Review Article
Synopsis Sample |
Thesis Sample |
Review of Literature |
Research Papers |
Review Format |
Synopsis Format |
Synopsis Guidelines |
Assignment Format |
Thesis Format |
Progress Report Format |
Our exceptional service levels, constant support and extensive relations with the students, built painstakingly has earned us the admiration of people who are assisters of scholars
UNIVERSITIES
RESEARCH SOCIETIES
Timeline of phd events.
Eligibility
Prior to Enrolment:
Enrolment via the website and the issuance of an Enrolment Letter. For your initial research plan, you will receive a Guide.
Exams for course work and approval of the synopsis
Initial Progress Evaluation
Review of Progress (Second)
Third Progress Review
PhD Thesis Presentation and Provisional Certificate Issuance
The Certificate of Ph.D. Issuance
Our activities & awards, we'd love to hear from you, stay connected, are you still confused want to discuss, book a free consultation session with a ph.d. mentor and subject expert for title selection or any other guidance..
Your message (optional)
The PhD can take three to six years to complete. The time limit can differ as per the institute, hence the candidate should inquire about it with the desired university before applying.
A master’s degree or M.phill from any recognised Indian university in the relevant field is required for admission to the PhD programme. To be eligible for admission, you must have at least 55% of the marks or corresponding grades.
If you are pursuing a self-funded PhD or have professional experience in the industry, you can apply with lower grades.
Not all bachelor’s students are eligible for a PhD, but according to the new UGC guidelines, students who obtain a four-year degree in UG can apply for admission to PhD programmes in their desired fields.
Contact form.
Automated page speed optimizations for fast site performance
How long does it take to get a doctorate degree how do you get into grad school are you qualified to do a phd answers to these questions and more.
A PhD, which stands for “doctor of philosophy”, is the most advanced academic degree. It’s earned through extensive research on a specific topic, demonstrating expertise and contributing new knowledge to the field.
The term “PhD” is often used as a synonym for any doctoral-level qualification. Doctorate degrees can often be split into two categories: MPhil and PhD.
An MPhil is similar to a PhD as it includes a research element (which is usually shorter and less in-depth than a PhD thesis, and often more akin to a dissertation undertaken at undergraduate or master’s level).
MPhil students focus more on interpreting existing knowledge and theory and critically evaluating other people’s work rather than producing their own research. The precise nature and definition of an MPhil can vary among institutions and countries.
A PhD, meanwhile, follows a more widely known and traditional route and requires students, often referred to as “candidates”, to produce their own work and research on a new area or topic to a high academic standard.
PhD requirements vary significantly among countries and institutions. The PhD, once completed, grants the successful candidate the title of “doctor of philosophy”, also called PhD or DPhil.
A professional doctorate is a kind of degree that helps people become experts in their fields. Instead of focusing mainly on theory and research like a regular PhD, a professional doctorate is all about practical skills and knowledge.
This kind of doctorate is great for students who want to get better at their jobs in areas like teaching, healthcare, business, law or psychology. The courses and projects in these programmes are designed to tackle real problems you might face at work.
For example, you might have heard of the doctor of education (EdD), doctor of business administration (DBA), doctor of psychology (PsyD) or doctor of nursing practice (DNP). These programmes combine learning, hands-on projects and sometimes a thesis paper or essay to show you’re skilled at solving on-the-job challenges.
The time required to complete a PhD can vary significantly based on several factors. Generally, a full-time PhD programme takes around three to six years to finish. However, it’s important to take into account individual circumstances and the nature of the research involved.
1. Full-time vs. part-time: If you’re studying full-time, dedicating most of your time to your studies, it usually takes about three to four years to complete a PhD. However, studying part-time while managing other commitments might extend the duration. Part-time PhDs can take around six to eight years, and sometimes even longer.
2. Nature of research: The complexity of your research proposal can influence the time required. Certain research questions may involve intricate experiments, extensive data collection or in-depth analysis, potentially leading to a longer completion timeline.
3. Field of study: The subject area you’re researching can also affect the necessary time. Some fields, such as sciences or engineering, might involve more hands-on work, while theoretical subjects might require more time for literature review and analysis.
4. Supervision and support: The guidance and availability of your academic supervisor can affect the pace of your research progress. Regular meetings and effective communication can help keep your studies on track.
5. Thesis writing: While the research phase is crucial, the stage of writing your thesis is equally significant. Organising and presenting your research findings in a clear and cohesive manner can take several months.
6. External commitments: Personal commitments, such as work, family or health-related factors, can influence your study time. Some students need to balance these alongside their PhD studies, potentially extending the duration.
7. External Funding: The availability of funding can also affect your study duration. Some funding might be linked to specific project timelines or research objectives.
So, although a PhD usually takes between three and six years of full-time study, with potential variations based on research complexity, enrolment as part-time or full-time, field of study and personal circumstances. It’s vital to have a realistic understanding of these factors when planning your PhD journey.
In the UK, the length of a PhD programme typically ranges from three to four years of full-time study. As explained above, there are many factors to consider.
Similarly to the UK, in the United States, the duration of a PhD programme can vary widely depending on the field of study, research topic and individual circumstances. On average, a full-time PhD programme in the US typically takes between five and six years to complete.
PhD programmes generally take longer to complete in the US than in the UK due to various factors in the education systems and programme structures of each country:
1. Programme structure: UK PhD programmes often emphasise early, focused research from the first year, leading to shorter completion times. In contrast, US programmes commonly include more initial coursework in your first and second year and broader foundational training, which can extend the overall duration.
2. Course work requirements: Many US PhD programmes require a lot of course work, which can lengthen the time needed to finish. UK programmes tend to have fewer or no course work demands, allowing students to concentrate primarily on research skills.
3. Research funding: In the UK, PhD funding is often awarded with specific timeframes in mind, motivating completion of the research degree in the agreed duration. In the US, funding approaches can vary, requiring students to secure funding from multiple sources, potentially affecting their progress and completion time.
4. Teaching responsibilities: Some US PhD students take on teaching roles as part of their funding, dividing their time and potentially prolonging their studies.
5. Research approach: Differences in research methodologies and project scopes can affect the time needed for data collection, experimentation and analysis.
6. Academic culture: The US education system values a well-rounded education, including coursework and comprehensive exams. This can extend the time before full-time research begins. UK PhD programmes often prioritise independent research early on.
7. Part-time and work commitments: US PhD candidates might have more flexibility for part-time work or other commitments, which can affect research progress.
8. Dissertation requirements: US PhD programmes generally include a longer and more comprehensive dissertation, involving more chapters and a broader exploration of the research topic.
These variations in programme structures, funding models and academic cultures contribute to the differing completion times between the two countries.
To be eligible for a PhD programme, certain educational qualifications are generally expected by universities. These qualifications serve as indicators of your readiness to engage in advanced research and contribute to the academic community.
First, an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is typically the most common requirement. This degree provides you with a foundational understanding of the subject and introduces you to basic research methodologies. It serves as a starting point for your academic journey.
In addition to an undergraduate degree, many PhD programmes also require candidates to hold postgraduate or master’s degrees, often in fields related to the intended PhD research. A master’s degree offers a deeper exploration of the subject matter and enhances your research skills. Possessing a master’s degree signifies a higher level of expertise and specialisation.
The combination of both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees demonstrates a solid academic background. This background is crucial before you engage in doctoral study because pursuing a PhD involves more than just knowledge; it requires advanced research abilities, critical thinking and the capacity to provide an original contribution and new insights into the chosen field of study.
While these qualifications are usually requested, there are exceptions. Some institutions offer direct-entry programmes that encompass bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees in a streamlined structure. This approach is often seen in scientific and engineering disciplines rather than humanities.
In exceptional cases, outstanding performance during undergraduate studies, coupled with a well-defined research proposal, might lead to direct entry into a PhD programme without requiring a master’s degree.
Admission requirements can vary between universities and programmes. Some institutions might have more flexible prerequisites, while others could have more stringent criteria. Make sure that you thoroughly research all admission requirements of the PhD programmes you’re interested in to ensure you provide the right information.
PhD entry requirements in Canada and Australia can be somewhat similar to those in the UK and the US, but there are also some differences. Just like in the UK and the US, having a bachelor’s degree followed by a master’s degree is a common way to qualify for a PhD in Canada and Australia. However, the exact rules can vary, such as how much research experience you need or the grades you should have.
In Canada and Australia, as in the UK and the US, international students usually need to show their English language skills through tests like IELTS or TOEFL. And, like in other places, you might need to give a research proposal to explain what you want to study for your PhD.
But remember, even though there are some similarities, each country has its own rules.
PhD diary: Preparing for a PhD Nine things to know before doing a PhD Women in STEM: undertaking PhD research in cancer Studying for a part-time PhD: the challenges and the benefits Is it possible to do a three-year PhD as an international student? Looking for PhD tips? Why not check Twitter PhD diary: Where do I begin? How to do a PhD on a budget
The cost of pursuing a PhD can vary significantly between international and home (domestic) students, and it depends on the country, university and programme you choose.
United Kingdom (UK)
Home students in the UK often pay lower tuition fees compared with international students. Home students might also have access to government funding or subsidised tuition rates.
International students typically pay higher tuition fees, which can vary widely depending on the university and programme. Fees can range from around £10,000 to £25,000 or more per year.
United States (US)
PhD programme costs in the US can be quite high, especially for international students. Public universities often have lower tuition rates for in-state residents compared with out-of-state residents and international students.
Private universities in the US generally have higher tuition fees, and international students might be charged higher rates than domestic students.
Canadian universities often charge higher tuition fees for international students compared with domestic students.
Some universities offer funding packages that include tuition waivers and stipends for both domestic and international doctoral students.
In Australia, domestic students (Australian citizens and permanent residents) usually pay lower tuition fees than international students.
International students in Australia might have higher tuition fees, and costs can vary based on the university and programme.
Apart from tuition fees, other aspects play a role in the overall financial consideration:
PhD studentship: Many universities offer PhD studentships that provide financial support to research students, covering both tuition fees and a stipend for living expenses.
