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An Introduction to PhD programs
The PhD degree continues to be the realm of the specialist, but as levels of expertise in certain key areas such as technology, economics and finance, health sciences and medicine are in greater demand the popularity of the qualification grows.
Many governments in the world today have also recognized the need to ally the development of research with encouraging the most gifted international students to come and study PhD programs in their own countries, offering new and exciting life opportunities for those wanting to accept the challenge and study abroad.
International PhD programs have the added value of bringing a cultural dimension to your period of study, putting you in touch with academics and researchers from another country in highly developed research networks. PhD students benefit from such links by bringing both different points of view and intellectual approaches to shared research topics. Developing such links is often seen as an integral benefit to studying at this level and can be one of the ways in which you access future employment and career opportunities.
Almost all PhD programs last between three and five years, depending on the country system in which you are studying, and centre on the completion of a significant piece of independent research. In the arts, humanities and social science subjects this is routinely seen as the submission of an 80,000-word dissertation of publishable quality. In the sciences, a PhD degree is regarded as the culmination of an original approach to either a theoretical or practical problem. In some higher education systems, such as those in Australia, the UK and the USA, your research agenda is augmented by taught elements that support you through such practical areas as methodology and research techniques. In some cases, taught elements are also included in your graduate program to develop your theoretical and practical knowledge in specific academic areas.
Depending on your academic subject and discipline, much of the work you undertake is under the supervision of one individual academic member of staff. In non-laboratory subjects, you are expected to be relatively self-sufficient in developing your topic, referring to your academic supervisor whenever the need arises. In science and technology subjects, your PhD program is likely to be organized differently, with a far greater concentration on small research groups under the supervision of one or more academic mentors.
Most international PhD programs require the completion of both a bachelors and a Masters degree before admission is considered. Moreover, the application process is dependent on a research proposal that is both interesting to a university and that an individual academic is able to supervise. Many good PhD applications are rejected because there is no appropriate supervisor available at the time of application. If you are to be a successful applicant at this level, it is essential that you research the appropriate university departments to ensure that their research specialisms match the requirements of your research proposal and that they have members of staff able to supervise you. Most universities will expect you to have contacted members of their staff to discuss your plans before you complete a formal application form.
The cost of international PhD programs varies from country to country and is also dependent on the area in which you wish to pursue research. Contrary to the situation with Masters students, many universities are prepared to fund PhD students through a combination of scholarships and teaching assistantships. Though competition will be fierce for such awards in the THES-QS World University Rankings top 200 universities, your chances of receiving some form of financial aid are good. (See our section on student finance for more information).
Studying a PhD program is most certainly not for all students but it is increasingly important for those interested in developing a highly specialized and in-depth knowledge. With knowledge economies an integral part of all of our lives, the demand for PhD graduates is only likely to increase, making such degrees a good career choice.
