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How to Prepare for a PhD as an Undergraduate

Last Updated: September 1, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Carrie Adkins, PhD . Carrie Adkins is the cofounder of NursingClio, an open access, peer-reviewed, collaborative blog that connects historical scholarship to current issues in gender and medicine. She completed her PhD in American History at the University of Oregon in 2013. While completing her PhD, she earned numerous competitive research grants, teaching fellowships, and writing awards. This article has been viewed 77,353 times.

Getting a PhD is highly rewarding and equally tasking. You should get to know as far in advance as possible that there is a good amount of prep work to do. That said, you can begin planning for your PhD as early as freshman or sophomore year of undergrad. Preparing for a PhD requires you to plan, work hard and study hard, and getting to know the people around you.

Choosing the Path You Want

• Don't approach any professor at random. Look at the department you’re interested in, review who is teaching what, what their specific area of study is, and then contact them. For example, if you’re interested in linguistics you would go to the linguistics department website and look under the faculty tab. Here you will find a bio for each professor that can help you choose one or two professors to talk to.
• If you send an email, start with “Dear Professor Smith,” then ask if you can meet to ask questions about pursuing a PhD in linguistics. Sign the email with a cordial closing like “sincerely" and your name.
• If you go to their office hours, show up when the hours begin, politely knock on the door (even if it’s already open), and introduce yourself. You can say something like, “Hello Professor Smith, I am John Public and I’m interested in getting a PhD in linguistics. I’d like to ask you a few questions about the process. Is this a good time for you?”
• Don’t try to talk at length with the professor after class. They likely have another class or something already scheduled. What you can do, however, is inquire about setting a meeting, and then follow up with an email about the details.

• A good way to meet a current grad student is to contact a professor and ask for a list of people who would be willing to meet up with you. Then you can email the student directly to ask if they would be free to meet up over lunch or a cup of coffee. During the meeting be sure to thank them for taking the time to meet with you. Most importantly, you need to come with a list of questions you have about grad school, and also be open to listen to any advice they have to give that isn’t on your question list.
• For example, you might ask “how much does grad school cost, and how do I pay for it?”, or inquire about what is required of them. You might also ask, “what are the best and worst things about grad school?” And also, “how do you handle the workload?”

• Make sure you also think about whether you want to get a PhD to work as an academic (i.e. a professor) or in the private sector. [2] X Research source Both paths can be rewarding, but the prep work can be wildly different. For example, an associate professor teaching psychology at a university will require a significant publication record, but going into private practice or working for the government requires much less.

Performing Well Academically

• Do you remember the semester you decided to take the extra class, suffered the loss of your childhood pet, or thought sleeping through geology was a good idea? The group of professors on the selection panel will understand one or two grade discrepancies on your transcript. After all, they were undergrads too. The panel will be less likely to overlook frequent or repeated bad grades and withdraws (classes marked by a W on your transcript), even if they are in non-major courses or general prerequisites.
• To work as hard as you can, do homework and study on a daily basis. When you don’t understand the material, go to your professor’s office hours with specific questions and examples of what you don’t get. Also, don’t be afraid to go to the tutoring center or hire a private tutor. This will provide detailed, first-hand help with the course material.

• General education classes are designed to provide a well-rounded, general education that gets you ready for more specific courses. These classes are required at the University level for all students to complete. For example, you’ll likely need to complete freshman level English classes, a few science courses, and perhaps writing classes.
• Major classes are more specific courses that the major or department requires. If you’re a language major, you’re likely required to take a general linguistics class, several survey courses in literature and culture, and depending on the state you go to school in, you’ll have to pass a language-specific written and oral test. These requirements are put in place to make sure that you will be ready to take graduate-level courses and perform well.
• Many universities also offer cross-listed classes, which are courses open to both graduate and undergraduate students. Take a few of these to get an idea of the work you’ll be doing. This is also a great way to meet grad students and make your introduction.

• There are several ways to prepare for the GRE or other important entrance exams. The most obvious but often overlooked is to work hard throughout your undergrad education. This means study early for each class and study often.
• Many people find it helpful to buy test preparation materials to study for the exam. For example, you can purchase GRE prep manuals from Kaplan, ETS, or The Princeton Review. You can usually find online or in-print materials available. Often the materials can be used in conjunction with a class that is meant to prepare you for the exam. These same companies also likely have courses available.
• If you’re looking to seal the deal, try hiring a tutor who is trained in test preparation. There are several national companies like Wyzant, Varsity Tutors, and Sylvan who have tutors trained in this area. It’s also likely that there are many local companies who offer the same services. Finally, check with your college or university’s student services center, as they may have several on-campus options.

• You need to ask the right person. Ask a full-time faculty member who is an assistant, associate, or full professor. Many times the person teaching your introduction course, the principles of economics class, or the first 4 or 5 semesters of most language courses is a graduate teaching assistant, and their letter will not carry as much weight as would that of a faculty member. Ask for letters of recommendation usually toward the end off your junior year, when you’re filling out the applications.
• Give the person at least three weeks to write the letter if possible. Professors usually have to teach, perform research, grade, serve on multiple committees, advise students, and go to department meetings, so providing sufficient time is best. However, if an important grant or new opening at a PhD program comes up and you’re in good standing with your psycholinguistics professor, go ahead and ask politely for a letter of recommendation. The worst thing they could say is no.

Gaining Experience

• Several options exist for learning a new language. One of them is to take classes in a language at the university you are already attending. You can also take courses at private language schools in your area, study with language learning software like Rosetta Stone or Fluenz, use a language learning app on your phone like Duolingo or Babbel, or hire a private language coach.
• Regardless of which option you choose, be sure to bolster your skills with practice. You can practice your language skills by watching movies, listening to music, joining a local club or society, and hiring a conversation partner.

• You can get research experience by applying for part-time positions in a laboratory, department, or a related job outside the university. For example, if you want to study cognitive development, you can apply to work in a psychology lab, a medical center that specializes in cognitive disorders, or even volunteer in the psychology department.
• Other opportunities include paid or unpaid internships, which can be found in a variety of places. For example, legal offices, court houses, large medical centers, museums, and many more places usually have many openings. Be careful though, these positions may fill fast, so be on the look out.

• There are a lot of ways to improve organizational skills. For example, focus on a few skills at a time, like improving time management. [5] X Research source You can also work on learning to set priorities, doing what’s more important first and saving less crucial tasks for later. [6] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Hold out for a top choice, instead of settling for a program that doesn't meet your needs. If you don't get in one year, wait and try again. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You don't have to carry straight on from your undergraduate degree to postgraduate studies. Consider other alternatives, like take a year out to travel or spend some time in the work force. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Graduate school can be all about research. Once you've met the GPA requirements for your school, research credentials carry extra weight. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• It takes a lot of mental strength to cope up with the demands of graduate school, like the grueling pace, taking large amounts of well-intended criticism, or meeting pushy people. For that reason, every college and university has a student services center that provides counseling services, usually free for students, or already covered under most health insurances. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Getting a PhD is a huge time commitment. Make sure you’re committed and passionate. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
• Make sure you are certain a PhD is for you. It may sound like fun and being able to put Dr in front of your name may sound great, but this time-consuming process may be too expensive. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.academics.com/prepare-for-a-phd
• ↑ http://blogs.plos.org/thestudentblog/2014/04/22/faqs-about-non-academic-jobs-jane-hu/
• ↑ http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/The-Advantages-of-Being-Bilingual/
• ↑ https://www.postgrad.com/advice/phd/how_to_prepare/top-tips/
• ↑ http://www.briantracy.com/blog/time-management/mastering-time-management-and-organizational-skills-to-increase-productivity/
• ↑ http://www.mtdtraining.com/blog/how-to-improve-organisational-skills-to-reduce-stress.htm

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April 15, 2023

Applying to PhD Programs: When, Where, How, and Why?

The thought of pursuing a PhD can be daunting. You might ask yourself the following key questions:

• When should I apply?
• Where should I apply?
• How do I get in?
• Why do I want to go? 

Let’s consider these questions one at a time.

Question 1: “When should I apply?”

The right time to apply to graduate school is when your personal, academic, and professional experiences have aligned such that you know for certain you want to further your knowledge and skills in a specific field. Read on for some signs that these experiences are, in fact, aligned.

In your personal life

Think about when you were first introduced to your field of study. What made you want to keep learning about it? Is that drive to know more about your field of study still there? If the answer is yes, then you might be personally ready for graduate study. In addition, memorable personal experiences – and the lessons you have learned from them – can also make you personally ready for graduate study. 

For example, perhaps you were diagnosed with a condition and have spent the past decade managing it. The psychological strain of this experience has made you highly empathic toward patients suffering from chronic conditions. You’re now committed to studying the effectiveness of various approaches to promoting mental health among this population.

Or maybe one of your fondest childhood memories is birdwatching with your dad, who taught you all about various species and their migration patterns. This experience led you to pursue ornithology, and it still makes you excited to learn about birds.

Something doesn’t have to be deeply profound to others for it to be deeply meaningful to you.

In your academic life

You’ve demonstrated – via high grades or assignments on which you went above and beyond the basic requirements – that you have a strong grasp of the technical aspects of your intended field. You’ve done more than memorize core concepts and theories; you’ve contemplated how they relate to the broader aims of the field. You’ve taken more advanced classwork, completed an independent project, or did professional work that involved innovation and research. And you now want to apply those theories and concepts in graduate school and your career.

Let’s say you majored in civil engineering. You’ve excelled in all your engineering courses, as well as in chemistry, math, and physics. In the process, you’ve learned how to apply the core principles of each field to design resilient infrastructure that does not fail in extraordinary events and is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable.

In your professional life

Whether you’ve worked/volunteered in a relevant setting for six months or six years, you’ve learned about and contributed to the rigorous research process. Ideally, you’ve taken on multiple roles, each one more demanding than the previous one. But at every stage, you’ve taken your responsibilities seriously because you understand that each task, no matter how seemingly trivial, must be performed diligently, lest you risk compromising the data and ultimately the findings of the entire study.

As an undergraduate research assistant, you might have begun with basic responsibilities such as data entry and cleaning in Excel. After you demonstrated that you are reliable and diligent, you were able to help conduct studies and maybe even run some of your own analyses using the data.

Then, by the time you entered your current role (the one you’re in when you apply to PhD programs), . You can not only evaluate all the variables being assessed but also identify other variables that aren’t being measured and articulate why they should be included in future research. At this point, you’re able to generate your own research questions, formulate testable hypotheses, and even design a hypothetical study in which the findings are interesting regardless of whether your hypotheses are supported.

When you’ve identified these signs in your personal, academic, and professional experiences, you’re ready to apply.

Question 2: “Where should I apply?”

To identify the right program(s) to apply to, it is crucial to look at more than just the ranking or reputation of the university . The “2022-2023 Best National University Rankings” by U.S. News & World Report should not be your primary source for one simple reason: PhD programs are very idiosyncratic. Even if you have chosen a field of study (ideally the field in which you received your undergraduate and/or master’s degree), there are likely many research areas within that field and even more specific topics within each area. The right research area for you will depend on your previous research experience, as well as on the specific topic(s) you want to investigate.

For example, within the field of psychology , there are many areas, including clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, health psychology, evolutionary psychology, personality psychology, and social psychology. Then within, say, social psychology, there’s a vast array of specific topics, such as attitudes, aggression, decision-making, emotion, prejudice, and prosocial behavior, to name a few. As you can imagine, these topics are not mutually exclusive. In fact, combining topics can generate unique findings. Therefore, when thinking about where to apply, you might prioritize programs where the faculty are studying combinations of topics you find particularly interesting.

Another factor to consider is that programs differ as a function of the research methods they employ. Thus, when thinking about where to apply, in addition to identifying programs where the faculty are researching the specific topics in which you are most interested, it’s necessary to consider whether those faculty members are using methods that you would like to apply in your future career. Do you want to master advanced statistical techniques? Do you want to work with state-of-the-art technologies? Do you want to interact with people? Do you want to observe phenomena in the “real world” or in experimental settings? It’s not only about what you’re researching; it’s also about how you’re researching it.

Once you’ve identified programs based on those considerations, it’s time to identify prospective faculty advisors within your chosen programs . After all, you’re not just applying to PhD programs; you’re applying to work with specific faculty members, and they are the ones who will be reviewing your application and deciding whether to accept you. Based on the faculty members’ professional biographies (which you can usually find on the program’s website), you’ll probably be able to identify the professors whose interests are most similar to your own.

But it is not enough to be confident that you want to work with a given faculty member. Next, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with that professor’s recent work by reading research papers they’ve published in the past couple years. As you’re reading, ask yourself whether this faculty member writes and thinks clearly and presents arguments and evidence in a compelling manner. You will be mentored by this person for five years (or more!), so it’s crucial that you find someone you admire and are motivated to learn from.

In sum, the steps in deciding where to apply for PhD study are as follows:

• Choose your field of study.
• Identify your area(s) within that field.
• Discover the specific topics you find most fascinating.
• Consider what methods you want to employ.
• Evaluate the merits of prospective faculty advisors.

Question 3: “How do I get in?”

Once you’ve determined that you’re ready to apply, and you know where you want to apply , the focus shifts to whether you’ll be accepted. Getting into a PhD program is largely a matter of fit . The faculty members who evaluate your application want to know what insights you can offer to their current and future research studies, how your interpersonal style will contribute to their lab or research hub dynamics, and whether you are committed to extending their research in a meaningful way after you obtain your doctorate. You can convey all this crucial information in your statement of purpose.

It’s difficult to overstate the importance of your statement of purpose. You might have an exceptional CV, but if your statement of purpose is lackluster and fails to convey to your prospective faculty advisor that you are the right fit, then you are unlikely to be accepted. Conversely, you might have a modest CV, or even a weakness such as a low GPA, but nevertheless be accepted if you convey in your statement that (1) you have taken (and will continue to take) concrete steps to become more prepared for PhD training, and (2) you possess unique skills and knowledge that are highly relevant to your prospective advisor’s research area but that might not be reflected in traditional metrics of achievement (e.g., your CV, GPA).

To write a compelling statement of purpose , you need to articulate everything relevant to Question 1: “When should I apply?” You have already reflected on how your personal, academic, and professional experiences have aligned such that you know that you are ready to apply. But it is not enough for you to know that you are ready. You need to convince your prospective advisor that you are. 

This is where Accepted comes in . The most valuable service we offer is essay consulting. We can teach you how to craft a narrative about your journey that is coherent, authentic, and distinctive. During each consultation, we will challenge you to think more deeply and clearly than you ever have about where you’ve been and where you’re going. You will learn how to identify and effectively convey the reasons your prospective advisor should accept you.

Question 4: “Why do I want to go?”

