Phd Definition and 1000 Threads

Hi, I just went through the PhD programs offered by this university. They have 4 pillars...as they call it..one of which is Engineering Product Development (EPD), which I am interested to pursue. From what's given in their brochure.. "EPD pillar’s mission is to prepare graduate-level leaders...

I'll be applying to PhD programs in pure math this fall. However, my profile isn't that outstanding, so I'll most likely being going to a "mid" to "low" rank (as determined by US News Grad Rankings, for what it's worth). Ultimately, I'd want to do research as well as teach lower/upper division...

I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to get a masters in Physics, CS, or Electrical Engineering before I attempt to get a Phd in Physics. My situation is this: I want to study/work in plasma physics research (specifically electric/plasma propulsion) for the rest of my life. The problem...

I have a bachelors in math and want a graduate degree. There is a degree at a nearby school that is not "mathematics" but is "Masters of Science in Community and Technical College Mathematics." A lot of it is online, so I can continue working. Even if I did very well in this program, does...

Does someone understand why do they have two different titles which functionally are equivalent? :biggrin: http://math.mit.edu/academics/grad/ I must say that "Doctor of Science", aka D.Sc sounds more special than the old PhD. BTW, another anecdotal video clip from youtube:

Hi, I am 27 years old. I have completed my B.Sc(Maths, Physics, Computer Science) in 2007. Immediately after that I have got job as a Software Engineer and worked for 2 years(2007-2009). But due to my interest in pursuing Masters in Physics. I have joined in M.Sc(Physics) in 2009 and in final...

Hello again PF! I think I ask excessively often here so I tried my best to search in google. The result I got was this: http://superstringtheory.com/math/math1.html Well, that appears as all the math there is (no offense to mathematicians)! Likely the field of super string theory is the most...

I'm still an undergraduate but I was wondering about the future and all that. I do like love physics as a whole, but I don't think there is a subfield which I REALLY like or REALLY dislike. I also like "versatility" as a way of life. So I was wondering: "can I move to and from subfields as I...

I am a masters student at some Canadian school best known for astrophysics (and one of the premier schools in the world for white dwarves), dreaming to get into the likes of UPenn (a reach, but not a pipe dream-level reach à la Harvard and Princeton, which some over-ambitious recommender advised...

Undergrad here. Does anyone on this forum have experience working in a computational physics research group at the graduate level? I noticed Carnegie Mellon has "computational physics" as a research area for its physics PhD students. It sounds like it would be right up my alley but it's unclear...

If someone has a Bs in electrical engineering (or pretty much any engineering field), can he spend ~ 6 years pursuing a PhD in physics and then continue his career as an engineer ( in other words, get jobs that require only a Bs in engineering) just in case no good physics jobs are available...

Say you have a PhD in pure mathematics but want credentials for computer science for some reason where it might be necessary (is there such a situation?). Is it a waste of time to also get another PhD in computer science?

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

What is the process?

I am interested in getting a PhD in Physics, but I do not want to teach. However, I do want to conduct research, is there anyway, I can have a job as a theoretical physicist working to participate in researches, maybe work in CERN, for the large haldron collider or something, without teaching in...

Which one is worth more? I don't have much money, and I'm not the type of guy who will get a scholarship. So I want to have a great start in my career. I also want to be financially stable. So what degree should I pursue? Phd or master's?

Can I get a Phd in physics after bachelor in computer science I would like know if I'll be eligible for applying to physics or applied physics PhD programs? And if yes, do I have any realistic chance of getting into one?

I know grades aren't everything to get into a PhD program, but do know it plays a significant part in determining how well one will do in graduate school. With that being said, what does it take to get accepted into a top 20 math or physics PhD program? I've seen some applicant profiles...

Hello everyone :) I am going to finish my master thesis in physics ( Nano-science ) in Germany at rostock university within the next two months, and i would like to apply for PhD in other city. I am not a German. I would like to ask, whether it is very difficult to get a PhD position in...

I was admitted to a PhD program for this coming fall, but I've increasingly realized that I don't enjoy research. I actively dislike it, in fact. So obviously a PhD is not possible at this point in my life. My program does offer a coursework-only option for the MS, though, and since I enjoy...

Hey all! I am in a bit of a bad situation. I recently started my PhD in another country, but now I feel that I am regretting it. The main reason is that my girlfriend does not seem to be able to move here (she lives in a different country, also different from where I am from). Right now I just...

Hello everyone, I need advice related to my career. I have been working in semiconductor company as an engineer for 2 years now after gradating from IIT Madras(one of the reputed technical institution in India) with a Dual Degree(BTech + MTech in 5 years) in Electrical Engg with VLSI as...

Looking for some feedback on this. I will have (by next month) completed a BS in physics and a BS in mechanical engineering. I applied to 5 nuclear engineering PhD programs, got into 2 but neither offered funding (tuition waiver + TA/RA). I've decided to work for 2 years. Over the next 2 years I...

Hi All, I've been accepted to UC Riverside's PhD program in physics and Brown University's ScM program in physics for Fall 2014. UCR is funded and Brown offers no financial support with a tuition of ~$46,000. So its a risk of possibly paying ~140,000 with tuition/living expenses/etc…, but I...

Is it a bad idea to choose a PhD adviser who is relatively young and hasn't reached "associate" professor yet? This guy is still an "assistant" professor without tenure. He got his PhD a few years ago so he is pretty new and as a result he does very new and interesting research. Should I not...