Stipend and housing: Stipends are designed to cover living expenses. Stipend amounts can vary depending on the university and location. If you’re studying in London in the UK, stipends might be higher to account for the higher living costs in the city. Some universities also offer subsidised or affordable housing options for doctoral students.
Tuition and stipend packages: Some PhD programmes provide funding packages that include both tuition waivers and stipends. These packages are to help relieve the financial burden on students during their doctoral studies.
Research the financial support options provided by the universities you’re interested in to make an informed decision about the cost of your PhD journey.
PhD candidates have various funding options available to support their studies and research journeys. Some of these options include:
PhD scholarships: Scholarships are a common form of financial aid for PhD candidates. They are awarded based on academic merit, research potential or other specific criteria. Scholarships can cover tuition fees and provide a stipend for living expenses.
Bursaries: Bursaries are another form of financial assistance offered to students, including PhD candidates, based on financial need. They can help cover tuition fees or provide additional financial support.
In the UK, specific funding options are available:
Regional consortium: Some regions have research consortiums that offer funding opportunities for doctoral candidates. These collaborations can provide financial support for research projects aligned with specific regional needs.
UK research institute: Research councils in the UK often offer stipends to PhD candidates. These stipends cover living expenses and support research work.
University-based studentship: Many UK universities offer studentships. You can read more about these above.
In the USA, there are also funding options available:
Research assistantships (RAs): Many universities offer research assistantships where PhD candidates work on research projects under the guidance of faculty members. In exchange, they receive stipends and often have their tuition waived.
Teaching assistantships (TA): Teaching assistantships involve assisting professors in teaching undergraduate courses. In return, PhD candidates receive stipends and sometimes tuition remission.
Fellowships: Fellowships are competitive awards that provide financial support for PhD candidates. They can come from universities, government agencies, private foundations and other institutions. Fellowships can cover tuition, provide stipends and offer research or travel funds.
Graduate assistantships: Graduate assistantships include a range of roles, from research and teaching to administrative support. These positions often come with stipends and sometimes include tuition benefits.
External grants and fellowships: PhD candidates can apply for grants and fellowships from external organisations and foundations that support research careers in specific fields. Examples include the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Fulbright Programme.
Employer sponsorship: In some cases, employers might sponsor employees to pursue PhDs, especially if the research aligns with the company’s interests.
You can read about the current available scholarships for international students of all education levels on our website .
How does a PhD work?
A PhD includes thorough academic research and significant contributions to your chosen field of study. The timeline for completing a PhD can significantly vary based on the country, college or university you attend and the specific subject you study.
The duration of a PhD programme can vary based on factors such as the institution’s requirements and the academic discipline you’re pursuing. For instance, the timeline for a PhD in a science-related field might differ from that of a humanities discipline.
Looking at a typical PhD degree in a London higher education institution, we can consider this example timeline.
In the initial year of your PhD, you’ll collaborate closely with your designated academic supervisor. This collaboration involves refining and solidifying your research proposal, which lays the foundation for your entire doctoral journey.
This is also the time to establish a comprehensive plan, complete with well-defined milestones and deadlines. A crucial aspect of this year is conducting an extensive literature review, immersing yourself in existing academic works to understand the landscape of your chosen research area. It’s important to make sure that your research idea is original and distinct from prior studies.
As you begin the second year, you’ll actively collect data and gather information related to your research topic. Simultaneously, you’ll initiate the process of crafting your thesis. This involves combining your research findings and analysis into sections of your thesis document.
This is also the phase where you might have opportunities to share your research insights at academic meetings, conferences or workshops. Depending on the programme, you might even engage in teaching activities. Some PhD candidates also begin contributing to academic journals or books, showcasing their findings to a broader audience.
The third year of a PhD programme often marks the final stage of your research efforts. This is when you dedicate substantial time to writing and finalising your complete thesis. Once your thesis is completed to the highest standard, you’ll submit it for thorough evaluation.
A significant milestone in the third year is the viva voce, an oral examination where you’ll defend your thesis before a panel of experts in your field. The viva voce is an opportunity to showcase your deep understanding of your research and defend your findings.
For many people, acquiring a doctorate degree is the pinnacle of academic achievement, the culmination of years of commitment to higher education.
However, the act of pursuing a PhD can be a complex, frustrating, expensive and time-consuming exercise. But with the right preparation, some sound advice and a thorough understanding of the task at hand, your years as a doctoral student can be some of the most rewarding of your life.
People choose to work towards a doctorate for many reasons. If you are looking to pursue an academic position, such as university lecturer or researcher, then a PhD is usually required.
Many people obtain a PhD as part of a partnership with an employer, particularly in scientific fields such as engineering, where their research can prove useful for companies.
In some cases, however, PhDs are simply down to an individual’s love of a subject and their desire to learn more about their field.
Pursuing a PhD can have many benefits that extend beyond academic achievement, encompassing personal growth, professional advancement and meaningful contributions to knowledge.
One of the most notable benefits of a PhD is the potential for tenure in academia. Attaining tenure provides a level of job security that allows you to delve into long-term research projects and make enduring contributions to your field. It signifies a stage where you can explore innovative ideas and pursue in-depth research, fostering your academic legacy.
While not obligatory, the opportunity to collaborate on research projects with your supervisor is another valuable aspect of a PhD pursuit. These collaborations might even come with financial compensation, offering real-world experience, skill development and practical applications of your research. Engaging in such collaborations can enrich your research portfolio and refine your research methodologies.
A pivotal aspect of a PhD journey is the chance to publish your original research findings. By disseminating your work in academic journals or presenting it at conferences, you contribute to the expansion of knowledge within your field. These publications establish your expertise and reputation among peers and researchers worldwide, leaving a lasting impact.
The pursuit of a PhD can provide a unique platform to build a diverse network of colleagues, mentors and collaborators. Engaging with fellow researchers, attending conferences and participating in academic events offer opportunities to make valuable connections. This network can lead to collaborations, expose you to a spectrum of perspectives and pave the way for future research endeavours.
A PhD thesis will be produced with help from an academic supervisor, usually one with expertise in your particular field of study. This thesis is the backbone of a PhD, and is the candidate’s opportunity to communicate their original research to others in their field (and a wider audience). PhD students also have to explain their research project and defend their thesis in front of a panel of academics. This part of the process is often the most challenging, since writing a thesis is a major part of many undergraduate or master’s degrees, but having to defend it from criticism in real time is arguably more daunting. This questioning is known as a “viva”, and examiners will pay particular attention to a PhD’s weaknesses either in terms of methodology or findings. Candidates will be expected to have a strong understanding of their subject areas and be able to justify specific elements of their research quickly and succinctly.
In rare cases, students going for a PhD may instead be awarded an MPhil if the academic standard of their work is not considered fully up to par but still strong enough to be deserving of a qualification.
Many PhD and MPhil candidates choose to pursue their qualification part time, in order to allow time to work and earn while studying. This is especially true of older students, who might be returning to academia after working for a few years.
When applying, you should always speak to the admissions team at your university to ensure this is possible and then continue to work with your supervisor to balance all your commitments.
This is something else that you will need to check with your university. Some institutions offer this option, depending on the nature of your research.
You will need to be clear how many times you will need to travel to your university to meet with your supervisor throughout your PhD.
Choosing the right PhD supervisor is essential if you want to get the most out of your PhD. Do your research into the faculty at the institution and ensure that you meet with your proposed supervisor (either virtually or in person) before fully committing.
You need to know that not only do they have the right expertise and understanding of your research but also that your personalities won’t clash throughout your PhD.
Remember, to complete your PhD, you will need a strong support network in place, and your supervisor is a key part of that network.
If you do decide to embark on a doctorate, you may well encounter stress and anxiety. The work involved is often carried out alone, the hours can be long and many students can suffer from the pressure they feel is on their shoulders.
Ensuring that you check in regularly with your emotions and your workload is crucial to avoid burnout. If you have other commitments, such as a job or a family, then learning to balance these can feel overwhelming at times.
Give yourself regular breaks, speak to your supervisor and ensure that you know what university resources and support systems are available to you in case you need to access them.
Many PhD graduates pursue a career in academia, while others will work in industry. Some might take time out, if they can afford to, to recover from the efforts of PhD study.
Whatever you choose to do, undertaking a PhD is a huge task that can open up a range of doors professionally. Just remember to take some time out to celebrate your achievement.
How much does a professor with a PhD make a year?
Professors with PhDs can earn different amounts depending on where they work and their experience. In the UK, a professor might make around £50,000 to £100,000 or more each year. In the US, it's between about $60,000 and $200,000 or even higher. The exact salary depends on things like the place they work, if they have tenure, and what they teach.
How much does a PhD add to salary?
Having a PhD can make your salary higher than if you had a lower degree. But exactly how much more you earn can change. On average, people with PhDs earn more than those with bachelor’s or master’s degrees. The increase in salary is influenced by many things, such as the job you do, where you work and what field you’re in.
In fields such as research, healthcare, technology and finance, your knowledge and skills from your PhD can potentially help you secure a higher salary position.
In the end, having a PhD can boost your earning potential and open doors to well-paying jobs, including professorships and special roles in different areas. But the exact effect on your salary is influenced by many things, so ensure you weigh the cost against the benefit.
Choosing a PhD programme involves defining your research interest, researching supervisors and programme reputation, evaluating funding options, reviewing programme structure, considering available resources, assessing networking opportunities, factoring in location and career outcomes, visiting the campus if possible and trusting your instincts.
You can find available PhD programmes by visiting university websites, using online directories such as “FindAPhD”, checking professional associations, networking with professors and students, following universities on social media, attending career fairs and conferences, contacting universities directly and exploring research institutes’ websites.
To apply for a PhD programme:
Research and select universities aligned with your interests.
Contact potential supervisors, sharing your proposal, CV and references.
Prepare application materials: research proposal, CV, recommendation letters and a writing sample.
Ensure you meet academic and language-proficiency requirements.
Complete an online application through the university’s portal.
Pay any required application fees.
Write a statement of purpose explaining your motivations.
Provide official transcripts of your academic records.
Submit standardised test scores if needed.
Some programmes may require an interview.
The admissions committee reviews applications and decides.
Apply for scholarships or assistantships.
Upon acceptance, review and respond to the offer letter.
