This article is the first among our series of upcoming articles on key eligibility criteria related to Ph.D. admissions overseas. The first question that plagues students bent on following research-based careers is when to apply for a Ph.D. program- right after a Bachelor’s degree, aka a ‘direct Ph.D.’, or after finishing a Master’s degree- the Master’s route. In this article, we shall discuss both routes.
Direct PhD
First of all, let’s consider the option of ‘direct Ph.D.’. This is mainly targeted by Engineers, or others like Physiotherapists, with a Bachelor’s degree spanning 4 years or more. Such students do not feel like investing a year or two on top of this for pursuing a Master’s, especially since a Ph.D. in the US, the most popular destination, somewhat includes an MS component for all by means of some amount of coursework. Usually, a Ph.D. program is all expenses paid, and hence, taking additional coursework or two doesn’t bother the students. It is not an unreasonable ask, but do keep in mind the following when applying directly for Ph.D.a after a Bachelor’s program:
If you have a 4 years Bachelor, or more, you need to have excellent academic performance and should have taken advanced level courses in the area of interest demonstrating your proficiency in the same.
Your Bachelor’s degree should preferably be from Tier 1 institutes
You should have considerable research experience
No change of field is encouraged. You should apply in the same exact field that you have majored in and have research experience in.
Keep in mind that you are competing with other applicants who have a Master’s degree in the subject and fulfilling the above can make a good case for yourself.
Having said that, however, only the US encourages students with a suitable background to take this direct entry route. This is because their Ph.D. program has more of an exploratory approach in an initial couple of years when the student gets to take the relevant prerequisite courses and also explore research options through lab rotations. As a result, the span of the degree is around 5 years on average, which is much higher than that of other countries. Barring the US, other countries require the student to apply for Ph.D. only through the Master’s route. This is usually applicable for Canada as well, even though it has a great amount of resemblance with the US Ph.D. structure. This is attributable to funding limitations and hence they prefer students who can complete their degrees in a lesser span of time in comparison. Moreover, except for Canada and the US, other countries do not have the provision of pursuing prerequisite courses before taking up research, and the topics are also pre-determined. As a result, they want the applicants to be more ‘prepared’ for research and only Bachelor’s degrees, without a Master’s, are not entertained.
The Master’s Route
A student completing a Master’s degree in their native place has a higher advantage when it comes to being accepted into a Ph.D. program. This is because, usually, the courses offered at the Master’s level are considered to be much more advanced compared to those taken at the undergraduate level. Also, in many cases, the Master’s degree includes a final year thesis component which gives the student exposure to graduate-level research to some extent. Additionally, for a Bachelor's degree spanning 3 years, the acceptability for a Ph.D. program is minimal, even in the US. In fact, a 3-year Bachelor’s degree has limited acceptance even for Master’s programs. Hence, students pursuing such degrees, have to opt for the Master’s route.
Some of the important parameters for the evaluation of an applicant with a Master’s degree are as follows:
The degree must be from an Institute of repute which must also be accredited
Academic performance, especially at the Master’s level, is highly important
Research experience, either by means of thesis research, or otherwise, is very important. Along these lines, a thesis-based Master’s program is always given more importance, since the student gets acquainted with academic research by means of working towards the thesis. Otherwise, any other research experience is valuable based on its quality and depth.
A publication or two really boosts the profile.
An applicant with a Master’s degree can apply to any country, based on the availability of research positions and sufficient funding. For the US, this is not much of a problem, and opportunity is rife if the process of pre-application and networking is done effectively. For the other countries, prior information on openings followed by networking and applications is usual, since openings and funding are limited and intake is low. Generally, the applications are sent in the second year of MS to save time, or even after completion of the degree.
While it is common for Engineers or others pursuing a relatively longer Bachelor’s degree to apply for a ‘direct Ph.D.’ to US universities, students pursuing 3 years Bachelor’s find it more amenable to opt for the Master’s route before applying for a Ph.D. degree. Having said that, for the former, applying for the direct Ph.D. route can be highly competitive and the relatively easier way would be to complete a Master’s degree overseas and then choose to apply for Ph.D. This increases the chances of getting in by many folds.
There are many more important factors to be considered before applying for a Ph.D. and we shall discuss each in the subsequent blogs, one at a time. So keep reading. In the meantime, feel free to contact us for any related queries. We are reachable at education@blossomabroad.com or WhatsApp 813503053.
Comments