http://digitalhumanities.org/answers/topic/recommended-course-of-study-for-new-mediadh-teaching-career Digital Humanities Questions & Answers » Topic: Recommended course of study for New Media/DH teaching career? en-US Fri, 04 Oct 2013 22:38:48 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://digitalhumanities.org/answers/search.php http://digitalhumanities.org/answers/topic/recommended-course-of-study-for-new-mediadh-teaching-career#post-1555 Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:36:16 +0000 Miriam Posner 1555@http://digitalhumanities.org/answers/ <p>Hi mariazoey,</p> <p>I think you may have a few questions packed in here! First, you're absolutely right that finding a job as a faculty member in an English department is really tough. Unfortunately, the academic job market is pretty bad all around, not just in English. And it's a big investment of your time. As you might know, a Ph.D. is pretty much required to teach at a university. Getting one usually takes about six or seven years after your B.A.</p> <p>Some people will <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/Graduate-School-in-the/44846/">tell you</a> that job prospects for faculty are so bad that it's not worth your time to get a Ph.D. in the humanities, period. Others <a href="http://www.dispositio.net/archives/586">will say</a> that you should go if it's really what you love more than anything else, but you should be aware that there may not be a job waiting for you at the other end.</p> <p>The other question I see in your post is about "new media" versus "digital humanities." Confusingly enough, these are actually two separate fields. To make some really broad generalizations: People who study new media write and think about the effect of new media on people's lives. In digital humanities, the emphasis tends to be on making things — designing software, analyzing data, creating online archives, things like that. <a href="http://projectroomseattle.org/2012/03/making-things/">Here's</a> a good article that does a nice job summarizing the "making" part of digital humanities.</p> <p>So I guess I have more questions for you than answers: Is teaching at a university what you really, really want to do? How important is secure employment to you? Do you want to be a university professor because you love studying and writing, or because you're seeking a secure career? If it's the latter, there may be better routes for you.</p> <p>This is not meant to dissuade you from studying new media or digital humanities! I think these are both wonderful things to study, and the University of Kansas even has a <a href="http://cds.lib.ku.edu/tag/digital-humanities/">digital humanities center</a> that you could take advantage of. But it does sound as though sitting down with a career counselor, either at your current institution or at the one where you end up, might be a good idea.</p> <p>Very best of luck to you! </p> http://digitalhumanities.org/answers/topic/recommended-course-of-study-for-new-mediadh-teaching-career#post-1554 Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:44:46 +0000 mariazoey 1554@http://digitalhumanities.org/answers/ <p>I have been completing hours for an AA to transfer for an English undergrad degree. Recently it has come to my attention that teaching university English is a field mostly closed to new blood, due to the number of highly-qualified individuals already there. I'm considering switching to a career path in teaching Digital Humanities or New Media instead, but feel a little lost as to knowing what would be a fruitful undergrad degree versus one that's actually worthless in the face of a teaching career. What degrees are useful? Which schools are good? Are there any in the Kansas City area?? Thanks a bunch. </p>