What is Phd program: Definition and 79 Discussions

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin philosophiae doctor or doctor philosophiae) is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is an earned research degree, those studying for a PhD are required to produce original research that expands the boundaries of knowledge, normally in the form of a thesis or dissertation, and defend their work against experts in the field. The completion of a PhD is often a requirement for employment as a university professor, researcher, or scientist in many fields. Individuals who have earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree may, in many jurisdictions, use the title Doctor (often abbreviated "Dr" or "Dr.") with their name, although the proper etiquette associated with this usage may also be subject to the professional ethics of their own scholarly field, culture, or society. Those who teach at universities or work in academic, educational, or research fields are usually addressed by this title "professionally and socially in a salutation or conversation." Alternatively, holders may use post-nominal letters such as "Ph.D.", "PhD", or "DPhil" (depending on the awarding institution). It is, however, considered incorrect to use both the title and post-nominals at the same time.The specific requirements to earn a PhD degree vary considerably according to the country, institution, and time period, from entry-level research degrees to higher doctorates. During the studies that lead to the degree, the student is called a doctoral student or PhD student; a student who has completed all their coursework and comprehensive examinations and is working on their thesis/dissertation is sometimes known as a doctoral candidate or PhD candidate (see: all but dissertation). A student attaining this level may be granted a Candidate of Philosophy degree at some institutions or may be granted a master's degree en route to the doctoral degree. Sometimes this status is also colloquially known as "PhD ABD," meaning "All But Dissertation."A PhD candidate must submit a project, thesis, or dissertation often consisting of a body of original academic research, which is in principle worthy of publication in a peer-reviewed journal. In many countries, a candidate must defend this work before a panel of expert examiners appointed by the university. Universities sometimes award other types of doctorate besides the PhD, such as the Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) for music performers and the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) for studies in education. In 2005 the European Universities Association defined the "Salzburg Principles," 10 basic principles for third-cycle degrees (doctorates) within the Bologna Process. These were followed in 2016 by the "Florence Principles," seven basic principles for doctorates in the arts laid out by the European League of Institutes of the Arts, which have been endorsed by the European Association of Conservatoires, the International Association of Film and Television Schools, the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, and the Society for Artistic Research.In some countries like China and Japan, a recipient of doctorate in disciplines such as engineering and pharmacy where professional degrees (for example, EngD and PharmD) are usually awarded in the western countries, is called a PhD regardless. It is not uncommon that the person's title or diploma be translated into English as PhD in (that discipline). In these countries, the distinction between professional doctorates and PhDs is less significant.In the context of the Doctor of Philosophy and other similarly titled degrees, the term "philosophy" does not refer to the field or academic discipline of philosophy, but is used in a broader sense in accordance with its original Greek meaning, which is "love of wisdom." In most of Europe, all fields (history, philosophy, social sciences, mathematics, and natural philosophy/sciences) other than theology, law, and medicine (the so-called professional, vocational, or technical curriculum) were traditionally known as philosophy, and in Germany and elsewhere in Europe the basic faculty of liberal arts was known as the "faculty of philosophy."

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  1. G

    What are the benefits of a geologist joining a community of physicists?

    Hello all. I am currently in a PhD program in the Earth Sciences. I joined the forum to ask some questions I am stuck on but got sucked in to the interesting discussions in many of these threads. I hope to contribute what I can.
  2. F

    Admissions Profile evaluation for astronomy Phd applicant in the fall 2023 cycle

    I will apply for a Ph.D. in Astronomy in the fall of 2023. I want to have a realistic evaluation of my profile to see if I am over-ambitious or not. I think I am out of reach for the "big four" universities. I will donate money to two of them only and will be targeting other top schools...
  3. F

    Programs Condensed Matter PhD Program Choice - Advice Needed

    Hi, I don't want to be too specific here, but specific enough for relevant advice. I'm finishing a Masters in Physics and am lucky to have been made offers by 2 excellent institutes: a Max Planck Graduate Centre (MP), and at Oxford UK. Both are in experimental condensed matter; Weyl...
  4. Antarres

    Physics Finding a PhD program in Europe

    Hello everyone, I am currently working on finding a PhD in Europe. I have nothing against America or Canada, but due to some personal life choices I also have to make along with this PhD, I prefer to move into a country close to my own(Serbia), which means anywhere in Europe. I have recently...
  5. Gjmdp

    Admissions Can I apply to a US PhD program with an UK Bachelor degree?

