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

[AlphaDogBig]

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 picked a bit of everything. I haven't totally focused 100% on say astronomy, I've maybe taken a couple courses here and there on the topic. Same applies to other fields within physics.

However let's say for the sake of argument that I want to apply to do an astronomy focused PhD. Would the fact that I didn't do so much astronomy at undergrad be an issue? Would the fact that I didn't do so much astronomy at masters be an issue? Is it all quite flexible?

I need to know because I want to apply for a research masters, and I'd like an idea of how far reaching my decision now will be in the event that I one day decide to do a PhD.

 

[Simon Bridge]

You need to be as specialized as the PhD program requires of you.
This will strongly depend on where you are applying.

You should talk to the person responsible for PhDs in your college of choice - also talk to the lecturers and profs you know.

Similarly, how much your prior research affects your PhD chances depends strongly on the individual supervisor and the school you are applying to.
So you must ask around. Networking is part of what post-grad is about anyway.