Finding Life After Academia — and Not Feeling Bad About It

The Times profiles the Versatile PhD.

Robert Townsend: Be Skeptical of U.S. News and World Report Rankings

Robert Townsend is the deputy director of the American Historical Association.The latest iteration of the U.S. News and World Report rankings of history graduate programs appeared yesterday, prompting fresh questions about their value for the discipline.As a measure of the relative merits of any particular department, the rankings should be viewed with considerable skepticism—especially by students applying to or selecting one program over another. For the prospective doctoral student, the primary considerations should be the fit between their intended area of research and faculty in the department, followed by the available levels of funding support. A few decimal points in a small survey should not sway your decision in one direction or another.