    In many british universities, like the University of Cambridge, the UK bachelor (1st class), with a duration of 3 years, is the minimum accepted requirement to apply for a PhD. This is, some PhD students only hold a UK bachelor, without a Master's degree. I was wondering if a british bachelor...
  6. gerardofingurbe

    Programs Applying To a PhD program before finishing your master's degree

    Hello , So let me explain my situation and why I want to do this, I'm currently in a physics' master at CINVESTAV, Mexico , my bachelor's degree is in electronics engineering and I obtained it at URBE in Venezuela, I'm Venezuelan and when I decided to leave Venezuela I did it with the intention...
  7. E

    Engineering Thinking about switching my PhD program

    Hello everyone I've recently started a PhD program at a pretty respected university even though I wouldn't want to disclose the exact field. My background is in physics and electrical/electronic engineering (BSc in both, MSc in Electronic Engineering). After I graduated with my MSc I got hired...
  8. ManishN

    Schools Is an Online Physics PhD Program Feasible for Full-Time Students?

    Are there any universities that offers a online PhD degree program in Physics? -thanks!
  9. Shackleford

    Establishing a Probability PhD Program: Prerequisites for Research

    If you were to establish a curriculum for a Probability PhD program, what courses would you include as a prerequisite to doing research? So far, I have: analysis, complex analysis, functional analysis, stochastic analysis, measure theory, and partial differential equations. This presupposes...
  10. C

    Admissions Possible to get into a Masters or PhD program with some C's?

    I am currently a double major pursuing a double major in BS mechanical engineering and a BS in applied physics, also two certificates in coding and lab instrumentation. I work as an engineering intern while going to school full time and have had research experience with a professor working on a...
  11. S

    Schools Suitable list of schools for an MS to apply for a PhD program in Optics

    Fifth Year BS-MS Student from one of the premier institutes in India CGPA: 8.1/10 GRE : 310/340 168Q 142V 4AWA TOEFL: 104/120 22R 27L 26S 29W I am applying for graduate schools in the following universities. Is the list sufficient? Any suggestion is most welcome. The list is not priority-wise...
  12. T

    Physics Thinking of dropping out of PhD program, need advice

    Grad school is *not* what I was hoping it would be. I wanted to study GR and was fortunate enough to get accepted in a program with an advisor who is a gravity theorist. I have the best fellowship awarded to grad students at my school. I passed all my prelims on my first try. My grades...
  13. Acceptablyvegi

    Admissions What are my odds of getting into a PhD program?

    What I want: to get into an okay-average Environmental Engineering, Materials Science, or Physics PhD program. My resume: Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Major 8 months experience with an extremely reputable food and beverage company as a process engineer sort of role. I'm leaving by...
  14. majormuss

    Attend an average PhD program or wait a year to retake the GRE?

    Hi all, I got accepted to 2 Astrophysics phd programs ( University of Connecticut and the University of Cincinnati). To be honest, I am not thrilled by the prospect of attending either school but my only other option is to retake the GREs again and wait another year to attend graduate...
  15. 1

    Is it possible to get a PhD in Physics in 2 years in the US?

    I have a ton of things I want to do in my life before I'm young. The problem is that I won't be so young for long! Ideally, if I get my PhD in about 2 years I will be on track with the things I want to do. Has this been done before? Why exactly is the average time needed 4 years? Why that number?
  16. M

    Admissions PhD Application: Personal Statement in Story-Telling Style?

    I am not sure if I can write the ps in the form of a story-telling of how I became interested in the graduate field of study, which naturally talks about my research/other experience in the chronological order, or directly jump straight into chunks of paragraphs (of course with transitioning...
  17. O

    PhD Metallurgy Research Design Template Request

    Hello everyone, I have a request. Can someone please provide me with a metallurgy research design template? I'm starting my 5th year in a MSE PhD program and for the last 3 years my advisor has instructed me to perform experiments on my alloy without reason. And while I thought this was...
  18. Marlon Mazola

    Admissions Plasma Physics PhD program admission

    Hello, I'm new so I couldn't find a spot to put this in. I was wondering what's the minimum GPA for a plasma physics grad program especially fusion, I don't want good schools, I just want something that is enough to take me further. The thing is I dropped the ball hard my first year of college...
  19. S

    Other Question: Options for people who "fail out of" a PhD program

    Hi everyone. This scenario does not apply to me, but I've seen a number of threads on Reddit as well as here on PF about those who have "failed out of" a PhD program (be it in physics, math, or some other field), due to not passing the comprehensive exam or not passing their PhD courses. What I...
  20. JOULEJATT

    Programs Can I enroll in a physics PhD program after BS in engineering?