A PhD is an academic degree that prepares you to conduct original research, perform advanced statistical analyses, interpret empirical results, and evaluate competing theories. You will be trained to become an academic – that is, a university professor who directs a research lab and teaches students the nuances of a specific field. The skills you acquire during your doctoral training can be applied to industry, governmental, and nonprofit settings; however, doing so should not be your primary goal. Your prospective advisor will want to know that you are committed to the work of an academic. It is great if your research has important implications for those other sectors, so long as you are still committed first and foremost to the production and dissemination of knowledge in your field. The thought of conducting original research in a university setting should make you excited to get started.

Thus, the best reasons to pursue a PhD are intrinsic. After all, a PhD is a Doctor of Philosophy . You get a PhD because you are passionately drawn to the philosophy of your chosen field. You can’t help but think about it in your everyday life because you see it everywhere. It is a lens through which life makes sense. Discovering its guiding principles, subject matter, and potential applications allows you to identify patterns in the world around you – and sometimes within yourself as well. So why should you pursue a PhD? Because you can’t not .

Vanessa Febo has ten years of experience teaching academic and professional writing at UCLA, with a special certification in teaching writing techniques. She has drawn on this expertise to guide clients to placements at top institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, and USC. Before joining Accepted, Vanessa coached UCLA students through the application process for graduate programs, major grants, fellowships, and scholarships, including the Fulbright, Stanford Knight-Hennessey, and the Ford Foundation Fellowship. Additionally, Vanessa has extensive experience successfully guiding clients through applications for a diverse range of programs, including those in business, humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Want Vanessa to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Five Tips for Applying for Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy Scholarship
• How Do You Choose the Right Graduate School?
• It’s All About Authenticity and Community in Graduate Admissions , podcast Episode 518
• An Admitted Johns Hopkins MD/PhD Candidate Reflects on His Journey
• What to Know About Applying for a PhD in STEM , podcast Episode 410
• How to Ace Your PhD Interview: Prepare to Discuss These 10 Topics

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How to get a PhD?

Interested in obtaining a phd learn more about the steps to earn a phd, careers with phd, list of colleges offering programs and more..

Updated by TCM Staff on 15th April 2021

How to get a PhD: Steps and Requirements Explained

15th April 2021

College Monk — How to Get a PhD

A PhD is a postgraduate doctoral degree awarded to those students who produce an original thesis and make a significant research contribution to their respective field.

PhDs are available for those in a variety of different fields, and it’s often considered the highest and most well-respected degree available. Earning a PhD truly establishes someone as an expert in their field and indicates the deepest level of knowledge on a particular subject.

What is a PhD?

PhD — technically short for Doctor of Philosophy — is a type of doctoral degree, often considered the highest-level degree one can earn.

A PhD is a type of research degree that requires students to do an extensive amount of research and produce an original work, known as a dissertation.

People often use their PhD as a launchpad to pursue a career in academia. But, it’s also a popular option for those pursuing a career in STEM.

Those with PhDs make up a fairly exclusive club. Data from the US Census Bureau shows that fewer than 5% of the population holds a doctorate. And it’s not surprising, considering it often takes up to eight years to achieve this coveted title and requires writing an original dissertation the length of a book.

A PhD is actually just one type of doctoral degree. PhDs are research-focused. The other type of doctorate is application-focused (also known as an applied doctorate).

Source:  https://strathsltresearchers.wordpress.com

PhD admission requirements 

Not just anyone can earn a PhD. Given how well-respected the title is, it takes a lot of work and very specific criteria to enter a doctoral program.

The most basic requirement that all PhD candidates must have is a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. You won’t be accepted without this. You also usually need a high GPA.

Another requirement is a statement of purpose. In this statement, doctoral candidates will describe why they’re seeking a PhD, what they’ve done so far to prepare themselves, and what goals they plan to accomplish later.

Finally, PhD applicants will need several letters of recommendation. 

If you’re considering pursuing a PhD, it’s critical that you work to build relationships with professors and mentors who might recommend you. There’s a lot of competition, especially for the top PhD programs, and excellent recommendations will help you to stand out.

Keep in mind that the requirements might vary somewhat from one school to the next, so it’s important to do your research and decide ahead of time where you’ll apply.

Steps to obtain a PhD

Earning a PhD is no easy feat. It takes most students years to do so. Let’s look into the steps someone must take to get a PhD.

Step 1: Complete an undergraduate degree

Before you can take the next step toward your PhD, you’ll first have to receive a bachelor’s degree through an undergraduate program at a reputable university.

This education will provide the foundation for your more advanced coursework later. It’s important that you maintain a high GPA throughout your undergraduate years.

Step 2: Complete a master's program

Once you complete your bachelor’s degree, the next natural step is to pursue a master’s degree.

Graduate school requires that a student take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). A master’s degree typically takes about two years to achieve, and will be in a particular field of study.

While not technically required for a PhD, most people earn a master’s degree before earning their PhD.

Step 3: Apply for a PhD program

Once you complete your graduate program, it’s time to apply for your PhD program.

There are many doctoral programs to choose from, so it’s important that you research and find the best fit for your field of study.

During the application process, you’ll have to submit the following:

• A completed application
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• Your GMAT or GRE scores
• Letters of recommendation
• A statement of purpose

Step 4: Complete your coursework

When you begin your PhD program, you’ll start by taking your coursework. 

As is usually the case with undergraduate and graduate programs, you’ll likely have some required courses and some electives. Usually, students will prepare their own plan of study for the courses they’ll take over the next couple of years.

Step 5: Prepare a research proposal

A research proposal is a document that outlines what, exactly, a PhD student will focus on during their research. 

A research proposal should include the major question or questions someone plans to answer with their dissertation, and how exactly they plan to arrive at that answer. 

Even though the proposal won’t be a part of your final thesis, it plays a vital role in shaping your PhD.

Step 6: Complete a literature review

The literature review is the first thing you’ll do before starting your project report.

In this review, you’ll conduct an in-depth study of all the research in your field. During this phase, a doctoral student should critically assess the existing literature on their topic and find gaps they may be able to fill with their research.

Step 7: Research and collect results

Once a student has completed their literature review, they’ll do more first-hand research and perform experiments to help answer the questions they’re exploring for their dissertation.

Step 8: Produce a thesis and write a dissertation

Source:  https://www.wikihow.com

Once you’ve completed your research and gathered sufficient results, it’s time to write your final thesis and dissertation. 

Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, your thesis is the argument or conclusion you’ve arrived at, while your dissertation is where you demonstrate your thesis.

Your dissertation is the culmination of all the research you’ve done. Dissertations are original work and often focus on a newly developed theory. A dissertation is roughly the length of a book, and can often take years to produce.

Step 9: Viva Voce

Viva voce is a Latin phrase that means “with living voice” or “by word of mouth.” It’s also the final — and one of the most important — steps in the process of earning a PhD.

Unlike other degrees, where you take a final exam, a PhD candidate must defend their thesis before a panel of appointment examiners. It’s common for the examiners to ask many questions, and this process can often take several hours.

Once you successfully complete your viva voce, you’ll be awarded your doctorate and can add that coveted “Dr.” to your title.

Online colleges offering PhD programs

Many students choose to pursue a PhD through an online doctoral program for the flexibility and convenience it brings. 

Here are a few popular online PhD programs:

What can you do with a PhD?

A PhD is the highest-degree that someone can earn. But after all those years of work, what exactly can you do with your degree?

One of the most common career paths for someone with a PhD is academia. Those with a doctorate degree often go on to teach at universities or spend their careers performing research, not all that different from what they did to earn the degree in the first place.

But academia isn’t the only option for PhD recipients, nor is it the most lucrative. 

PhD students often study STEM fields — science, technology, engineering, and math. Those industries are thriving today more than ever, making it a great field for those holding a doctorate.

Source:  https://www.jax.org

Some of the highest-paying PhD fields include:

• Information assurance
• Computer science
• Biochemistry and molecular biology
• Organic chemistry

Though academia and STEM may be the most common paths for PhD participants, they’re hardly the only ones. There are many options available to someone with a PhD. Other non-STEM fields include clinical psychology, market research, business development, linguistics, and intelligence.

A doctorate is the highest level of degree someone can achieve. There’s no doubt that it takes a considerable amount of work, and it takes most people years to achieve this recognition. 

It’s important to understand these trade-offs before you get started. But once you earn your PhD, you will hold one of the most highly-respected titles in the academic field and have a lot of doors open to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. 1) How long does a PhD take?

A. According to CBS news on an average, an American Student takes 8.2 years to complete their Ph.D. This can change according to various courses and in various countries.

2. 2) What qualifications do I need?

A. In US Bachelors degree holders can also apply for Ph.D. For applying in a PhD program one should have completed 16 years of formal education. Qualification in the entrance test is also necessary.

3. 3) Can I take PhD as a part-time?

A. Yes, part-time PhD is possible, and it has a more flexible schedule with classes and degree completion. In some programs, a minimum one-year residency is required. But, part-time PhD will take more time, and managing a part-time PhD will be more challenging.

4. 4) What is M.Phil?

A. A M.Phil qualification is less advanced than that of a PhD. In this, the students are expected to master a content area and it can be mastered in two years. Moreover, the PhD dissertation takes more time than an M.Phil dissertation.

5. 5) What are Financial Aid options available for me?

A. For Ph.D. there are a lot of financial aid opportunities available in the form of Scholarship and loans. Eg: National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Ways to Prepare for a PhD in Undergrad

Since beginning my college career in the fall semester of 2016, I knew I wanted to pursue graduate school . However, I always envisioned applying to a master’s program first, and then potentially moving toward a PhD afterwards. After spending a semester at the University of Oxford, my entire academic future shifted. I fully realized my passion for European history, knowing it was something I wished to pursue in graduate school. In addition, I gained a better understanding of what a PhD program truly entailed. Earning a PhD directly after my undergraduate career became incredibly appealing to me. I learned from colleagues of the benefits of fellowships, along with the convenience of earning both a master’s and a PhD within the same program. After returning to the States, I sat down with my academic advisor ready to begin the road to graduate school. Thus, my search for graduate programs commenced. 

In the past year, I have learned so much more about the process of applying to PhD programs while still completing an undergraduate degree. I’ll be honest; it’s not easy, yet it is achievable. I wish to share with you my story, my process, and my tips from start to finish of application season.

Talk to your academic advisors early:

My first piece of advice is to start the process ASAP. Whether you’re a freshman or in your final year of college, the sooner you start, the better. I remember sitting down with my academic advisor after returning from England in my second semester of junior year. He told me to take the GRE as soon as possible, to begin my list of programs, and to begin thinking of my proposed dissertation topic. While it may be overwhelming to hear at the start, the sooner you begin the process, the less stress you’ll find yourself carrying towards the end. Remember, you can always change your mind. Beginning the process does not mean you are “married” to your dissertation topic in any regard; simply get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Finding the right programs:

The first step I recommend taking is to formulate a list of programs that interest you. Whether you begin your search by region, by school, or by faculty, having a list to work with is very helpful. Look for program requirements, program funding, average duration, key professors and faculty, and application fees. You may find that some PhD programs are more appealing than others. My list changed constantly in my first few months of the process. Another major tip I have for you is to set a deadline for your list. It is very easy to get caught up in this first step as you look at new programs each day. By the end of September, I sat down, finalized my list, and told myself to move to the next step. I wrote each school’s name on my whiteboard with the application deadline in red ink. That list has remained the same ever since, and I’m very proud of it.

Taking the GRE:

This one hits close to home, as I just completed my second round of GRE testing on the same afternoon I wrote this article. The GRE is a standardized test that is required for most programs, but not all. It is important to take a look at your individual program’s requirements. Some schools will list the GRE as a requirement for their graduate school, yet the application to a specific PhD program will reveal that it is not required. Take note of these to ensure you’re saving time and money if you don’t need to take the exam. However, if you’re applying for a PhD, odds are that you will have to test. My biggest advice is not to overthink it. Standardized testing has always been a struggle of mine, and the GRE seemed to be a big, daunting task in my road to grad school. Once I broke down my study guides (Kaplan and Quizlet will be your best friends), I realized that I already had all of the tools I needed to succeed on the exam. It truly is a test of reading, comprehension, and analysis. In one study guide, the “day before test day” chapter emphasized the importance of staying calm. It said to think of the exam as a way to show graduate programs how great you are and to show off your strengths. With this mentality, the GRE is not as daunting as it may appear in the beginning of your grad school process.

One final note on the GRE: Testing during the academic semester isn’t fun, but it can be done. I took my tests in October and November of my senior year. While I would suggest taking it sooner, such as over the summer before senior year begins, I still had plenty of time to take the test twice before my graduate school deadlines approached. The key is—as you probably know—time management. Treat your GRE study time as a job; block out 2-3 hours in the library JUST for GRE material. Try to separate it from your coursework as much as possible; that helped me tremendously.

Asking for Letters of Recommendation:

I encourage you to ask for your letters of recommendation as soon as possible. The more notice you can give your recommenders, the more they will appreciate it. To be honest, I asked my recommenders before finalizing the list of programs I was applying to. And that’s perfectly fine. Keep your recommenders updated on your journey; share with them your writing samples and let them know both when you decide on new programs and when you will be taking the GRE. If you ask the right people, you will truly see how much they care about your academic success. My professors have supported each decision I’ve made thus far and guided me forward when I began to get lost in the big picture. It is far too easy to get overwhelmed as you think of the big, daunting task of applying to PhD programs while still in your undergraduate degree program. I have had many days where I did not know where to begin to further my progress: Do I study for the GRE? Do I begin the application itself? Do I work on my statement of purpose ? Your recommenders are there to guide you, support you, and keep you on track. To my own recommenders: If you’re reading this article, I cannot thank you enough.

Confidence:

Confidence is a huge factor in this process. I often find myself doubting my abilities and saying I won’t get into any PhD programs. With a negative mindset, the process becomes so much harder. Not to be cheesy, but confidence is truly key in this process. Applying to these programs and balancing work and school is a lot for anyone. Be kind to yourself; allow for days off, and take time to relax with friends. The road to graduate school changes constantly, and you must learn to be okay with the evolution of your path. Life has a way of overwhelming you at once. Having confidence in yourself and your capabilities will greatly enhance your productivity toward achieving your goal.

No matter what happens, remember that PhD programs will always be there. If you do not get into the program of your dreams, know that you can apply again the following year. Be proud of all you accomplished during your final year of undergrad. You had the strength and motivation to complete the PhD application process, all while juggling upper-division coursework. And that’s something to be proud about regardless of the end result.

