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."
I'm currently doing a biomedical physics major because it's the best choice to follow the med school track in something physics related, and is a really good fallback plan as my advisor described it. Now my true passion is in physics and I really want to get a PhD later on, so if I didn't make...
Hey guys. I currently work at a research institution as a junior level research scientist.
I plan to earn a PhD (I have a B.S.), at the local university. The institution works closely with the local university and I have many adjunct professors within my lab. My plan would be to apply to a PhD...
Hi everyone.
I am looking for some advice on how to go about writing grad school applications next year. My freshman year (Fall 2011) I developed a brain disorder that, while untreated, dramatically reduced my cognitive ability. I took two years off of school starting in 2013 came back in 2015...
Hi everyone!
I'm an physics italian student, and I was looking for a phd in the UK.
I hope that someone of you can help me to understand the procedure to follow.
I expect to graduate in July-September 2019, and I would to know if i have to had already the title for apply for a phd which start on...
Hi there,
TL/DR - I have a community college job with a sufficient salary. Should I be happy with that + freetime or should I try to get a job which really uses my PhD? If I go with happy freetime option, are any of the projects I propose interesting AND feasible? If I am too lazy to follow...
I am planning to do a PhD degree in physics since I have recently completed my masters degree, my research field was mainly on cosmology but I am getting interested in some fundamental aspects of physics, like GR and QG. I have tried to apply to some universities in Germany and failed to be...
Hello PF,
So in my country (Lebanon), we have this French system of education where masters come after Bsc. and then you can consider the Ph.D. position. Apparently, this is not the case in the US and one can get into a graduate program with just the Bsc.
I know they are equivalent but if...
<Moderator note: Moved from academic guidance to career guidance on Scott92's request. Reason: The question primarily addresses job opportunities in dependence of PhD subject.>
Hey everyone,
I'm a student who is currently undertaking a Master of Physics (coursework & research) at the...
Let's say I'm getting a PhD in an area of gravitational physics. Upon getting that diploma, what is expected of me in terms of knowledge of GR? I hope my question can be useful to other students in other concentrations, so substitute QFT, or condensed matter, or whatever.
For example, is it...
I need some advice with a tough choice between two great programs. On the one hand, I have University College London, a 1 year program in Astrophysics which covers 6 courses and an original research project. On the other hand, I have Leiden University, a 2 year program in Astronomy with ~12...
Hey guys,
does anyone have more or less current statistics for the average PhD graduation age in maths or physics?
I wonder wether graduation at age 32 is still unproblematic, for jobs out of academia. Suppose I lost a few years for internships or stays abroad.
I'm soon going to be finishing my MSci in Astrophysics and am looking to apply for PhDs (in cosmology) for autumn 2019 entry. I'm on track to getting a first but I don't have much other good stuff to include on my application at the moment. If any successful PhD applicants could tell me some of...
Hello PF, I am currently pursuing my Masters in Physics with specialisation in material science. But I am interested in quantum mechanics and want to do PhD and then research in quantum mechanics. But in today's date is it good to go for theoretical physics rather than going for some...
I did research on theoretical formulations in general relativity during my MSc studies. I look forward to pursuing PhD and have searched many universities and some research institutes for suitable research themes, but haven't found many research groups undertaking research consistent with my...
First of all, I personally couldn't care less about rankings; however, a future employer might. For my PhD I am thinking of applying to schools with groups in silicon quantum computing, and the two places whose research I have read a lot about are Princeton (Petta) and UNSW (Morello, Simmons...
Before you read this I must make a request that you read the whole thing if you start because my thoughts may be disorganized or there may be at least one part you find you could respond to. thank you!
I'm not too sure if this is the right place to post, but I'm proceeding regardless. I love...
I've completed a masters degree in physics and my research was on cosmological inflation, though knowing some basic GR (Hartle, Schutz, Ohanian) and cosmology (papers), I haven't had any formal course in QFT, I'm now halfway through QFT by Blundell so nothing profound there, now I wanted to get...
Hi,
I am a junior astrophysics undergraduate student and enjoy physics, but after researching astrophysics PhD's, I am having second thoughts about graduate school.
My impression of physics graduate school right now is that you are paid what amounts to minimum wage to work 60 hours a week for...
Hello! I am in my last year of undergraduate studies, as a physics and math major and I would like to continue to graduate school on theoretical physics. I got accepted to several program which are ok (ranked between 10th-20th) such as John Hopkins, Maryland, UC San Diego however I also got...
Is it ok to refer to a papers published by a different academic, or should i mainly be talking about my potential supervisor's published papers in my interview?
thanks
My dissertation was basically a literature review of sean caroll lecture notes on general relativity.
I got a first in this, and got offered phd interviews with the supervisors being aware of this so it must suffice? but I'm unsure how you explain the motives and conclusion of such a piece of...
Hello,
I am having bit of a dilemma. I am about to finish a D.Sc in mechanical engineering. However, I've never liked engineering and now I am looking to get out of the field.
I know that patent law, finance (IB) and consulting are popular among stem PhD holders and currently I am aiming for...
I'm currently completing a undergraduate BS Mathematics degree and want to go for a PhD in Astrophysics.
I haven't decided on the precise area or topic yet, since there are so many fascinating areas of research, but I might have narrowed it down by the time I actually need to apply.
A tutor...