    I have a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from a good university in India. I studied physics in Senior Secondary(10+1,10+2). But I have no individual research experience in physics at bachelors level because in the engineering college we had no choice of major/minor subjects like they...
  21. H

    Schools Is the PhD program at University of Pittsburgh good?

    Hi. I am a perspective PhD student interested. It seems Pitt is the best offer I can get.Does anyone know about the PhD program at University of Pittsburgh? Is Pitt a good choice for my future academic career?
  22. OrangeDog

    Programs Accepted Into a PhD Program: What Question Should I Ask?

    I got accepted into a PhD program this Friday! I am both very excited and nervous for this opportunity. I received a RA (19 grand for 9 months and an additional 6 grand for over the summer, totally 25 grand/yr), which states that I will be working on stochastic stability and control of...
  23. Prins

    Physics GRE Test: Preparing for a PhD Program

    I'm thinking of giving gre test i don't know if i need only to give the subject test or general is must. i'm thinking of getting into physics Ph.D program so Physics GRE test. Please someone explain how am i supposed to give the test to be considered for a phd thanks
  24. H

    Admissions Applying for PhD program in spring 2016 vs fall 2016

    Generally is it as difficult to get into a PhD program in physics during the spring then it is during the fall? I'm asking because many of the schools I'm applying to say that most students are admitted during the fall but they give you the option to apply for the spring as well.
  25. L

    Chances of getting into a PhD program after failing Calc III

    SPOILER: This will be a somewhat depressing rant. I like math (or, I THOUGHT I did), but have been feeling incredibly lazy and powerless recently. I'm currently a freshman undergrad, and I just failed Calc III. I've been barely scraping by recently, having gotten a 40 on the first midterm and a...
  26. B

    PhD Program: Biophysics vs. Physics w/ biophysics research

    Hi everyone, Long time lurker here coming out to make my first post. I just finished my B.Sc. in Physics and I am getting ready to apply to graduate schools in the Fall of 2015. I did some undergraduate research in experimental biophysics (understanding the statistics of the transport of...
  27. J

    Which of these PhD is better for financial quant industry?

    Hi everyone, Could you please tell me how would you rank these PhD for someone looking for a future career in the financial quant industry? (assuming I have math background and decent programming skills). Thank you in advanced! Between parenthesis are the specific research groups found in each...
  28. MagnetDude

    Engineering I want to do nuclear, electrical, and mechanical engineering

    Because there are only so many characters I can put in the title I will future explain down here. I want to do design/work on many things... I don't know how likely it is for me to do these things, but I want to work on electric motors, generators, nuclear reactors, Combustion engines, steam...
  29. A

    How specialized do I have to be when applying for PhDs?

    Hi everyone. I'm about to finish my integrated masters in physics, and I've tried to my course choices more general. There are certain fields which interest me, but there is no single field which stands out head and shoulders above the rest in my mind. Therefore as I've already said, I've...
  30. H

    Schools American Student Doing Graduate School Abroad

    Does anyone have advice or tips for American students wishing to pursue a PhD abroad? Background: I graduated with my BS in 2012 in aeronautical engineering. My major GPA was a 3.7(5?) but my cumulative was a 3.44. I briefly attended graduate school from 2012 to 2013, but left due to funding...
  31. A

    Programs Which PhD program in Physics is about Bioinformatics

    Hi, anybody knows any Physics PhD program concentrated in Bioinformatics or any Bioinformatics program which admits Physics students? Thank you in advance!
  32. F

    Masters or PhD program in engineering physics

    Are there any other places that offer engineering physics other than Cornell for masters or PhD? I couldn't find any except applied physics.
  33. H

    How do I get into top phd program?

    What is the process?
  34. C

    Columbia APAM (Math/Physics) PHD program

    link to program http://apam.columbia.edu/applied-mathematics i'm currently getting masters in applied mathematics (at top 40 univ) and I'm curious about two things: 1) how hard is it to get into APAM program for PHD? 2) what are some schools with similar program? I really like...
  35. C

    Leaving PhD program with a Masters

    Could someone advise me on starting a PhD program and leaving after 2 years with a Masters? Do people do this and what are the problems associated with such a course of action? For example is getting recommendation letters a problem and so on... The reason I need to know about this is that it...
  36. M

    Getting onto the Theoretical Physics PhD program at Imperial?