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Learn More About Dominican University of California:

Dominican University of California’s mission is to educate and prepare students to be ethical leaders and socially responsible global citizens who incorporate the Dominican values of study, reflection, community, and service into their lives. The University is committed to diversity, sustainability, and the integration of the liberal arts, the sciences, and professional programs

Monica Barry is a fourth-year student at Dominican University of California double majoring in English, with a Creative Writing emphasis, and History with a minor in Visual Studies. She is originally from Los Angeles, CA, and has resided in sunny San Rafael, CA, since 2016. She is a member of Dominican University’s Office of Admissions Student Ambassador team, Vice President of Dominican University History Club, and manager of the Tuxedo Literary Arts Journal. In Fall of 2018, she studied world history at the University of Oxford.

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How the PhD Program Works

Program Overview

Completing your doctorate at Wharton requires 5 years of full-time study. The first 2 years in the program prepare you for admission to candidacy by taking courses, qualifying exams, and starting research projects. In the last few years, you are primarily conducting research full-time including writing and defending your doctoral dissertation.

Admission to candidacy.

You begin by taking courses required for your program of study. All programs requires a preliminary exam, which may be either oral or written.

Some programs may have further requirements, such as an additional exam or research paper. If you enter with a master’s degree or other transfer credit, you may satisfy the formal course requirements more quickly.

Beginning the Wharton PhD Curriculum How the first two years of the Wharton program helped students discover their interests, learn the tools of the profession, and fuel their passion for teaching.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, you are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies.

Your doctoral dissertation should contain original research that meets standards for published scholarship in your field. You are expected to be an expert in the topic you choose to research.

You are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, but you can start thinking about and working on research of relevance at any time.

The dissertation process culminates with a “defense,” in which you defend the proposal orally before your dissertation committee.

While working on your dissertation, you interact extensively with Wharton faculty. Together with interested faculty, you create your own research community that includes your dissertation advisor and dissertation committee.

Policies and Procedures

Get more detailed explanation of course requirements, academic standards, the Teacher Development Program, time limits, and dissertation procedures and requirements.

Sample Program Sequence

Years 1 & 2.

Coursework Examination Research Papers Research Activities Field-Specific Requirements

Directed Reading & Research Admission to Candidacy Formulation of Research Topic

Years 4 & 5

Continued Research Oral Examination Dissertation

Hear From Our Doctoral Community

Why i chose academic research instead of consulting.

Andrea Contigiani

From Undergrad to PhD

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• PhD in USA – A Guide for 2020/21
• Finding a PhD

A PhD in USA takes approximately 5 – 6 years of full-time study and can cost between $12,000 – $45,000 per academic year. PhD programs in USA differ from that in the UK and Europe in that students must first take taught classes, coursework and exams before starting their research project.

Why Do a PhD in USA?

The United States has long had some of the most distinguished universities and advanced PhD programmes in the world. Combined with curriculum flexibility, rigorous teaching methods, vast funding opportunities, breathtaking campuses and significant career prospects, it’s no wonder that it is one of the most sought-after study destinations for research students.

In addition to comprehensive training standards, here are a few other reasons why a student may choose to undertake their PhD in the United States:

• Longer learning timeframes – A PhD in the US lasts longer than a PhD in the UK or Europe. This allows students to more confidently transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies; more commonly referred to as ‘graduate studies’ in the US. This gives you the opportunity to learn more about your subject, research methods and academic writing in general before starting your research project.
• World-class universities – It’s no secret that some of the most well-known higher education institutions that continue to dominate global rankings are based in the United States. Although many factors go into determining whether a position is right for you, a PhD at a high-ranking American university will undeniably have many benefits, from excellent learning standards to access to innovative equipment and deep expertise.
• International network – The US has long been a popular choice among PhD students around the world. As such, the US hosts a diverse and multicultural learning environment in which many research students will quickly feel at home.
• Opportunities – With over 4,000 universities in the US, we can safely say you will have plenty of opportunities to find the ideal combination of project, supervisor and university that works for you.

Universities in USA

Universities in the United States can be divided into two types: public universities and private universities.

Public universities are financed by the state in which they are based. Because of this, public universities charge less for students from within the state and more for students from outside the state, including international students.

Private universities are not financed by their state, but by private donors, research funds and tuition fees. For this reason, private universities generally charge higher tuition fees than public universities and require all students to pay the same amount, regardless of whether they come from out-of-state or abroad.

According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 , eight of the top ten universities in the world are located in the United States. These are:

Method of Study

The main difference between a PhD in the US and a PhD in Europe lies in the program structure. Whereas a European PhD essentially consists of a single phase lasting three to four years , an American PhD consists of three different phases, each with its own time frame.

• Phase One – The first phase lasts approximately two years and focuses on building a basic foundation for the doctoral student. This phase consists largely of taught components such as lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions, in which the student learns more about theoretical concepts and research methods within their discipline.
• Phase Two – The second phase can be considered an assessment phase, which runs both periodically alongside and at the end of the first phase. Here, students complete coursework and take exams on the basis of the material they have covered of which they must pass in order to proceed to the third phase.
• Phase Three – The third phase lasts approximately three years and resembles the European PhD structure. During this period, the student undertakes an independent research project, including forming a research design, conducting experiments, writing a thesis (more commonly referred to in the USA as a dissertation) and sitting a viva exam.

Teaching Requirements

Besides structure, a key difference between a PhD program in the US and in Europe is the focus on teaching requirements. In the US, doctoral students are expected to lecture, lead tutorials, host laboratory sessions, mark coursework and provide office hours for undergraduate students. Although students studying in European will likely contribute to these at some point during their study, this would normally be on a voluntary basis and involve less time commitment.

Research Flexibility

Another difference is project flexibility. In Europe, students typically apply to a PhD project predetermined by a supervisor, and although there may be some scope to adapt the project, depending on the funding provider , it will usually be limited to how the project is carried out rather than what it is about. In the US, however, a student applies to become a doctoral candidate within a department rather than applying for a particular research project. This is because students are expected to decide on their thesis topic (also commonly referred to as a dissertation research topic) near the end of their first phase after they have developed a better understanding of their subject and know where their interests lie. Therefore, research students in the US generally have more flexibility and influence in the direction of their research than students in the United Kingdom or Europe.

PhD Admission Requirements in USA

PhD admission into US universities can be highly competitive, both because of the limited number of positions and the large number of annual applicants.

The eligibility requirements for a doctoral program in the USA can generally be divided into four sections:

• Grade Point Average (GPA) – in the US, a scoring system known as Grade Point Average is used to measure academic ability. A student’s GPA is calculated as a weighted score of the subjects they study during their undergraduate degree; an equivalent score is calculated by universities for international applicants. Although universities rarely set minimum GPA requirements for doctoral study, it’s worth being aware that a GPA of 3.0 is equivalent to a UK second class honours (2:1); the typical entry requirement for UK universities.
• Graduate Records Exam (GRE) – most universities will require you to take a series of examinations known as Graduate Records Exams, which are used to determine your suitability for graduate study. GREs will assess your analytical, reasoning and critical thinking skills as well as your depth of your subject.
• Student aptitude – in addition to academic ability, US universities also look for characteristics of a strong researcher. These include traits such as engaging in the subject in your own time, e.g. by attending talks and conferences, demonstrating a high degree of independence and enthusiasm, and a general passion for your subject.
• English Language Proficiency – international students whose first language is not English must sit language exams such as IELTS or TOELF to demonstrate their English language proficiency.

International students will also require a F1 student visa in order to study in the US, however, you would typically apply for this after you have secured a place into a doctorate program.

How to Apply for PhD in USA

When applying for a PhD position at a graduate school, the application process will differ between universities, however, they will all typically ask for the following:

• Academic CV – a short document summarising your educational background and current level of experience .
• Personal statement – a document which outlines why you believe you are suitable for PhD study and your passion for the subject.
• Academic transcripts – a complete breakdown of the modules and their respective marks you have taken as part of your previous/current degree.
• GRE scores – a transcript of your Graduate Records Exam results.
• Research statement – a condensed version of a research proposal outlining your general research interests, if required.
• Recommendation letters – references from several academic referees who endorse your qualities as a person, your abilities as a student and your potential as a doctoral researcher.

Application Deadlines and Fees

Since PhD programs in the United States have taught components, they commence at the same time as all other taught degrees, and therefore share the same application deadlines and start dates. This corresponds to an application period that typically begins in August and ends in February. Admission decisions are typically made in April, with successful students starting in August/September.

When you apply to a graduate school, you will be expected to pay a fee for each doctorate application to cover the school’s administrative costs for processing your application. The fee varies from university to university, but typically ranges from $50 to $100 .

Funding your PhD in USA

It’s very common for a PhD student to receive financial aid in the form of a PhD scholarship; in fact, this will be the case for the vast majority of students in the US.

PhD funding can be ‘fully funded’ covering the student’s graduate program tuition fees, accommodation and living costs, or ‘partially funded’ covering the student’s tuition fee only in part or full.

Besides funding, a graduate student can take on an assistantship, such as a graduate teaching assistant or research assistant, in which they take on a part-time salaried position at the university alongside their studies.

Due to the international and collaborate nature of American universities, there are also a number of international scholarships available, such as the Fulbright Scholarship and the AAUW International Fellowship .

PhD Duration in USA

In the US, a PhD takes approximately 5 – 6 years to complete if studying full-time, and 8 – 10 years if studying part-time.

If you already have a Master’s degree, your first phase can be shortened by one year at the discretion of the university.

Cost of a PhD in USA

The cost of a PhD program in the US can vary considerably depending on the type of university, i.e. whether it’s a public or private university, the doctoral course, i.e. whether it’s in a STEM subject such as computer science, engineering or a non-STEM subject, and whether you are a home or international student.

In general, however, the typical annual tuition fee for a PhD in the US is between $12,000 and $45,000 per academic year.

As with any doctoral degree, additional costs may include travel for collaborations, bench fees, accommodation and living expenses.

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In Pursuit of a PhD: How to Get a PhD

Featured Expert: Dr. Benita Kapuku, PhD

Interested in how to get a PhD? Pursuing a doctorate degree is an exciting step in your educational journey, but learning how to get into grad school , how to apply to PhD programs and what to expect once you’re accepted can be intimidating, and you’ll have many questions. In this blog, we aim to answer all your questions about how to get a PhD, from whether a PhD is the right choice for you, how to choose and apply to a program, what your PhD timeline will look like and what resources out there can help you achieve your goal.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

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Article Contents 11 min read

How to get a phd: decide if a phd is right for you.

Before we jump into the nuts and bolts of exactly how to get a PhD, you first need to ask yourself “ why do you want to do a PhD ?” and be sure that it’s the right path for you. If you’re still in the early stages of researching what it takes to get a PhD and whether you have the time, drive and commitment to go on this journey, first ask yourself this question. For those of you who are already sure of your course and need a step-by-step guide of how to get a PhD, feel free to skip to the next section on how to apply and what your PhD program options are!

If you’re still wondering whether a PhD is the right program for you, here’s a few reasons why you might choose to pursue a PhD:

• You have a Master’s degree and you’re interested in furthering your education
• Your chosen career path requires a PhD or advanced degree
• You’ve completed a Master’s degree but a PhD will allow you to find new job opportunities, increase your salary potential or expand your network
• You’re interested in a research or educational role in your field, or in how to find a job in academia
• You’re interested in changing careers or your field of interest

Note that if you’re an undergrad or haven’t completed a master’s program, the question of whether you should pursue a master’s or PhD program depends on your goals. For example, if you want to change your career field, you’ll most likely need to complete a Master’s degree first before applying to a PhD. But it is possible to get a PhD without a Master’s degree in some circumstances if you’re interested in jumping straight to a PhD program.

Would you like us to help you with your grad school applications? ","buttonText":"Free Strategy Call","buttonColor":"#ffffff","bannerUnderText":null,"trustpilot":false}" :url=""https:\/\/bemoacademicconsulting.com\/contact-schedule-free-strategy-call"" code="banner1" background-color="#000066" button-color="#ffffff" banner-image> Also note the differences between doctoral degrees. No matter which path you choose, you will be considered an expert in your field, but the type of work you’ll be qualified for will depend on your program and career goals. There are two general “types” of doctorate degrees: the PhD and the professional doctorate. PhD

A PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy degree, is an umbrella term for a research-focused program that invites you to contribute meaningful advancements and new knowledge to your chosen field. Individuals usually pursue a PhD to become researchers, professors, consultants and sometimes even enter industry jobs after a PhD . These types of programs cover a wide range of careers, from psychology to public health, from economics to the arts.

Professional Doctorate Degree

A professional doctorate degree prepares you for professional jobs in important industries. For instance, if you want to know how to get into law school or how to get into medical school , you would actually graduate with a JD or MD, both a type of doctorate degree. Professional doctorate degrees also include a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), advanced Nursing degrees (DN) and even Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), to give you a few examples.

For those of you pursuing a PhD in your field, you may be drawn to a research or teaching role and want to get a tenure track position at a university, or maybe you want to transition from academia to industry once you’ve completed your studies.

Whatever your career goals are, you should think carefully about whether a PhD is either necessary or a worthy goal for you. Earning a PhD is a huge commitment not only of your time and money, but of your passions and efforts. If your answer is yes, a PhD is right for you, the next step is to figure out how to get a PhD.

First, we’ll look at how to find the right PhD program for you and how to apply to PhD programs.

Deciding between a Master’s or a PhD? We can help!

How to Get a PhD: Find and Apply to PhD Programs

How do you find PhD programs? The same way you likely searched for the best undergraduate or master’s program. University websites typically have a separate section or even a separate website for graduate admissions, and you can find information on what PhD and advanced programs they offer. You can easily search for the options in your field—or the field you’re interested in switching to—and find everything from the most competitive PhD programs to the easiest PhD programs to get into .

You can also find dual degree programs which combine a master’s and a PhD, like MD-PhD programs for those of you who want to become medical researchers. There are tons of options out there, so it’s worth checking out different universities and the many types of programs to see what the right fit for you might be.

If you’re thinking about how long it takes to get a PhD and you want to speed things up a bit, there are a few different kinds of PhD programs out there:

• Full-time PhD programs (typically 4-7 years)
• Part-time PhD programs (6-8 years)
• Direct entry PhD programs (4-5 years)
• Online and Accelerated PhD programs (1-3 years)

The right kind of PhD program may depend on a variety of factors, including your schedule, personal and professional commitments, budget and desired career path. For example, an online program is usually much faster and you can do a PhD without a dissertation , but it’s available only for a few disciplines. You can’t complete say, a PhD in Engineering in such a short time period. Direct entry PhD programs might appeal to you so you can skip the master’s degree, but they are also naturally more competitive and have more rigorous admission requirements.

Once you’ve found and chosen a PhD program or created a list of programs you want to apply to, the next step in how to get a PhD is to tackle the application. As you can imagine, the grad school application is an involved process. Fortunately the admission requirements for a PhD are similar to other graduate school programs and undergraduate programs.

