Unmissable benefits: A qualitative study of the personal value of humanities doctoral education for graduates

The humanities PhD is undergoing extraordinary change. Against this backdrop, this article argues that humanities doctoral education should be structured, supported and evaluated in ways that recognise its differences from other fields. It shares the findings of a qualitative survey of 60 humanities graduates from British and Irish universities who reflected on the value of their doctorates to various areas of life since graduation. Employing reflexive thematic analysis, the article explores the intense ambivalence with which graduates perceive this value. While describing known financial and emotional costs, participants articulate unmissable benefits connected to the situated form of knowledge creation distinct to the humanities: meaningful relationships, self-fulfilment and an enhanced capacity to interpret the world. This addresses gaps in scholarship by indicating what is unique about humanities doctorates. Through drawing on the findings, the article recommends strategies for funders, institutions and researchers to promote humanities doctoral experiences of high personal value.