For the 2016 -2017 academic year, UC Irvine’s School of the Humanities received a “Next Generation Humanities PhD” grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities to evaluate and transform graduate education. The project began with the observation that American universities produce more humanities PhDs per year than find steady employment as tenure track professors: about half stay in academia, and half go on to pursue multiple career paths outside in a variety of industries. A committee of over 50 stakeholders, made up of faculty, grad students, staff, alumni and community partners, was assembled to explore strategies to prepare grad students for this job market reality. UCI was one of 25 campuses across the country to participate in this project. The 25 campuses have shared ideas and resources through web sites, virtual conversations, and national meetings.
This website is a repository for the lessons and experiences gleaned from over a year’s worth of research, discussions and strategy sessions. The Faculty Resource page is intended to be a resource for mentors in need of information to assist with advising students interested in a variety of careers. Resources include helpful articles, job search advice and links to campus resources provided to help students plan their next steps. The Graduate Student Resource page provides support for students strategizing their post-graduation plans. The campus resources, articles and career search databases emphasize careers outside of the the traditional tenure track, in keeping with current job market trends and the NEH grant’s central charge.