Phd Definition and 1000 Threads

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...

David W. Breneman from Amherst College in Massachusetts wrote a paper for his doctoral dissertation in economics titled "The PhD Production Process". He is writing it from the viewpoint of an economist, so in it he analyzes the motives of professors as well as of graduate students concerning the...

What does an American undergraduate student have to do to get into a physics PhD program in the UK at a school like Cambridge, Oxford, etc.? I've checked their admissions sites, but they are very vague about what constitutes a competitive application. It seems that taking graduate level...

Hi all, I'm wondering if there are any PhD programs in the US (or abroad, for that matter) that do not have formal coursework requirements. That is, suppose someone took a standard graduate load while in undergrad and was prepared for quals right away: are there any programs that allow you to...

I have got an offer to do PhD in observational astrophysics.Now I have not studied astrophysics before so as far as I can make out a Phd in that consist of following four parts: theory, observation, computation and instrumentation. I want to know what fraction of time one has to spend in each of...

I want to get a PhD in Physics but I need a job at the same time. Does the universities pay you when you are doing your PhD? And what about a Masters Degree? I want to do a Masters in physics and an MBA, can you get a job at the same time?

I received a BA in music and computing arts five years ago from a UC. I have just completed 2 years at Community College with the intention of getting another bachelor's, this time in engineering (blame the economy - not much work in the arts). I just applied to all of the UC's that accept 2nd...

My friend enrolled has a BsC in Physics and he also did a Master's in math in order to be able to cope with the math needed for Theoretical Physics. Can he pursue a physics PhD in USA (he studied in Greece)?

Normally students in America start a PhD degree after their undergrad, since there the so-called "Master level education" is glued together to the "Doctorate" (correct me if I'm wrong!). So what is the usual track for students from Europe who have done their Master degrees in Europe but would...

So I just completed the graduation requirements for a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and will be receiving my Bachelor of Science in August. I started looking for jobs about a month ago. I sent about 150 applications, but only got 3 declines and 1 interview; didn't get the job...

Hi everyone, What do you know about renewable energy phd programs in US? I skimmed through the internet for it, however I couldn't find many. Renewable energies are very crucial and its researches are very promising. Why there are only few universities with energy institutes or graduate...

Hi, I'm attending a 50+ Liberal Art college in physics and math, double major, I'm going to be a senior this fall and want to go to graduate school. I have major GPAs 3.81, 3,73 for physics and math respectively and 3.57 overall, GRE 670+800. I also conducted research at ORNL at material...

Is there any universities in europe offering direct route phds?

Hi I'm doing a PhD in england and am worrying that I have gone into the wrong subject area(organic electronics), I only have a year left and feel like I can complete it but find myself drawn away from my subject area (i originally did a physics degree). What do you think I should do...

I should be getting my physics phD in a year. I wouldn't say I will have done a great job of it. The earlier years were spent more on writing software, and in the later years I find the research to be contrived. I have my name on two papers, and I'm trying to write my first first author paper. I...

Hi everyone, I'm looking for a bit of advice on how to approach my situation. Any input will be much appreciated, no matter how blunt. My situation: I completed a BSc in Math (Honors - sort of a masters equivalent for those not familiar) in the middle of 2010. After finishing I kind of...

I have just finished my first year in a Nuclear Engineering PhD program at a top ranked university. My undergrad was also in NE. I am studying nuclear materials, as in fuel cladding and core structural materials, and I plan on starting a career in the subject. I am now questioning my PhD and...

Hi Physicsforum, I'll be graduating next semester (one semester early) with a degree in Pure Math and Statistics (minor in Atmopheric Science). I have good research experience and an internship and can get some good letters of recommendation. However, I'm worried that I don't have enough...

I am currently enrolled as an Aerospace-Mechanical double major in engineering but i would like to go to grad school and study physics. My long term goal would be to acquire a phd in physics (theoretical or experimental) and work in research or practical applications of physics. I am fascinated...

Where can I find class size information for math phd programs? In physics the class sizes seem to be larger (>20). However, It seems like math phd programs on average have only 15 new grad students per year. I can't find the specific information anywhere though. What would be the average class...

Hi there I want (have) to work for a year before commencing PhD. I want to do PhD in astrophysics. Can any1 advise if it is reasonable to expect that I might attain a job even loosely related to astrophysics for the year? And also how I might go about looking for such job positions. (my...

Here's some background about me. I'm a senior undergraduate student in china, majoring EE. I'm about to graduate in about half a month. I got a job offer as an engineer which starts in July. But I am planning on applying for a physics PHD in US in a year or two. What I have been wondering is...

Hi, I'm new. I just graduated with a BS in mathematics (pure bent) from a state university in the US. I ended up taking 7 graduate courses - two semesters of measure theory, a semester of functional analysis, two semesters of complex analysis, a semester of general topology and a semester of...

Hi My ultimate goal is to get a PhD in physics but I also love engineering Can I do both? Is it easier to switch from physics into engineering or engineering into physics? I was thinking about getting a degree in engineering (possibly engineering physics) and then going on to do a...

Hi. Here is my story: I received my engineering BS and MS from universities that are both highly ranked. After working in industry for 1-2 years I am back in school pursuing my PhD. The program I am currently at is not well known and has only just started a PhD program. The lab is well funded...