Plan travel, accommodation and logistics accordingly.
Remember to research and follow each university’s specific application guidelines and deadlines.
Many stages of the PhD application process are the same for international students as domestic students. However, there are sometimes some additional steps:
International students should apply for a student visa.
Take language proficiency tests such as TOEFL or IELTS if required.
Provide certificates if needed to validate your previous degrees.
Show evidence of sufficient funds for tuition and living expenses.
Check if you need health insurance for your chosen destination.
Translate and authenticate academic transcripts if necessary.
Attend orientation sessions for cultural adaptation.
Apply for university housing or explore off-campus options.
Familiarise yourself with international student support services.
Ben Osborne, the postgraduate student recruitment manager at the University of Sussex explains in detail how to apply for a PhD in the UK .
Giulia Evolvi, a lecturer in media and communication at Erasmus University, Rotterdam explains how to apply for a PhD in the US .
Finally, Samiul Hossain explores the question Is it possible to do a three-year PhD as an international student?
Q. What is a PhD? A. A PhD is the highest level of academic degree awarded by universities, involving in-depth research and a substantial thesis.
Q. What does “PhD” mean? A. “PhD” stands for doctor of philosophy, recognising expertise in a field.
Q. What is a professional doctorate? A. A professional doctorate emphasises practical application in fields such as education or healthcare.
Q. How long does it take to study a PhD? A. It takes between three and six years to study a full-time PhD programme.
Q. How long is a PhD in the UK? A. It takes around three to four years to study a full-time UK PhD.
Q. How long is a PhD in the US? A. It takes approximately five to six years to complete a full-time US PhD.
Q. Why does it take longer to study a PhD in the US? A. US programmes often include more course work and broader training.
Q. What qualifications do you need for a PhD? A. You usually need an undergraduate degree as a minimum requirement, although a master’s might be preferred.
Q. Do you need a master’s degree to get into a PhD programme? A. Master’s degrees are preferred but not always required.
Q. Are PhD entry requirements similar in other countries? A. Entry requirements are similar in many countries, but there may be additional requirements. Make sure to check the university website for specific details.
Q. How much does it cost to study a PhD? A. The cost of PhD programmes vary by country and university.
Q. What funding options are available for PhD candidates? A. Scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, grants, stipends are all funding options for PhD candidates.
Q. What does a PhD involve? A. PhDs involve research, seminars, thesis, literature review, data analysis and a PhD viva.
Q. Why should you do a PhD? A. There are many reasons to study a PhD including personal growth, research skills, contributions to academia and professional development.
Q. What are some benefits of studying a PhD? A. Benefits of graduating with a PhD include achieving tenure, collaborations with colleagues, publication of your work, and networking opportunities.
Q. What is a PhD thesis? A. A PhD thesis is a comprehensive document that showcases the original research conducted by a PhD candidate.
Q. What is a PhD viva? A. A PhD viva, also known as a viva voce or oral examination, is the final evaluation of a PhD candidate’s research and thesis where the panel asks questions, engages in discussions and assesses the depth of the candidate’s understanding and expertise.
Q. Can you do a PhD part-time? A. Yes, part-time options are available for PhDs.
Q. Can I do a PhD through distance learning? A. Some universities offer online PhDs; you can find out more on their websites.
Q. How to choose a PhD programme? A. You can find PhD programmes through research, by contacting faculty, checking resources and considering location.
Q. How can I find available PhD programme? A. You can find available PhD programmes on university sites, through directories and by networking.
Q. How to apply for a PhD programme A. To apply for a PhD programme, research suitable universities and programmes, get in touch with potential supervisors, gather required documents like transcripts and reference letters, complete the online application, pay any necessary fees and submit a statement of purpose and research proposal. If needed, meet language-proficiency criteria and attend interviews. After acceptance, explore funding choices, confirm your spot and get ready for the programme’s start.
Q. How to apply for a PhD as an international student A. To apply for a PhD as an international student, follow similar steps to domestic students, but you need to include securing a student visa and passing language requirements.
Q. What is a PhD dropout rate? A. The dropout rate from PhDs varies but is approximately 30-40 per cent.
Q. How does a PhD affect salary and earning potential? A. A PhD can boost earning potential, especially in research, technology, healthcare and academia. Impact varies by job, industry and location. Experience, skills and demand also influence salary.
Q. How to address a person with a PhD? A. When addressing someone with a PhD, it’s respectful to use “Dr”, followed by their last name, whether they have a PhD in an academic field or a professional doctorate. For instance, “Dr. Smith”.
Q. Is there a difference between a PhD and a doctorate? A. The terms “PhD” and “doctorate” are often used interchangeably, though a PhD is a specific type of doctorate focused on original research. A doctorate can refer more broadly to any doctoral-level degree, including professional doctorates with practical applications.
Q. What is the difference between a PhD and an MD? A. A PhD is a doctor of philosophy, awarded for academic research, while an MD is a doctor of medicine, focusing on medical practice. They lead to different career paths and involve distinct areas of study.
Q. What is the difference between a PhD and a professional doctorate? A. A PhD is an academic research-focused degree, while a professional doctorate emphasises applying research to practical fields such as education or business. PhDs often involve original research, while professional doctorates focus on real-world application.
Q. What is the difference between UK and US PhDs? A. The difference between UK and US PhDs lies mainly in structure and duration. UK PhDs often have shorter durations and a stronger emphasis on independent research from an early stage. US PhDs typically include more initial coursework and broader foundational training before full-time research begins.
Q. What is the difference between a PhD student and a candidate? A. A PhD student is actively studying and researching in a doctoral programme, while a PhD candidate has completed programme requirements except for the dissertation and is close to completion.
Q. What’s the difference between a PhD and an EdD? A. A PhD and an EdD (doctor of education) differ in focus. A PhD emphasises research and academic contributions, while an EdD focuses on applying research to practical educational issues.
Q. What’s the difference between a PhD and a DBA? A. A PhD and a DBA (doctor of business administration) differ in purpose. A PhD emphasises theoretical research and academia, while a DBA is practice-oriented, aimed at solving real business problems.
Q. What’s the difference between a PhD and a PsyD? A. A PhD and a PsyD (doctor of psychology) differ in emphasis. A PhD focuses on research and academia, while a PsyD emphasises clinical practice and applying psychological knowledge.
Q. What’s the difference between a PhD and an LLD? A. A PhD and an LLD (doctor of laws or Legum doctor) are distinct. A PhD is awarded in various disciplines, while an LLD is usually an honorary degree for significant contributions to law.
Q. What’s the difference between a PhD and an MD-PhD? A. A PhD and an MD-PhD differ. An MD-PhD is a dual degree combining medical training (MD) with research training (PhD).
Q. What is the Cambridge PhD? A. A Cambridge PhD involves original research guided by a supervisor, resulting in a thesis. It’s offered at the University of Cambridge .
Q. What is the Oxford DPhil? A. An Oxford DPhil is equivalent to a PhD and involves independent research leading to a thesis. The term “DPhil” is unique to the University of Oxford .
Q. What is the PhD programme acceptance rate? A. PhD acceptance rates vary by university, field and competition. Prestigious universities and competitive fields often have lower acceptance rates.
Q. What is a PhD supervisor? A. A PhD supervisor guides and supports a student’s research journey, providing expertise and feedback.
Q. What is a PhD panel? A. A PhD panel evaluates a candidate’s research, thesis and oral defence. It consists of experts in the field.
Q. What is a PhD stipend? A. A PhD stipend is a regular payment supporting living expenses during research, often tied to teaching or research assistant roles.
Q. What is a PhD progression assessment? A. A PhD progression assessment evaluates a student’s progress, often confirming their continuation in the programme.
Q. What is a PhD defence? A. A PhD defence, or viva, is the final oral examination where a candidate presents and defends their research findings and thesis before experts.
Luis Humberto Eudave Ramos
John Francis Davies
Shabana Khan
Register free and enjoy extra benefits
Welcome to this comprehensive article on understanding the real difference between a PhD student and a PhD candidate. Both terms denote stages in a doctoral journey, but they imply different responsibilities, expectations, and milestones.
A PhD student is in the initial stages of their doctoral journey, undertaking coursework and preparing for exams. A PhD candidate, having passed these exams, focuses on original research and writing a dissertation. The difference between a PhD candidate and a PhD student becomes more evident at this stage.
As someone who is enrolled in a doctoral program, or considering earning a doctorate degree, it’s crucial to comprehend the clear difference between these roles.
We’ll discuss everything from the process of becoming a PhD student to transitioning into a PhD candidate, the completion of coursework, the significance of qualifying exams, and the transition to dissertation research.
Your advisor may not even tell you this!
Our aim is to provide clarity and insight into these significant milestones of the doctoral journey and help you navigate your path to earning a PhD with confidence.
So, let’s dive into the world of doctoral programs and demystify the difference between a PhD student and a PhD candidate .
Here is a table highlighting the key differences between a candidate and student in a PhD program:
PhD Student | PhD Candidate | |
---|---|---|
Stage | Beginning of PhD journey | Advanced stage of PhD journey |
Coursework | Undertaking required courses | Coursework is typically completed |
Examinations | Preparing for qualifying exams | Qualifying exams completed |
Research | Participating in or learning about research in academia | Focused on independent dissertation research |
Thesis/Dissertation | Not yet started | Actively working on, or has completed |
Objective | Completing courses and passing exams | Completing and defending dissertation |
Status | Not yet proven ability to contribute original research to the field | Has proven ability to contribute original research to the field |
A PhD student is someone who has been accepted into a doctoral program and is in the initial stages of their journey towards obtaining a PhD degree. During this phase, the PhD student undertakes courses to develop comprehensive knowledge and skills within their chosen field. These courses often extend for about two years and require maintaining a certain minimum grade.
PhD students also participate in various academic activities such as teaching assignments, seminars, workshops, and initial stages of research.
They are expected to demonstrate high academic performance and the potential to contribute to their area of study.
Moreover, PhD students work on formulating a viable research proposal or topic for their thesis or dissertation.
Before becoming a PhD candidate, they are required to pass qualifying or comprehensive exams that test their understanding and the depth of knowledge in their field. The stress and effort involved in this phase serve as the transition point to becoming a PhD candidate, marking a critical difference between a PhD candidate and a student.
