phd how to start

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10 things you need to know before starting a PhD degree

So you want to do a PhD degree, huh? Here we've got everything you need to know about getting started.

So you want to do a PhD degree, huh? Are you sure about that? It’s not going to be an easy decision, so I’ve put together a list of 10 things you need to know before starting a PhD degree. Oh, and don’t panic!

I have recently graduated from the University of Manchester with a PhD in Plant Sciences after four difficult, but enjoyable, years. During those four years, I often felt slightly lost – and there was more than one occasion on which I didn’t even want to imagine writing up my thesis in fear of delving into fits of panic.

On reflection, I realise that – to quote a colleague – commencing my PhD was like “jumping in the deep end with your eyes closed.” If only I’d known to take a deep breath.

1. Are you sure you want to do a PhD degree?

Let’s be under no false impressions, completing a PhD isn’t easy. There will be times when you feel like Wile E Coyote chasing after the Roadrunner – a little bit out of your depth a lot of the time. It’s four years of your life, so make sure it is what you really want to do.

If you want to pursue a career in science, a PhD isn’t always necessary.

It is possible to make great inroads into industry without a doctoral degree. That said, a PhD can also be a very useful qualification with many transferable skills to add to your CV.

By the time you’ll have finished, you can include essentials such as time management, organisational skills, prioritising workloads, attention to detail, writing skills, presenting to an audience – and most importantly – resilience, to name but a few.

2. Choose your project, and supervisor, wisely.

This is  very  important.

Time after time, our experienced scientists at EI, including Erik Van-Den-Bergh (and I agree) say, “ make sure you’re extremely passionate about exactly that subject. ” When I saw the PhD opening that I eventually was offered, I remember being demonstrably ecstatic about the project before I’d even started it.

I was always interested in calcium signalling and organised a meeting with my potential supervisor immediately, which (to quote Billy Connolly) I leapt into in a mood of gay abandon.

Not only does this help you to keep engaged with your project even through the painstakingly slow times, it also greatly enhances your ability to sell yourself in an interview. If you can show passion and enthusiasm about the project and the science then you’ll be that one step ahead of other candidates – which is all the more important now that many studentships are competitive.

You have to  be the best  out of many, often exceptional candidates.

However, as important as it is to be passionate about your project, make sure that the person who will be supervising you is worthy.

Does your potential supervisor have a prolific track record of publishing work? What is the community of scientists like in the lab you may be working in? Are there experienced post-doctoral scientists working in the lab? Who will your advisor be? Is your supervisor an expert in the field you are interested in? Is the work you will be doing ground-breaking and novel, or is it quite niche?

There is nothing more frustrating – and I know many PhD degree students with this problem – than having a supervisor who is rarely there to talk to, shows little interest in your work, and cannot help when you are struggling in the third year of your project and some guidance would be much appreciated.

Personally, and I was very lucky to have this, I think it’s incredibly useful to have two supervisors. My PhD degree was split between the University of Manchester and the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth. Between my supervisors, I had two people with expertise in different fields, who could give me some fantastic advice from different perspectives. This also meant that I had two people to check through my thesis chapters and provide useful comments on my drafts.

Make sure you are passionate about your subject before taking it to PhD level. And by passionate I mean  really  passionate.

For a start, you will most likely have to write a literature review in your first three months, which if done well will form the main bulk of your thesis introduction and will save you a lot of stress and strain when it comes to writing up.

At the end of your first year, you will have to write a continuation report, which is your proof that you deserve to carry on to the end of your three or four years. This doesn’t leave much time for lab work, which means time management is incredibly important. If you think you’ll be able to swan in at 11 and leave at 3, think again.

Fundamentally, never, ever rest on your laurels! As tempting as it may be to slack-off slightly in the second year of your four year PhD, don’t.

4. Be organised.

This is a no-brainer but still, it’s worth a mention. Take an hour on a Monday morning to come up with a list of short-term and long-term goals. You’ll probably have to present your work at regular lab meetings, so it’s always worth knowing what has to be done (lest you look a pillock in front of the lab when there’s nothing to show for your last two weeks.)