Here’s the shortlist of what you’ll need for your application to a PhD:

• Transcripts from your Master’s program or Bachelor’s program
• GRE test scores
• Research proposal
• PhD motivation letter
• Graduate school statement of purpose
• CV for graduate school or research resume , depending on the program
• Letters of recommendation
• PhD interview

This is the general list of requirements for a PhD program, but some may have additional requirements, such as asking you to submit a research interest statement along with your research proposal, or to take one of the GRE subject tests. Always double check what the admission requirements are when applying, since they can vary between programs.

Here’s a brief overview of how you can meet all of the PhD admission requirements listed above:

One of the best ways to prepare for this step is to use mock PhD interviews, where you can rehearse your responses to common questions, master your nerves and practice being confident and at ease in the interview room.  ","label":"PhD interview","title":"PhD interview"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Funding for Your PhD

A crucial part of how to get a PhD is finding funding for your degree. Unlike a bachelor’s degree or a master’s, funding a doctorate degree is a little more complicated and a little harder to do. Some PhD programs are fully funded, meaning as a PhD student, your research, student fees and expenses are covered while you’re completing your program. Other programs are partially funded or self-funded, meaning you as the PhD student have to find the money to complete your degree. Most PhD programs offer research assistantships or teaching assistantships that help you pay for your education in exchange for participation in research or teaching responsibilities at the university.

This is also where PhD scholarships, grants, bursaries and other forms of funding come in. As a PhD student, you may also be eligible to apply for financial aid at some programs. It’s up to you to figure out how you will fund your doctorate degree and your research. Fortunately, this is a common requirement for PhD students and there are many options out there, from PhD loans to scholarships to assistantships and studentships to government funding.

If you like, you can also apply exclusively to fully funded PhD programs, but this might limit your choices. Some students also work during their PhD in a part-time program, but of course it’s better not to rely only on your earnings to fund your degree.

Once you’ve submitted your application or been accepted to a PhD program, what next? Here’s a look at the PhD application timeline and curriculum you can expect, from the first meeting with your program supervisor to your graduation and beyond.

1. Initial Meeting with Your Academic Advisor

One of the first things you’ll do as a PhD student is meet with your academic advisor or supervisor. This is the university faculty member who will act as your mentor and guide throughout your PhD program. You may have a faculty member assigned to you or you may be able to choose your own advisor. Choose your advisor carefully, since they’ll be a significant resource for you in the years to come!

2. Research Proposal

Writing your research proposal is usually part of the application stage of getting a PhD, but it is essentially the first step in this journey. Once you’ve chosen a topic, you’ll write a research proposal to submit to a PhD admissions committee. It’s basically your offer of what you’ll be researching during your time as a PhD student and what you plan to contribute to the program and the field of interest. It’s important that your proposal is unique and presents fresh ideas or will bring new knowledge to your field of study. If the topic you want to research has been done before and isn’t “new”, your proposal may be rejected, and you’ll be denied admission.

Some programs may ask you to submit your research proposal later in the program or submit an updated version of your research proposal once you’ve completed required coursework or your literature review. Be ready to answer research proposal questions from your advisor and make any necessary changes. From there, your PhD committee or academic advisor will need to approve your proposal and give you the green light to start conducting research.

3. Coursework, Electives and Exams

For the first year or two of a PhD program, you’ll be completing the preliminary work of your thesis or dissertation. You may also use this time to complete required advanced coursework in your degree or take electives that interest you.

Once you’ve completed the coursework required for your PhD, you’ll take a written examination (sometimes called the ‘preliminary’ or comprehensive exam ). This exam will determine whether you’ve successfully completed the coursework requirements and have the necessary skills to continue your PhD program. Once you’ve passed it, you’ll be able to move on to the next phase of your program, which is conducting your own research and preparing to submit your thesis.

4. Extracurriculars

During your time as a PhD student, you’ll be expected to participate in a number of activities and extracurriculars, in addition to your coursework and independent research.

Teaching Responsibilities

Many PhDs will have teaching responsibilities, including hosting undergraduate seminars or acting as a teaching assistant providing feedback and grading assignments. If you’re a PhD in a science department, you might work as a lab supervisor for undergraduate students. PhDs might take on these roles as part of their program or they may fulfill them through an assistantship program.

Attending Academic Conferences

PhD students also attend academic conferences and events in their field, which allows them to expand their professional network, socialize with their colleagues and discover the latest innovations and developments in their field. You may have the chance to present during these events, which is not only an excellent addition to your resume but another way to network, improve your presentation skills and introduce your own work to your peers.

Grad Student Publishing

PhD students publish during their program to increase their academic profile and gain some experience with the academic publishing and peer review process. It’s not always a stated requirement to graduate, but publishing is a vital part of academic, as demonstrated by the saying “publish or perish” in academic circles. Whether or not you’ve published during your time as a PhD student will also certainly come up during postdoc interview questions , and you’ll be expected to talk about your experiences.

5. Research and Data Collection

Around the third year, you’ll go through the process of getting your research proposal approved and start conducting your own original research. As you work, you’ll take detailed notes and begin drafting your thesis. This is where the research-intensive work of a PhD is centered. You’ll also be doing a great deal of reading in your proposed area of research for the literature review. The review gives you a solid understanding of your research area and background information that will inform your original research.

6. Writing Your Thesis

Your research will take place over several semesters, and as you work, you’ll start working on your thesis or doctoral dissertation. This period of research and writing will also include regular reviews with your advisor or PhD committee to update them on your progress and working on other projects. For instance, you may be expected to publish as a graduate student in academic journals or continue with extracurricular work in your department.

7. Thesis Submission and Thesis Defense

The final step of completing your PhD is submitting your thesis for edits and knowing how to prepare for thesis defense . Your advisor will be helping you with these steps, but you’ll also need to get ready for the formal, oral defense of your thesis in front of your PhD committee. They will ask you common thesis defense questions and you’ll need to take them through the entirety of your research project from start to finish. The committee will then ask you questions and make a decision on whether to approve your research or make suggestions for changes.

Once you’ve completed your defense and you’re approved, congratulations! You’re on your way to the last step of getting your PhD.

8. Graduation!

The last step of your PhD journey is graduation! Once your thesis is approved, you can apply for graduation and attend the formal ceremony if you choose to receive your degree.

From here, you’ll look at how to find a job after grad school , start preparing for job interviews and enter the workforce.

No matter which field you’re in, getting accepted to a PhD program is extremely competitive. The level of competition of course will vary by university, discipline and the type of program, but any way you look at it, getting into grad school is not super easy.

Once you’ve been accepted to a program, you’re in for many years of hard work as you complete your studies and conduct your research. This educational journey will be well worth it for you in the end, but there’s no denying it’s a tough process to go through alone. Of course, you’ll have an academic advisor supporting your throughout your PhD, but there are more resources that can help you on every step of this journey, which we’ll cover briefly next.

Of course, your university will have many student support services you can take advantage of, from career counseling to writing workshops to student family support and financial aid. When you\u2019re searching for a PhD program, take a look at the student support services available to you. "}]">

The journey to get a PhD is a long and complex road, but it can be well worth all the time, effort and hard work for those individuals who want to advance their education, pursue a specialized career or deepen their knowledge of their field. To learn how to get a PhD, start with choosing the right program for you and navigating the PhD application process. From there, it’s all about learning what to expect from your PhD program and the steps you’ll need to take to graduate. Explore the options open to you, find out what resources are out there to help you succeed, and plan out your pursuit of a PhD from start to finish.

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How Long Does It Take to Get a Ph.D. Degree?

Earning a Ph.D. from a U.S. grad school typically requires nearly six years, federal statistics show.

How Long It Takes to Get a Ph.D. Degree

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A Ph.D. is most appropriate for someone who is a "lifelong learner."

Students who have excelled within a specific academic discipline and who have a strong interest in that field may choose to pursue a Ph.D. degree. However, Ph.D. degree-holders urge prospective students to think carefully about whether they truly want or need a doctoral degree, since Ph.D. programs last for multiple years.

According to the Survey of Earned Doctorates, a census of recent research doctorate recipients who earned their degree from U.S. institutions, the median amount of time it took individuals who received their doctorates in 2017 to complete their program was 5.8 years. However, there are many types of programs that typically take longer than six years to complete, such as humanities and arts doctorates, where the median time for individuals to earn their degree was 7.1 years, according to the survey.

Some Ph.D. candidates begin doctoral programs after they have already obtained master's degrees, which means the time spent in grad school is a combination of the time spent pursuing a master's and the years invested in a doctorate. In order to receive a Ph.D. degree, a student must produce and successfully defend an original academic dissertation, which must be approved by a dissertation committtee. Writing and defending a dissertation is so difficult that many Ph.D. students drop out of their Ph.D. programs having done most of the work necessary for degree without completing the dissertation component. These Ph.D. program dropouts often use the phrase " all but dissertation " or the abbreviation "ABD" on their resumes.

According to a comprehensive study of Ph.D. completion rates published by The Council of Graduate Schools in 2008, only 56.6% of people who begin Ph.D. programs earn Ph.D. degrees.

Ian Curtis, a founding partner with H&C Education, an educational and admissions consulting firm, who is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in French at Yale University , says there are several steps involved in the process of obtaining a Ph.D. Students typically need to fulfill course requirements and pass comprehensive exams, Curtis warns. "Once these obligations have been completed, how long it takes you to write your dissertation depends on who you are, how you work, what field you're in and what other responsibilities you have in life," he wrote in an email. Though some Ph.D. students can write a dissertation in a single year, that is rare, and the dissertation writing process may last for several years, Curtis says.

Curtis adds that the level of support a Ph.D. student receives from an academic advisor or faculty mentor can be a key factor in determining the length of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. program. "Before you decide to enroll at a specific program, you’ll want to meet your future advisor," Curtis advises. "Also, reach out to his or her current and former students to get a sense of what he or she is like to work with."

Curtis also notes that if there is a gap between the amount of time it takes to complete a Ph.D. and the amount of time a student's funding lasts, this can slow down the Ph.D. completion process. "Keep in mind that if you run out of funding at some point during your doctorate, you will need to find paid work, and this will leave you even less time to focus on writing your dissertation," he says. "If one of the programs you’re looking at has a record of significantly longer – or shorter – times to competition, this is good information to take into consideration."

He adds that prospective Ph.D. students who already have master's degrees in the field they intend to focus their Ph.D. on should investigate whether the courses they took in their master's program would count toward the requirements of a Ph.D. program. "You’ll want to discuss your particular situation with your program to see whether this will be possible, and how many credits you are likely to receive as the result of your master’s work," he says.

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Emmanuel C. Nwaodua, who has a Ph.D. degree in geology, says some Ph.D. programs require candidates to publish a paper in a first-rate, peer-reviewed academic journal. "This could extend your stay by a couple of years," he warns.

Pierre Huguet, the CEO and co-founder of H&C Education, says prospective Ph.D. students should be aware that a Ph.D. is designed to prepare a person for a career as a scholar. "Most of the jobs available to Ph.D. students upon graduation are academic in nature and directly related to their fields of study: professor, researcher, etc.," Huguet wrote in an email. "The truth is that more specialization can mean fewer job opportunities. Before starting a Ph.D., students should be sure that they want to pursue a career in academia, or in research. If not, they should make time during the Ph.D. to show recruiters that they’ve traveled beyond their labs and libraries to gain some professional hands-on experience."

Jack Appleman, a business writing instructor, published author and Ph.D. candidate focusing on organizational communication with the University at Albany—SUNY , says Ph.D. programs require a level of commitment and focus that goes beyond what is necessary for a typical corporate job. A program with flexible course requirements that allow a student to customize his or her curriculum based on academic interests and personal obligations is ideal, he says.

Joan Kee, a professor at the University of Michigan with the university's history of art department, says that the length of time required for a Ph.D. varies widely depending on what subject the Ph.D. focuses on. "Ph.D. program length is very discipline and even field-specific; for example, you can and are expected to finish a Ph.D, in economics in under five years, but that would be impossible in art history (or most of the humanities)," she wrote in an email.

Kee adds that humanities Ph.D. programs often require someone to learn a foreign language, and "fields like anthropology and art history require extensive field research." Kee says funding for a humanities Ph.D. program typically only lasts five years, even though it is uncommon for someone to obtain a Ph.D. degree in a humanities field within that time frame. "Because of this, many if not most Ph.D. students must work to make ends meet, thus further prolonging the time of completion," she says.

Jean Marie Carey, who earned her Ph.D. degree in art history and German from the University of Otago in New Zealand, encourages prospective Ph.D. students to check whether their potential Ph.D. program has published a timeline of how long it takes a Ph.D. student to complete their program. She says it is also prudent to speak with Ph.D. graduates of the school and ask about their experience.

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Kristin Redington Bennett, the founder of the Illumii educational consulting firm in North Carolina, encourages Ph.D. hopefuls to think carefully about whether they want to become a scholar. Bennett, who has a Ph.D. in curriculum and assessment and who previously worked as an assistant professor at Wake Forest University , says a Ph.D. is most appropriate for someone who is a "lifelong learner." She says someone contemplating a Ph.D. should ask themselves the following questions "Are you a very curious person... and are you persistent?"

Bennett urges prospective Ph.D. students to visit the campuses of their target graduate programs since a Ph.D. program takes so much time that it is important to find a school that feels comfortable. She adds that aspiring Ph.D. students who prefer a collaborative learning environment should be wary of graduate programs that have a cut-throat and competitive atmosphere, since such students may not thrive in that type of setting.

Alumni of Ph.D. programs note that the process of obtaining a Ph.D. is arduous, regardless of the type of Ph.D. program. "A Ph.D. is a long commitment of your time, energy and financial resources, so it'll be easier on you if you are passionate about research," says Grace Lee, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and is the founder and CEO of Mastery Insights, an education and career coaching company, and the host of the Career Revisionist podcast.

"A Ph.D. isn't about rehashing years of knowledge that is already out there, but rather it is about your ability to generate new knowledge. Your intellectual masterpiece (which is your dissertation) takes a lot of time, intellectual creativity and innovation to put together, so you have to be truly passionate about that," Lee says.

Curtis says a prospective Ph.D. student's enthusiasm for academic work, teaching and research are the key criteria they should use to decide whether to obtain a Ph.D. degree. "While the time it takes to complete a doctorate is an understandable concern for many, my personal belief is that time is not the most important factor to consider," he says. "Good Ph.D. programs provide their students with generous stipends, health care and sometimes even subsidized housing."

Erin Skelly, a graduate admissions counselor at the IvyWise admissions consulting firm, says when a Ph.D. students struggles to complete his or her Ph.D. degree, it may have more to do with the student's academic interests or personal circumstances than his or her program.