A PhD candidate is an individual who has advanced beyond the initial stages of a doctoral program and demonstrated their potential to contribute original and high-quality research to their field. The transition from a PhD student to a PhD candidate typically occurs after the completion of coursework and successful passing of comprehensive or qualifying exams.
These exams are rigorous evaluations that test the candidate’s depth of knowledge, research skills, and capacity to articulate and defend their ideas. They may include written and oral components, and in some cases, the submission of a research proposal or the first chapter of a thesis.
As a PhD candidate, the focus shifts from coursework to independent research, specifically the production of a doctoral dissertation or thesis. This work is intended to be a substantial and original contribution to their field of study. PhD candidates also commonly engage in teaching or other professional activities within their academic communities.
A PhD student and a PhD candidate are different stages in the journey towards earning a doctorate degree. As a PhD student, you’re at the start of this journey, having been accepted into a program and undertaking courses to gain in-depth knowledge of your field.
This stage typically involves a blend of coursework, research, and teaching responsibilities, with the primary goal being to complete required courses and maintain a satisfactory grade average.
Transition to the status of a PhD candidate occurs upon completing coursework and successfully passing a comprehensive or qualifying examination.
This examination assesses the depth of your knowledge, your research abilities, and your capacity to contribute original ideas to your field, distinguishing you from other scholars in academia. The transition from student to candidate signifies that you have demonstrated a readiness to produce independent, high-quality research.
As a PhD candidate, you are now focused on research and working towards your dissertation or thesis, the original contribution to your field that you’ve proven capable of providing.
The process concludes once you have successfully defended your thesis to a committee. In summary, a PhD student is preparing for their academic journey, while a PhD candidate is actively navigating it.
Becoming a PhD candidate is a big deal! Pursuing a PhD is a long and challenging journey that requires discipline, dedication and hard work.
A PhD candidate must conduct original research, publish papers in academic journals, and defend their dissertation before a panel of experts in academia. It takes years of commitment and sacrifice to earn a Doctor of Philosophy, but the rewards are often worth it.
As a PhD holder, one gains prestige, respect, and career opportunities that would otherwise not be available.
PhD graduates can become professors, researchers, consultants, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs, among other things.
Pursuing a PhD is more than just a personal achievement. It contributes to the advancement of knowledge in one’s field, and it often translates into tangible benefits for society, such as new technologies, products, and services.
Understanding the journey from being a doctoral student to becoming a PhD candidate is crucial in successfully navigating a doctoral program.
The clear differences lie in the progression of responsibilities, academic milestones, and demonstrated ability to contribute original research in your field, highlighting the difference between a PhD candidate and a PhD student. Initially, as a PhD student and PhD candidate, you are enrolled in a doctoral program, completing required coursework and prepping for comprehensive exams.
The transformation into a PhD candidate happens post the successful passing of these exams, marking your readiness for independent research and dissertation writing. Earning a Doctor of Philosophy isn’t just about personal achievement, but also about societal contributions through the advancement of knowledge.
Becoming a PhD candidate is indeed a big deal, a testament to dedication, hard work and intellectual prowess. Your journey is unique and filled with learning that goes beyond books, setting you on a path of lifelong intellectual exploration and impact.
Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.
We are here to help you navigate Academia as painlessly as possible. We are supported by our readers and by visiting you are helping us earn a small amount through ads and affiliate revenue - Thank you!
2024 © Academia Insider
Although undertaking a PhD can be an exciting challenge, understanding the numerous entry requirements is an important first step. These prerequisites ensure that prospective PhD students like yourself are well-prepared for the academic challenges that await. The entry requirements for STEM disciplines can differ significantly, depending on the specific program, institution, and country of study; this guide explains these requirements.
For doctoral candidates interested in institutions in the United Kingdom, several standard requirements must be met:
While the UK has specific grading systems and qualification standards, international students with degrees from overseas institutions shouldn’t feel discouraged. Many UK universities and academic departments accept international qualifications that are deemed equivalent:
Achieving the right grades is just one part of the equation. Prospective PhD students are evaluated holistically:
The landscape of global academia thrives on diversity. However, international students have to navigate additional steps:
For international students whose first language isn’t English, proving English language ability is a cornerstone of the application process:
Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.
Many universities introduce prospective PhD students to a preliminary phase of studies, which stands as a precursor to the main research journey. This phase often doesn’t account for the official registration duration but is essential for assessment. A notable example of such a program is the MRes Programme, offering candidates rigour training in various research methodologies; it’s an excellent bridge for those transitioning from postgraduate studies to a full-fledged research degree . Post preliminary studies, there’s typically an evaluation of the candidate’s academic ability, aptitude for research, and the feasibility of their proposed project. Only after this evaluation’s successful completion does the formal PhD period commence.
Furthermore, the value of these preliminary studies extends beyond mere assessment. They serve as an orientation, acquainting students with the research culture of the institution and fostering essential skills. Not only do these programs help in refining one’s research proposal, but they also offer the chance to build networks with potential supervisors and other researchers. This early immersion can be pivotal in shaping a productive and rewarding PhD experience.
In the world of academia, not all roads to a PhD are paved in conventional terms:
While intellectual capabilities are undeniably crucial for doctoral admissions, financial considerations also hold significant importance:
Successfully navigating the application process requires careful planning and a systematic approach:
In the pursuit of a PhD, understanding and meeting the entry requirements is your first step. This guide hopefully clarifies these prerequisites, providing a strong foundation for prospective PhD students. Whether you’re fresh out of your undergraduate studies, have completed postgraduate research degrees, or are banking on extensive professional experience, the world of academia calls! Prepare carefully, reach out to potential supervisors, engage with the academic departments, and enjoy the process.
We hope this comprehensive guide has provided clarity and direction for prospective STEM PhD candidates. Remember, each journey is unique – and while guidelines and requirements are essential, passion, determination, and genuine curiosity will remain the main factors of successful PhD students. Best of luck in your academic pursuits!
Join thousands of students.
Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.
Ph.d. requirements.
Brown University awards more than 200 doctor of philosophy degrees annually.
The Brown Ph.D. is primarily a research degree. Teaching is an important part of many doctoral programs, and many departments require candidates for the Ph.D. to have teaching experience.
Brown University offers substantial financial support to doctoral students. All incoming doctoral students are guaranteed five years of support, which includes a stipend, full tuition remission, health-services fee, and a health-insurance subsidy. Doctoral students in the Humanities and Social Sciences are guaranteed six years of support. All promises of student support are subject to students making satisfactory academic progress, as determined by their programs of study. Please see related links for additional details regarding the University's commitment to doctoral education.
Funding guarantee, four general requirements for the doctor of philosophy.
The candidate must be formally admitted to his or her degree program.
The normal residency requirement is the equivalent of three Academic Years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree. Students who enter a PhD program at Brown already holding a master’s degree in a related field have a residency requirement equivalent to two Academic Years of full-time study upon entering the PhD program at Brown. Use of a previously earned master’s degree to reduce PhD residency requirements is contingent upon approval of the program Director of Graduate Study. Graduate work done at other institutions and not used in fulfillment of the requirements for any doctoral degree elsewhere may, on the approval of the program Director of Graduate Study, be counted in fulfillment of up to, but not exceeding, one year of the residency requirement. A student who desires credit for work done elsewhere should file a timely application with the program Director of Graduate Study; transfer credit forms are available through the Office of the Registrar .
A student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. when he or she has completed satisfactorily all the requirements, departmental and general, requisite to beginning work on the dissertation. Candidacy is determined by the department or program of study and certified by the Registrar. Most departments require a preliminary examination before advancing any student to candidacy. Most departments also require a final examination or defense. The examination is conducted by professors in the department and by such other members of the faculty as may be appointed.
The candidate must present a dissertation on a topic related to his or her area of specialization that presents the results of original research and gives evidence of excellent scholarship. The dissertation must be approved by the professor or committee under whose direction it is written and by the Graduate Council. All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within five years after advancement to candidacy.
If a faculty member working with a doctoral student leaves Brown for any reason before that student has completed his or her degree requirements, it may not always be possible for that faculty member to continue working with the student as an advisor. In such cases, departments will work with students to help them locate a new advisor.
Individual departments and programs may have additional requirements regarding the number of courses to be taken, proficiency in foreign languages, special examinations, and theses. The department should be consulted for specific information.
In addition to their studies, doctoral candidates are involved in many aspects of the school. Among other activities, they hold Research or Teaching Fellowships and organize speaker series, conferences, and journals.
Students generally take courses their first two years, and are engaged in research and teaching for at least two more years. After their fourth year, students may or may not remain in residency; many travel to pursue their research, either in the US or abroad.
Click here for recent PhD graduates.
Salma’s doctoral research examines the entangled relationships of empire, urban ecology, and racialized and gendered labor. It asks how contextual assemblages of race, gender, and class were produced and materialized in the regional and infrastructural planning of late colonial and postcolonial North Africa. It studies the historical geography of the ‘ Sugar Towns’ of southern Egypt over the long 20 th century, which emerged under British colonial rule by a group of British and French financiers. Focusing on four regional and infrastructural planning schemes at different moments of the sugarcane region’s history, the dissertation investigates how racialized and gendered labor, socio-ecological dispossessions, and diseases evolved in the region, affecting Nubian Egyptians, seasonal migratory workers ( Tarahil ), and the undervalued labor of women and children. This study involved ethnographic research in Egypt over 18 months, as well as extensive archival research at the Egyptian National Archives, the Egyptian Sugar Company’s archives, the Nubian Oral History Archive at the American University in Cairo, the British National Archives, the UN-FAO archives, and the Rockefeller/Ford Foundation. Additionally, it has drawn from family archives in the sugar region of southern Egypt with personal family members involved in sugarcane production. Salma’s research has been supported by several fellowships and grants, including those from the Aga Khan Program, the International Journal for Urban and Regional Research (IJURR), the Mellon Foundation, the Harvard Center for African Studies, The Weatherhead center for International Affairs, and the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
In addition to her doctoral research, Salma has worked as an urban planner for over five years in several agencies across the Middle East contributing to projects on urban governance, participatory planning, urban agriculture, urban policies for climate change adaptation, and institutionalizing community engagement at the municipal level. She holds a Master of Science in urban planning and development from University College London , and a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University in Cairo .
