

22. FUNDING FOR ABD STUDENTS INTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES • Dissertation Year Fellowship (DYF) • Teaching Fellowships, Pre-Doctoral Fellowship • Graduate Assistantship (Primarily grant $ through faculty)

23. FUNDING FOR ABD STUDENTS EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES Why pursue external funding options? • More money (larger stipend) • Possibly Extra Resources (for computers, books, data, software) • May Give You Good Ideas for a Dissertation! • Validation of the scholarly potential of your work • Networking opportunities in your field • Possible Mentoring Opportunities • Extra Deadlines to Push You Toward Finishing

24. FUNDING FOR ABD STUDENTS YEAR FIVE: Rely on Internal Money; Apply for External Money for Year SIX YEAR SIX: Use External money (if available); fall back on departmental resources (if possible) YEAR SEVEN AND BEYOND?: Assume that the department will NOT fund you. (We probably won’t be able to do so.)

25. Finding External Money TYPES of FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS: 1. Full Support: covers living expenses, provides a stipend 2. Dissertation, Research Improvement: covers expenses related to research projects (e.g., travel, hardware, software, etc.) ** NOT ALWAYS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE

26. Finding External Money I. THE BIG FISH – NSF, NIH, NIMH, NIJ, Departments within the Federal Government (e.g., HUD), etc. II. THE SPECIALITY SHOPS – Private foundations and organizations that focus on specific areas of research: Ex – Education • NSF has a special program through AERA • Private foundations (Spencer Foundation) have fellowships for students who are doing research in the area of education

27. Finding External Money III. DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILERS Organizations that promote diversity by supporting graduate students from specific socio-demographic groups Ex – Women, racial-ethnic minorities, etc.

28. When to search for outside $ START LOOKING FOR EXTERNAL MONEY DURING YOUR THIRD or FOURTH YEAR (at the latest)!  Don’t start looking when you become ABD – it’s usually too late! ** If you wait too long, you won’t be in a good position to be competitive!

29. When to search for outside $ ADVANTAGES to EARLY SEARCHING • Often, this process can help alert you to areas of research and data to explore in your dissertation (Ex – NICHD) • You can tailor your project in ways that can help you win the fellowship! • You will give yourself sufficient time to write the best possible proposal (no “rush jobs”)

30. How to FIND External Money • The Internet • www.fastweb.com • www.cos.com • Other Grad Students (particularly in your substantive area) • Your Advisor (especially for $ from “specialty shops”) • The Graduate School (Web site, people)

31. Keys to Winning External Money I. REDUCE UNCERTAINTY/RISK Convince the granting agency that your project is “do-able” within the specified time-frame Make sure that you are CONCRETE in describing your project (make sure they understand exactly what you plan to do). ** The further along you are on your project, the better your chance of winning because it will be MUCH easier to write great proposal. If possible, present some preliminary results.

32. Keys to Winning External Money II. FOCUS ON FIT Does your project fit with what the funding agency wants? Emphasize fit as much as you can in the application.  If possible, find out information about past projects (e.g., titles, abstracts) that have won, and study this information carefully. Be realistic! Don’t waste time hammering a square peg in a round hole.

33. Keys to Winning External Money III. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE -- AND PITCH YOUR PROJECT ACCORDINGLY Ask yourself: who will be evaluating my proposal? Generalists or specialists? Sociologists or non-sociologists? Academics or non-academics?

34. Keys to Winning External Money IV. WORK WITH YOUR LETTER WRITERS • Talk to them about the fellowship/grant, and make sure they understand your winning strategy. • Give them guidance regarding what you think they should say about you and your project. • Make sure they have a good grasp of the project, and can articulate its importance.

35. Keys to Winning External Money V. GETTING YOUR ADVISOR INVOLVED • Get feedback on your proposal: both substantive and editorial advice is welcome! VI. FIND SOMEONE WHO WON THE AWARD AND ASK TO READ THEIR PROPOSAL • If possible, this really helps.

36. Should I Stay or Should I Go? STAYING ON CAMPUS AS A DISSERTATOR PROS: • Closer contact with professors and other students (intellectual and emotional support) • More “push” (towards completion) factors; many fewer “pull” (away from completion) factors • Full access to university resources (computing, library, etc.)