It’s always good to have a timeline of what will be done when. If you have a PCR, maybe you can squeeze in another experiment, read a few papers, start writing the introduction to your thesis, or even start collecting the data you already have into figures.

The more good use you make of your time, the easier it’ll be to finish your PhD in the long run. Plus, it’s lovely to sit back and look at actual graphs, rather than worry about having enough to put into a paper. Once you’ve typed up your data, you’ll realise you’ve done far more than you had anticipated and the next step forward will be entirely more apparent.

5. Embrace change – don’t get bogged down in the details.

Felix Shaw – one of our bioinformatics researchers at EI – put it best when he said, “ it felt like I was running into brick walls all the way through [my PhD]… you’d run into a brick wall, surmount it, only to run straight into another. ”

You’ll find that, often, experiments don’t work. What might seem like a great idea could turn out to be as bad as choosing to bat first on a fresh wicket on the first day of the third Ashes test at Edgbaston. (Yeah, we don't know what that means either - Ed).

Resilience is key while completing your PhD. Be open to change and embrace the chance to experiment in different ways. You might even end up with a thesis chapter including all of your failures, which at the very least is something interesting to discuss during your  viva voce .

6. Learn how to build, and use, your network.

As a PhD student, you are a complete novice in the world of science and most things in the lab will be – if not new to you – not exquisitely familiar. This matters not, if you take advantage of the people around you.

Firstly, there are lab technicians and research assistants, who have probably been using the technique you are learning for years and years. They are incredibly experienced at a number of techniques and are often very happy to help show you how things are done.

There are postdocs and other PhD students, too. Not only can they help you with day-to-day experiments, they can offer a unique perspective on how something is done and will probably have a handy back-catalogue of fancy new techniques to try.

There are also a bunch of PIs, not limited to your own, who are great to talk to. These people run labs of their own, have different ideas, and might even give you a job once you’ve completed your PhD.

Don’t limit yourself to the labs directly around you, however. There are a massive number of science conferences going on all around the world. Some of them, such as the Society of Biology Conference, take place every year at a similar time in different locations, attracting many of the leaders in their respective fields.

If you are terrified by the prospect of speaking at a full-blown science conference and having your work questioned by genuine skeptics, there are also many student-led conferences which will help you dangle your fresh toes in the murky waters of presenting your work.

One such conference, the Second Student Bioinformatics Symposium, which took place at Earlham Institute in October 2016, was a great place for candidates to share their projects with peers, who are often much more friendly than veteran researchers with 30 year careers to their name when it comes to the questions at the end of your talk.

Another great reason to attend conferences, of course, is the social-side too – make the most of this. You never know who you might meet and connect with over a few drinks once the talks are over and the party commences.

7. Keep your options open.

You should be aware that for every 200 PhD students,  only 7  will get a permanent academic post , so it’s  incredibly unlikely that you’ll become a Professor  – and even if you make PI, it probably won’t be until your mid-forties.

You may also, despite having commenced along the academic path, decide that actually, working in a lab environment isn’t for you. Most PhD graduates, eventually, will not pursue an academic career, but move on to a wide range of other vocations.

It might be that Science Communication is more up your street. This was certainly the case for me – and I made sure that I took part in as many public engagement events as possible while completing my PhD. Most Universities have an active public engagement profile, while organisations such as STEM can provide you with ample opportunities to interact with schools and the general public.

You might also consider entrepreneurship as a route away from academia, which might still allow you to use your expert scientific knowledge. There are a variety of competitions and workshops available to those with a business mind, a strong example being Biotechnology YES.

I, for example, took part in the Thought for Food Challenge, through which I have been able to attend events around the world and meet a vast array of like-minded individuals. Many of the participants from the challenge have gone on to set up successful businesses and have even found jobs as a result of the competition.

8. Balance.

Remember that you still have a life outside of your PhD degree – and that this can be one of the greatest opportunities to make amazing friends from around the world.

A science institute is usually home to the brightest students from a variety of countries and can provide a chance to experience a delightful range of different people and cultures. Don’t just stick to the people in your lab, go to events for postgraduate students and meet people from all over campus.