"The time to complete a Ph.D. can depend on a number of variables, but the specific discipline or school would only account for a year or two's difference," she wrote in an email. "When a student takes significantly longer to complete a Ph.D. (degree), it's usually related to the student's coursework and research – they need to take additional coursework to complete their comprehensive exams; they change the focus of their program or dissertation, requiring extra coursework or research; or their research doesn't yield the results they hoped for, and they need to generate a new theory and conduct more research."

Skelly warns that the average completion time of a Ph.D. program may be misleading in some cases, if the average is skewed based on one or two outliers. She suggests that instead of focusing on the duration of a particular Ph.D. program, prospective students should investigate the program's attritition and graduation rates.

"It is worthwhile to look at the program requirements and the school's proposed timeline for completion, and meet current students to get their input on how realistic these expectations for completion are," Skelly says. "That can give you an honest idea of how long it will really take to complete the program."

Searching for a grad school? Access our complete rankings of Best Graduate Schools.

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• Master’s vs PhD | A Complete Guide to the Differences

Master's vs PhD | A Complete Guide to the Differences

Published on November 27, 2020 by Lauren Thomas . Revised on June 1, 2023.

The two most common types of graduate degrees are master’s and doctoral degrees:

• A master’s is a 1–2 year degree that can prepare you for a multitude of careers.
• A PhD, or doctoral degree, takes 3–7 years to complete (depending on the country) and prepares you for a career in academic research.

A master’s is also the necessary first step to a PhD. In the US, the master’s is built into PhD programs, while in most other countries, a separate master’s degree is required before applying for PhDs.

Master’s are far more common than PhDs. In the US, 24 million people have master’s or professional degrees, whereas only 4.5 million have doctorates.

Table of contents

Master’s vs phd at a glance, which is right for you, length of time required, career prospects, costs and salaries, application process, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about master's and phd degrees.

The table below shows the key differences between the two.

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A PhD is right for you if:

• Your goal is to become a professor at a university or some other type of professional researcher.
• You love research and are passionate about discovering the answer to a particular question.
• You are willing to spend years pursuing your research even if you have to put up with a lot of dead ends and roadblocks.

A master’s degree is the better choice if any of the following apply:

• You want to continue studies in your field, but you’re not committed to a career as a professional researcher.
• You want to develop professional skills for a specific career.
• You are willing to pay a higher upfront cost if it means finishing with your degree (and thus being able to work) much faster.
• You want the option to study part-time while working.

The length of time required to complete a PhD or master’s degree varies. Unsurprisingly, PhDs take much longer, usually between 3–7 years. Master’s degrees are usually only 1–2 years.

Length of a master’s

Master’s degrees are usually 2 years, although 1-year master’s degrees also exist, mainly in the UK.

Most of the degree consists of classes and coursework, although many master’s programs include an intensive, semester-long master’s thesis or capstone project in which students bring together all they’ve learned to produce an original piece of work.

Length of a PhD

In the US, a PhD usually takes between 5 and 7 years to complete. The first 2 years are spent on coursework. Students, even those who choose to leave without finishing the program, usually receive a master’s degree at this point.

The next 3–5 years are spent preparing a dissertation —a lengthy piece of writing based on independent research, which aims to make a significant original contribution to one’s field.

Master’s degrees tend to prepare you for a career outside of academia, while PhDs are designed to lead to a career in research.

Careers for master’s graduates

There are two types of master’s degrees: terminal and research-intensive. The career prospects are different for each.

Terminal master’s degrees are intended to prepare students for careers outside of academia. Some degrees, known as professional degrees, specifically prepare students for particular professions; these include the Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees.

Other master’s degrees, usually Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Sciences (MS or MSc) degrees, do not necessarily lead to a specific career, but are intended to be a final degree. Examples include an MS in Communications or MS in Data Analytics.

In research-intensive master’s programs, students take coursework intended to prepare them for writing an original piece of research known as the master’s thesis . Such programs are usually intended to prepare for further study in a doctoral program.

Careers for PhD graduates

As research degrees, PhDs are usually intended to lead to an academic career. A PhD can be thought of like an apprenticeship, where students learn from professional researchers (academics) how to produce their own research.

Most students aspire to become a university professor upon the completion of their degree. However, careers in academia are highly competitive, and the skills learned in a doctoral program often lend themselves well to other types of careers.

Some graduates who find they prefer teaching to producing research go on to be teachers at liberal arts colleges or even secondary schools. Others work in research-intensive careers in the government, private sector, or at think tanks.

Below are a few examples of specific fields and non-academic careers that are common destinations of graduates of those fields.

• Computer Science
• Lab Sciences

Many government jobs, including economists at a country’s central bank, are research-intensive and require a PhD. Think tanks also hire economists to carry out independent research.

In the private sector, economic consulting and technology firms frequently hire PhDs to solve real-world problems that require complex mathematical modeling.

Graduate students from the humanities are sometimes hired by museums, who can make use of their research and writing skills to curate exhibits and run public outreach.

Humanities PhDs are often well-suited to research and grant-writing roles at nonprofits. Since so much of research is funded by grants, PhD students often gain a lot of experience applying for them, which is a useful skill in the nonprofit sector.

There are a wide range of non-academic research jobs for lab scientists with doctorates in subjects like chemistry, biology, ecology and physics.

Many PhD graduates are hired by pharmaceutical companies that need to perform research to create and test their products. Government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also hire lab scientists to work on research projects.

Job prospects after graduation vary widely based on the field. In fields like management, computer science, statistics, and economics, there’s little underemployment—even graduates from less well-known programs can easily find jobs that pay well and use the skills they’ve gained from the PhD.

However, in other fields, particularly in the humanities, many PhD graduates have difficulty in the job market. Unfortunately, there are far more PhD graduates than assistant professor roles, so many instead take on part-time and low-paid roles as adjunct instructors. Even non-academic careers can sometimes be difficult for PhDs to move into, as they may be seen as “overqualified”  or as lacking in relevant professional experience.

Because career options post-PhD vary so much, you should take the time to figure out what the career prospects are in your field. Doctoral programs often have detailed “placement” records online in which they list the career outcomes of their graduates immediately upon leaving the program. If you can’t find these records, contact the program and ask for them—placement information should play an important role in your choice of PhD program.

Although PhDs take far longer to complete, students often receive a living stipend in exchange for being a teaching or research assistant. Master’s degrees are shorter but less likely to be funded.

Both master’s degrees and PhDs lead to increased salaries upon graduation. While PhDs usually earn a bit more than those with a master’s degree, in some fields, the wages are identical, meaning that no financial benefit is gained from going on to a PhD.

Cost of a master’s

The upfront cost of a master’s degree is usually higher than a doctoral degree due to the lower amount of financial aid available. However, increased salaries also arrive faster than with a doctoral degree, because people graduate much earlier from a master’s program.

Some master’s students do receive stipends for their degrees, usually as compensation for being a teaching or research assistant. In addition, many people complete master’s degrees part time while working full-time, which allows them to fund their living costs as well as tuition.

The cost varies significantly by school and program. Public schools are usually cheaper than private ones. Some master’s degrees, such as MBAs, are notoriously expensive, but also result in much higher wages afterwards that make up for the high cost.

The master’s wage premium , or the extra amount that someone with a master’s degree makes than someone with just a high school diploma, is 23% on average. Many universities provide detailed statistics on the career and salary outcomes of their students. If they do not have this online, you should feel free to contact an administrator of the program and ask.

Cost of a PhD

PhDs, particularly outside the humanities, are usually (though not always) funded, meaning that tuition fees are fully waived and students receive a small living stipend. During the last 3–5 years of a PhD, after finishing their coursework (and sometimes before), students are usually expected to work as graduate instructors or research assistants in exchange for the stipend.

Sometimes students can apply for a fellowship (such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Program in the United States) that relieves them of any obligations to be a teaching or research assistant. Doctoral programs in the US tend to be better funded than in the rest of the world.

Sometimes, PhD degrees can be completed part-time, but this is rare. Students are usually expected to devote at least 40 hours a week to their research and work as teaching or research assistants.

The main cost of doctoral programs comes in the form of opportunity cost—all the years that students could be working a regular, full-time job, which usually pays much better than a graduate school stipend.

The average wage premium for PhDs is 26%, which is not much higher than the master’s degree premium.

In the US, the application process is similar for master’s and PhD programs. Both will generally ask for:

• At least one application essay, often called a personal statement or statement of purpose .
• Letters of recommendation .
• A resume or CV .
• Transcripts.
• Writing samples.

Applications for both types of programs also often require a standardized test. PhDs usually require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which tries to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative, critical thinking , and analytical writing skills. Many master’s programs require this test as well.

Applying for a master’s

Master’s degrees programs will often ask you to respond to specific essay prompts that may ask you to reflect upon not just your academic background, but also your personal character and future career ambitions.

Northwestern University’s Kellogg Business School requires Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) applicants write two essays, one about a recent time they demonstrated leadership and the second about their personal values.

Who you should ask for your letters of recommendation varies by program. If you are applying to a research-intensive master’s program, then you should choose former professors or research supervisors. For other programs, particularly business school, current work supervisors may be a better choice.

Some professional master’s programs require a specific test. For example, to apply to law school, you must take the Law School Admissions Test, or LSAT. For business school, you must take either the GRE or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT).

Applying for a PhD

When applying for a PhD, your resume should focus more on your research background—you should especially emphasize any publications you’ve authored or presentations that you’ve given.

Similarly, your statement of purpose should discuss research that you’ve participated in, whether as an assistant or the lead author. You should detail what exactly you did in projects you’ve contributed to, whether that’s conducting a literature review, coding regressions, or writing an entire article.

Your letters of recommendations should be from former professors or supervisors who can speak to your abilities and potential as a researcher. A good rule of thumb is to avoid asking for recommendations from anyone who does not themselves have a PhD.

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A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

This depends on the country. In the United States, you can generally go directly to a PhD  with only a bachelor’s degree, as a master’s program is included as part of the doctoral program.

Elsewhere, you generally need to graduate from a research-intensive master’s degree before continuing to the PhD.

This varies by country. In the United States, PhDs usually take between 5–7 years: 2 years of coursework followed by 3–5 years of independent research work to produce a dissertation.

In the rest of the world, students normally have a master’s degree before beginning the PhD, so they proceed directly to the research stage and complete a PhD in 3–5 years.

A master’s degree usually has a higher upfront cost, but it also allows you to start earning a higher salary more quickly. The exact cost depends on the country and the school: private universities usually cost more than public ones, and European degrees usually cost less than North American ones. There are limited possibilities for financial aid.

PhDs often waive tuition fees and offer a living stipend in exchange for a teaching or research assistantship. However, they take many years to complete, during which time you earn very little.

In the US, the graduate school application process is similar whether you’re applying for a master’s or a PhD . Both require letters of recommendation , a statement of purpose or personal statement , a resume or CV , and transcripts. Programs in the US and Canada usually also require a certain type of standardized test—often the GRE.

Outside the US, PhD programs usually also require applicants to write a research proposal , because students are expected to begin dissertation research in the first year of their PhD.

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PhD Program

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Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

Admissions Events

Check out our event schedule, and learn when you can chat with us in person or online.

Start Your Application

Visit this section to find important admissions deadlines, along with a link to our application.

Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous:  MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .  

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

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The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

• Outstanding intellectual ability
• Excellent academic records
• Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
• Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024. 

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

Docnet recruiting forum - olin business school.

MIT Sloan PhD Program will be joining the DocNet consortium for an overview of business academia and a recruitment fair at Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School.

May PhD Program Overview

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

June PhD Program Overview

July phd program overview.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

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Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements 

MIT Sloan Experience

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The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

• Accounting Faculty
• Economic Sociology Faculty
• Finance Faculty
• Information Technology Faculty
• Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
• Marketing Faculty
• Organization Studies Faculty
• System Dynamics Faculty
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

How Should We Measure the Digital Economy?

2020 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Avinash Collis

Watch more MIT Sloan PhD Program  Doctoral Forum Videos

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Students in our PhD programs are encouraged from day one to think of this experience as their first job in business academia—a training ground for a challenging and rewarding career generating rigorous, relevant research that influences practice.

Our doctoral students work with faculty and access resources throughout HBS and Harvard University. The PhD program curriculum requires coursework at HBS and other Harvard discipline departments, and with HBS and Harvard faculty on advisory committees. Faculty throughout Harvard guide the programs through their participation on advisory committees.

How do I know which program is right for me?

There are many paths, but we are one HBS. Our PhD students draw on diverse personal and professional backgrounds to pursue an ever-expanding range of research topics. Explore more here about each program’s requirements & curriculum, read student profiles for each discipline as well as student research , and placement information.

The PhD in Business Administration grounds students in the disciplinary theories and research methods that form the foundation of an academic career. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program has five areas of study: Accounting and Management , Management , Marketing , Strategy , and Technology and Operations Management . All areas of study involve roughly two years of coursework culminating in a field exam. The remaining years of the program are spent conducting independent research, working on co-authored publications, and writing the dissertation. Students join these programs from a wide range of backgrounds, from consulting to engineering. Many applicants possess liberal arts degrees, as there is not a requirement to possess a business degree before joining the program

The PhD in Business Economics provides students the opportunity to study in both Harvard’s world-class Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Throughout the program, coursework includes exploration of microeconomic theory, macroeconomic theory, probability and statistics, and econometrics. While some students join the Business Economics program directly from undergraduate or masters programs, others have worked in economic consulting firms or as research assistants at universities or intergovernmental organizations.

The PhD program in Health Policy (Management) is rooted in data-driven research on the managerial, operational, and strategic issues facing a wide range of organizations. Coursework includes the study of microeconomic theory, management, research methods, and statistics. The backgrounds of students in this program are quite varied, with some coming from public health or the healthcare industry, while others arrive at the program with a background in disciplinary research

The PhD program in Organizational Behavior offers two tracks: either a micro or macro approach. In the micro track, students focus on the study of interpersonal relationships within organizations and the effects that groups have on individuals. Students in the macro track use sociological methods to examine organizations, groups, and markets as a whole, including topics such as the influence of individuals on organizational change, or the relationship between social missions and financial objectives. Jointly administered by HBS and GSAS, the program includes core disciplinary training in sociology or psychology, as well as additional coursework in organizational behavior.

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•       Resources       How to Transfer College Credits in Grad School

How to Transfer College Credits in Grad School FAQs & Tips for Master's & PhD Students

Many students know that transferring as an undergrad is fairly common -- over one third of undergraduate students transfer schools at least once over six years -- but transferring graduate schools doesn't seem to get the same attention. This can make figuring out how to transfer at the graduate level a bit mystifying. Transferring as a master's or PhD student isn't impossible, but it does come with its own unique set of challenges and parameters. With some preparation and expert insight, students can successfully transfer schools or programs during their graduate studies, or find alternatives to transferring that better suit their circumstances.

