Does your PhD topic matter?

Your choice of PhD topic can give you a slight head-start in a particular career path if it matches well to the work done in that position. However, choosing a topic (as opposed to a discipline) that does not match your later career path does not harm you, except to the extent that it forfeits this small advantage.

Do you take classes as a PhD student?

Graduate courses are far more rigorous than those you took as an undergrad, and first-year PhD students usually take around three classes. And of course, in the final three years of the PhD program, you’ll mainly focus on writing the dissertation and preparing for oral exams.

How many classes do you have to take for a PhD?

The degree requires anywhere from 60 to 120 semester credit hours (or, approximately 20-40 college classes). Most Ph. D.s require the full 120 hours, while most applied doctorates are closer to the lower end of that spectrum.

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.

Should you pursue a PhD in alternative research?

You may find that you love the alternative research and devote your PhD to it, you might hate it and fall back on your previous area of study — or you may even discover a unique topic that incorporates both subjects. One of the best aspects of the PhD program is that you can make the research your own.

Why am I interested in Your PhD program?

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.

Is there any support to select a PhD program?

Depending on your undergraduate institution, there may be more or less support to guide you in selecting a PhD program – but there is generally much less than when you applied to college.