There are usually academic happy hours happening on Fridays after work where you can buy cheap beer, or some lucky institutions even have their own bar. At Norwich Research Park, we not only have the Rec Centre, along with bar, swimming pool, calcetto, samba classes, archery, and a range of other activities, but there are also biweekly “Postdoc pub clubs” which are very fun to join on a Tuesday evening.

Maintain your hobbies and keep up with friends outside of your PhD and you’ll probably find it’s not that gruelling a process after all.

Plus, the people you meet and become friends with might be able to help you out – or at least be able to offer a sympathetic shoulder.

9. Practical advice.

If, after reading all of this, you’re still going to march forth and claim your doctorhood, then this section should be rather useful.

Firstly, make sure your data is backed up. It’s amazing how many people don’t do this and you’d be bonkers not to. Keep your work saved on a shared drive, so that if your computer decides to spontaneously combust upon pressing the return key, you won’t have lost all of your precious work – or have to go through every one of your lab books and type it all up again.

Secondly, don’t leave your bag in the pub with your half-written thesis in it. I did this, the bag was fine, I was in a state of terror for at least half an hour before the kind person at Weatherspoons located said bag.

Thirdly, read. Read broadly, read anything and everything that’s closely related to your project – or completely unrelated. It’s sometimes amazing where you might find a stroke of inspiration, a new technique you hadn’t thought of … or even in idea of where you might like to go next.

Finally, ask questions – all of the time. No matter how stupid it might sound in your head, everyone’s probably been asked it before, and if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

You’ll probably look far less stupid if you just ask the person standing next to you how the gradient PCR function works on your thermal cycler rather than standing there randomly prodding buttons and looking flustered, anyway.

10. Savour the positives.

At the end of all of this, it has to be said that doing a PhD is absolutely brilliant. There’s no other time in your life that you’ll be this free to pursue your very own project and work almost completely independently. By the time you come to the end of your PhD, you will be the leading expert in the world on something. A real expert! Until the next PhD student comes along …

Related reading.

A PhD, is it worth it? Just ask our students

The realities of doing a PhD

My advice for PhD students? See what bites

COVID and my PhD: to lockdown and back

How does a PhD work and how to find the right one

Building the confidence to take on a PhD

PhD life, 10 things we learned in our first six months

What’s the third year of a PhD like? Tips for navigating your PhD

PhD by experience

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The Savvy Scientist

Experiences of a London PhD student and beyond

PhD FAQs – A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Doctoral Study

Tempted to do a PhD but have lots of questions? Hopefully this collection of popular PhD FAQs will help you to tick a few off the list!

Note – If you’re already sure that you want to do a PhD, and are looking for guidance on the applications process, check out my post on How to apply for a PhD which includes advice from successful PhD applicants. My post-PhD reflections on the things I regretted from my own PhD may be useful for you too, you can find that post here .

Let’s start with the absolute basics of PhDs!

What does PhD stand for?

PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. Doctor of Philosophy ? No matter which subject area your PhD is in you’ll become a Doctor of Philosophy because philosophy derives from Greek to mean “Love of wisdom” which make a bit more sense.

What is a PhD?

A PhD is a type of research degree classified as a doctorate. You get a PhD by doing original research into a topic, typically for at least three years.

There are loads of other types of doctorate and a PhD is simply the most common. EngD is another which is relatively common for industry-funded engineering students here in the UK.

PhD & DPhil what’s the difference?

There is no real difference between a PhD and DPhil, they’re both Doctor of Philosophy qualifications. A small number of historic institutions in the UK such as Oxford and York offer DPhils but the degree itself is equivalent.

How common are PhDs amongst the population?

Approximately 1% of the working population (25-64 years old) have a PhD. This varies a lot by country:

Can you call yourself Doctor with a PhD?

Yes you can. Though to avoid confusion with medical doctors, rarely will PhD-holders use the “Dr” title outside of their workplace.

Sometimes PhD-holders will add the abbreviation PhD after their name if they want to make it clear they are a non-medical doctor, for example “Jeff Clark PhD”.

What have I done about my title since getting my PhD? Nothing so far!