• How to Transfer Grad Schools
• Tips on Transferring
• Why Students Transfer Grad Schools
• Alternatives to Transferring

FAQs About Transferring in Graduate School

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It's natural for students to have questions and uncertainties about transferring graduate programs. After all, many graduate students don’t even know that transferring may be a viable option for them. These frequently asked questions can help prospective transfer students get a better understanding of the graduate transfer process.

Yes, although the process may sometimes be closer to applying as a first-year student. In general, students apply to a program and then request that previously-earned credits be considered for transfer. Since some master's programs have curricula and research specific to a university, certain credits may not be accepted. However, this varies by school and program of study, and students can contact advisors and admissions specialists to see how feasible the process is.

Some schools do allow students to transfer PhD programs, but it's not as common as transferring master's programs. Many PhD programs have students work closely with an advisor to conduct research, which can make transferring difficult, especially if they have made considerable progress in their studies. Students who transfer after earning a master's degree may have more opportunities.

This varies by institution and individual program. Between nine and 15 is common, but the number of transferable credits can range from three to 30 or more, depending on the program and degree level. PhD programs that allow transfer students may accept more transfer credits than master's programs.

Graduate programs typically must be completed in a specified amount of time, like five, six or seven years. Students can usually transfer credits that fall within that time frame, but they should be mindful of how those credits will affect the amount of time they have to complete their program. For instance, if a student applying to a 36-credit graduate program transfers nine credits earned four years earlier, and the program has a required completion time of six years, the student only has two years to earn the additional 27 credits needed to graduate.

Schools may require students to submit transfer credit requests within a certain period of time after starting their program, such as within the first semester or year. Students should contact admissions, a transfer advisor or the registrar's office for specific information before applying to ensure they have enough time to prepare their transfer credit request forms.

Yes, but the circumstances in which this is possible may be limited. Typically, students can transfer graduate credit between degrees if the degree programs are closely related. For instance, students who switch into an MBA program from another business-related master's program, like accounting, may have crossover between courses and can successfully transfer credits.

Students should be able to transfer between online and on campus programs, as long as prior coursework was completed at a regionally accredited institution, and the student's prospective school finds that the coursework meets equivalency standards. As with traditional transfers, credit transfer between online and on campus programs may be determined on a case-by-case basis.

It's possible. Whether or not credits earned outside of a degree program will transfer into a degree program depends on the particular courses taken and whether or not a student's prospective graduate school deems the coursework appropriate and equivalent to coursework within their program. Students who earn a B or higher in non-degree classes can submit a transfer credit request to their school and see if they are granted credit.

How to Transfer Grad School Credits

Transferring credits from one graduate school to another can take some time, but the process is fairly straightforward. Exact procedures and transfer eligibility guidelines vary by institution, so it's important that students check with their prospective graduate schools for details. The following steps should give students a general idea of what they can expect when transferring credits.

Check your school’s graduate transfer page

This is where students can find the detailed steps and requirements for transferring graduate schools. The University of Oregon , University of Indiana Bloomington and Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences provide good examples of what students should look for. Students should make sure they meet all transfer requirements delineated on their school’s graduate transfer guidelines page before proceeding. Contact the school directly with any questions.

Request official transcripts from your previous institution

A student’s prospective graduate school will need to see proof of course completion before granting transfer credit. Ordering and receiving official transcripts can take a few days or weeks, so it’s wise to do this step early.

Fill out a Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form

Students usually have to complete a transfer credit request form, often titled Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit, or something similar. This form generally involves writing out which credits the student would like to be considered for transfer, including a description of the coursework and how it meets the requirements at their prospective graduate school.

Submit transcripts, request form and any additional documents or letters

When submitting their transfer credit request forms and transcripts, students may also need to include other documentation, like their previous institution’s course descriptions, letters of recommendation or test scores.

Wait for written approval from both the graduate school and your department of study

Sending in the request does not guarantee credit transfer. Wait for written approval to be sure that credits have successfully transferred.

Depending on their program, PhD students may have to meet with an admissions committee to explain why they want to transfer out of their previous school and into a new one. This may take extra time and preparation, so students should plan their time accordingly to give themselves the best chance at getting accepted into a new program.

Questions to Ask Before Trying to Transfer Grad Schools

Transferring graduate schools can be intimidating, but a little preparation can help. Students can ease their nerves and make sure they are ready to begin the transfer process by asking themselves a few key questions.

• Does the program I want to attend accept transfer students?
• Is there a minimum GPA, and do I meet it?
• Are additional entrance exams needed that I haven't already taken for my current/previous program?
• Do I meet the new program’s admissions requirements, or can any be waived due to experience?
• How many credits am I allowed to transfer? How many will I lose?
• Why do I want to transfer?
• How will transferring affect my research or thesis?
• How long will it take for me to complete my program if I transfer?
• What will additional time in the program cost me?
• Will work or family life be a conflict?
• Why did I choose the program in the first place? Was the school a bad fit, or is it the area of study?

Grad School Transfer Tips

Deciding to transfer graduate schools is, for many students, a significant step toward successfully completing their graduate studies. These tips can help make the transition process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Sometimes, transferring is a student’s only option, but it’s often important for students to consider why they want to transfer schools as graduate students. Doing a self-assessment can help students figure out if transferring is going to work for them.

Dana Bearer, Associate Director of Graduate, Transfer and Adult Admissions at Clarion University, notes that there are several things students should take into consideration when deciding whether or not to transfer, such as why they chose their program, how much time a transfer will add to their completion time and whether the issues that caused them to leave their initial program will be problematic in the future. "Students need to be prepared to put in the necessary work the second time around to complete their program."

Many schools make transferring at the graduate level easy and streamlined, but starting early will help students make sure they meet all program requirements and have adequate time to fill in any gaps. Discovering you need to take a series of exams and gather recommendation letters from former instructors a month before the term begins can be a huge setback that’s best avoided.

Bearer stresses the importance of accounting for credits lost during the transfer process and the extra time it may take to complete a program at a new institution. She also reminds students of the possibility that none of their credits will transfer, and they’ll have to start over. Students may want to see if they can request transfer credit evaluations at multiple institutions before applying to a new graduate program.

While transferring as a master’s student is usually pretty simple, PhD students may have to do some considerable legwork when it comes to changing schools or programs. Admissions committees may be suspicious or skeptical of a student’s desire to transfer schools. Is their research going poorly? Do they not work well with their advisor? Did they attend a "safety school" but want a degree with a more prestigious name?

It may be crucial for students to spend some time crafting a smart statement of intent or, in cases where students meet with the admissions committee in person, a verbal explanation of their transfer request.

In circumstances where students need to defend their decision to transfer, it may be smart to request recommendation letters from doctorate advisors and instructors. Sometimes this is a requirement, but even if it isn’t, a strong set of recommendations may help a student transfer into PhD programs, which typically have limited seats and numerous applicants. Requesting recommendations from an institution you plan to leave can be uncomfortable, but a sincere and honest approach can aid in a successful transfer.

"Students should talk to their advisors before they transfer and make every effort to complete the program before they stop out or transfer," says Bearer.

If students are unable to work out the issue that’s leading to their need to transfer, they should ensure they don’t repeat the same problem in their new school. "Students should talk to an advisor at the other school they’re considering to ensure the program is a fit for them before they begin," says Bearer. "Most issues can be solved before students begin their programs."

Transferring schools may not be the only or even the best solution for graduate students. Considering why they want to transfer and other potential ways to meet that end can help students make the right decision for their academic, professional and personal lives.

Why You Might Want or Need to Transfer Grad Schools

Like undergraduates, graduate students may find themselves in a wide range of circumstances that lead them to transfer schools. However, the common reasons graduate students make a change in their program of study are usually different from or more nuanced than undergraduate woes and may require more reflection.

One of the most common reasons I see graduate students transfer is cost," says Bearer. Students may find that after starting a graduate program, they are not able to sustain their studies for financial reasons. Whether something unexpected happens with their financial aid, a work situation changes, the program takes longer to complete than expected or something else, students may need to look for a different graduate program in order to finish their degree.

Bearer notes that job and family issues often play a role in causing graduate students to transfer. She says that family or work will cause students to drop out of a program for a length of time. “At that point, they usually decide that their work or family life conflicts with the program, so they stop enrolling.” However, transferring to a program that provides the flexibility or proximity they need may be a better solution for graduate students that allows them to finish their degree.

Usually students go into their graduate programs with a pretty solid idea of what they want to study, but sometimes students find that the program isn’t what they expected and another field might better suit their interests. In this case, students may be able to transfer graduate programs within the same school, which can increase the possibility of credit transfer if the programs are closely related.

Graduate students, especially PhD students, may conduct extensive research as part of their degree programs. Students often choose their graduate school based off their research interests and how closely those interests align with their department’s expertise. However, students may begin their research only to find that their advisor’s interests lie elsewhere, and they don’t get to conduct the research they wanted. Graduate students may feel that transferring schools is will give them a better opportunity to conduct research that fits their interests and goals.

Sometimes students don’t do as well as they expect in their graduate program. "Unfortunately, a student may be earning failing grades and have been dismissed from the program, thus resulting in a need to transfer," says Bearer. If a student’s overall GPA causes them to be dismissed from their program but they’ve maintained a B or higher in a few classes, they may be able to transfer those particular credits to a different graduate program.

PhD students work closely with advisors to conduct research and develop their theses. Every now and then an advisor will pass away or switch schools, leaving students with a difficult decision. For the sake of their research, students may officially follow their advisor to their new school or opt to find a new advisor elsewhere.

Alternatives to Transferring Graduate Schools

Transferring graduate schools isn’t as difficult as it may seem, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best option for all students. Students should carefully consider why they want to transfer and see if any alternatives make more sense given their circumstances and goals.

If family or work obligations, or other circumstances make attending classes at the same schedule impossible, students can consider taking some of their course requirements online rather than transferring to a new program. More and more schools are offering online options, so it may be possible to complete some courses online even if the student originally enrolled in a fully on-campus program. Check with the admissions department to see if it’s possible.

If students can stick their PhD program out for at least two years, they may be able to transfer out and receive a terminal master’s degree instead. Students can then switch to a different PhD program or stop at the master’s level.

Students who have advisor-related issues, like differences in research goals, may be able to collaborate with students and instructors at other universities while still completing their coursework at their current institution. Similarly, if an advisor moves schools, students may still be able to work with that advisor for research without formally enrolling in the other school.

In some cases, Bearer suggests that a student may be able to complete a small number of credits in a new program and transfer those to complete a degree in the student’s original program. “This might be an option if the student is only a few classes from completing the program and their home school is willing to accept the classes,” she says.

Schools cap the number of credits a student is allowed to transfer, so those who need to transfer near the end of their programs could be at a huge loss. However, if they are able to take the last few credits they need at a new institution and then transfer back to their original program, students may be able to make the most of an unfortunate situation.

If students transfer credits after a significant hiatus, they may not realize how little time they have left to complete a program, especially if not all of their credits transfer. “Consider the cost of transferring and how many credits you have left to complete the program,” advises Bearer. Sometimes it’s more cost-effective to start fresh rather than transfer a few older credits and risk not finishing a program on time.

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5 routes to getting a Doctorate

While most of those studying for a PhD take the PhD by thesis pathway, there are five viable routes to achieving a Doctorate degree

PhD by thesis

This is the most common means of getting a Doctorate degree. Over the three or four years of research at university, your PhD supervisor will support you as you aim to produce a thesis based on your research proposal .

A thesis is typically 60,000-90,000 words in length - although this can vary between institutions. For instance, the University of Glasgow's College of Social Sciences expects a thesis to be 70,000-100,000 words including references, bibliography and appendices, while the University of Cambridge has set an upper limit of 80,000 words.

Once completed, you'll need to defend your PhD thesis in front of a panel of examiners during your viva voce .

PhD by publication

This route involves submitting previously published work - such as books, book chapters and journal articles, which together form a coherent body of work and show evidence of an original contribution to a particular field of study.

It's often taken by mid-career academics that haven't had the opportunity to undertake a standard Doctorate degree.

Generally, a minimum of five to eight published pieces are required, but this varies between institutions and depends on their length. The published work will be assessed to the same rigorous standards as a traditional PhD by thesis.

You must also provide a written supporting statement, which can range from 5,000 to 20,000 words, and present your work to an academic committee. A supervisor will assist you with selecting which publications to submit and with the supporting statement.

Some universities accept only their own graduates for a PhD by publication, while others restrict this route to their academic staff. In general, you should have graduated from your first degree at least seven years ago to be eligible.

For example, The University of Manchester has published its own Guidance for the PhD By Published Work , with eligibility only extending to current members of staff.

Professional Doctorate

Geared primarily towards current professionals in vocational sectors such as healthcare , teaching and education , and engineering and manufacturing , this type of Doctorate degree includes a significant taught component and a smaller research project.

Professional Doctorates are often taken on a part-time basis and can last between two and eight years. Like their standard PhD counterparts, they usually begin in October or January.

While you won't typically be looking to get an academic job , your research is expected to contribute to theory as well as professional practice. Projects often revolve around a real-life issue that affects your employer.

Several professional Doctorates, such as the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), are accredited by a professional body - for instance, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and The British Psychological Society (BPS) - and may also lead to a professional qualification .

Common titles for graduates of professional Doctorate degrees include:

• Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
• Doctor of Education (EdD)
• Doctor of Engineering (EngD)
• Doctor of Medicine (MD).

Unlike many professional Doctorates, the EngD is typically offered as a full-time course and is aimed at young engineering graduates with little or no professional experience.

Explore what's currently available at Find a Professional Doctorate .

Integrated PhD

This four-year qualification, also known as the New Route PhD, involves studying a one-year research Masters degree (MRes) before progressing onto a three-year PhD.

Offered by a select number of universities across the UK, integrated PhDs are supported by the government and the British Council through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . Visit Research Council funding for further information on research and funding for different types of PhD.

The integrated PhD involves a combination of taught materials, practical experience and advanced research. This allows you to learn subject-specific methodologies, while building the transferable skills that will enable you to become a leader in your chosen profession.

Institutions can also develop personalised integrated PhD programmes to meet each student's needs. For example, universities may offer you the opportunity to gain a postgraduate certificate (PGCert) in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education - perfect if you're considering a career as a higher education lecturer .

As PhDs are based primarily on independent research rather than time spent in lectures and seminars, distance learning has always been a viable route for many Doctoral students.

PhDs by distance learning offered by course providers such as The Open University are therefore a good option to consider if you've got family or work commitments or are an international student - as this gives you the chance to undertake Doctoral research without having to live close to your chosen institution. It's also a suitable mode of study if your subject requires you to be based in a specific location away from the university.

