PhD theses: the pros and cons 3

Stirling University is right to think that its thesis-free PhD offers "better preparation for an academic career than the traditional dissertation". It will produce graduates with no coherent knowledge, an inability to sustain an argument for more than a few pages and a faceless set of "skills" imparted by the ubiquitous training to which the deputy principal of Stirling refers. These, fortunately, are the keys to success in modern British universities.

Neil Badmington
Cardiff