Why do a PhD?

Unlike a lot of other degrees, most PhD students get paid to study . Read more in the finances section below.

There are lots of potential reasons to want to do a PhD. The PhD students from our monthly PhD Profiles series said the following:

Sara found research the most enjoyable part of her undergraduate degree and a PhD was a way to carry on with research.

Ornob wants to pursue a career in evolutionary biology so began with a PhD in the field.

Vivienne has aspirations to be a professor so a PhD is a job requirement to progress in academia.

Jeff (me!) had an interest in the field and enjoyed research. I wrote a whole post with a deep dive on why I decided to do a PhD here .

Floor had enjoyed research during her Masters and didn’t think that she wanted a career in industry, so decided to do a PhD.

It’s important to mention that you don’t need to have a desire to stay in academia to do a PhD. In fact, even if you do want to go into academia afterwards, it’s probably good to know early on just how competitive it can be. Many people sadly cannot make a career out of academia long term.

Enjoy the subject matter and want to spend a few years researching it? That is reason enough to do a PhD. I’ve also now written a whole post about the benefits of having a PhD .

Applying for a PhD

Do you need a masters degree to do a phd.

No you don’t necessarily need a Masters degree to do a PhD as long as you can demonstrate you’d be suitable for a PhD without it.

For a more in-depth answer see the separate post here :

Can You Get a PhD Without a Master’s?

If you don’t have a Masters, I’d recommend checking out Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) which offer combined Masters + PhD courses. We have discussed CDTs with a graduate in Floor’s post here .

What grades do you need to do a PhD?

Entry requirements for PhDs can vary. In regards to the UK system usually you’d generally be expected to have at least a 2:1 from your undergraduate degree, plus some research experience.

My experience : I (narrowly) got first class honours in my undergrad (MEng) which certainly does help. But if you can demonstrate aptitude in research you usually don’t need a 1:1. It would be expected for you to have done well in any research projects. If you can get your name on a publication then even better!

The easiest way to find out what is expected is to check the PhD advert for entry requirements. For details on applying for a PhD, including how to find PhD adverts, check out my guide here :

How to apply for a PhD

I work in industry, can I come back and do a PhD?

Absolutely! I worked for almost four years between finishing my first degree and starting my PhD.

A PhD is more similar to a job than any other point in your education, so if you’ve spent time in a structured role it can provide you with a good work ethic. If your time in industry adds relevant skills and experience to your application, even better!

I’ve met loads of people older than me who are pursuing PhDs. If it’s your dream, it’s never too late to start a PhD!

What is the social life of a PhD student like?

Let me get this out the way first: PhD students should be able to have a life outside of the lab! If a PhD student has no time away from research I would personally suggest that they were doing things wrong.

Even if you really enjoy your project, it is good for your mental health to have a social life!

No matter the size of your research group there are often departmental and university-wide events. Plus, besides everyone you may meet through your research and department, PhD students can still join societies and sports clubs through the students’ union. I spent one of my birthdays during my PhD on the beach in Morocco with the surf club, don’t let being a PhD student put your off getting involved!

Check out the full post I’ve written: Do PhD Students Have a Social Life? Sharing My Experiences Making Friends and Avoiding PhD Loneliness

If you do go on to do a PhD, make sure to make the most of all the opportunities ! Your time as a PhD student is fantastic for personal growth.

How much holiday do PhD students get?

Sadly unlike undergraduates, PhD students don’t follow fixed semesters. This means no more three month long summer holiday, sorry!

However most departments recommend PhD students take 7-8 weeks of holiday a year , which is more than practically any job outside of academia.

I kept track of all the time off I took during my PhD and you can find the details here , including a month by month breakdown:

Do PhD Students Get Holidays? Sharing How Much Annual Leave I Take

Getting a PhD

How much work is a phd.

For a month I tracked how many hours I was working and what I was working on, so you can see a breakdown of my calendar here . I found I was working for roughly 40 hours a week. Now that I’ve recently finished my PhD, I’d say that that amount of hours was pretty representative of the whole PhD.

How Much Work is a PhD?