For the most part, you'll be in touch with your supervisor by phone, email or Skype/Zoom. You'll need to bear in mind that even if you opt for this form of research, you'll generally still need to attend university for one or two weeks of each academic year for meetings and to receive research skills training. Your final examination may be undertaken either face-to-face or virtually.

With online PhDs, you can usually register as a full or part-time student. The level of fees you pay varies between institutions - some charge the same as for a standard PhD while others offer a reduced rate.

Check that any funding you plan to apply for is available to distance learning students, as this isn't always the case.

Search for distance learning PhDs .

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• Consider what to do after completing your PhD .

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Undergraduate vs. Graduate: Educate Yourself On The Difference

• Undergraduate Meaning
• Undergraduate Student And Degree
• Graduate Meaning
• Graduate Degree And Student
• Graduate Origin
• Postgraduate Meaning

⚡ Quick summary

The main difference between undergraduate and graduate is that undergraduate is always used in the context of the first level of college or university education (the level where you can earn a bachelor’s degree ). In terms like graduate student and graduate degree , graduate refers to a level of advanced education beyond the undergraduate level, especially a master’s degree or doctorate . The noun graduate is more general, simply referring to a person who has completed a level of education (someone who has graduated ).

The difference between undergraduate and graduate is a difference of degrees (*throws graduation cap in the air to celebrate the pun*).

The level of education that each word involves varies depending on how the word is being used, and there are situations in which both words can be used in the same situation. For example, you can become a graduate student after graduating with an undergraduate degree.

The word graduate can mean very different things depending on whether it’s used as a noun (as in recent   high school graduates ), an adjective (as in graduate student and graduate degree ), or a verb (as in I plan to graduate next May ). The same goes for its shortened form, grad , which can be used as a noun (as in Congrats, grads! ) or an adjective (as in grad program ).

Undergraduate can also be used both as a noun (as in I’m an undergraduate at Stanford University ) or an adjective (as in I’m working toward my undergraduate degree ). It can be shortened to undergrad in both cases.

By the end of this article, you’ll have an advanced degree in all the different ways graduate, grad , undergraduate , and undergrad are used, and what they mean in each case.

What does undergraduate mean?

An undergraduate is “a student in a university or college who has not received a first, especially a bachelor’s, degree.” For example, a college student might say I’m an undergraduate at the University of Texas if they were pursuing a bachelor’s degree there.

Undergraduate is also commonly used as an adjective in this same context, in terms like undergraduate student , undergraduate degree , and undergraduate studies.

Undergraduate is often shortened to undergrad as both a noun and an adjective.

In undergraduate, the prefix under- is used to indicate a lower rank or status. The educational status of an undergraduate student is below that of a graduate student.

What’s the difference between wisdom and knowledge ? Here’s a lesson on the two terms.

What is an undergraduate student ? And what is an undergraduate degree ?

An undergraduate student is a student who is pursuing a degree at the first level of higher education (meaning the level after high school) at a college or university. Undergraduate students are typically those working to earn a bachelor’s degree (or, less commonly, an associate’s degree ). These degrees are often referred to with the general term undergraduate degree.

Outside of the US, an undergraduate degree is sometimes called a first degree. There are also other types of undergraduate degrees outside of the US, such as a foundation degree (which, like an associate’s degree, is typically a two-year degree).

What does graduate mean?

As a noun, the word graduate  [  graj -oo-it ] refers to “a person who has received a degree or diploma on completing a course of study.” In other words, a graduate is someone who has completed a particular level of schooling or an educational program—a child who just finished kindergarten and a doctor who just completed medical school are both graduates. It can even be used figuratively , as in She’s a graduate of the school of hard knocks.

As a verb, graduate [  graj -oo-eyt ] means “to receive a degree or diploma on completing a course of study.” The process of graduating—and the ceremony itself—is called graduation .

As an adjective, graduate [  graj -oo-it ] means something more specific. It’s used to indicate that a student, degree, or educational program is an advanced one, beyond the level of a bachelor’s degree. This sense of graduate is most commonly used in terms like graduate degree, graduate school , graduate program, and graduate student.

What is a graduate degree ? And what is a graduate student ?

Graduate degree typically refers to a degree beyond a bachelor’s, most commonly a master’s.

A graduate student is a student who’s pursuing an advanced degree after having earned their undergraduate degree (such as a bachelor’s degree) by graduating from an undergraduate program. Calling someone a graduate student most often means they are pursuing their master’s degree, but it may be another advanced degree, such as a PhD (You’d most commonly call such students PhD students. Or you might say they are working toward their doctorate or their doctoral degree.)

To earn a graduate degree, graduate students go to a division of a university known as graduate school , and such a program is often called a graduate program. In all of these terms, graduate is often shortened to grad : grad school , grad student , grad program . (A student doesn’t become a graduate student until they take graduate-level courses. For example, if a student graduates with a bachelor’s degree and then later pursues a different bachelor’s degree, they are still an undergraduate student .)

Some graduate studies are referred to in more specific ways: medical students go to medical school to earn their medical degree ; law students go to law school to earn their law degree.

Do you know the difference between these highly-esteemed graduate degrees and titles: PhD, MD, and Dr ?

Where does the word graduate come from?

Graduate comes from the Medieval Latin graduārī, meaning “to take a degree.” It ultimately derives from the Latin gradus, meaning “a step.” Each time you graduate, you take a step to the next level of education.

What does postgraduate mean?

The adjective postgraduate is sometimes used in the same way as the adjective sense of the word graduate, especially in the UK, as in postgraduate student or postgraduate studies.

Postgraduate should not be confused with postdoctoral , which refers to studies, research, or professional work above the level of a doctorate.

How to use undergraduate vs. graduate

The best way to sort out the different meanings of undergraduate and graduate is to determine whether each word is being used as a noun, an adjective, or a verb. Here’s an easy breakdown of the differences.

• undergraduate (noun): A college student pursuing a non-advanced degree, most commonly a bachelor’s degree. Can be shortened to undergrad.
• undergraduate (adjective): Used in the context of colleges and university programs ( undergraduate programs ) where students are pursuing a degree (generally referred to as an undergraduate degree ) that is not an advanced degree. Also sometimes shortened to undergrad.
• graduate (noun): A person who has completed a particular level of schooling or educational program. Can be shortened to grad.
• graduate (verb): To complete a level of schooling (and, typically, to receive a degree or diploma). You can graduate from kindergarten, high school, college, graduate school, medical school, etc.
• graduate (adjective): Used in the context of advanced schooling—a level beyond a bachelor’s degree, most commonly a master’s program. Used in terms like graduate student , graduate school , graduate degree , graduate program , graduate courses , etc. Often shortened to grad.

Examples of undergraduate, undergrad, graduate, and grad used in a sentence

Let’s look at some examples of these words in actual, real-life use to get the meanings straight.

• As an undergraduate, she had studied engineering; as a graduate student, she switched to architecture.
• I completed my undergraduate degree after five years and a lot of hard work.
• As a graduate student, you will be expected to complete a thesis.
• You should start thinking about graduate school applications before you graduate.
• Most of the applicants for this position are recent college graduates.
• I’m still an undergrad, but I’m hoping to start grad school next fall.
• I’m a UGA grad, but I almost went to Georgia Tech.

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No matter who is graduating, here are tips on how to craft a perfect congratulations card for their achievement.

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• 12 March 2024

Bring PhD assessment into the twenty-first century

You have full access to this article via your institution.

Innovation in PhD education has not reached how doctoral degrees are assessed. Credit: Dan Dunkley/Science Photo Library

Research and teaching in today’s universities are unrecognizable compared with what they were in the early nineteenth century, when Germany and later France gave the world the modern research doctorate. And yet significant aspects of the process of acquiring and assessing a doctorate have remained remarkably constant. A minimum of three years of independent study mentored by a single individual culminates in the production of the doctoral thesis — often a magisterial, book-length piece of work that is assessed in an oral examination by a few senior academic researchers. In an age in which there is much research-informed innovation in teaching and learning, the assessment of the doctoral thesis represents a curious throwback that is seemingly impervious to meaningful reform.

But reform is needed. Some doctoral candidates perceive the current assessment system to lack transparency, and examiners report concerns of falling standards ( G. Houston A Study of the PhD Examination: Process, Attributes and Outcomes . PhD thesis, Oxford Univ.; 2018 ). Making the qualification more structured would help — and, equally importantly, would bring the assessment of PhD education in line with education across the board. PhD candidates with experience of modern assessment methods will become better researchers, wherever they work. Indeed, most will not be working in universities: the majority of PhD holders find employment outside academia.

Collection: Career resources for PhD students

It’s not that PhD training is completely stuck in the nineteenth century. Today’s doctoral candidates can choose from a range of pathways. Professional doctorates, often used in engineering, are jointly supervised by an employer and an academic, and are aimed at solving industry-based problems. Another innovation is PhD by publication, in which, instead of a final thesis on one or more research questions, the criterion for an award is a minimum number of papers published or accepted for publication. In some countries, doctoral students are increasingly being trained in cohorts, with the aim of providing a less isolating experience than that offered by the conventional supervisor–student relationship. PhD candidates are also encouraged to acquire transferable skills — for example, in data analysis, public engagement, project management or business, economics and finance. The value of such training would be even greater if these skills were to be formally assessed alongside a dissertation rather than seen as optional.

And yet, most PhDs are still assessed after the production of a final dissertation, according to a format that, at its core, has not changed for at least half a century, as speakers and delegates noted at an event in London last month on PhD assessment, organized by the Society for Research in Higher Educatio n. Innovations in assessment that are common at other levels of education are struggling to find their way into the conventional doctoral programme.

Take the concept of learning objectives. Intended to aid consistency, fairness and transparency, learning objectives are a summary of what a student is expected to know and how they will be assessed, and are given at the start of a course of study. Part of the ambition is also to help tutors to keep track of their students’ learning and take remedial action before it is too late.

PhD training is no longer fit for purpose — it needs reform now

Formative assessment is another practice that has yet to find its way into PhD assessment consistently. Here, a tutor evaluates a student’s progress at the mid-point of a course and gives feedback or guidance on what students need to do to improve ahead of their final, or summative, assessment. It is not that these methods are absent from modern PhDs; a conscientious supervisor will not leave candidates to sink or swim until the last day. But at many institutions, such approaches are not required of PhD supervisors.

Part of the difficulty is that PhD training is carried out in research departments by people who do not need to have teaching qualifications or awareness of innovations based on education research. Supervisors shouldn’t just be experts in their field, they should also know how best to convey that subject knowledge — along with knowledge of research methods — to their students.

It is probably not possible for universities to require all doctoral supervisors to have teaching qualifications. But there are smaller changes that can be made. At a minimum, doctoral supervisors should take the time to engage with the research that exists in the field of PhD education, and how it can apply to their interactions with students.

There can be no one-size-fits-all solution to improving how a PhD is assessed, because different subjects often have bespoke needs and practices ( P. Denicolo Qual. Assur. Educ. 11 , 84–91; 2003 ). But supervisors and representatives of individual subject communities must continue to discuss what is most appropriate for their disciplines.

All things considered, there is benefit to adopting a more structured approach to PhD assessment. It is high time that PhD education caught up with changes that are now mainstream at most other levels of education. That must start with a closer partnership between education researchers, PhD supervisors and organizers of doctoral-training programmes in universities. This partnership will benefit everyone — PhD supervisors and doctoral students coming into the research workforce, whether in universities or elsewhere.

Education and training in research has entered many secondary schools, along with undergraduate teaching, which is a good thing. In the spirit of mutual learning, research doctoral supervisors, too, will benefit by going back to school.

Nature 627 , 244 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00718-0

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Northwestern and Graduate Student Union Have Finalized an Initial Contract

Dear members of the Northwestern community, 

Today, the graduate student union (NUGW-UE) informed the University that a majority of its voting members voted to ratify their first collective bargaining agreement with Northwestern. A robust graduate community is a vital component of a world-class teaching and research enterprise, and this agreement demonstrates a strong commitment to this shared value.

The new agreement covers graduate students in most schools when they are providing research and instructional services for the University. The contract continues to provide support for fully funded PhD and TGS MFA students in the form of tuition assistance, competitive annual stipends and health benefits, and it expands on those supports by providing annual increases to stipends, increases to hourly wages, enhanced dental and vision insurance coverage and enhanced support for international students. The agreement, which was the result of a strong partnership with NUGW-UE during the negotiation process, goes into effect immediately. 

Creating a graduate student union and implementing this first contract is new to the Northwestern community, so groups have already begun work to ensure that implementation is transparent and as smooth as possible. To that end, we will update the University’s graduate student unionization website next week with details of the agreement, guidance and frequently asked questions. We will refine this website over the coming weeks and months, and we encourage community members to submit questions or feedback through the online form . 

Northwestern looks forward to continuing to partner with NUGW-UE to implement the terms of the agreement and to provide for the academic and professional development of our graduate students. 

Thank you, 

Kathleen Hagerty Provost and Professor

Kelly Mayo  Dean of The Graduate School and  Associate Provost for Graduate Education

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• Entering and staying in the UK
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• MAC commissioned to review the Graduate Route
• Migration Advisory Committee

Letter from the Home Secretary to Professor Brian Bell, 11 March 2024 (accessible)

Updated 12 March 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: [email protected] .

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2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF

11 March 2024

Dear Professor Bell,

Further to my statement in Parliament on 4 December 2023, I am writing to commission the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a rapid review of the Graduate route.

The Graduate route launched in July 2021. It is an unsponsored route which allows students to stay for 2 years (or 3 years for PhD students) after graduation. To be eligible, a student must hold valid leave under the Student route and have successfully completed an undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral degree with a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance. Family members must have held permission as a dependant whilst the student had permission under the Student route, and cannot apply to join a Graduate where they did not previously have permission as a dependant. Applicants to the Graduate route do not need to provide evidence of their financial ability to support themselves in the UK, have a job offer or be earning a particular salary.

The immigration rules state that “This route is for a Student in the UK who wants to work, or look for work, following the successful completion of an eligible course”. When the route was launched, Government said that it wanted to attract and retain bright international students to contribute to society and the economy post-study and help businesses recruit highly qualified talent from across the globe to drive the economy forwards.

Case for review

The Government recognises that the reputation of our world-class higher education sector rests on its commitment to excellence, in both research and education. We are proud that students from around the world want to study in the UK and recognise the value that international students contribute to the UK economy, domestic teaching and to Research and Development. But we also recognise that UK universities’ reputation for quality could easily be put at risk if evidence emerges of immigration abuse or visa exploitation which are not tackled.

