Academia

Academia is a broad term used to describe the world of higher educational institutions and research institutions. People in academia include graduate students (in doctoral programs) and faculty. Faculty in turn include tenured and tenure-track faculty, faculty with post-doctoral appointments, and adjunct faculty.

For convenience, we do not include pre-college education in our use of the word academia. We also exclude undergraduate students (except in so far as they may aspirationally want to continue to graduate studies and are engaging in activities similar to graduate students). The reason for excluding undergraduate students by default is that the majority of people pursuing undergraduate studies do not intend to continue in academia, and the undergraduate programs are designed with this in mind. Whereas a large number of entering Ph.D. students leave academia soon, the structure of the system for entering Ph.D. students is designed with continuation in academia as a major consideration.

See also:

• Academia as a career option: A discussion of the factors to consider and weigh in determining whether academia is a good career option.
• Social value of academia: Is academia a good place to go to to have a huge positive social impact? What parts of academia are more promising in this regard, and what parts are less?
• Alternatives to academia: A discussion of alternatives for people who are considering academia. These can substitute for some of the positives that academia has to offer, while avoiding some of the negatives.