Prior to beginning her doctoral studies, Hannah worked as a project architect at Annum Architects (formerly Ann Beha Architects) on museums, campus master planning, and a diplomatic consulate with the Department of State and Overseas Building Office. Before joining Ann Beha Architects, she taught design studios at the University of San Francisco, and practiced design at Steven Holl Architects, Smith Group, and TEN Arquitectos.
Hannah has written for Texas Architect Magazine, ArchDaily, the Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, and other publications . Recent projects include a chapter on the dichotomy of intellectual and physical gendered space in Afghanistan for The Routledge Handbook of Infrastructure Design.
Hannah holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, where she was awarded the E.D. Farmer International Fellowship and the UTSoA Travel Scholarship for field research on cognitive mapping and the legacy of integración plástica in Mexico City. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Economics from Wellesley College.
Corinna has worked in curatorial and editorial roles at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and most recently at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Their writing has appeared in Footprint, the Canadian Centre for Architecture’s What About the Provinces? issue, and Housing Perspectives . They hold a BA in Visual Arts and Mathematics from the University of Chicago.
Hugo Betting is a fourth-year PhD student. His research explores the entanglement of architecture, science, and environment in history, through texts and objects in the nineteenth and twentieth-century North Atlantic.
At the nexus of architectural, intellectual, and environmental history, his current work examines the nationalist discourse of U.S. (settler) architecture in relation to its environmental conditions of production and enunciation – in other words, how U.S. architecture was described, historicized, and theorized in environmental terms, and made “national” as “natural.”
Hugo presented his work at the Mahindra Center for Humanities at Harvard, the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia, and the Symposium of Urban Design History and Theory held at TU Delft.
His research has been supported by the Arthur Sachs Foundation and the Harvard GSAS Graduate Society. Prior to arriving at Harvard, Hugo completed a licence’s and a master’s degree from Paris La Villette School of Architecture and worked for various architecture studios in Paris.
William Conroy is a PhD candidate in urban studies and planning at Harvard University, and an Edmond J. Safra Graduate Fellow in Ethics at the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics. He is broadly interested in the theoretical dimensions of political-economic problems, and is currently focused on developing an abstract-theoretical account of capitalist urbanization and the production of space in capitalist society. In line with that agenda, William’s ongoing dissertation project tracks the shifting place of “the urban” in American anti-imperial thought across the middle part of the twentieth century, engaging its invocation as a site of political intervention and category of socio-spatial analysis. His contention is that this intellectual-historical undertaking provides a distinctive vantage onto not only the political, economic, and ecological implications of capitalist urbanization during that conjuncture, but onto some of the most vexing questions in socio-spatial theory regarding capitalist urbanization as well.
In addition to his dissertation work, William has published widely since beginning his PhD, intervening in theoretical debates on, inter alia , the relationship between ascriptive difference and capitalist reproduction, the role of urbanization in mediating capitalist crises, and spatial dialectics. This work has appeared in Antipode, Environment and Planning A, Urban Studies, Theory, Culture & Society , and Review of International Political Economy , among other outlets. (For more information and publication details, please visit: https://harvard.academia.edu/WilliamConroy )
William has a BA from Northwestern University, an MPhil from the University of Oxford, and an AM from Harvard University. He is a Research Affiliate at the University of Chicago’s Urban Theory Lab.
Samira holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Toronto and a Master of Science from the University of Michigan. She undertook historical studies in arts and humanities after five years of medical studies in Iran. Samira’s writings have appeared in Winterthur Portfolio , Thresholds Journal , Informa , Inflection Journal , and Centre . She has exhibited her work at MIT Keller Gallery, Fashion Art Toronto, University of Texas at Austin, Azrieli School of Architecture at Carleton University, and recently curated an exhibition with Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments.
Romain holds a BA in cinema studies from Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle and a BA and MA in architecture from l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette. In 2018, he received the Prix du Mémoire de Master en Architecture from the Fondation Rémy Butler. His research has been supported by the Canadian Center for Architecture in Montréal, the Harvard University Asia Center, the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and the Arthur Sachs Fellowship. In the Fall of 2024, as a Merit-Term Fellow, he will spend time in the Netherlands at the National Archives for his research.
Phillip frequently writes about architecture, art, and design. His writing has appeared in Harvard Design Magazine, Volume, Metropolis, The New York Times, and other publications. Recent projects include a genealogy of “creaturely” architecture in Inscriptions: Architecture Before Speech, edited by K. Michael Hays and Andrew Holder (Harvard University Press), and The Art of Joining: Designing the Universal Connector (Leipzig: Spector Books), a pocketbook anthology of original research on the architect Konrad Wachsmann. He is a member of the editorial board of Architect’s Newspaper and editor of New York Review of Architecture. In 2020, Phillip co-founded a83 , a gallery and organization in Soho, New York, with a three-part mission to exhibit, publish, and promote experimental projects in architecture, art, and design.
Phillip completed his Master of Architecture degree at Princeton University, where he graduated with the certificate in Media + Modernity, and received the School of Architecture History and Theory Prize. He received a Master’s degree from Harvard University in 2019. He also holds a professional Bachelor of Architecture degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where he was awarded the Louis F Valentour Fellowship, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Prize for Architecture History, and the AIA Henry Adams Medal. He has practiced in numerous roles with architecture firms and organizations in the United States and Europe, including OMA/Rem Koolhaas, MOS Architects of New York, and C-Lab at Columbia University. In 2018, Phillip was a fellow of the Bauhaus Global Modernism Lab in Dessau, Germany. In 2019, he received a Graham Foundation grant to support his work on an English-language translation of Nicolas Schöffer’s 1969 urban manifesto La ville cybernétique.
phillipdenny.com
Prior to matriculating to Harvard, Hayley completed her B.A. and M.A. degrees in art history at McGill University. Her master’s thesis on the Tiepolo family of draftsmen, decorators, and painters introduced the theory of pastoralesque, a play on the pastoral genre in art and literature and Mikhail Bakhtin’s influential carnivalesque. Hayley characterizes representations of commedia dell’arte street performers in the countryside as pastoralesque, their presence significantly altering the natural landscape from a locus amoenus (delightful place) to a second carnival.
Hayley will be leading an undergraduate seminar on Renaissance and Baroque architectural and stage design practice for theatre during the fall. She is a Research Tutor in the Master of Design Studies Program (Narratives) and a Research Assistant for Professor Christine Smith.
Morgan holds an MPhil in Architecture and Urban Studies with distinction from the University of Cambridge and a bachelor’s degree in International Politics and Security Studies from Georgetown University. Formerly a journalist and editor, her work has appeared in The Nation, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Mic, Popular Mechanics, Ploughshares, and elsewhere.
Charlie holds a Master in Design Studies from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a B.A. in Art History and English from Williams College. Prior to earning his Masters degree, Charlie worked as a strategist at the New York design consultancy 2×4 before joining the GSD’s Office for Urbanization (OFU). There, he contributed to design research projects on mass transit, climate change adaptation, and new town planning. With Charles Waldheim and OFU, Charlie co-authored 50 Species-Towns , a 2022 publication that presents a speculative approach to rural urbanization in China. Charlie lives in Somerville, MA with his wife Cat and son Paul.
His recent publications include a paper (with Neil Brenner) on the relationship between processes of extended urbanization, neoliberal agro-industrial restructuring, and the political ecologies of emergent infectious disease; an essay on work and the labor process in the global construction industry; and a paper (with Ayan Meer) on the conceptual convergences between critical agrarian studies and urban theoretical scholarship on planetary urbanization. His broader interests include geographical political economy, political ecology, critical urban theory, state theory, and the historical geography of capitalism from the nineteenth century to the present.
Swarnabh is a Research Affiliate at the Urban Theory Lab, formerly based at the GSD, currently based in the Division of Social Sciences at the University of Chicago. His research has been supported by the Harvard GSAS Graduate Society, the Harvard Mellon Urban Initiative, the Weatherhead Center, and the IJURR Foundation. His work has appeared in Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, Dialogues in Human Geography, Urban Studies, and The Avery Review, among other publications.
Swarnabh holds a Master of Philosophy in Urban Studies (with distinction) from the University of Cambridge where he studied as a Bass Scholar and a Master of Architecture from Yale University. Before coming to Harvard, he worked for several years at Diller Scofidio + Renfro in New York City where he was involved in projects spanning art, media, and architecture.
www.swarnabhghosh.com
Photo credit: Portrait by Enrique R. Aguilar for MENTES vol. 2, 2022.
Gabriel was Assistant Curator for the 17th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia 2021. Past curated exhibitions include “Walls of Air” (the Brazilian Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Biennale) and “Housing+” (the 3rd Biennial Exhibit of the MIT L. Center for Advanced Urbanism). His recent books include: The World as an Architectural Project (MIT Press, 2020); 8 Reactions for Afterwards (RioBooks, 2019); and Walls of Air: Brazilian Pavilion 2018 (Bienal de São Paulo, 2018).
Graduated from the Master of Science in Urban Design program at MIT, Gabriel has held research positions at the School of Architecture and Planning, the Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism and the Senseable City Lab, and taught graduate-level seminars, workshops and studios at the same school.
For his PhD at Harvard, Gabriel is looking at the history of urbanization in the Amazon basin. His research interest suggests that the way politics and power got spatialized in that region has defined the framework through which we conceive of and relate to the Amazon, and that a new reading of it can, in turn, inform the way we understand and address broader urbanization processes as well as the responses from our design disciplines.
gabrielkozlowski.com tomorrowanew.org
Isaiah holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a bachelor’s degree in History from Northeastern University. In the MLA program, Isaiah contributed to faculty research on “lost nature”– historic conditions yielding untapped resources– within major cities, and the efficacy of color as a design tool in combatting climate change in the built environment. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, Isaiah spent two years working at a landscape architecture firm in Los Angeles, where he was involved in the design and documentation of publicly funded school greening and park projects, and multi-use trail improvements along the Los Angeles River.