The Graduate route has helped to attract bright international students to the UK and to work in our economy post-study. As a flexible and unsponsored offer, the Graduate route is similar to offers made by some other countries to graduates and was originally set up with the objective of helping the UK attract the brightest and best by giving them time to find high-skilled employment following their degree. It has supported the British higher education sector’s earnings, with income from international students supporting our investment in R&D and in the teaching of domestic students.

Whilst the Graduate route has supported the UK to achieve its International Education Strategy ambition of hosting 600,000 students a year and progress towards our education exports target, we want to understand whether it is meeting its wider objectives, including those of attracting and retaining the best and brightest students to the UK and supporting excellence in UK higher education. Since the Graduate route was established, a total of 175,872 visas have been granted. In 2018, the MAC said that granting an unrestricted right to work in the UK for international students could create additional demand for degrees, particularly short Master’s degrees, driven by the opportunity to obtain a job and remain in the UK, rather than for the value of the qualification. In your annual report for 2023, you commented on the Graduate route and noted the same point, while pointing out that its success in enhancing the offer to international students who choose to study in the UK and that it remains to be seen whether changes to dependant rules from January 2024 impact the take-up of the Graduate route visa.

The Prime Minister, Education Secretary, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and I remain committed to attracting talented students from around the world to study in the UK and to championing the UK’s world leading higher education sector, but we want to ensure the Graduate route is not being abused. In particular, that some of the demand for study visas is not being driven more by a desire for immigration rather than education. Initial data from the MAC annual report shows that the proportion of international students studying at lower tariff institutions has risen to 32% in 2021/22, while the number of [international] postgraduate students attending institutions with the lowest UCAS tariff quartiles has increased by over 250% between 2018 and 2022.

We are keen to understand the drivers behind this, including whether it is because people are using these courses as a long-term route to work in the UK. An international student can spend relatively little on fees for a one-year course and gain access to two years with no job requirement on the Graduate route, followed by four years access to a discounted salary threshold on the Skilled Worker route. This means international graduates are able to access the UK labour market with salaries significantly below the requirement imposed on the majority of migrant skilled workers. The Government is already taking steps to change the general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker Visa from £26,200 to £38,700, which will increase the requisite salary in order to switch routes, including with the applied discount.

Early data suggests that only 23% of students switching from the Graduate route to the Skilled Worker route in 2023 went into graduate level jobs. In 2023, 32% of international graduates switching into work routes earned a salary above the general threshold at the time (£26,200), with just 16% earning over £30,000 – meaning that the vast majority of those completing the Graduate route go into work earning less than the median wage of other graduates. Initial data shows that the majority of international students switching from the Graduate route into the Skilled Worker route go into care work. This is clearly not what the Government intended in the 2019 Manifesto when it pledged to establish the Graduate route to attract the best and brightest students to study in the UK.

The Government is already taking significant action to reduce the potential for abuse of the student migration routes. First, we announced in May 2023 that we would be restricting the ability of postgraduate taught masters students to bring dependants, which reduces the economic incentive to study in the UK for applicants focused solely on accessing the UK labour market. Second, in December 2023, the Government announced that the general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route will increase to £38,700 from April 2024. International students will continue to be eligible for the new entrant discount to secure a Skilled Worker visa to remain in the UK beyond their two years on the Graduate route, although this will significantly increase from the current threshold.

In the context of the above, I am asking the MAC to provide further evidence to support the Government’s understanding of how the Graduate route is operating in practice and to what extent it is supporting the original objectives, as set out above. The review should be carried out with the support of Sir Steve Smith, the Government’s International Education Champion. Sir Steve should be invited to provide expert advice and evidence on international education, on the Government’s policies and strategies in relation to international students, and on the views and insights of the British higher education sector that assist this commission.

This review may include:

Any evidence of abuse of the route including the route not being fit for purpose.

Who is using the route and from what universities they graduated.

Demographics and trends for students accessing a study visa and subsequently accessing the UK labour market by means of the Graduate route.

What individuals do during and after their time on the graduate route and whether students who progress to the Graduate route are contributing to the economy.

Analysis of whether the Graduate route is undermining the integrity and quality of the UK higher education system, including understanding how the Graduate route is or is not, effectively controlling for the quality of international students, such that it is genuinely supporting the UK to attract and retain the brightest and the best, contributing to economic growth and benefitting British higher education and soft power – in the context of the Government’s wider International Education Strategy.

I would be grateful if the MAC would report by 14th May. The Government will consider the MAC’s analysis with a view to implementing any changes in due course.

With my very best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Rt. Hon. James Cleverly MP

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What to know about the SAVE plan, the income-driven plan to repay student loans

FILE - Wheaton College students stop to chat on the Norton, Mass. campus, Feb. 13, 2024 as snow falls. More than 75 million student loan borrowers have enrolled in the U.S. government’s newest repayment plan since it launched in August. (Mark Stockwell/The Sun Chronicle via AP, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — More than 75 million student loan borrowers have enrolled in the U.S. government’s newest repayment plan since it launched in August.

President Joe Biden recently announced that he was canceling federal student loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers enrolled in the plan, known as the SAVE plan . Forgiveness was granted to borrowers who had made payments for at least 10 years and originally borrowed $12,000 or less.

The SAVE plan was created last year to replace other existing income-based repayment plans offered by the federal government. More borrowers are now eligible to have their monthly payments reduced to $0, and many will qualify for lower payments compared to other repayment plans.

For Lauran Michael and her husband, the SAVE plan has reduced student loan payments by half.

Since getting married, they’ve both been paying off her husband’s student loans, which would have amounted to about $1,000 a month when payments resumed after a pause during the pandemic. Under the SAVE plan, their payments are now $530 a month.

“We don’t want our loans dictating our life choices, and us not being able to do other things because we’re paying so much money. The SAVE plan is definitely a game changer for us,” said Michael, a 34-year-old interior designer in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Michael’s family is paying for daycare for their two children using the money they saved from not making payments during the pandemic and the reduced payments under the SAVE plan.

If you are interested in applying for the SAVE plan, here’s what you need to know:

WHAT IS AN INCOME-DRIVEN REPAYMENT PLAN?

The U.S. Education Department offers several plans for repaying federal student loans. Under the standard plan, borrowers are charged a fixed monthly amount that ensures all their debt will be repaid after 10 years. But if borrowers have difficulty paying that amount, they can enroll in one of several plans that offer lower monthly payments based on income and family size. Those are known as income-driven repayment plans.

Income-driven options have been offered for years and generally cap monthly payments at 10% of a borrower’s discretionary income. If a borrower’s earnings are low enough, their bill is reduced to $0. And after 20 or 25 years, any remaining debt gets erased.

HOW IS THE SAVE PLAN DIFFERENT?

More borrowers in the SAVE plan are eligible for $0 payments. This plan won’t require borrowers to make payments if they earn less than 225% of the federal poverty line — $32,800 a year for a single person. The cutoff for other plans, by contrast, is 150% of the poverty line, or $22,000 a year for a single person.

Also, the SAVE plan prevents interest from piling up. As long as borrowers make their monthly payments, their overall balance won’t increase. Once they cover their adjusted monthly payment — even if it’s $0 — any remaining interest is waived.

Other major changes will take effect in July 2024. Payments on undergraduate loans will be capped at 5% of discretionary income, down from 10% now. Those with graduate and undergraduate loans will pay between 5% and 10%, depending on their original loan balance.

The maximum repayment period is capped at 20 years for those with only undergraduate loans and 25 years for those with any graduate school loans.

WHO QUALIFIES FOR THE SAVE PLAN?

The SAVE plan is available to all student loan borrowers in the Direct Loan Program who are in good standing on their loans.

Read more about the SAVE plan here .

HOW DO I APPLY FOR THE SAVE PLAN?

Borrowers can apply to the SAVE plan using the Income-Driven Repayment Plan request through the Education Department’s website.

HOW WILL I KNOW THAT MY DEBT HAS BEEN CANCELED?

If you are one of the borrowers who is benefitting from forgiveness under the SAVE plan, you will receive an email from the Education Department.

WHAT ARE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP WITH STUDENT LOAN DEBT?

If you’ve worked for a government agency or a nonprofit , the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program offers cancellation after 10 years of regular payments, and some income-driven repayment plans cancel the remainder of a borrower’s debt after 20 to 25 years.

Borrowers should make sure they’re signed up for the best possible income-driven repayment plan to qualify for these programs.

Borrowers who have been defrauded by for-profit colleges may also apply for relief through a program known as Borrower Defense.

If you’d like to repay your federal student loans under an income-driven plan, the first step is to fill out an application through the Federal Student Aid website .

WILL THERE BE FUTURE FORGIVENESS?

Several categories of borrowers would be eligible for relief under Biden’s second try at widespread cancellation after the Supreme Court rejected his first plan last year.

The proposed plan includes relief for borrowers who have been paying their loans for at least 20 or 25 years, automatic forgiveness for borrowers who are eligible for income-driven repayment plans but are not enrolled, and loan cancellation for borrowers who attended a for-profit college that left them unable to pay their student loans, among others.

Whether any of the relief will materialize is a looming question as conservatives vow to challenge any attempt at mass student loan cancellation. The new proposal is narrower, focusing on several categories of borrowers who could get some or all of their loans canceled, but legal challenge is almost certain.

Currently, borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness under the SAVE program will get their loans discharged on a rolling basis, according to the Education Department.

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

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You are here, phd student depaul miller receives koerner family foundation fellowship.

Computer science PhD student DePaul Miller ’20 ’23G was recently awarded a $10,000 Supplemental Stipend Fellowship Award from the Koerner Family Foundation (KFF). 

KFF promotes engineering innovation, research, and development by supporting graduate students at American engineering institutions. The foundation seeks to inspire future generations of research-oriented engineers while helping the U.S. maintain global competitiveness across all engineering disciplines.

Miller works with Roberto Palmieri , an associate professor of computer science and engineering (CSE), and the Scalable Systems and Software (SSS) research group on high performance heterogeneous and distributed systems. 

His goal is to develop systems that efficiently utilize the CPU and GPU to meet current system demands. In other words, he wants to create computer systems that are powerful and diverse in terms of their components to handle a wide range of tasks efficiently. 

As part of his work in this group with Palmieri and CSE Professor Henry (Hank) Korth, Miller wrote a paper, “ OCToPus: Semantic-aware Concurrency Control for Blockchain Transactions ,” that was accepted as a poster at PPoPP 24 (ACM SIGPLAN Symposium on Principles and Practice of Parallel Programming 2024). 

“With modern technology, we are approaching the limits of transistors in a single chip, so we have to reevaluate how we approach computing,” says Miller. “Heterogeneous systems broaden the realm of possibilities by using multiple chips, and adapting algorithms to these systems will make powerful computing cheaper and more accessible.”

Miller has completed two internships with NVIDIA , where he worked on creating efficient mathematical operations, optimizing for specific hardware architectures, and improving the overall performance of a library used for deep learning and linear algebra (CUTLASS). 

Miller says the supportive environment of the faculty and fellow graduate students in the SSS research group has contributed to his success. 

“Everyone has their specialties, so they bring a lot of interesting perspectives to the table,” he says. “Every week, someone will present a new paper, and we’ll all sit down and discuss it. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of a lab culture where we can do social things together and do impactful research.”

DePaul Miller, a computer science PhD student, has been awarded a fellowship from the Koerner Family Foundation.

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'I learned how to think like a journalist.' High schoolers graduate from Dispatch training

Avery Watkins, an 11th grade student at Columbus Alternative High School, learned how to “think like a journalist.”

Apshana Biswa, one of her classmates, learned “what journalism is.”

Da’John Hales, an 11th grader at Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School, learned to “not be scared to ask questions about anything. … You have to press people; you have to get your questions heard.”

Watkins, Biswa and Hales were among 21 Columbus City Schools students who graduated Saturday from Columbus Journalists in Training, a program sponsored by The Columbus Dispatch, the Central Ohio chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and Columbus City Schools.

Over five previous weekends, students attended workshops and learned the principles of journalism directly from professionals who work at The Dispatch, NBC4 (WCMH-TV), Columbus Business First and elsewhere. Students produced their own articles, podcasts and videos — now published on The Dispatch’s website — covering topics such as school bathroom policy , teen depression , musical therapy and student and staff reactions to the Israel-Hamas war .

Student project: Walnut Ridge shooting guard talks balancing school, sports, mental health

Michael Shearer, The Dispatch’s executive editor, told the young graduates he hopes he can hire some of them as reporters in the future.

“I cannot stress enough to you, we need you in this business,” Shearer said at a Saturday graduation ceremony for the students and their families in Columbus’ Arena District. “What we do in journalism is so vitally important to our communities — whether it's finding out about a zoning change in your neighborhood … or what happened yesterday, with the horrible tornadoes across Ohio. There are so many things that the public needs to know.”

Michael Cole, a Columbus City school board member and a former journalist, told the students they represent “the best and brightest of Columbus City Schools.

“Not only does your work represent (the First Amendment), it is a defense of that,” he said.

Amelia Robinson, The Dispatch’s opinion and community engagement editor, said she was “blown away” by the students’ work this year — the program’s second year running. 

Tiffany McVay, a 10th grader at Briggs High School, took part both years. This year, she wrote a story debunking an urban legend about a haunted house in Clintonville .  

Student project: Columbus schools are locking students out of restrooms. Here's why

“I really enjoyed it the first time, and I especially think it's cool how your work gets put in The Dispatch,” she said of the program. “Journalism is something that I am thinking of possibly doing later on. And, plus, having an article with The Dispatch looks really good on a college resume.”

Watkins said the experience taught her a lot about deadlines. She’s thinking of minoring in journalism at college, though she plans to become a doctor.

Oscar Ball, a Whetstone High School student who reported about about athletes’ mental health, said that even if he doesn’t become a journalist, the training was useful because it gave him confidence and taught him practical skills, like how to conduct an interview.

“Even if you don’t think you can do it, give it a try … even if you don’t plan on becoming a journalist,” said Trinity Forbes, a Columbus Online Academy student who interviewed peers and school staff for an article about bullying .

Student project: Apshana Biswa talks to a teen mom about her experience

Students can sign up for next year’s Columbus Journalists in Training through their schools. Columbus City Schools will advertise the program to students in the fall.

You can read, listen and watch all the student-produced stories on The Dispatch's website .

Robinson was a lead organizer of the training along with Hayleigh Colombo, a reporter with Lee Enterprises. Other instructors and mentors came from The Dispatch, NBC4, Columbus Business First, The Ohio State University, Lee Enterprises, Spectrum News 1, WOSU Public Media, Denison University, Ohio University and the USA TODAY NETWORK.

Student project: Teens are in a bullying epidemic. 'This is not okay.'

Peter Gill covers immigration, New American communities and religion for the Dispatch in partnership with Report for America. You can support work like his with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America at:   bit.ly/3fNsGaZ .

[email protected]