    Hello, I am in my third year of a 4 year integrated MPhys at the University of Liverpool, and I'm starting to think about applying to PhD places. Me and my girlfriend are intending to move to London when we graduate, so I'm planning on getting a job as a graduate software developer or some...
  37. PhizKid

    Can I get accepted to a PhD program from a non-ranked school?

    I am looking to transfer from community college, and my school options are limited due to finances and my poor academic background. My only options so far are some unknown schools that are not even ranked 100 in the state, and they don't have any money to perform research. So I will probably not...
  38. A

    GRE Math Sub for Physics PhD program

    I am a rising junior in a US college and I plan to apply to a top physics PhD program. I am both a physics and a math major, and I am more interested in theoretic physics rather than experimental. So should I also take the GRE Math Subject Test?
  39. M

    Would a PhD program be beneficial to me?

    I am an Undergraduate in Electrical Engineering. I have been in an internal struggle about a PhD; I am particularly interested in Applied physics programs since traditional physics programs bore me, and my interests include medicine. I have taken upperlevel physics in mechanics, E&M 1,intro...
  40. A

    Looking to Apply to Medical Physics PhD Program

    I'm looking to apply for a PhD program in Medical Physics. I am currently majoring in Medical Physics, but my GPA is only a 3.33. I have been doing research and see people who are applying with much higher GPAs than mine. My question is: if I don't get accepted anywhere, what should I do?
  41. S

    Programs The most diversified PhD program-?

    The most diversified PhD program-? Hello everybody, I'm an Instrument Engineer working in Oil&Gas sector(field work in automation with transmitters,sensors,valves,PLCs,etc.) who wants to follow the PhD program in one of the US universities.The thing is I have a varied set of interests which...
  42. M

    Programs How difficult is it to get into a top PhD program?

    I realize that there are many more than adequate schools where I can go to obtain a PhD, but my current goal is to get into one of the top 30. I truly have no idea of the competition, hence the question. I am going to the university of connecticut and came in with 38 AP credits and will graduate...
  43. T

    Continue with my AM PhD program or go into patent law?

    I'm beginning my second year in my PhD program. I had to fight very hard to make it to the second year, as my program condenses the normal two year masters sequence that would make up the beginning of other programs into one year. They were also very eager to cut students using prelims, so the...
  44. B

    Programs Can a Pure Math undergrad get into an Applied Math PhD program?

    I want to get my undergraduate in Pure math (I've taken and will take some additional CS courses). My question is, would I still be a competitive candidate for a PhD program in computational biology? (mathematical modelling of biological/behavioral/social systems) or should I really get my...
  45. F

    Programs Is it beneficial to have joint advisors in a PhD program?

    I'm curious if anyone has any experience working for two advisers, particularly in two different fields. In my case, I'd focus on synthesizing materials in a chem lab (that focuses on synthesis) and then working in a EE/physics lab that would focus on characterizing said material, in particular...
  46. N

    Programs Odds of getting into Nuclear PhD program at MIT

    I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice/past experiences about applying to the MIT phD nuclear engineering program. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
  47. S

    Programs Math PHD Program Suggestions (Probability)

    Hi everyone, I'm currently in the midst of applying to graduate schools and I am looking for advice any where I can seem to find it. Could anyone suggest schools that I should be applying to on the basis of my interests and the strength of my application? Undergraduate School: Top 10...
  48. P

    Programs Chances of getting into PhD program (low gpa related)

    Hello, I am two semesters away from my BS in Math and I very much want to pursue a PhD in mathematics. I started off very rough in college and it has taken me all the way until now to get my GPA up to 2.8 (terrible I know). My first two years were awful. last year I really turned things...
  49. T

    Programs Want MS, apply for PhD program?

    Suppose that I would like a master's in physics, but not a PhD, and consider a university that offers a funded master's program. I understand that universities prefer to take PhD students rather that MS students (since one may squeeze more cheap research labor out of a 3+ year grad student...
  50. Pyrrhus

    Programs When to stop taking courses in a PhD Program?

    I have already completed all my core courses, and more than minimum requirements (bunch of courses in Operations Research and Transportation Systems). However, it always seems to me that there is just more stuff I want to keep learning (mostly in Applied Math). I usually don't take more than one...
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