Continental Programs & the PGR

In our new "how can we help you?" thread, Cautiously Optimistic writes:

I start my master's in three weeks, and I am already thinking of the next step...After looking at the PGR, none of the ranked programs are continental programs. This is disappointing because I am partial to phenomenology and existentialism, and the programs they recommended FOR continental philosophy were stronger in epistemology, logic, etc. than my desired area. I worry that people take the PGR too seriously considering its bias. Is it best to apply to PGR programs, or non-ranked continental phd programs that have good placement? I am interested in Stonybrook (who have Steinbock) and Penn State (who have Nicolas de Warren), but neither Penn State nor Stonybrook are top PGR programs. Will this hurt me in the long run?

As Martin Shuster noted, "There are certainly non-ranked PGR programs that place quite well if not better than ranked ones (e.g., University of Oregon or Vanderbilt)." Indeed, the ADPA data make that pretty clear. I also personally know people who went to non-PGR-ranked Continental programs that have excellent placement rates who went on to get tenure-track jobs. So I'm with SPEP Grad Student, who wrote, "Take a close at placement data, if it is available." If I were entering grad school today, I'd be more concerned about the placement rates of the programs I was interested than I would be concerned program rank. 

But this is just me. What do you all think? It might be good to hear from current grad students and recent grads from the kinds of programs Cautiously mentions (Stonybrook, Penn State, etc.).

Comments

[Jordan]

This is worth a look, wrt Penn State in particular: http://placementdata.com:8182/untitled-2/

[Michel]

I quite like Arnold Wilson's edited collection, "Demonstrating Philosophy: Novel Ways to Teach Philosophical Concepts". It's out of print, and out of date, but I've found it pretty inspiring as far as games and other in-class activities are concerned. Many of my own are just updated or re-jigged versions of these suggestions, or new activities inspired by these.

(Despite being out of print, it can be had pretty cheaply on Amazon and ebay.)

[Hart]

I am searching for PhD programs with a focus on continental, and this post is quite helpful. I am a current grad student in Communication and American Studies at Penn State Harrisburg. Ans I want to pursue my PhD in Philosophy because I am having class about phenomenology. Please feel free to share more information, and I am looking for programs that do not ask for strong Philosophical background. Thank you!

[Amanda]

Hart most Masters programs to not require a strong philosophical background. You might want to try that. I know SUNY places a lot of continental philosophers.