What are the pros and cons of going for an IT PhD?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 17:06:11 -0400

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2017 5:18 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 17:18:40 -0400

The first thought that comes to mind is that you'll be able to get a job teaching at a university. The negative, of course, being that you'll ONLY be able to get a job teaching at a university.
In all seriousness, it does seem like a great research field, both historically, and in practice on how things were done & what drove the subjects to do them that way.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Apr 18 at 2017 5:43 PM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 17:43:08 -0400

Pro... you get to call yourself Doctor.
Con... It probably costs a pretty penny.

Honestly, that's all I can think of because I've not gone that far in the higher education.

Response by Jamie Blosmore made Apr 18 at 2017 6:23 PM

Jamie Blosmore — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 18:23:04 -0400

If I may just share from a recruitment perspective. I have filled a variety of IT roles both entry level and c-suite. What I can say about my recruiting experience is that I have come across very few in IT with a Ph.D. Those that did have it had resumes that transitioned to teaching as adjunct faculty and were looking to find full-time work to fill in the night or weekend classes they were leading. Some of them shared smilier stories of getting through interview processes to be turned down because they had "too much experience" aka Ph.D. The others said I was one of the few people to give them a shot because most companies are afraid to talk to anyone with that title in this space due to dollars. If you have a clear path as to why you want it that makes you happy that is the only thing that matters. If funds are not a concern educating yourself is never a problem. If you have a certain career title you are targeting you may want to research the market and the % of people with Ph.D.'s in that space. Just my two sense but do what makes you feel like a success!

Response by MAJ Alvin B. made Apr 18 at 2017 6:35 PM

MAJ Alvin B. — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 18:35:42 -0400

It depends upon what you want to do. Earning a Doctoral degree will change you and how you are viewed by others. Consider all of your options, do you want to be a practitioner or a researcher? Look at a range of Doctoral degree options (EdD, DBA) and concentrations.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Apr 18 at 2017 7:22 PM

LTC John Shaw — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 19:22:54 -0400

I can tell you from personal experience the PhD will confuse employers. Employers don't really want advanced degrees, they want advanced accomplishments in the salary range they are willing to pay.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Apr 18 at 2017 7:24 PM

SN Greg Wright — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 19:24:47 -0400

In the upper echelons of IT, a PhD isn't going to confer any more money than you'd be making if you got there without it. Respect, sure. I personally, given that, think that it would be better to just jump in and start working your way up.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 18 at 2017 7:47 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 19:47:45 -0400

Pro: You can be a professor and you can get ridiculous amounts of money in government contracting.

Take a look at this masters program:
http://www.vto.vt.edu/details.php?view=programs&show=masters&page=mit

Virginia Tech Online | Masters Programs: Information Technology

Virginia Tech Online

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Apr 18 at 2017 8:35 PM

LTC Kevin B. — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 20:35:07 -0400

The main pro is that the PhD can open new career paths for you (academia, research, consulting) that a masters degree and great work experience may not open (at least not as easily). I don't really see any major cons, just minor stuff like the cost, time and energy to earn the PhD.

I saw where others commented that a PhD can sometimes scare off potential employers. Having a PhD shouldn't exclude you from any positions, if you package your resume appropriately for the position. If you suspect exclusion might be a risk (like in an applied job where a masters degree is needed, but not the PhD), you could always leave the PhD off the resume. I wouldn't consider that to be deceptive. My perspective is that your resume should be shaped for each application, and you should list all of your credentials that are pertinent to the job to which you're applying. In high school I was "technically" a professional juggler (I was once paid to juggle at a wedding reception). I don't include that work experience or credential on my resume. Why? Because it's not pertinent to jobs I'd pursue. I take the same approach with listing my graduate degrees. So, if I were applying for a hospital CFO position, I wouldn't include my PhD, but I certainly would include my MBA.

If a PhD interests you, go for it. I wouldn't do it just to chase an unnecessary credential if it doesn't add value to your career goals.

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Apr 18 at 2017 11:36 PM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 23:36:56 -0400

Waste of time unless you plan on starting your own company or being a university professor. No IT shop is going to hire you. Starting your own company? Skies' the limit. Working for another company? They won't be able to afford you.

Its like all the MCSE's in the 90's graduating under the impression that they'd all be head of an IT department. Problem is, IT departments normally only have one head. The hapless over-qualifieds then took up low paying helpdesk jobs.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Apr 19 at 2017 12:30 AM

PO1 John Miller — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 00:30:46 -0400

My first job post Navy was as a sysadmin for L-3 Communications, contracted to Border Patrol at the Air & Marine Operations Center (AMOC) at March AFB, CA. The Red Hat network we maintained was/is the only one like it in the world. The man who designed and built most of it holds a PhD in Computer Science. Single handedly the smartest man I've ever met.

So based on my personal experience, an IT-related PhD can land you the high profile research and development positions.

As far as cons, I can honestly not think of any. As long as you've got the practical work experience to back up your degrees, the ionosphere is the limit!

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Apr 19 at 2017 9:30 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 09:30:55 -0400

Knowing little about IT, the only "pro" I can think of when it comes to getting a PhD in IT is folks can--legitimately--call you "Doc".
;-)

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 28 at 2017 10:38 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 10:38:38 -0400

If you're not trying to teach, and you must get it, once you do, leave it off your resume when you get out.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 1 at 2019 12:02 AM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:02:23 -0500

I don't have one. So, in the true spirit and tradition of this forum, I shall offer my opinion: I know a couple of software people who have PhDs and they work in positions with many peers who do only have their bachelor's degree. However, if you want to work in academia or in some research positions in industry, it would probably be very helpful in that regard. Also, when I was thinking about it, I couldn't find any online, part-time programs for getting a PhD in Computer Science.