I do of course know some people who worked much longer hours, but most PhD students were on a similar schedule to me. Working roughly 9-5 on weekdays. Treat it like a job and you’ll be fine. PhD students don’t need to be slaving away long hours.

I managed to be strict with my time, largely avoiding work late nights or going in at the weekends. One of the main perks of doing a PhD is that you have autonomy and can be flexible with when you work. As long as you get the work done, any reasonable supervisor won’t mind when you’re there.

Yes I’ve heard stories of PhD students having to clock in and out with an expectation that they spend a certain number of hours in the office. I personally think this is stupid and doesn’t build trust. Try to speak to current PhD students from the group when choosing a supervisor .

How is a PhD assessed?

What you submit at the end of your research varies between universities and countries. Sometimes it’s a thesis and other times it can be a bunch of published papers. In all situations you give some kind of presentation and answer questions about your work.

In the UK you usually submit a thesis in preparation for a viva voce . The viva is an oral exam where you discuss your research with several academics and at least one will be an expert in your field. My viva wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be, but nonetheless it was five hours ( FIVE HOURS! ) long. At the end of your viva you’ll get told the outcome of your PhD with any changes to be made to your thesis.

There is often no requirement , to publish your work in journals during a PhD in the UK but it does help.

In other countries you may have to publish a certain number to pass your PhD and effectively these can be submitted instead of the thesis. This approach makes much more sense to me.

How long does it take to get a PhD?

In the UK, typically between three and four years to complete your research and submit the thesis. It can then take a few months for the exam (viva voce) to take place and then for any corrections to the thesis to be made.

Nosey about my PhD? For me personally, I started the PhD on 1st October 2016, submitted my thesis on 17th February 2020, had the viva on 25th March, submitted my minor corrections on 30th March and had the email to say it was officiated on 1st April 2020. Yep, April Fool’s Day…

When you realise your degree certificate will forever say your PhD was awarded on April Fools Day! #academiclife @imperialcollege pic.twitter.com/hKsGFyuc0x — Jeff Clark (@savvy_scientist) April 14, 2020

We cover all the stages of a PhD here, including putting the length of a PhD in the perspective of a whole career:

How Long Does It Take To Get A PhD?

Are PhDs really difficult?

No, well not how you might think.

You don’t need to be a genius, but you do have to be smart with how you work. Here I go into how a PhD is pretty different to all the prior years spent in education:

How Hard is a PhD?

Check out my new post covering academic challenges and failures relating to my own PhD: Overcoming Academic Challenges and Failure During a PhD

Money-Related Questions

How much does a phd cost.

If you have funding, which is explained below, all your fees are paid for by the funding source. If you are looking to self-fund, then you’ll have to pay bench-fees/tuition fees, which are usually approximately £4,000 a year for home students in the UK.

Fees vary massively depending on both the country the PhD work takes place in and where you’re from. For example, I believe Australian universities charge around $100,000 in fees to overseas PhD students. Of course ideally you have funding which covers both this and pays a stipend!

Do PhD students pay taxes?

In the UK, PhD students do not pay income tax, national insurance, council tax and student loan repayments. This means that if you can secure funding, even though you may earn less than friends in typical jobs, you get to keep all your earnings!

Do PhD students get paid?

Most PhDs, at least in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) get a stipend: basically a tax-free salary.

How much do PhD students get paid?

At the time of writing, most PhD students in the UK get around £16,000 a year . Doesn’t sound like a lot, but:

• As mentioned above, you don’t pay income tax, national insurance, council tax or make any student loan repayments. My most popular post is this one , comparing the income of PhD students vs grad jobs and the difference really isn’t that big. Plus it’s only for 3 to 3.5 years!
• You’re getting paid to learn science, working on something you’re really interested in. It’s amazing.
• You have a lot more freedom than practically any “proper job”.
• You’re getting paid, to be a student…

PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid?

In summary, PhD stipends are really not that different to grad starting salaries. Please don’t be put off from a PhD simply because for a few years you might be earning a bit less than if you were working in another job.

Depending on what you want to do with your career, having a CV may lead to higher salaries. What is 3 years of lower wages out of a 40+ year career? The answer: nothing!

