Doctoral Futures

As we have transitioned into 2026, Doctoral Futures has completed the initial phase of inquiry and is preparing to shift from reflection to action. During the project’s next phase, we will be working on developing concrete recommendations that are organized around the focal areas that emerged from the work of all the committees led by member societies–American Historical Association, the Modern Language Association, and the Society of Biblical Literature.

Humanities graduate education is still at an inflection point—and we are seizing the extraordinary opportunity to shape what comes next. Doctoral Futures plan of action is to continue to work towards reimagining graduate programs that are more equitable, resilient, and connected to the world humanistic knowledge is meant to serve.

Meet the project leadership here.

Doctoral Futures is now on Medium!

Get more Doctoral Futures content from our recently launched Medium site, “Doctoral Futures: Perspectives.”

Goals of the Initiative

Create a clearinghouse for research

Inventory existing research on past efforts to improve humanities graduate education. Generate new research about promising practices.

Identify promising practices and models

Identify the most promising and replicable methods and models for change from past initiatives and make recommendations for their dissemination and implementation.

Drive future-forward systemic change

Engage decision-makers across the country in the adoption of the most promising practices and models to create humanities doctoral education for 21st century challenges. 

Support leaders and institutions

Support leaders, programs, and institutions in implementing changes to their doctoral programs, including by connecting them with change-makers at other institutions.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Phase 1: Research

Goal: Understand the current state of graduate education, identify areas in need of structural change, and survey the landscape of attempted reforms

Activities:

Survey existing research on graduate education
Organize committees and advisory group
Document successful programs and practices at different institutions
Conduct focus groups and interviews with students, faculty, and administrators

Phase 2: Recommendations

Goal: Turn research into practical guidance for institutions

Activities:

Draft recommendations from analyzed data
Host a convening to share results and refine proposals
Create toolkit(s) with frameworks and examples
Develop catalog of approaches that work
Present preliminary findings to faculty and academic leaders
Launch resource website

Phase 3: Persuasion

Goal: Build support and secure commitments to implementation

Activities:

Offer presentations and workshops at national conferences, including disciplinary association meetings
Engage faculty,administrators, and university leadership to develop institution-specific implementation plans
Secure commitments for specific reforms from institutions
Develop a plan for the next phase of doctoral education reform

Project Deliverables

Research landscape analyses
Resources and toolkits for use by faculty and administrators
Menu of best practices and models
Formal commitments from institutional leaders
Implementation action plans

Phase 1: Research

Goal: Understand the current state of graduate education, identify areas in need of structural change, and survey the landscape of attempted reforms

Activities:

Survey existing research on graduate education
Organize committees and advisory group
Document successful programs and practices at different institutions
Conduct focus groups and interviews with students, faculty, and administrators

Phase 2: Recommendations

Goal: Turn research into practical guidance for institutions

Activities:

Draft recommendations from analyzed data
Host a convening to share results and refine proposals
Create toolkit(s) with frameworks and examples
Develop catalog of approaches that work
Present preliminary findings to faculty and academic leaders
Launch resource website

Phase 3: Persuasion

Goal: Build support and secure commitments to implementation

Activities:

Offer presentations and workshops at national conferences, including disciplinary association meetings
Engage faculty,administrators, and university leadership to develop institution-specific implementation plans
Secure commitments for specific reforms from institutions
Develop a plan for the next phase of doctoral education reform

Project Deliverables

Research landscape analyses
Resources and toolkits for use by faculty and administrators
Menu of best practices and models
Formal commitments from institutional leaders
Implementation action plans

Led by the Society of Biblical Literature, participants will examine recruitment and admissions practices, experiments in revising selection criteria, undergraduate program preparation, and efforts to diversify the applicant pool.

Led by the Modern Language Association, participants will look at advising and mentoring practices, retention strategies (particularly for members of underrepresented groups), curricular innovation, exams, the future of the dissertation.

Led by the American Historical Association, participants will consider how we might realign humanities graduate education with the need for advanced educated professionals with humanistic skills and perspectives, inside and outside academia.