My decision to commit to the University of Michigan for doctoral study was in many ways a product of progressive enlightenment. Arriving at an important decision such as choosing which institution to pursue graduate study is vital not only for one’s future endeavors but also for personal satisfaction. The program selection process, as I gradually came to understand, is one that should command considerable attention even at the risk of being somewhat persnickety. There are many factors to account for regarding why a particular destination should be on the list of possibilities. In my case two of the biggest factors were how I could combine the type of career I wanted with my interest/passion.
Before ever considering a career as a professor I had an interest in teaching although not in any professional arena. For the most part I was resigned to and content with the notion of teaching on occasion at my local church. It was not until my final year of seminary that the door of greater possibility swung open. One of my professors at the seminary asked me to substitute teach for his course and I loved the experience. The feeling I had after the class was that teaching/research was what I wanted to do for a living. Not long after the same professor suggested that I look into U-M’s program in Near Eastern Studies as a possible venue.
I followed up on my friend’s suggestion by investigating U-M’s program’s highlights and meeting with the Department Chair. The joint result was a much better understanding of what the field entailed and what was necessary for success. I already had a growing interest in the history of the Second Temple period and Early Christianity, now it was a matter of designing a strategy for how to achieve my career goal.
Although I was advised to ‘cast a broad net’ and apply to a number of programs U-M remained my first choice primarily because of its inherent intangibles. Some of the things that were significant in my choosing a program related directly to my overall goal of building on my foundational knowledge and landing a position afterward. As I was evaluating programs I also received another critical and pragmatic bit of advice which career wise would prove to be worth heeding. Another one of my seminary professors explained to me what institutions look for when interviewing candidates for faculty positions. He suggested that I carefully consider programs that would afford me the choice of working on virtually any level, college, university, seminary, etc. when I finished. Through discussions with him, other professors, and graduate students who were actually doing what I wanted to do I began to reassess what being competitive and marketable meant in my field.
The programs that were under consideration had to meet a number of qualifications: the first of which was how well the program ‘fit’ my goals and interests. I wanted a program that would focus on the history/literature of the Second Temple Period and Christian Origins as well as offer a broad training in related fields such as the Ancient Near East and Classical Studies. Another aim was to interact with faculty whose research was similar to my own interests and with whom I would want to work closely. Institutional resources (e.g., library/research capacities, accessible technology) and funding were also key features. Along with each of these reasons the program’s strength of reputation needed to be in the upper echelon. U-M met each of these aspects, and then some, easily. The international reputation of U-M, Rackham Graduate School, and its Near Eastern Studies Department are unquestioned. The resources are top of the line, the availability of funding is very generous, and the faculty/staff are incredibly supportive in making sure that you have access to everything needed for attaining your goals. All these things were more than enough to convince me that joining the U-M tradition and standard was the best decision.
Everyone has their reasons for why they choose to go to graduate school. For me it was the pursuit of a passion. I count having the opportunity to pursue it here at U-M a remarkable honor.
Published in: Student Voices
Keywords: phd mentoring life career planning