Where do I find PhD funding?

Getting funding will likely be the biggest hurdle for you to secure a PhD. I have a post here detailing the different types of funding and how you can find a project with funding attached.

How to Find PhD Funding in the UK

Can you self-fund a PhD?

Yes you can self-fund a PhD, and some students are in a position to do so. Just be careful that you account for university fees and not just your living costs.

Are you allowed to have another job at the same time?

Most universities encourage you to get involved with work within your department as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA). Some countries even insist that you work a certain number of hours as part of a contract for your monthly stipend.

Working as a GTA you might be invigilating exams, helping in tutorials, marking coursework etc and at Imperial you usually earn around £15-£26 an hour.

If you’re looking to work a full time job in tandem with your PhD (and doing the PhD full time), it is best checking your university’s policy. Some may have regulations against you working over a certain number of hours which could impede you from concentrating on the PhD.

There are extra ways to make money on the side which I address here :

How to Earn Money Online for Students

Can you get a mortgage as a PhD student?

Since I did my PhD in London I didn’t even consider buying somewhere during my PhD. I’m not interested in being tied into a massive mortgage for 25 years to buy a shoebox!

If I’d accepted my PhD offer for a CDT at Leeds I certainly would have tried to buy somewhere with my partner. I found this page useful when doing research. Buying a property with a partner who has a normal job would definitely make the mortgage application a whole lot more successful.

Will a PhD help your career?

This depends on what you want to do with your career. Some example scenarios:

• Staying in academia – a PhD is usually required
• Certain technical jobs in industry – a PhD may be required or a big bonus
• Non-technical jobs – a bonus

I do not imagine any scenarios where having a PhD is worse than not having one. It is true though that for certain careers there may be other things you could do which would be a better use of your time, for example gaining more direct work experience.

If you want to do a PhD that shouldn’t stop you though, and considering the length of your career taking a few years out for a PhD is inconsequential.

Whichever career path you fancy taking, if you are at all interested in doing a PhD I think you should at least apply.

PhDs in London

Can someone afford to live in london as a phd student.

Yes! I lived in London for my PhD and actually was able to save money every single month while taking many holidays and not living in a tent.

I have a few posts sharing my experiences living in London which you may find useful:

For a month last year I tracked all my expenses to get an idea of my costs living in London as a student, you can find it here .

Sharing my monthly living expenses as a student in London: September 2019

Related to reducing costs, I learned to cycle in London and loved it. It saved me about £100 a month too!

Learning to cycle in London: my first 1000 miles

On top of that, for the whole of 2019 (third year PhD) I tracked my money, and the report is here :

My personal finances report for 2019

Where is good to live in London?

I’ve lived in three different houses during my PhD in London and have a pretty good idea now of good places to live in London. You can read this whole post talking about living in London as a student and the associated costs including a breakdown of rent :

London student accommodation: Breaking down the cost of living in London for students

Bonus: Read the journeys of PhD students

Before I started my PhD I had a ton of questions and nobody who I could ask about their experience. The reality is that many of these PhD FAQs have a variety of answers as everyone’s PhD story is different. Therefore if you’d like to hear first hand from people who are going through the journey check out my series of PhD profiles , with a new profile every month. You can also discover some of their top tips for applying!

If you’d like personalised help with your PhD application I am now starting to offer a small number of one-to-one sessions. Please contact me to find out more or click here to book a call.

Is there anything else you’d like to know to help with a potential PhD application? Let me know and I’ll write about it! You can subscribe to stay up to date here:

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Related Posts

PhD Salary UK: How Much Do PhD Students Get Paid Compared to Graduates?

5th February 2024 5th February 2024

The Benefits of Having a PhD

7th September 2022 30th January 2024

My top PhD regrets: 10 lessons learned by a PhD grad

21st April 2022 25th September 2023

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• CAREER COLUMN
• 06 November 2018

Twenty things I wish I’d known when I started my PhD

• Lucy A. Taylor 0

Lucy A. Taylor earned her zoology PhD from the University of Oxford, UK. She is now a postdoctoral researcher at Save the Elephants in Nairobi, Kenya, and a visiting researcher in the Department of Zoology at Oxford.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Starting a PhD can be tough. Looking back, there are many things I wish I’d known at the beginning. Here, I have curated a list of advice from current PhD students and postdoctoral researchers from the Department of Zoology at my institution, the University of Oxford, UK, to aid new graduate students.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07332-x

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged. You can get in touch with the editor at [email protected].

