Name: Rosalind Bark
Current job and employer: Postdoctorate, University of Arizona
Degrees: BA(Hons) Politics Philosophy and Economics, Oxford University,1990.
MSc Environmental Economics and Resource Management, University College London, 1997.
PhD Arid Lands Resource Sciences, University of Arizona, 2006.
What was the most important transition when going from undergraduate to postgraduate?
There was more self-directed research. More discipline was needed to take extra courses to obtain a needed skill set. I had to learn to relate and work with an advisor.
Considering the cost of postgraduate study, do you feel it was a suitable investment in your future?
This is a hard one. Academic life is more flexible but also often more demanding i.e. working nights and weekends throughout the semester on homework and papers. I earn considerably less as a postdoc than my friends in business. Obviously if I get an assistant professorship the gap would narrow.
I had an RA throughout my PhD so have no debt but my income during this time was low, graduates have a lot of deferred spending. For my MSc I also had tuition waived and a stipend. I have no debt at all from university. For my BA I had a full scholarship from Jardine Matheson.
In England my boss told me about the Economic and Social Research Council Graduate Scholarhsip. ESRC scholarships cover tuition and pay a stipend. I applied and won. I would not have done the MSc otherwise. In the US when I applied for the program the school offered me an Research Assistantship that covered tuition and paid me for 20 hours a week of work. I would not have done the PhD without full funding. I do not come from a rich family and would be loathe to take on debt.
What part do you feel your postgraduate degree had in securing your current job?
My current work is a direct continuation of my PhD research. I am also doing new research but in the same broad field. My research and writing skills are used every day. I have to develop more people management and networking skills now I am a postdoc.
What advice would you give to students who are considering postgraduate study?
If you get full funding, go ahead. If not weigh up your options carefully. Unless you get a professorship, academic work is not well paid. If you don't need a PhD for the type of work you want to do, don't do it. It is a lot of work, it is hard on your personal relationships and it costs you in terms of low income earned as a student.
Next Case Study: Simone Pfuderer, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs