PHD

[Coco8 1,042]

2 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

One more thing... just checking OP knows that a PhD in the US tends to take about 6 years, sometimes longer, vs the 3-4 you can usually expect in Europe. 

Yes, that is because PhD in the US includes an MA (or any masters variant), so it is 1 or 2 years of MA + 3 to 4 years of PhD. 

 

The short PhDs in Europe do not include MA and usually require much longer Postdocs. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

2 minutes ago, Coco8 said:

Yes, that is because PhD in the US includes an MA (or any masters variant), so it is 1 or 2 years of MA + 3 to 4 years of PhD. 

 

The short PhDs in Europe do not include MA and usually require much longer Postdocs. 

Yup, but US colleges are also horribly reluctant to give you any credit for masters courses especially taken outside the US.  So even if you have a masters (or two ...lol) you still need to double up your time.

 

I’m not aware of any PhDs that require a post doc appointment though? I mean - sure if you want to get into academia you’ll need it for that, but not a requirement of the PhD? 

[seagull242 6]

I'll chime in. It really depends on what field you're in and what university you go to. I am F-1 in last year of PhD. I go to a large state school. All of my tuition is paid for and I get a stipend from the university that completely covers my housing (~18,000 a year and I live with my husband so that gets us a nice place with our combined income). Also, time in PhD programs really varies, I'm finishing mine in 5 years, but many of my colleagues finish in 4 years.

 

1. Apply for a bunch of programs, try and do your best to either visit campus and talked to a prof whose research you're interested in or call them on the phone. Very important because they are judging if you're a good fit to be under their mentorship.

 

2. For PhD, if a school doesn't provide you with an assistantship that covers most or all of your tuition + expense, that means that actually aren't that interested in you. If they really wanted you they would pay you. DO NOT pay out of pocket for a PhD, not worth your time.

 

3. Look into R1 universities. These are typically large, public universities that do top tier research and receive a lot of grant funding. They will have the best stiped for grad students.

 

4. I got into my PhD program without a masters degree, just my bachelors. It is possible, you have to ask professors.

Edited June 29, 2018 by seagull242

[statmania 12]

14 hours ago, Orangesapples said:

Undergrad and grad school are very different. It's not unusual for a PhD to be free. 

Free might be a bit much...I worked a lot as did all my colleagues for the "free" PhD education we got. Still a good deal, IMHO, if you get a full ride.

 

[Orangesapples 1,954]

31 minutes ago, statmania said:

Free might be a bit much...I worked a lot as did all my colleagues for the "free" PhD education we got. Still a good deal, IMHO, if you get a full ride.

 

Oh, I'm not saying it's easy in any way, I know people who basically live in their labs. A PhD is extremely demanding but I don't think it puts people into debt like undergrad does and as long as you prove you're worth it, you don't need your own funds. But it's a giant commitment and it can mean that you basically put your life on hold. It's nothing like undergrad.