Anny has a background and strong interest in archives, knowledge infrastructures, and material history. Her professional experience includes work in special collections libraries, including Frances Loeb Library’s Special Collections and Houghton Library, where she supported their exhibitions, communications, and public programs. Prior to her graduate studies, she worked on communications and publications at Snøhetta, and has been a writer and editor at various architecture and landscape architecture firms for over 6 years. She has been an invited speaker in courses at the Syracuse University School of Architecture, Yale School of Architecture, Harvard GSD, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, and has edited and been published in publications including the New York Review of Architecture , Failed Architecture , POOL , Constructs , and volume 1 . She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Brown University.
Sunghwan earned his Master in Design Studies (MDes) degree in Energy and Environment from Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2021. He received the Dean’s Merit Scholarship during his study and his master’s thesis, entitled Controlling Wind Pressure around Building by Multiangle Ventilation Louver for Higher Natural Ventilation Potential , was awarded to Daniel L. Schodek Award for Technology and Sustainability from Harvard Graduate School of Design and top student paper (Doctoral Level) from the 2023 ASHRAE Winter Conference.
Before joining the Harvard community, Sunghwan double majored in Interior Architecture & Built Environment and Architecture & Architectural Engineering at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Sunghwan worked as a construction engineer at Samsung Construction and Trading company for six years. His invaluable experiences with building an airport in Mongolia and constructing a residential complex in Seoul profoundly shaped his research ideas and motivated him to contribute to the field of architecture.
Adam was formerly a 2023-2024 Graduate Fellow in Ethics at The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics, a 2023-2024 Graduate Affiliate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and a 2023 Harvard Horizons Scholar. His research has also been supported by the Minmin Zeng Innovative Doctoral Research Fund, the Harvard Graduate Society, as well as a 2024 Film and New Media Grant and a 2023 Carter Manny Award Citation of Special Recognition from The Graham Foundation.
Before coming to Harvard, Adam was a research director at the New York design office of Snøhetta and an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at The Cooper Union. His writing can be found in H-Net Network on Science, Medicine and Technology , Thresholds , The Avery Review , and Log, among others.
Her chapter about Denise Scott Brown’s work with a Black citizens’ committee to oppose a destructive expressway development in Philadelphia appears in Frida Grahn, ed. Denise Scott Brown: With Others’ Eyes.
Sarah holds both Master of Architecture and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation degrees from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, where the focus of her research was conflict between the collective desire to memorialize and the protective impulse to stigmatize, sanitize, or obliterate sites with traumatic or violent associations. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in fine arts from Yale University. She splits her time between Cambridge and Edinburgh.
Before pursuing graduate studies, Lindsay worked as a strategist in media and telecommunications focusing on cloud storage, fiber connectivity, data-center design, and energy use. At Harvard, Lindsay has worked with various faculty as a research assistant at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, supporting research, public programs, and exhibitions on topics such as radio waves, image manipulation, and generative AI.
Lindsay holds a Master in Design Studies with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and a B.A. with honors in Modern Culture and Media from Brown University.
Before joining the PhD program, Miranda taught advanced studio courses as a Visiting Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture. At Virginia Tech she also developed a course on social mapping and GIS with a regional focus in Appalachia, which received support and recognition from other departments at the university and won the ACSA / Temple Hoyne Buell Center’s 2023 Course Development Prize in Architecture, Climate Change, and Society.
Before teaching, she worked as an architect at RODE Architects in Boston, MA on the largest supportive housing project north of New York City, as well as flood-resilient, Passive House, and community-oriented projects. She has also worked at firms in Boston and New York specializing in affordable housing, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse.
Caroline Filice Smith is doctoral candidate in Urban Planning and was the ‘22-‘23 Democracy Doctoral Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance at the Harvard Kennedy School. Their work focuses on racialized histories of urban design across the US and its empire, histories of activist planner-architects, and reparative and abolitionist models of urban design. Caroline’s dissertation project explores the emergence of “participatory planning” in the mid-twentieth century. Through a focus on federally funded—yet activist led—community action programs in the US, Caroline’s research examines how the Black Power movement, the War on Poverty, and models of community development originally designed to quell insurgency abroad, intersected to form the foundation of a now central paradigm of US urban planning practice. This work touches on issues of democratic social engineering, cold war imperialism, 20 th century anti-racist urban uprisings, and struggles for self-determination across the US.
In addition to their dissertation, Caroline teaches and conducts research as part of the Urban Design and the Color Line project and has recently completed an anti-racist planning toolkit with the Highline Network and the Urban Institute ( link ), and a report for the Architectural League of NY on landscape and community-led, post-coal futures for Appalachia. They are a Harvard Mellon Urban Initiative doctoral fellow, having previously served as an Irving Innovation Fellow, and their work has been funded by the Graham Foundation, the Knight Foundation, the Warren Center for American Studies, the Canadian Center for Architecture, and the Harvard Mellon Urban Initiative. Caroline holds a Master of Architecture in Urban Design with Distinction from the GSD, where they were awarded both the Thesis Prize and Academic Excellence Award in Urban Design – additionally, Caroline holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech. Prior to coming to Harvard, Caroline spent five years in professional architectural practice – most of which was spent working for UNStudio in their Shanghai office, and less of which was spent practicing in Los Angeles where they were actively involved in the Occupy movement.
MS Srinivas is a first-year PhD student in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning. He is interested in histories of war, commemoration, and memory; the politics and architectures of the British Empire; and global and postcolonial approaches to architectural history. His earlier research has examined the transnational project of the Imperial War Graves Commission in the years after the First World War, and the emergence of the Delhi modern since the 1950s. The former project received a dissertation award from the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain (SAHGB).
MS trained as an architect at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, and acquired an MSc in Architectural History at the University of Edinburgh as a Hamish Ogston Foundation Commonwealth Scholar. He has previously worked on various architectural design and research projects in Delhi, notably as a museum consultant for the Archaeological Survey of India. He was also a part of the Review of Race and History at the University of Edinburgh, where he helped devise a policy framework to address issues of race and gender in the nineteenth-century bust collection of Playfair Library, a Grade-I listed heritage space.
Prior to doctoral studies, Sam worked in urban science-policy engagement for a Sustainability Research Network supported by the US National Science Foundation and as a research associate with the global cities research team at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Professionally, he has contributed to reports commissioned by UN Environment, the World Bank, and NATO. His scholarly work has been published in Global Environmental Change .
Sam holds master’s degrees in urban planning and Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from Tulane University.
Ziwei holds a Master in Landscape Architecture, a Master in Design Studies in Urbanism, Landscape, Ecology from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), and a Bachelor of Architecture from Southeast University, China. She has also experience as an urban designer for one year for Stoss Landscape Urbanism, where she participated in projects in China, the U.S., and the United Arab Emirates.
You can learn more about Ziwei and her research here.
Discover how we've helped doctoral students complete their dissertations and advance their academic careers!
Get customized coaching for:.
Phd candidate vs student, published by steve tippins on may 19, 2020 may 19, 2020.
Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 03:03 am
You make the transition from PhD student to PhD candidate after you complete all your coursework and your comprehensive exams (if required). A PhD candidate’s sole task is to conduct their research and write their dissertation.
In other words, a PhD student is still completing their coursework. They could be on the first day of their PhD program. A PhD candidate has completed all of the requirements for their degree except their dissertation (yes, that’s the infamous “ all but dissertation ” status).
PhD candidacy means you’re a PhD in training. Now you’re ready to spread your wings a little–with some guidance.
Your time as a PhD candidate is your chance to demonstrate that you are ready to be an independent scholar. It’s also your chance to screw up and have that be okay–to have support. Your committee will help you. Since it’s the first time you’ll go through the process of creating and performing a study on your own, there’s no reason to believe you’ll be perfect at it. That’s why the process is designed so that your committee can give you guidance.
But besides the simple definition above, what are the implications of being a PhD candidate vs student? Turns out, there are many important differences. Without keeping these in mind when you become a PhD candidate, it’s easy to spin out and get off track and not understand why.
While “PhD Student” and “PhD Candidate” are both steps on the journey to getting a PhD, there are significant differences between them. Here are some of the differences between PhD candidate vs student.
When you’re doing coursework, there is structure; there are assignments and deadlines. Of course, in graduate coursework teachers aren’t on top of you to turn in assignments like they would be in an undergraduate program. However, there is a deliverable (final project, test, etc) that you have to complete each quarter. You have things to complete by a certain time in order to move forward.
Once you become a candidate, there’s no syllabus and there are no due dates. It’s completely up to you to move forward in the process.
Some people find it hard to make the transition to the lack of structure that comes with being a PhD candidate.
Academic writing skills become really important when writing your dissertation –more important even than they were during the coursework phase of graduate school. Academic writing is essentially a new language, with very specific meanings and requirements.
For example, you can’t just say “people believe x or y,” you have to say who they are and how you know that, giving citations to back it up. Many words (like “significant”) have very specific meanings and can’t be used the way you might use them in speech.
As a PhD student, your professors should be teaching this language to you, so that as a PhD candidate, it will come as second nature.
Here’s another difference between being a PhD student vs PhD candidate: as a PhD candidate, you reduce the number of people that you have to keep happy.
As a student, you have to keep in mind the requirements from each professor teaching your classes, as well as matriculation requirements from the department, preferences and advice given by your advisor, and even the research interests of the people for whom you’re writing papers.
Once you become a candidate, it’s just your committee that you have to keep happy, meaning that those are the people who will hold you accountable and outline the requirements for completion of the degree. For that reason, you’ll want to choose your committee members with care.
Hopefully, by the time you need to choose your committee, you’ll have encountered professors who are intrigued by your research interests and with whom you feel personally and professionally compatible.
When you become a PhD candidate, you get to work on what you want to work on. You can pursue the topic that interests you instead of whatever goes with the course you’re in. It’s a time to really apply all those skills you were accumulating in the classes. For example, the statistical procedures you learned in stats classes and theories you learned in the courses for your discipline.
This is the stage of culmination, when everything you’ve learned becomes not the goal, but the foundation for your own body of work. It’s one of the exhilarating (and sometimes intimidating) parts of being a PhD candidate vs a student.