Hi everyone, l have a situation and l thought you could help me. Actually, l live in the U.S. and want to apply for several phd programs, but I’m interested in both astrophysics and AMO physics, and l can’t decide which track l should pursue a phd in. I’ve talked to several professors from my...
Last December I applied for physics PhD positions in the US. In my personal statements, I mentioned my research interests as well as specific faculty I'd like to work with. What happens if I receive an offer of admission from a school but decide that I'd prefer to do research in a different...
I started my PhD in physics at a position associated with a project. In the project I'm the only one working in my field and the only one working full-time that knows how to program (a computer scientist is also working on the project but only 50% and has another supervisor in his field). I...
Hello all,
Hope the holidays are treating everyone well. I am currently finishing up my first year in a top medical physics PhD program. I currently hold a BS and MS in physics and am starting to consider careers in industry. I am looking for careers in companies like Lockheed, Northrop G, and...
Alright so I'm a freshman in college studying physics with astronomy specialization. I want to eventually get a PhD and work for a space agency or maybe even become an astronaut. I've been told that having experience in the Air force looks much better when applying to work for a space agency...
Hi!
I'm applying for some PhD programs and I would like to have some advices. I think I will use the same statement for personal and purpose, in different universities. They ask only for one and their prompt are similar. I'll change some particular details on research. Is that a bad idea?
Here...
Hi everyone,
I am working on a second bachelor's degree in Computer Science, and am hoping to enter a Phd program in fall of 2019. Recently, I have taken an interest in Chaos Theory and was wondering if it is possible to do research in the field in the Computer Science department, or if it is...
So I have a MS in Stats and a BS in Applied Math. For various reasons not related to raw ability, my GPA in Stats turned out to not be so good( 3.4) but my math GPA from undergrad is excellent ( 3.8). Should I even attempt continuing on in Stats or can I start over with a fresh plate in Applied...
Hi,
I am planning to apply to some PhD programs in Cosmology in Europe. I've already identified some potential groups, but I'm sure that I'm still missing a few. I am interested in Cosmology in general (not a particular aspect/research area of it).
Could you kindly inform me of any European...
I have been thinking whether or not I should I go for an MS or PHD in mathematics (pure) right after my BS. I will receive 2 BS 2 years from now. One is in mathematics (pure) and the other in physics. I am considering doing mathematical physics, mathematical modeling, or teaching once I enter...
Hi,
I would like to ask you all if you can five me some guidence on how to procede in following situatio . First i will give some context for my situation.
I have finnished my undergraduate and my masters degree in institution that is outside EU, during my masters degree i had done research in...
Hello.
Is it hard to achieve a PhD in, for example, physics?
What do you have to do/study beforehand, like in school?
Is a PhD like a first published paper/research?
How do you achieve a PhD is things like physics and mathematics, which are so theoretical?
If I want a PhD in physics or...
I am on a quest for the most perfect spreadsheet designed to assist with choosing or applying to phd programs. If anyone is in possession of such an artifact, I implore you to bestow it upon me so I may bathe in the light of the knowledge garnered by those who came before. If your wondrous...
Hi,
I am currently studying for an MPhys in the UK. In the UK this is considered essentially equivalent to an MSc and a BSc although the structure is a little different: the first 2 years are the exact same as a bachelors course, then my 3rd year I am currently spending in Denmark doing mostly...
Hello! I want to do a PhD in Particle Physics and I was wondering what is the difference between UK (and Europe in general) and USA doctorate programs. I see that at Oxford for example you can do a DPhil in 4 years while in USA you need at least 6 and I was wondering why is that. Is it more in...
I'm currently studying Physics & Astrophysics with Foundation Year, and I want a PhD in Astrophysics. How would I apply for one, when the time comes? :smile:
Hey guys,
I am a German physics student in my masters studies. In Germany, we have a 3 year B.Sc. and a 2 year M.Sc. program, and both are needed to start the PhD, which usually takes around 3 to 4 years.
I wanted to do my PhD somewhere far away, but now I got to know that in the US, the PhD...
I have a masters degree in physics and I want to apply for a PhD position especially in Germany. What are the necessary steps that I should take and how can I apply for a scholarship? I have looked online but some information are a bit confusing and lacking so I hope someone could layout a rough...
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...
Hi all,
I have completed a Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences) and Graduate Diploma of Science (Applied Data Science). I have always loved Maths and Physics, but never really pursued it as I thought there were not many jobs for them (but I have taken first year Maths courses as electives...
Hello Everyone!
I am Sharvari from India, interested in quantum and non linear optics and wish to pursue PhD in this domain. I am looking forward to active discussion on the grad school discussion forum as I will be applying for grad schools this year.
Hello! I want to go for a phD in theoretical physics (especially high energy) and I was wondering what approaches are available after phD. I guess you can work on already developed theories and develop them further (such as string theory or supersymmetry) or you can come up with your own, new...
My adviser and I have some disagreements about what my thesis should look like. I am a proponent of a single specific theme that encompasses the entire work. He believes in tying many different projects together with a much broader theme.
I have been involved in a variety of projects (In order...
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...
Hello
I have a masters degree in medical physics from India. I recently moved to the United States and I'm planning to apply to medical physics graduate schools in the U.S. I am confused if i should apply for masters program or Phd? I'm interested in clinical medical physics. Are there good...
Dear members,
I am an analog designer and I don't get to do a lot of interesting design work at my job. There is a PhD opportunity that came my way which offers really interesting work (will be in a top tier uni and will be working on project for a world famous research institute). However, I...