How do PhD programs in the US differ from those in Europe?

[element4]

Hi everyone!

In many places in Europe students usually have to take a 5-year long master's degree (3+2 years), before doing a 3-year long PhD. It seems that in US one has to take a 3 year long undergrad and then go into grad school for 5 years.

I have heard that If a person with a 5-year long masters degree (from Europe) wants to do a PhD in the states, he has to enter a full 5-years of grad school (rather than 3 years, like in Europe). Even though he would be forced to take courses at much lower level. Is this true, or is it possible to take a "usual" PhD in the states when coming from Europe?

How about funding? In my country, a PhD student is usually very well funded (salary, travel money, equipment and so on), is this the same in the states? Or is it necessary to apply for all sort of grants all the time?

 

[fss]

All of your questions regarding remedial classes and financing depends on the institution.

 

[element4]

All of your questions regarding remedial classes and financing depends on the institution.

Thank you for your quick response. So let me narrow it down to doing a PhD at MIT, in one of the theoretical groups.

Does there exist a place with this kind of information, on different institutions?

 

[fss]

The graduate admissions office will be able to give you an answer... probably.

http://web.mit.edu/admissions/graduate/

 

[fluidistic]

Hi everyone!

It seems that in US one has to take a 3 year long undergrad and then go into grad school for 5 years.

From what I've learned in this forum, this is not true. Undergrad lasts 4 years while a Ph.D. hasn't a predetermined length of time.

 

[Ai52487963]

I graduated from the US with a BS in physics and I'm studying for exams for my MSc in astrophysics in the UK.

In the US, undergrad is a 4-year program for physics and PhD is about 6 years. 2 years for masters, 4 years for PhD.

If you're going to apply for a PhD in the US, then you're technically applying for a MS+PhD combined program. Unless the school can make a special arrangement, you will have to do the masters work over again. Since undergraduate programs in the US are longer, they're less advanced than 4th-year studies in the UK.

As far as funding goes, I know the US has NSF funding for graduate students that help with tuition and annual salaries (if you're lucky enough to land one in the first place). The UK totally shafts overseas students that aren't from the UK or EU for funding.

 

[Ben Espen]

If you're going to apply for a PhD in the US, then you're technically applying for a MS+PhD combined program.

This is untrue. Some programs are indeed combined Masters and PhD programs, but they are usually called such. There is no requirement at all to have a masters in a field before you earn a PhD. Also, the times are approximate, depending on your level of ability and commitment, the vagaries of your research project, ad infinitium. For example, one of my friends earned her PhD in Biology in three years, and another took six. These were wildly different programs in very different areas, but neither of them did any Master's work at all. The time difference depended upon how long it took to complete their respective research projects.

If you can get accepted into a PhD program straightaway, it is probably the better option. The best way to see whether this will happen is to apply. One of course should do one's due diligence in researching the program to make sure it is a good fit.