The Formation of Scholars

As I begin my own journey into doctoral education, this was a very interesting read about the current state of doctoral education. Organized around Carnegie Mellon University's Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID), the author puts forth the CID's thoughts on the evolution of how doctoral coursework and the dissertation are presented. How much time do doctoral programs spend talking about their purpose? What is the purpose of doctoral education?

Written as a pseudo-textbook, it presents data and findings from a series of workshops facilitated by the CID. Program experimentation with such things as portfolios, cross-departmental research, etc. are all presented and ultimately advocated for pushing the doctorate into the future.

I appreciate the notion that the doctorate is not just for those wanting to perform research in academe. While that is a worthy pursuit, the benefits of PhD holders in private industry are numerous. Together with PhDs in higher education, these individuals can truly push the boundaries of what it means to be a scholar.