What questions should I ask my PhD professor?

Consider asking:

• What are the strengths of the program?
• When kinds of coursework and capstone projects should I expect?
• What other opportunities outside of class do I have to help me achieve my goals?
• What are the other professors and the academic community in general like?

What questions should I ask my PhD supervisor?

Questions to ask a potential supervisor before starting your PhD

• What would you expect from me as a student, and what could I expect from you as a supervisor?
• How many students do you supervise, and how often do you see them?
• Is there funding available for conferences, publications and other research expenses?

What questions to ask before doing a PhD?

So first, ask yourself the following five questions to find out if a PhD is a good fit for you.

• Can you handle the uncertainty of a PhD?
• Can you work independently?
• Can you bring out the essence from large amounts of information?
• Can you accept criticism?
• Can you stay motivated when the going gets tough?

How do you approach a professor for a project?

address any qualifications the professor is looking for….if asking for a research opportunity:

1. state specifically your interest in that research group (you need to read the professor’s website)
2. explain why research is important for your goals.
3. ask to schedule a meeting or say that you will be coming to office hours.

What questions should I ask in a PhD interview?

During an interview for a PhD program you need to ask the question that tell you if this is the environment that you like to do your dissertation work. For example, students ask about mentor program, advisor involvement, opportunity to research abroad and how to finance these.

How often should I meet with my PhD advisor?

Many PhD programs have an informal expectation of a weekly one-on-one advisor meeting to structure the student-advisor relationship (this varies by discipline, notably the humanities where the norm leans rarer). Aside from learning about their attendance expectations, questions like this begin to examine what your day to day might look like.

How can I get the support I need for my PhD?

After you begin your PhD, explicitly communicating your preferred style with your advisor is important to getting the support you need, and modifying it as needed. As an incoming student, you may not know what kind of mentorship will suit you best, and their adaptivity may be more important. → How is the lab structured?

Is it possible to be successful in a PhD without a supervisor?

Equally it’s also a possibility that some students have been successful in their PhD research in spite of a supervisor’s lack of support. A good way to get a truer sense of this is by speaking to the supervisor’s current and past students.