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How to prepare a strong phd application.

Doctoral candidates and departmental coordinators at the Wharton School outline a few tips to help you navigate the PhD application process.

It’s no secret the application process can be intimidating. Where do you start? What exactly are schools looking for on your application? What materials do you need to submit? Doctoral candidates and departmental coordinators at the Wharton School have outlined a few tips to help you navigate the process.

Don’t Delay the Process

A successful PhD applicant starts thinking about their application months or even years before the deadlines. For Alejandro Lopez Lira , a third year student in Finance, the application process began a year before he actually submitted the paperwork. He said, “I spoke to my advisors way before, like one year before, about my letters of recommendation, where to apply, everything involved in the process.”

Each program has different requirements, which can make for a tedious process. Karren Knowlton , a third year in Management, said, “I took a little while to draft a personal statement. I had my mom, who teaches creative writing, and a few other people that I trust just read over it. Then you have to tweak it for different schools because they want slightly different things.”

Taking time to prepare your application is critical. Starting the process sooner rather than later gives you several advantages:

• It allows your letter of recommendation writers enough time in advance to thoughtfully prepare a letter that speaks to who you are as a PhD candidate.
• It gives you more time to review your materials, fix any errors, and proofread, proofread, proofread.
• Finally, it means a lot less stress when the deadline starts rapidly approaching. By planning ahead, you’ll have a much smoother process applying.

Get Letters of Recommendation

Prof. Matthew Bidwell , who previously served as the doctoral coordinator for the Management program , said a common mistake he sees are letters of recommendations from employers. Although he said it is impressive to see work experience, having an employer write a letter is not the best choice.

“We don’t pay very much attention to those because rightly or wrongly, we worry that they’re not looking for the kinds of things that we’re looking for,” he said. “If you have one, it’s not a disaster, but when you see people with two or three — most of their recommendations coming from their work — that kind of heightens our concern. You’re committing to a fairly specialized career, do you really know what that career entails?”

Instead, he suggests getting to know an academic who will be able to write a recommendation attesting to your ability to manage doctoral-level research and work.

Include Research/Work Experience in Your Field

Each program has a unique set of criteria to evaluate applicants, but several doctoral coordinators agree that some research and work experience in your field of interest will strengthen your application overall.

Prof. Fernando Ferreira , doctoral coordinator for the Business Economics and Public Policy and Real Estate programs, thinks work experience can be useful in demonstrating an applicant’s abilities. He said, “Any work experience after undergraduate school is important. If that experience is more related to research it’s even better, but work experience in general is always good.”

Prof. Guy David , doctoral coordinator for the Health Care Management & Economics program , thinks that work experience benefits applicants in terms of giving them a broader view of business. “Work experience creates retrospection about how the world works, how organizations make decisions, and how people function in various situations,” he said.

However, he warns that spending too much time away from an academic setting can have its drawbacks too. “It may lead people to start their PhD later when they are not in the habit of immersing themselves in rigorous studies and have a shorter horizons to develop a name for themselves,” he said.

Although having both research and work experience can strengthen your application, you will not be denied entry because you are lacking either.

Prof. Bidwell said, “I think research experience does give us some confidence that people have some idea about what it is that we do. In terms of work experience, I think we don’t have a strong view. We quite like work experience, but we also take people straight out of undergrad.”

Prepare for the Standardized Tests

Most PhD programs require students to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Having high test scores is a key part of an application as it tests skills learned over the course of many years in school. Quantitative skills are especially important when applying to doctoral programs in business areas. Much like any other standardized test, the GRE requires preparation.

