UMass to Track Career Paths in the Humanities

In Fall 2022, the Graduate School begins a three-year project to gather information on the career paths of students with doctorates in the humanities. The research project known as TRaCE, is funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and includes partners from Africa, India, China, Australia, Europe and the Americas. Over the next two years, graduate students will become researchers collecting data and personal stories from PhD students about the variety of possible PhD career pathways. We look forward to using this research as an instrument for improving advising and assisting doctoral students in their individual career advancement, international bridge-building, as well as identifying concrete steps towards improving graduate education. Our hope is that these stories will help us to attract students who might otherwise not consider doctoral education. And it will directly benefit our existing “alt-ac” programs that help students to imagine

The Graduate School’s Office of Professional Development (OPD) is committed to helping graduate students explore the diversity of careers open to them. In fall 2022, we organized the seventh Teaching at Teaching Intensive Institutions (TTII) conference, joining more than 120 graduate students and postdocs from 14 regional doctoral institutions (like UMass!) and faculty from more than a dozen “teaching intensive institutions” (community colleges, state colleges, and liberal arts colleges) for a day of panel discussions, breakout sessions, oneon-one job counseling, and networking opportunities. TTIIs are the real workhorse of higher education in the United States –where over half of the nation’s undergraduates receive their education. Many of our graduate students have found their calling at this conference, attracted to the diversity, commitment to student access, and the value placed on teaching at TTII colleges.

Samantha Scripture, Assistant Professor at Worcester State University, attended the TTII conference while still a PhD student at UMass Amherst. “I am thankful that OPD organized, and continues to organize, the TTII conference! There is more than one type of academic job and TTII helped me find the perfect fit for me at WSU!”

For OPD, the best part is inviting “former attendees” like Samantha to return as faculty presenters, ready to share insights and advice about their career with a room full of potential future colleagues. Your support can help us make this conference free for any student who would like to attend.