I just got into the mechanical engineering PhD program at my school and I am slightly confused about the best way to choose a PhD adviser. I am currently working with a professor from undergrad research that I would like to stay with, but he is not 100% confident about funding... Do all...

I'm a Physics student in the UK planning to apply for a PhD in Plasma Physics this autumn, in the area of Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF) specifically. The UK has a rather limited MCF university network, with only 3 universities playing a significant part. Two of these, Oxford and Imperial...

Hello Friends, My name is Chetan Waghela and I have done M.Sc Physics from Pune University, India. My specialisation course has been Quantum Field Theory but I want to work on more application based subjects like BEC or Quantum Optics. I have very low grades i.e...

So, I'm coming up to the last year of undergrad physics at Oxford Uni, and am starting to think about PhDs. I'm really interested in medical physics, particularly MRI, so I figured this would be a great thing to apply for PhDs in. Problem is, MRI tends not to fall within the department of...

I have great research experience, letter writers, GRE scores, and have ideas for a good SOP, but I have a GPA of 3.3 in engineering. Is it still worth it to try to get into decent programs (read: Top 30), or should I just give up and head for the industry? Whenever people talk about GPA vs...

Hi, I'm a graduate in Mechanical Engineering (BEng 1st). The idea of further study has interested me for many years but I have never acted on it. Currently after working for a year and a half in the oil and gas industry I have the further education bug again, but I would love to follow it this...

Hi all, I am currently a electrical engineering PhD student, and I spend a huge amount of my time on a computer and I plan to do so in the future as well. So, I thought it is wise to look around for another OS to use besides Windows 8, which is tolerable and works but I can't help but think...

Hi, I want to have a PhD in Electrical Engineering in US. Is there any grad school where an international student can get full funding with certainty? Also, is there any grad school which does not cost me more than 15K annually in tuition fees and other related stuffs? Thanks

I have a 2 year TA offer at UC Irvine for physics (~$18k) where I would focus on Condensed Matter experiment or the chemicals and materials physics program(this program is easier and offers a 10 week summer research program before grad school begins). Degree time is usually 6-7 years. The...

Hi folks, I have a BSEE and am interested in pursuing a PhD focused on accelerator physics. I had originally planned for an EE PhD in RF/Microwave, but after reading ZapperZ's accelerator physics thread and doing a bit of reading, I find myself drawn in this direction. I've looked at some...

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...

Hi everyone, So right now I'm an undergrad who is considering getting my Masters and PhD in math. However, I had one question. If someone wants to work in Academia, is it "bad" to get all three degrees from the same place? Where I'm currently studying, some of the professors in the math...

Hello all, I'm interested in any advice anyone can offer me. I graduated with a BSEE a few years ago and then worked in an electronics role for a little over a year. I saved enough money while working to quit my job, travel for awhile, and ponder my future. Even while working, I felt the pull...

I've heard that often in the sciences(in my case, physics), that students often go straight from their undergraduate degree to a Phd. I've a also heard that this saves some time and money as you basically earn a masters as you go while being funded. Now at my school there is an accelerated...

A lot of jobs that I see where you do actual interesting science seem to require having a PhD. Are there reasonable possibilities for doing that with having "only" a Master's in physics? I know that I could increase my employability if I got a PhD, but I'm not looking at getting one at the...

I'm looking for some input on this. Wisconsin has the better programs for MHD theory, CFD, and my undergrad advisor told me IHO it has the best plasma physics program period. However Michigan offers more options in applied plasmas in areas other than fusion energy. Honestly, I don't know if...

I am currently only a freshman in general engineering, but I plan on transferring to NC State University for computer engineering. I know it is early, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. What opportunities can a PhD present that a MS cannot? Also, I looked at some of the masters programs...

For example, if your advisor specializes in gravity, but has a subfield specialty (like Horava-Lifschitz gravity) and most of their papers for the last several years are about that subspecialty, does that mean your thesis research will be about that, or could it be about any gravitational thing?

Hi, I am looking for a PhD program in Analytics. Can anybody help me in shortlisting universities which have PhD programs in Analytics ? My GRE Score is 329/340. Engg CGPA- 6.79/10 and MBA :- 5.09/8. Does work experience count during application ? What weightage do research papers carry...

Hi all, As of now I have an engineering analysis job. I liked machines always but now I feel that I don't like analysis that much. Little bit of analysis or new analysis is what I may like. I am already having a Masters and was considering Phd degree as my next move. To be frank, I now feel...

Am I suitable to do a PhD?? Hey guys, I''m having a bit of a crisis atm and need some help. I'm sure this is a pretty common thing to happen to most people at my stage, but we will see. It has come to my own realisation that I can get easily depressed when I lack a certain direction in my...

I want to do a PhD in Quantum Computing. Which universities in English-speaking countries have prominent research groups in this field? Most universities I checked have a Quantum Information group, and they usually mention the term "Quantum Computing" somewhere on their website, but it's not...

For some circumstances in my life I was not able to give steady continuation to my studies, so now I want to do a PhD but I have seen that some people finish their PhD by the age of 26-28. I am 25 so my question is: Am I too old to start a PhD? Thank you.

I wanted to ask about universities in Germany (top in Theoretical Physics) and I am here talking about PhD degree knowing that I have M.S degree (an American one). So, I would be grateful if you give me names so I can get in contact with professors there. Great thanks.

Assuming the person is of capable intelligence, what research prospects are there for someone who obtained their PhD at 40 years old? I'd specifically like to hear opinions about PhDs of theoretical physics, experimental physics, pure mathematics, and theoretical computer science.