Want to Be an English Professor? It Gets Harder Every Year

The number of job openings in English announced in the Modern Language Association’s Job Information List exceeded the number of new doctorates in English language and literature every year but one from 2002-3 to 2011-12. But then the balance shifted. Every academic year from 2012-13 on, universities produced more doctorate recipients in English language and literature than there were jobs advertised. By 2016-17, the number of such doctorate recipients exceeded the number of such MLA ads by 337.

The dearth of jobs has raised concerns at places like Columbia University, which has placed just one current Ph.D. candidate into a tenure-track job this year. As Emma Pettit discusses in a Chronicle article, the low placement rate raises questions about how large graduate programs should be in a bleak job market.

Note: The number of doctoral degrees granted covers general degrees in the field of English language and literature, and excludes specialized fields like creative writing, rhetoric, or scientific writing. The number of positions advertised indicates the number advertised in the Modern Language Association’s Job Information List. MLA data for 2017-18 is preliminary. Degree data for 2017-18 is not available.

Sources: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data; Modern Language Association

Ruth Hammond edits the People section and the Almanac issue. Follow her on Twitter @ruthehammond, or email her at ruth.hammond@chronicle.com.