One of the lecturers at my uni has traced his PhD lineage back to the 17th century (Bernoulli, if you can believe it). Has anyone here done the same? Any interesting results?

Hi, So I am currently interested in attaining an advanced degree in Biophysics (preferably a PhD) but have half a year before I start applying to programs since I have already graduated. I dot want to waste the extra time I have and will be seeking an appropriate internship meanwhile. I will...

Hello everyone, I am a student in particle physics and cosmology in some Belgian university. I'll finish my master degree in June of this year. I am searching for PhD studentships in Europa or US, but it is very difficult to get a place somewhere. I applied to some universities, I'm still...

I recently finished a PhD Physics, and am finding the job market is very tight, as has already been extensively discussed on these boards. Noticing that engineering jobs are more plentiful, I have an idea to go back to school for a MS in Engineering; assuming I can get admitted, it would only...

Hey I am a Physics student in UK. I will be finishing my second year at the end of this month. Then, I would have 2 graduation options 1. I can graduate in 2013 with a BSc in Physics OR 2. I can graduate in 2014 with a MSc in Physics I want to apply to US universities for my PhD. So, I...

My question is pretty much what i wrote in the title, I'm wondering how hard a phd in mathematics from mit or an ivy league univ would be.

Hey all , I have been a not-so-active member of this wonderful site for about three years .These days I'm going through a deciding phase of my life as I'm so close to finish my bachelors in Computer Science and Engineering .I thought this would be a perfect place to get some expert view from...

I'm having a hard time choosing between different supervisors. There is one option of a younger supervisor who is earlier in his academic career and has only just got a grant to do new research and take on new PhD students. He is very friendly and helpful and aware of his students needs. On the...

I currently attend a community college and holding a 3.9 GPA...I realize I don't have many options in my state to transfer because the "good" schools are almost impossible to transfer into even with a 4.0 GPA and I don't know what other credentials they are looking for, and the other reason...

do you think you're an expert on your field? or just about as competent as your advisor? like i just want to know how it feels, i spent lots of hours on this one computer game , i can sort of feel what's like to be very good at one thing. i wonder if that's how you feel after completing a...

I'm in high school right now, but I already am fascinated by science, predominately physics and medical or biomedical sciences and my goal is to become a surgeon. I'v heard of people getting MD PhD double degrees and was wondering what are these good for, are they worth it, and then with one...

im an undergraduate and this is my first semester as a physics major. i was talking with another person in the physics program and he was mentioning that the minimum gpa to get into my current schools graduate program is a 3.9 and while it is a good school it isn't MIT or Cal tech. i was...

For a variety of reasons I did not do very much work in my degree and will probably get a 2.1 Physics MSci. I feel sure that I could have got a 1st if any of these things - combination of illness, personal problems and initial lack of motivation - had not happened. I was not initially sure I...

I'm going to finish my PhD in maths in a few next months. I'm looking for a new job for the future. I really exciting in looking for a job in Finance. But, I don't know where is the starting point. I have learned a course on maths finance when I was in master program. So I understand a little...

Backstory (feel free to skip): Last year, I applied to a bunch of PhD programs in applied math. I got accepted into a couple, but Northwestern offered me an interesting option. They rejected me from the PhD program, but they said that they would accept me into a masters program (which I'd have...

I have a few queries related to Phd in photonics from USA: 1)Which are the best universities in photonics? 2)How long will it take for obtaining a doctoral degree in USA for international students? 3)I have a dream to do Phd in photonics after obtaining Mtech in photonics here in India...

Hello, I am deciding on which PhD program to accept, I have narrowed it down to to three choices: 1. UC Merced physics Program 2. Nebraska University at Lincoln 3. Kansas State University in Manhattan Kansas. I am leaning towards Nebraska, though I am still interested in UC Merced...

what are the physics institutes we have for doing MS or PHD?

Hi everyone. I'm a senior undergrad and about to obtain a bachelors in physics from a top US university. I specialized in solid state physics and am doing my undergrad honors thesis in graphene synthesis and characterization. I want to eventually work in the semiconductor industry or with...

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...

Hi guys, After taking some time off after my undergraduate degree in Math (in Australia), I've decided to go back and do a PhD in Mathematics. I applied for a variety of postgrad programs in the US and Australia. Due to the break between undergrad and postgrad, and a few holes in my...

So I have 2 PhD offers at the moment for Theoretical Physics. Both of them are to work on quantum gravity/strings etc. One is at Liverpool University and the other is at Swansea University. I am not sure how to decide between them. At the moment, I have: Liverpool>Swansea: (i) Liverpool is a...

Hi all, I'm trying to decide where to go for graduate school, and I'm wondering how much attention I should pay to the rankings. Is a top 10 significantly better than a top 20, 20 better than a 30, 30 better than 40 etc. My 5 - 10 year plan is a good post doc(s), and to at least try to end...

I understand that PhDs tend to take several years to complete due to a variety of reasons. It depends on your field and the type of research as well as personal factors I am probably not aware of. I was wondering how people complete their degrees in as little as three years. I'm not going to...

Hello everyone, I feel that I can complete a thesis within a year but its quality would not be as great if I spend two years in it. However, I would like to complete my thesis so that I can begin during research on my own and enjoy the privileges of having a PHD whatever they might be. The...