How do you describe PhD?
PhD is short for Doctor of Philosophy. This is an academic or professional degree that, in most countries, qualifies the degree holder to teach their chosen subject at university level or to work in a specialized position in their chosen field.
What do you learn from a PhD?
Every PhD student learns critical thinking skills whether they realize it or not. You are trained to approach problems systematically, see the links between ideas, evaluate arguments, and analyze information to come up with your own conclusions. Any industry can benefit from someone who knows “how to think”.
How do you answer why do you want to do PhD?
A typical answer would be: I am interested in your PhD program because I want to do research in my area. My career goal is to become a professor at a university or research institute. Indeed, doctoral degrees are by default the training programs for academics.
How do you answer the question why do you want to do PhD?
When answering this question, emphasize that you want to obtain your Ph. D. as part of a plan for your future. Even if you haven’t chosen a specific profession yet, you can research career paths and mention one or two choices that you think would fit your field of interest best.
How can I find out more about my PhD program?
Actively seek it out from your career center counselors, your professors, the Internet — and especially from alumni from your department who are in or graduated from your desired PhD program. First-hand experiences will almost always trump the knowledge you get second-hand.
Does your Career Center send out information about PhD programs?
As far as I know, my career center did not send out much information about PhD programs. Only after applying to programs did I find out that my undergraduate website had a link providing general information applicable to most PhD programs.
Do I have to take any courses during my PhD program?
You will have required courses to take, especially if you do not have a master’s degree yet, but these are designed merely to compliment your research and provide a broad and deep knowledge base to support you in your research endeavors. At the end of your PhD program, you will be judged on your research, not on how well you did in your courses.
When is it okay to change research areas in a PhD?
The transition between college or another research job to a PhD program is one of the main transitions in your life when it is perfectly acceptable to completely change research areas. If you are doing computation, you may want to switch to lab-based work or vice versa.