Prepping for next year.
PhD/PsyD How many publications to be competitive for a tenure track job in counseling psychology?
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Depends on many factors (quality of journal, type of job). With ample teaching experience, you could land a TT job at a teaching college with 1-2 pubs. Major research university? I'd think 5+ to even have the slightest chance, though I'm on the clinical side.
I agree with Ollie - it depends on your subfield and whether you are trying to land a position at an R1, R2, or smaller liberal arts institution focused on teaching. It also depends on your specific area of research, the strengths you are bringing to the department, the funding you have secured, your teaching experience, etc. What's your authorship status on the pubs? I wouldn't think of it as a number, but rather as your record development and how it maps on to what they're looking for and your growth potential. Ten pubs as someone who was awarded authorship from supporting a productive lab looks different than someone with 10 pubs who has clearly headed up their own projects.
(FYI - I'm clinical and currently on the market, so this is my perspective as an applicant and as someone who has been the student member on search committees.)
(FYI - I'm clinical and currently on the market, so this is my perspective as an applicant and as someone who has been the student member on search committees.)
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Assuming you want to be an 80 (research)/20 (teach) academic. You'll be most effective if you can explain how your research line developed, if you were able to secure external funding, where you want to go with your work, what kind of funding you plan to pursue, etc. Publications are needed, but the numbers are very relative, as people have previously mentioned. If you can show success securing funding (or even scoring well on a grant app), that helps. Being able to bring funding with you from the get-go can be difficult, but being able to show that you are fundable is important to many (but not all) places.
As for the 20% side…you'll want to have a teaching portfolio. There was a thread on here from a couple years ago that talked about it. I don't think I started it, but I know I posted in the thread; some good info in there about what you need to include, etc.
As for the 20% side…you'll want to have a teaching portfolio. There was a thread on here from a couple years ago that talked about it. I don't think I started it, but I know I posted in the thread; some good info in there about what you need to include, etc.
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I wrapped up a successful search in counseling psych this past year and landed at an R1. I had around 8 or so journal publications (plus a few chapters and a small external grant) when I went out. Most were first author and the rest were second. I felt very competitive and was continuing to land a number of interviews before I withdrew myself from searches. From this, I felt able to demonstrate my ability to drive independent projects and have them end up in good journals. Of course, as others have said, it depends on authorship placement, journal type, and the type of setting you are wanting to work (both research emphasis and geographic location).
My sense was that sitting between 5 and 10 pubs with 50% first author would be a reasonable bar.
My sense was that sitting between 5 and 10 pubs with 50% first author would be a reasonable bar.
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Totally depends on your landing place. I am a TT faculty and I think I had in the neighborhood of 15 when I applied. If you have fewer (5-10) then as long as you have some top journals in there, that will help. If you are going for an R1 funding potential is probably a bigger factor (and inherent in that is a solid biosketch, i.e., publications).
Oh and as T4C mentioned, develop a teaching statement. They are going to want to look at that at most places - the degree of importance will vary widely. At a teaching institution, this will be a main focus for them.
Oh and as T4C mentioned, develop a teaching statement. They are going to want to look at that at most places - the degree of importance will vary widely. At a teaching institution, this will be a main focus for them.
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As others are saying, it depends on where you want to end up. I'm also a counseling psych grad and in my first year as TT faculty. I had 5 publications, 4 were 1st author, and two external funding sources (one small $1-5k, the other medium$30-40k). I also had substantial teaching experience and did a clinical post-doc to meet licensure requirements.
Fit, again, is also important. I applied relatively selectively to institutions seeking someone with my research focus. It paid off as I had several on-campus interviews and multiple offers. In the end I pulled myself out of searches once I accepted an offer at a "Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs; more selective; research doctoral- single program" institution, according to Carnegie, where I'm the department of psychology and teach undergrads and grads. Maybe this is an R2 by the older Carnegie definitions?
Also echo what Pragma says, your teaching philosophy and research trajectory are important pieces, although institutions will weigh them differently depending on the focus.
Fit, again, is also important. I applied relatively selectively to institutions seeking someone with my research focus. It paid off as I had several on-campus interviews and multiple offers. In the end I pulled myself out of searches once I accepted an offer at a "Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs; more selective; research doctoral- single program" institution, according to Carnegie, where I'm the department of psychology and teach undergrads and grads. Maybe this is an R2 by the older Carnegie definitions?
Also echo what Pragma says, your teaching philosophy and research trajectory are important pieces, although institutions will weigh them differently depending on the focus.