Faculty often use the “go wander in the woods” approach for PhD candidates. It’s essentially like hearing, “Go find things and come back to me when you’ve got something.” They’ll usually tell you when it’s not enough, but they might not give you much direction about what they’re looking for beyond that.
The reason for this is to encourage independent scholarship. They want you to have the opportunity to build your own case for why and how this topic should be studied. But this first foray into academic independence can be quite a challenge.
When they tell you to “go wander in the woods,” they’re not even telling you what kind of tree to look for. Sometimes you get specific directions, but sometimes you get vague answers like “go look for more.” This can be frustrating. Many clients come to me because they need more direction, which is understandable.
In your coursework, you were often given studies to read or asked to find studies on particular topics that relate to the course topic. Dissertation research is more nebulous. Your committee members want you to decide which directions to go in and which kinds of studies best relate to your research questions.
They won’t be asking you for the “right answer.” They’ll be asking you, “Why? Justify what you did or plan to do.”
Here’s another difference between PhD candidate vs student: a PhD candidate can put “PhD(c)” after their name, indicating that they have achieved status as a PhD candidate. However, I suggest using caution with this designation. The APA has expressed concern that its use may be misleading to the general public and cause people to believe you have a PhD.
Did you notice a change in how professors viewed you, once you moved from “student” to “candidate”?
Yes. It actually happened during my comprehensive exams. Before that, when I had been asked a question, the professor already knew the answer and was asking to see if I knew also. In my comprehensive exams, I had become the expert and my committee members were actually asking questions out of interest.
We were all pieces of a puzzle at that point. Instead of them saying, “tell me about John Dewy’s influence on education in the 1920s,” they asked, “How do you think Dewey influenced the school system’s openness to parental involvement in schools?” The professor who asked that was genuinely interested, because she was an expert in educational history but had not specifically studied parent involvement in schools, as I had.
That moment represented a big shift for me; it meant that as a PhD candidate, I had to then take responsibility for my own learning, because nobody knew as much as I knew about that particular thing.
It’s exhilarating on one hand, because you suddenly realize you’re the expert. On the other hand, it’s scary because we’re used to somebody else knowing the answer, being able to correct us if we’re wrong.
It sounds like your topic was centered on something very particular, so maybe not a lot of other people have studied what you want to study?
Yes, that’s true. When you go through a PhD program your research area is pretty narrow. You start out with a general interest in something, but as you go through your classes, specific areas start to stand out.
I started out with an interest in egalitarianism in public education, but my own past experience combined with some seminal texts to direct me toward parent involvement in schools, specifically. Some books and articles showed me that how schools treat parents can be an indicator of egalitarianism, maybe a clearer one than any rhetoric about the students.
So, there’s this winnowing effect, as you move forward. Your professors love to watch this, too. Especially in the smaller, seminar classes, they seem to be waiting to see what makes your heart beat faster.
Speaking of your heart beating faster, is one distinction of the candidacy phase to have more passion about the work you’re doing?
I think that’s ideal, for sure. It doesn’t always happen, because some professors are really after students who will jump onto their research platform, because they can piggyback on the students’ research to get more publications. Good committee chairs, though, will want you to find your own path toward something you can happily spend a lifetime studying.
I suspect that one of the reasons people don’t finish their dissertations is because they weren’t really passionate about the topic in the first place. It’s only one possible reason, but it should give a doctoral student pause.
It’s really hard to finish a PhD, so you want to knock down any barriers to finishing. Being passionate about the topic will keep you going when things feel onerous. It’s like marrying someone with a sense of humor — even when you’re not getting along very well, there’s something you can always appreciate about your spouse.
What about “ imposter syndrome ”? Does that come into play when you become a candidate?
It sure did for me! To be one of the only people who’s an expert in that field feels like a huge responsibility because people are depending on you. Your research has to be accurate because people will be making policies based on your conclusions.
Even with good intentions, your conclusions can be erroneous, and there are plenty of historical examples of policies being made on the basis of erroneous conclusions. The consequences can be enormous. And that’s all on you!
So then the questions become, “Am I really up to this?” “Who am I to drive policy?” “I’m just a fallible human being, so why would (or should) anyone listen to me?” Especially right after comps, I was thinking, “How could I be the expert? Nothing really has changed about me; I’m still the same person. Yesterday, I was a student, but today I’m an expert?”
My observation is that this happens with women more than men, probably because women in authority positions are more often questioned than are men. But even for men, this seemingly sudden transformation can make you worry that you’re not qualified for the responsibility you’re being given.
The thing is, It’s not really as sudden as it seems. You’ve been studying something for, say, four years, so you have a claim to expertise. And you’ve been narrowing your interests all along the way, so you’ve been slowly building up your expertise.
Besides, in many good schools, you get warned a lot about how easy it is to make a mistake in research and how easy it is to make false conclusions. They beat that into you so much that it can become a constant doubt.
In most primary and secondary schools, and sometimes even in college, they teach you to sit down, shut up, and learn something. For people to suddenly be saying, “tell me what you think,” can be challenging. I suspect that that’s another major reason people who finish their coursework don’t complete their dissertation: they’re not sufficiently prepared for this shift in roles.
Having been through this shift yourself, do you have any advice for students in this stage of their process?
Mostly, I think it’s a matter of taking personal responsibility and seeing yourself in a new light. It helps me to consider this process as a transformation — like a caterpillar into a butterfly. The “student” stage is the caterpillar stage, where you’re eating the milkweed, the knowledge, to nourish you.
Then there comes a time when you’ve got to stop being a consumer and transform into a real researcher. That’s like the metamorphosis stage when the caterpillar is in the chrysalis, melting down. (And I have had plenty of meltdowns myself in this stage!) That’s when you’re on your own, writing the dissertation.
That chrysalis stage is a real slog. You try as hard as you can, and your proposal still gets rejected — twice. Or the IRB wants you to structure the study differently, after your committee has already approved it. Or you can’t get enough participants for your quantitative study or enough data for your qualitative study — whatever. It’s the biggest challenge of most people’s life!
But if you stick with it, you actually do get this huge reward. As a butterfly, or a PhD, you bring something unique to the world. You have an important role in society that can potentially change the course of history — even if you don’t envision that in the beginning.
And that’s why the committee makes the process arduous. They want to be sure you’re great at what you do, because there is potentially an awful lot riding on your shoulders. I’m actually grateful for the rigor they demand. I want to feel ready for the role I’m taking.
Ultimately, candidacy is time in the chrysalis. It’s a time of transformation, built on one’s time as a student. It’s a time in the dark and alone, which makes it challenging, for sure. But I trust I’ll eventually emerge strong enough to spread my wings.
Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins
Dissertation memes.
Sometimes you can’t dissertate anymore and you just need to meme. Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Here are some of my favorite dissertation memes that I’ve seen lately. My Favorite Dissertation Memes For when you Read more…
The process of earning a doctorate can be long and stressful – and for some people, it can even be traumatic. This may be hard for those who haven’t been through a doctoral program to Read more…
PhD by publication, also known as “PhD by portfolio” or “PhD by published works,” is a relatively new route to completing your dissertation requirements for your doctoral degree. In the traditional dissertation route, you have Read more…
Responsibilities of phd candidates.
How can you excel during your PhD and make it a success? First of all, by taking responsibility as a PhD candidate. Setting up your research and acquiring the necessary skills in problem solving and communication is your responsibility. As a PhD candidate, you should possess, acquire, and/or refine the qualities necessary to mature into an independent researcher. We expect you to cultivate your talents. This will help you to prepare for a future career. You are also responsible for meeting the commitments linked to the funding of your doctoral research.
We have summarised the profile and responsibilities of a PhD candidate in two parts. The first part, Profile and research responsibilities of the PhD candidate , reflects our vision on your academic responsibilities as a junior researcher. The second part, Effective supervisor-PhD interaction: a two-way process , describes your responsibilities as a member of a research community and the interaction with your supervisory team, as well as your individual growth as a person.
Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0)30 253 35 50
PhD research is at the heart of what we do as a University. Around 2000 PhD candidates are involved in research and education at the UvA and around 400 doctorates are conferred each year. Two-thirds of these are in the Sciences or Medicine.
The guide to doing your PhD at the UvA brings together all kinds of information about the PhD process, from the regulations and different steps in the process to terms of employment and facilities you can make use of as a PhD candidate.
Documents and forms, phd contact information, central phd council, cookie consent.
The UvA uses cookies to measure, optimise, and ensure the proper functioning of the website. Cookies are also placed in order to display third-party content and for marketing purposes. Click 'Accept' to agree to the placement of all cookies; if you only want to accept functional and analytical cookies, select ‘Decline’. You can change your preferences at any time by clicking on 'Cookie settings' at the bottom of each page. Also read the UvA Privacy statement .
Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
Q&A for work
Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.
What is the correct term for a PhD student who does entirely research and is paid through third-party funds?
One can see that sometimes people doing a PhD call themselves a Research Associate or Research Assistant (in a very few cases also Research Fellow). I am looking for clarification regarding which term would be appropriate and also why the others are not.
I can't find a clear definition. If this is country dependent I would like to know this for the UK and Germany.
How about "PhD student"?
Since you also asked about Germany: in German you can call yourself "Doktorand" or "Promovend". But also in Germany, "PhD student" would be perfectly fine.
If you want to leave out the "student" part, you might call yourself "PhD candidate".
Be careful to avoid calling yourself something you are not (e.g. "Dr."), since particularly in Germany that might be illegal.
I'm not sure if it is the same in the UK and Germany, but in the US, "Research Assistant" typically means a person is being paid by a professor (typically using 3rd party funds) to work on their project, while "Research Fellow" typically means the student is being supported directly in their studies and/or research.
Fellowships are thus generally more prestigious, since they are a direct recognition of the student's value and potential by an organization, whereas assistantships simply mean that a particular professor thinks the student might be a good worker for a particular purpose.
Note that these titles are somewhat orthogonal of the question of being a Ph.D. student, as they are essentially describing one's "job" and means of support rather than one's educational program: a Masters student may also hold them, and a Ph.D. student may also hold other "job" titles (e.g., "Teaching Assistant", or even none at all).
In Germany, the payment (be it from 3rd-party sources or not) usually comes as a salary for an employment. That position is typically called wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter ( research employee ).
