PhDs and professors

studentphil

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Google Chris Freeman.

He became a Professor at Sussex University, and is covered with distinction.

He does not have a PhD, nor even an MA/MSc. He just started doing good research after graduation, and got on with it.

Basically, you get to be a professor by doing outstandingly good research. If your work is good enough, no-one cares what degrees you have. Nowadays, however, someone who has published a number of good papers will get awarded a doctorate on the basis of published research, which will probably make it easier to get research grants and jobs that lead to a chair.

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/profile19724.html

Do you mean they give you a honorary doctorate or a proper one?

seaweasel

studentphil wrote: »

RA do not normally teach.

Yes I know.

studentphil

seaweasel wrote: »

Yes I know.

I suppose it is not impossible that a RA could teach if extra staff were needed at short notice.

it is striking how somewhere as staffed as universities have staff shortages very often

[Deleted User]

Before i was a fellow (actually, i quit 2 months after reaching fellow), i was an RA.

I taught a lecture(and ran related workshop and set homework) ; not because of staff shortages, but because I was most qualified to do so. There were 2 other people in the uni that could have filled in, one a prof and one a PhD student, but I had the time.

Phil - what is this thread about really?

studentphil

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Before i was a fellow (actually, i quit 2 months after reaching fellow), i was an RA.

I taught a lecture(and ran related workshop and set homework) ; not because of staff shortages, but because I was most qualified to do so. There were 2 other people in the uni that could have filled in, one a prof and one a PhD student, but I had the time.

Phil - what is this thread about really?

It is about can you have a professor who does not have a PhD.

It is most interesting though that universities insist a PhD( least on paper and in job ads) is vital to have almost any level of academic post but people can get them without.

tr3mor

studentphil wrote: »

It is about can you have a professor who does not have a PhD.

It is most interesting though that universities insist a PhD( least on paper and in job ads) is vital to have almost any level of academic post but people can get them without.

Why do you care?

melancholly

is this some way of insinuating that your lecturers aren't properly qualified? the question has been answered - most people have them, in some circumstances (which will be specific to that person in that situation) they don't need one.

apart from trying to attack the qualifications that people need/have, i'm not sure where this is going - or, as with quite a few other threads, where the moneysaving angle is?

studentphil

tr3mor wrote: »

Why do you care?

Because I thought you could get Professors without PhD but I was not sure and I just wanted it confirming if I was right.

studentphil

melancholly wrote: »

is this some way of insinuating that your lecturers aren't properly qualified? the question has been answered - most people have them, in some circumstances (which will be specific to that person in that situation) they don't need one.

apart from trying to attack the qualifications that people need/have, i'm not sure where this is going - or, as with quite a few other threads, where the moneysaving angle is?

Stop looking for some negative angle, it is just a question that I have wondered about.

In fact my best lecturer who I have learnt most from has no PhD, but the vast majority of my lecturers have PhDs so I would not say any of them are under qualified.

melancholly

studentphil wrote: »

Stop looking for some negative angle, it is just a question that I have wondered about.

sorry for the assumption, but most of your threads are about how your university hasn't helped you/taught you/listened to you properly and your opinions on the many and varied faults you see in the system. given that background, you can't blame me for expecting there to be an ulterior motive for the question!