Great insight.

The admissions process is a further indication that someone thinks the Ph.D. student has some intellect. So you have intellectual curiosity, intellectual capacity, and street smarts all rolled into one.

One wonders if we should ask "Have you dropped out of a Ph.D. program in the last six years?" on the employment application.

Nice to be loved, Paul. I think it is true that graduate work in a PhD program demonstrates intellectual passion and curiosity.

Kelley also makes a good point that getting into a PhD program is difficult, making it a useful filter.

However, I would not be so quick to discount the value of finishing the dissertation. Though I never made it to the end, I think a dissertation shows discipline, patience, deep knowledge in a specific subfield, and ability to engage the research community. That may not be the skill set that is most important for business, but it is of substantial value.

Yeah, finishing the dissertation (which I did, in mathematics) does prove that you can finish something, and often proves that you can finish something deep. Or it could prove that you can jump through hoops, or that you are stubborn, or overly academic in your outlook. But quitting at an appropriate juncture may also prove that you have sense. Or it may show that you don't have the curiousity or skill in your field to finish.

In short, it means something, but you have to ask the next question.

Didn't mean in my comment above to disparage anyone who does stick it out and get the Ph.D. My comments were decidely light-hearted. On a serious note, it makes sense to ask question about why someone took a particular course.

A Ph.D. could reveal that they thought about quitting, but stuck it out anyway, suggesting drive.

Having achieved a double first (dunno the US equiv), I was pushed towards doing a PhD. At the time I was making a ahndsome living on the side so I thought - "Why pay shed loads of loot to do something I'm being paid for anyway?" No contest.

.. and what happened to a genuine love for knowledge. Of course, I work in a field where getting a research position without a PhD is next to impossible. The problem that I see from the above comments is that people look upon the PhD as some sort of chore, which you need to stick it out for. Others I know look upon it as a boatload of fun and an opportunity to learn many new things and skills (including business acumen).

"A Ph.D. could reveal that they thought about quitting, but stuck it out anyway, suggesting drive."

Kinda depends on how long it took. if they let it drag on for a long time before they got in gear and finished, that's not so good. Unless they were using the time to start a company/run a band/whatever.

Paul: Who did you study with at Western?