37. Should I Stay or Should I Go? STAYING ON CAMPUS AS A DISSERTATOR CONS: • Staying in South Bend may make it impossible to do certain types of projects (e.g., can’t do field work on Chile while in SB!) • Personal reasons may prevent you from staying in South Bend (family, spouse’s job prospects, etc.)

38. Do you need teaching experience as a Grad Student? • YES – with a few minor exceptions • For the teaching job market, it is VERY important. • For the academic-research market, it is important. • For the non-academic job market, it is completely unimportant. • For post-doctoral positions, it is unimportant (but that doesn’t matter because you want an academic job in the long run).

39. How Does One Get Teaching Experience? • BEST OPTIONS: Teaching Assistantship, The Teaching Fellowship, Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, the Sorin Post-Doctoral Fellowship • WORST OPTION: Teaching as an Adjunct outside of Notre Dame ** BEWARE THE “The Siren’s Call!”  Getting overloaded with teaching commitments is a very common problem that prevents people from finishing.

40. How Does One Get Teaching Experience? • BEST OPTIONS: Teaching Assistantship, The Teaching Fellowship, Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, the Sorin Post-Doctoral Fellowship • SECOND BEST OPTION: Teaching as an Adjunct outside of Notre Dame ** BEWARE THE “The Siren’s Call!”  Getting overloaded with teaching commitments is a very common problem that prevents people from finishing.

41. How Much Teaching Experience Do I Need? Research Jobs – two or three course, with good students evaluation Teaching Jobs – four or more classes, with very good student evaluations and a wide variety of substantive courses

42. Building your Research Record as Grad Student YOUR GOAL: IN YEAR THREE: Select AT LEAST ONE research paper that you will submit to a peer-reviewed journal sometime in your third or fourth year. ***Ask your advisor – which projects looks the most promising? GUIDELINES: • YOU SHOULD BE SOLE AUTHOR (BEST), FIRST AUTHOR (NEXT), or 50-50 CREDIT (THE MINIMUM) • DO NOT COUNT: book reviews, papers on which you are second author, papers in journals that are not peer reviewed, or book chapters

43. Building your Research Record as Grad Student CAVEAT  ALWAYS remember that quality counts more than quantity. Placement matters much more than sheer numbers. ** One well-placed article can go a long way!

44. Building your Research Record as Grad Student MAKE SURE THAT FACULTY (OTHER THAN YOUR ADVISER) ARE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR RESEARCH WHY? So they can serve as EFFECTIVE ADVOCATES on your behalf when writing letters for fellowships and job opportunities.

45. Building your Research Record as Grad Student MAKE SURE TO FORGE YOUR OWN INTELLECTUAL IDENTITY! ** Outsiders want to see your advisor’s imprint, but avoid looking like their clone. • Make sure that it is clear distinction between your work and your advisor’s • Form other relationships with faculty – Diversify your relationships!

46. Building your Research Record as Grad Student PRESENT YOUR RESEARCH AT CONFERENCES Which ones?  FIRST TIER: ASA, Specialty (AERA, PAA, ISA) SECOND TIER: Regionals, etc. KEY PT – Who is in the AUDIENCE? Someone from a school where you want to get a job?

47. Building your Research Record as Grad Student GO TO PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS AND NETWORK • Attend sessions and talk to presenters • Go to receptions, business meetings, hang around your adviser • Hang around in groups with people in your area • Meet Grad students in other programs

48. Building your Research Record as Grad Student • What happens if I want a research job, but have not yet succeed in publishing as a grad student? TWO CHOICES: • REMAIN IN GRAD SCHOOL LONGER, UNTIL YOU ARE READY OR • GRADUATE AND PURSUE THE POST-DOC OPTION

49. The Post-Doc Option Post-Docs are almost always the better option because: • More Money! • More time to work on your research • (Sometimes) Opportunities to teach • New Networking opportunities • No one will ask you why it took so long to finish your dissertation

50. THE JOB MARKET • HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE READY TO ENTER THE JOB MARKET?  Once again, it all depends on the kind of job that you are seeking!