You should note, though, that the "only research" part is not included in that title, as there is no real distinction to teaching duties, as it exists, for instance, with "RA/TA".
I see that this question has been inactive for almost two years, but I notice the asker was specifically interested in the UK , and none of the answers cover that country specifically.
From my last three years of experience in the UK academia, those two positions are fairly well defined, and refer to the following:
A Research Assistant (RA) is typically neither a PhD holder nor a PhD candidate. These positions are aimed at people holding a Master degree in the relevant field, and are common in short, 1-year, research projects (such as feasibility studies). They do not count for direct progress towards any degree (but could result in publications and therefore straighten one's PhD application in the future). Additionally, they are typically one pay grade lower than the Research Fellow positions.
A Research Fellow (RF) is what one would informally call postdoctoral researcher (or just post-doc ). These are typical positions one would aim at after their PhD (and usually encourage PhD candidates close to finishing to apply as well). They typically rely on funding from longer projects, and last for 2-3 years. They also do not count for direct progress towards any degree (as the holder is expected to have a PhD, the highest possible degree in the field, already), but are a logical and expected step for a young career researcher aiming at a permanent academic position. They are also better paid than Research Assistant positions, being one pay grade higher.
For immigration purposes, universities will always have the ability to sponsor non-British applicants and support their immigration application for RF positions, while some universities and some positions are unable or unwilling to do that for RA positions. (This might be restricted to sponsoring EU-immigration, unsure about this bit).
A PhD student , PhD candidate , or just doing one's PhD are all valid terms to refer to somebody working towards obtaining their doctoral degree, regardless of their funding source. (Sometimes even just "I'm a PhD" is used, but that's common more than valid in the strictest sense.) Additionally, PhD students doing only research, as opposed to having some teaching duties attached to their contract or funding, are often times referred to as lucky .
I use the word typical a lot in my descriptions, as exceptions do exist, and I was one of them, but the details go far out of scope of this question.
In Germany and Spain, if you're a PhD student who gets paid via assisting professors in their projects, typically the position is regarded as Research Assistant. I rarely see who wrote it down in CV as Research Fellow, while research associate sounds more of a postdoc.
Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged phd titles ..
Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey
In the competitive academic world, PhD programs seek candidates with a mix of qualities for successful academic research. Alongside strong academic achievements, they look for discipline, self-motivation, and the ability to face challenges, among other skills. In essence, PhD programs aim to admit candidates with both a deep understanding of their subject and the resilience and creativity needed to advance knowledge in their field.
The demand for doctoral positions often exceeds availability, making it essential for PhD candidates to distinguish themselves. In a group of highly qualified applicants, those who are outstanding scholars and show they can handle tough research challenges are more likely to get into a doctoral program. Knowing how to be a good PhD student is like being in possession of a treasure map. It helps you navigate the journey towards becoming an outstanding PhD candidate.
Table of Contents
A good PhD student embodies a unique combination of characteristics that extend beyond academic brilliance. Let us examine some of these characteristics.¹²
Academic excellence and strong research skills are foundational qualities of a good PhD student, serving as cornerstones for success in the demanding world of doctoral studies.³
The ability to communicate your academic research confidently and professionally is essential, ensuring that the significance of your work is conveyed clearly to peers, mentors, and the broader academic community. These are among the key characteristics of a good PhD candidate.
Excelling as a PhD student goes beyond academic brilliance. What makes a good PhD student is a combination of personal qualities, a commitment to hard work, and practical communication skills. Aspiring doctoral candidates should work towards imbibing these characteristics, ensuring they not only survive but thrive in the challenging yet rewarding journey of a doctoral program. Understanding how to be a good PhD student is the first step toward making a lasting impact in the world of academia.
References:
Researcher.Life is a subscription-based platform that unifies top AI tools and services designed to speed up, simplify, and streamline a researcher’s journey, from reading to writing, submission, promotion and more. Based on over 20 years of experience in academia, Researcher.Life empowers researchers to put their best research forward and move closer to success.
Try for free or sign up for the Researcher.Life All Access Pack , a one-of-a-kind subscription that unlocks full access to an AI academic writing assistant, literature reading app, journal finder, scientific illustration tool, and exclusive discounts on professional services from Editage. Find the best AI tools a researcher needs, all in one place – Get All Access now for prices starting at just $17 a month !
COMMENTS
A PhD student is a student pursuing a doctoral degree, while a PhD researcher can be anyone who is conducting research at the doctoral level, including PhD students, postdocs, and faculty members. However, in practice, the terms PhD student and PhD researcher are often used interchangeably. The confusion comes from the fact that a PhD research ...
A PhD student is in the initial stages of their program, actively engaging in coursework, research, and academic requirements. On the other hand, a PhD candidate has advanced beyond coursework, passed comprehensive exams, and is focused primarily on independent research and the completion of their dissertation.
PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous: MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.
Students may be in the initial stage of the program or about to complete the coursework (before beginning their research). On the other hand, a PhD candidate has completed all coursework and has at least started their research. They may have completed their dissertation and are preparing to defend it. 2.
The key is knowing what to do to prepare and how to compile and submit a strong application. We hope these 10 tips will help you get started. 1. Be true to yourself: First and foremost, consider your goals. Many students are initially interested in pursuing a Ph.D. because they want to become a professor.
PhD Student vs. PhD Candidate How I use gentle, digital nudges to stay current in the post-exams world. July 6, 2017 ... My department's requirements involved: completing two years of coursework; demonstrating proficiency in a research language other than English; submitting at least one grant application; writing and revising a dissertation ...
This process is followed by dissertation research, writing and defense. The main difference between a PhD student vs. candidate is that the student is still working through the coursework. They have not yet begun the dissertation process or passed the qualifying exams. A PhD student may also be in the process of taking the qualifying exams, but ...
7 stages of the PhD journey. A PhD has a few landmark milestones along the way. The three to four year you'll spend doing a PhD can be divided into these seven stages. Preparing a research proposal. Carrying out a literature review. Conducting research and collecting results. Completing the MPhil to PhD upgrade.
Prepare for the Standardized Tests. Most PhD programs require students to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Having high test scores is a key part of an application as it tests skills learned over the course of many years in school. Quantitative skills are especially important when applying to doctoral programs in business areas.
PhD research is a difficult and time-consuming task. You may feel the need for direction and expert phd consultation. We recognize this, and with this in mind, we have created a community of phd consultants and industry professionals to guidance and counselling for phd candidates throughout your journey. PhdGuides offer resources, training ...
Gain valuable insight from our collection of exclusive interviews with both current and past PhD students. Learn from their best advice, personal challenges and career path after completing their doctorate. Discover the best places to search for your PhD, learn what you should look for and how to approach a potential supervisor for enquires.
How to Choose a Research Topic. Our first piece of advice is to PhD candidates is to stop thinking about 'finding' a research topic, as it is unlikely that you will. Instead, think about developing a research topic (from research and conversations with advisors). Did you know: It took Professor Stephen Hawking an entire year to choose his ...
A PhD thesis is a comprehensive document that showcases the original research conducted by a PhD candidate. Q. What is a PhD viva? A. A PhD viva, also known as a viva voce or oral examination, is the final evaluation of a PhD candidate's research and thesis where the panel asks questions, engages in discussions and assesses the depth of the ...
A PhD candidate, having passed these exams, focuses on original research and writing a dissertation. The difference between a PhD candidate and a PhD student becomes more evident at this stage. As someone who is enrolled in a doctoral program, or considering earning a doctorate degree, it's crucial to comprehend the clear difference between ...
Standard UK PhD Requirements. For doctoral candidates interested in institutions in the United Kingdom, several standard requirements must be met: Bachelors Degree: A minimum of an upper second class honours (2.1) is typically required. It indicates not just academic ability, but a strong foundation in the relevant field.
Here in the U.S., a "Ph.D. Candidate" is a student who has completed all of the academic requirements for their degree, except their dissertation. So this works in the USA and Canada I presume, because they have structured PhD programs where you attend courses as part of your PhD.
The candidate must present a dissertation on a topic related to his or her area of specialization that presents the results of original research and gives evidence of excellent scholarship. The dissertation must be approved by the professor or committee under whose direction it is written and by the Graduate Council.
To ace your Ph.D. program interviews, prepare to answer—and ask—these key questions. You've made it to the last step of the Ph.D. application process: the interview. Congratulations! But amid the excitement and butterflies, don't neglect the crucial next step: preparation. Grad school interviews—in which aspiring graduate students meet ...
Swarnabh Ghosh is a PhD candidate in urban history and planning, and a secondary field candidate in Science, Technology, and Society (STS). His research focuses on the uneven and combined geographies of irrigation, infrastructure, and capitalism in late-colonial and postcolonial South Asia.
You make the transition from PhD student to PhD candidate after you complete all your coursework and your comprehensive exams (if required). A PhD candidate's sole task is to conduct their research and write their dissertation. In other words, a PhD student is still completing their coursework. They could be on the first day of their PhD program.
For the prestigious PhD school of the Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI), we solicit applications for a paid 4-year PhD student position in the Biomolecular Nano-Dynamics group at the Dept. of Chemi... Published 1 day ago. Closing in: 2024-10-02. PhD. ETH Zürich. Zurich, Switzerland.
The first part, Profile and research responsibilities of the PhD candidate, reflects our vision on your academic responsibilities as a junior researcher. The second part, Effective supervisor-PhD interaction: a two-way process , describes your responsibilities as a member of a research community and the interaction with your supervisory team ...
PhD research. PhD research is at the heart of what we do as a University. Around 2000 PhD candidates are involved in research and education at the UvA and around 400 doctorates are conferred each year. Two-thirds of these are in the Sciences or Medicine.
A Research Assistant (RA) is typically neither a PhD holder nor a PhD candidate. These positions are aimed at people holding a Master degree in the relevant field, and are common in short, 1-year, research projects (such as feasibility studies).
Academic excellence and strong research skills are foundational qualities of a good PhD student, serving as cornerstones for success in the demanding world of doctoral studies.³. Well-versed in the chosen field: A deep understanding of the subject matter and staying abreast of the latest developments in their field is crucial for PhD students ...