Journey to the Ph.D.: How to Navigate the Process as African Americans - Softcover

'(The authors) offer students at every step of the process, advice, information and guidance for a successful stint in academia. (The book) is a helpful resource for any African-American student seriously considering the pursuit of a Ph.D., or for those currently in the midst of their doctoral program. The book also serves as a valuable asset to current faculty (of all races), as a means for continuing the critical dialogue surrounding the recruitment and retention of African American students in doctoral programs. The essays incorporate a variety of writing styles from informal and conversational to more technical and theoretical. There is also a strong premise throughout many of the composition of the importance of spirituality as a means for surviving. and thriving, on the road to the Ph.D..' -- Black Issues in Higher Education 'The vast collection of personal experiences in the Journey to the Ph.D. should kindle a student's desire to continue their efforts obtain a prized terminal degree while maintaining a reality-based view of the experience. This collection of seventeen personal accounts provides a guide to the selection of an institution, instructions on how to navigate through that institution, and what to expect from the experience. Thus it affords direction to the novice as well as the experienced scholar. Students and advisors alike will connect with the clarity of the experiences shared within this text.'--NACADA Journal

As a new generation of African Americans completes college, an increasing number of students are aspiring to the Ph.D. as a stepping stone to a career in the academy and to fully participate in shaping our society. Most African Americans are conscious that they are the first in their families to embark on this journey. They are aware they will meet barriers and prejudice, are likely to face isolation and frustration, and find few sources of support along the way. This book, by twenty-four Black scholars who ""have been there,"" offers a guide to aspiring doctoral students to the formal process and to the personal, emotional and intellectual challenges they are likely to face. The authors come from a wide range of disciplines - from computing, education and literature to science and sociology. Although their experiences and backgrounds are as varied as they are as individuals, their richly diverse chapters cohere into a rounded guide to the issues for those who follow in their footsteps. From questioning the reader about his or her reasons for pursuing a doctorate, offering advice on financial issues, the choice of university and doctoral program, and relocation, through the process and timetable of application, interviews, acceptance and rejection, the authors go on to describe their own journeys and the lessons they have learned. These men and women write candidly about their experiences, the strategies they used to maintain their motivation, make the transition from HBCUs to PWIs, balance family and work, make the right choices and keep focussed on priorities. They discuss how to work effectively with advisors and mentors, make all-important connections with teachers and build professional and personal support networks. They recount how they dealt with tokenism, established credibility, handled racism, maintained their values and culture, and persuaded supervisors to legitimize their research interests in African American issues.