Texas A&M University Joins Council of Graduate Schools Coalition to Support Diverse Career Pathways for Humanities PhDs 

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M University has been selected by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) to join The Humanities Coalition, an innovative catalyst in the preparation of humanities doctoral students for diverse careers. The group of 75 universities will develop and assess initiatives for better supporting humanities PhD students transitioning from graduate programs into the workforce.
 
Universities will be working in one of two areas: grant-writing and resource development or building professional networks. Texas A&M will focus on building professional networks by connecting faculty and administrators from across campus to initiate career conversations and explore opportunities for PhD students in the humanities through workshops, professionals-in-residence programs, and internships. Texas A&M is particularly committed to helping students identify and establish careers that serve the public interest in Texas, the United States and around the world.
 
“We are excited to join this coalition and help build a community to support and cultivate the professional development of our humanities doctoral students,” said Karen Butler-Purry, Dean of the Texas A&M Graduate and Professional School. “By providing these students with expanded opportunities to build professional networks and develop their skills, we will better position them for a broad range of career opportunities.”
 
This latest project is an expansion of prior work that included developing and supporting a network of 75 U.S. doctoral institutions as they collect data from STEM and Humanities PhD students and alumni about their professional aspirations, career pathways, and career preparation. In general, data from the project yield a positive picture of humanities doctoral education. Most alumni reported that they are engaged in meaningful work and believe their doctoral work prepared them for their current job responsibilities. However, data also indicate that humanities PhDs who were employed in business, non-profit, or government, particularly those in the early stages of their careers, feel less prepared than their peers working at universities.
 
“Building on the extraordinary work of the PhD Career Pathways project, The Humanities Coalition will develop, expand, and scale up a suite of programs and practices in key areas of need. We’ve been conducting research in career diversity for nearly a decade, and this work will take the next logical step from better understanding aspirations to preparing for successful careers,” said Suzanne Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools. “We know that humanities PhDs have many possible career paths in front of them. We need to make sure they know their options, how to access them, and that they’ve developed the skillsets necessary for success.”
 
Texas A&M will join a network of other grantees as well as universities that submitted competitive proposals to participate, including: Arizona State University; CUNY Graduate Center; Howard University; Indiana University Bloomington; Loyola University Chicago; Michigan State University; Purdue University; The University of Southern Mississippi; The University of Texas at El Paso; University of Arizona; University of Arkansas; University of California, Irvine; University of Missouri; University of Rochester; University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Wayne State University.
 
 
About CGS
The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is an organization of approximately 500 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada engaged in graduate education, research, and the preparation of candidates for advanced degrees. The organization’s mission is to improve and advance graduate education, which it accomplishes through advocacy in the federal policy arena, research, and the development and dissemination of best practices.

By Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional School

Media contact: Rob Dixon, Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional School, 979-845-3631, rdixon@tamu.edu.