Doing a doctorate after graduating from university sounds like a horror idea to some, but to others it sounds like an incentive to delve even deeper into academic research. Of course, the money factor also plays a big role, after all, doctors always earn more, right? But what does a doctorate actually mean and is working on a dissertation lasting several years really worth it? I am currently in the middle of my own doctoral thesis and would like to tell you my personal reasons for doing so. But first there are a few very useful facts about the doctorate.
General information about the dissertation
No matter the industry: a doctorate is considered a career boost. The reason for this is that you can expect a higher starting salary because the higher the academic qualification, the higher the pay. In fact, the average starting salary for doctoral graduates is €60,500 per year. Most doctoral graduates come from the economics, politics or cultural sectors.
Beware of plagiarism
What can go wrong with a doctoral thesis? First of all, of course, that you capitulate and don't finish it. Then there would be the topic being missed, but this is rarely the problem - after all, with your doctoral supervisor you have a helpful mentor at your side. The greatest danger therefore comes from the text itself: the integrated quotations that were not marked as such. This is called plagiarism, i.e. when you pass off someone else's text (parts) as your own. This doesn't necessarily have to be done intentionally: With all the abundance of direct and indirect quotations that you include in your doctoral thesis, you sometimes forget to name the author. However, upon closer examination - and this will definitely be done - this can lead to the withdrawal of the doctoral title, which would be really annoying after many years of work. In some cases there is even a risk of a fine. To prevent this from happening to you, you should have your work checked for plagiarism. With the express plagiarism check for a dissertation, you will receive your plagiarism check report within an hour, which you can use to correct the errors. This way you are on the safe side and don't have to worry about not receiving your title due to careless mistakes.
What does the doctor bring to the individual disciplines?
Depending on the academic discipline, the benefits of a dissertation can vary both financially and career-wise.
Natural sciences:
- In some cases, a doctorate is not so much a rarity as it is the norm - for example, 90% of all chemistry and 66% of all biology students earn a doctorate
- A doctorate is a mandatory requirement, especially if you want to go into research and development
- Earnings: Around €8,000 more than master’s graduates
Engineering
- Doctorates are rare, only 10-20% write a doctoral thesis
- Leadership positions can also be achieved without a title
- Earnings: Around €11,000 more than master’s graduates
Law Sciences:
- Doctorates are not given too often, but also not too rarely
- Although not a requirement for employment, it is welcome in law firms
- Earnings: Around €14,000 more than career starters with a state exam
Social sciences:
- Doctorates are rarely awarded here
- Doctorate-Ttel is only useful for careers in certain cases
- Earnings: Around €8,000 more than master’s graduates
Linguistics and cultural studies:
- 60% of students want to work in research and teaching, which requires a doctorate
- Salary remains the same
- Still a worthwhile investment, as 38% say that a doctorate was a prerequisite for their current job
Economics:
- Doctorates are not given too often, but also not too rarely
- Although not a requirement for employment, it is particularly welcome in management consultancies
- Earnings: Around €10,000 more than master’s graduates
What speaks against a dissertation?
Of course, writing a doctoral thesis is no walk in the park - you need a lot of motivation and time, time, time. There are also other disadvantages:
- Little earnings: Given the immense time commitment, you can hardly work full-time. Of course, you'll lose a lot of money: In Germany, completing a doctorate takes an average of five years, and the net income during this time is €1,100 per month, almost half of what an academic normally earns. Extrapolated over five years, that’s a loss of around €60,000.
- Not automatically more money: Not in all industries you earn more with a doctorate.
- Not immediately worthwhile: A doctorate only becomes financially worthwhile in the medium or long term.
- Perseverance: Two thirds of all doctoral projects in Germany are abandoned because interest in the topic decreases and you earn too little.
- Can make applications more difficult: Title is not the same as a permanent job; in marketing, for example, you can appear too intellectual, theoretical and overqualified - practical experience counts more.
Do you want to get your doctorate anyway?
If this puts you off, let me tell you: There are various options for financing yourself during your doctoral thesis. Research training colleges, for example, are university institutions that promote young scientists. Specified, funded research programs are offered, which means you can concentrate fully on your dissertation thanks to the scholarship and good working conditions.
You can also do a doctorate in industry, because there are many research projects that cover a given topic but make you financially independent. You will also gain additional practical experience.
Why am I doing a doctorate?
Personally, I decided to pursue a doctorate for various reasons. As a master's graduate in media studies, I have a fairly broad range of knowledge: marketing, journalism, graphic design, literary studies, even computer science - there's a little bit of everything. On the one hand, that's good, but on the other hand, it's not, because it makes it more difficult to decide on your career if you don't have a completely clear career goal in mind.
Since I enjoy scientific research and writing my bachelor's and master's thesis didn't drive me completely crazy, I decided to do a doctorate. Of course, the prospect of more salary in the future also plays a role, but not primarily. I would like to work in the cultural sector, especially in the art sector, which is why I am focusing my doctoral thesis on this topic. A title is very useful for this and it won't take me five years to complete like some other fields. I also work as a freelancer on various projects and can thus gain additional practical experience. I am also location-independent and flexible, so I have enough time to devote myself to my dissertation.
For me it was the right decision - you have to know for yourself what it looks like for you. But at the end I can give you one last motivating fact: people with doctorates are less likely to be unemployed than university graduates of the same age without a doctorate.
Find out about the advantages and disadvantages of a doctorate.
