If you are ABD, is it appropriate to use ABD after your name? GE Dude often refers himself as GE Dude, ABD. I have never heard of such a thing. GE Dude can be quite pretentious, so I am wondering if that is why he does it.
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9 comments:
No, I don't think that it is OK. It adds information, of course, but it is pretentious. Besides, it is also announcing to the rest of the world something that you didn't finish.
Two related responses to this as an ABD myself:
1) It suggests you can't finish. I don't know if I would be proud of that. I'm proud of being ABD (but use Doctoral Candidate as my signature) because I'm in the process of finishing - those that have stalled - well then I think they need to revert to MA/MS.
2) My professors always remind us that ABD is NOT a degree.
I've known some who used it -- and it never came off well. They were usually terminal ABDs :). I don't use it, or MA -- and I doubt I'll use PhD unless it is required.
that's funny, i never thought of using that title, though in some ways it describes me. i actually quit grad school almost at the very end. i had done everything except that last little bit of research (so i guess that would mean i wasn't abd?) and write/defend my thesis. but i'd never call myself that though, becaue in science that doesn't count. i barely get an eyebrow raise when i say i have a master's degree.
I've seen people who are still in a program do it (usually people in clinical programs), and it's weird, but I chalked it up to cultural differences. But I would definitely find it weird and pretentious if someone who was not continuing to degree used it.
The fact that you've never seen it used means that it's not the norm for your field.
I used "Ph.D candidate" on the line below my name in my e-mail signature. ABD isn't a degree, so it shouldn't directly follow a name.
I got burned once for writing PhD (ABD). I thought it was clear what I meant, but from now on, I'll use "PhD candidate."
I can't imagine why anyone would want to advertise the fact that they're an ABD. Being one is not a good thing. I should know, because I've been one for a long time!
I've never heard of ABD's advertising it either and my old school was very pretentious in a "new money" sort of way.
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