Karren, who took the GRE twice to ensure her scores were high enough, offered advice to those who may be struggling. “I would absolutely recommend practicing the writing beforehand. Look up examples and have your outline structured,” she said. “So much of it is just getting the right structure and how you formulate your arguments so knowing what they’re looking for is key.”

Test prep can be time-consuming, but like anything else, practice makes perfect. There are multiple text books and online sites to help you prepare for the exam. Karren aimed to improve her math scores the second time she took the GRE and recommended this site to help strengthen math skills.

Taking advantage of resources to help you study can limit the number of times you need to take the GRE while ensuring you score high enough to remain in the applicant pool.

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Five tips for starting (and continuing) a PhD

On 4th September 2020

In Advice for other students

Lots of the specific stuff you learn as a PhD student, as well as general approaches to your work, begins with informal advice rather than formal training. I’ve received lots of advice from others during my PhD, since the very early stages of my project. This has helped me both build a PhD project that I’m happy with, and actually enjoy my life while I do my PhD (the two, of course, being closely but not entirely linked!). As it’s the start of the academic year I want to share a few of my own tips along those lines, to help get your PhD off to a good start, and keep it on a trajectory you’re happy with:

1. Keep notes on everything you read

My PhD, like many, kicked off with lots of reading of textbooks and academic papers. My reading has ebbed and flowed, but not really stopped, since then. Reading is a big thing during your PhD. It’s useful to keep track of what you’ve been reading because you won’t remember all of it, but you will want to come back to a lot of it.

My system for keeping notes on my reading is highly unsophisticated, but it works: I have (currently) three Word Documents, called Reading_[insert year here] stored on Dropbox so I can access them anywhere. I’ve got a separate one for each year of my PhD because 1) each document is a bit more manageable than one scary enormous one, and 2) I find it surprisingly easy to remember when-ish I was reading different stuff because my reading has gone through some quite distinct phases (e.g. more stuff relevant to study design early on, more stuff about analysis later) so it seemed like a reasonable and simple way to organise my notes.

The  notes I make on what I read vary a lot: at my laziest, I just copy and paste the paper title, first author and abstract into the doc, and I’m done. If I’m feeling enthusiastic, I make more extensive notes on the paper and my thoughts on it, or copy specific sections that are especially interesting or relevant to my work. I make sure that each paper title or reference is formatted as a heading so that I can scan through the document easily, and create a contents page for each document.  Now, if I want to find a specific paper or read publications on a particular theme, I can Ctrl+F to find key words in my Reading documents.

2. Read a couple of theses

I’m going to disagree with tip #2 in Five Tips for Starting Your PhD Out Right and say you don’t need to read them cover to cover – I don’t think this is necessary in the early stages in your project, unless you really want to do so, or if you feel that every chapter is highly relevant to your own PhD. But I do think it’s helpful to flick through and see different thesis structures (trends in how to structure a thesis evolve over time, and also vary by subject area, so look at recent graduates in your field for ideas of what’s likely to be appropriate for you).

Theses might also contain some specific content that you didn’t realise you’ll need to add to your own thesis (such as more detailed methodology than you usually see in a published paper) or useful references if the PhD is closely related to your own work. I think it works well to look through the theses of recent graduates in your research group, your supervisor, or others working on similar stuff to you. But you can also search for theses online, for example by using EThOS .

3. Start a Word document called “Thesis”

You can use other people’s theses (see previous tip) as a guide to add appropriate headings and subheadings to this document which will act as your own thesis structure / outline. Okay, I did this in third year, not first year, but I reckon it would have been helpful to start this earlier. Since I started this document, I’ve made good progress on actually organising my thoughts and even writing a few things down. And if you’ve got this document ready from early on in your project, you can populate it with notes and ideas whenever they occur to you at any point during your PhD.

Recently, I’ve been going through my Reading documents (remember tip #1) page by page and copying across notes from papers that I have read (and often forgotten about) into the appropriate sections of my Thesis document. It’s surprising how quickly my rough structure has been populated with ideas and material for literature review and synthesis, and how this has helped me link different ideas together i.e. stuff I read in first year and forgot about, with stuff I’ve been reading recently, with stuff that’s coming out of my own analysis. Actually, now that it’s getting quite full, I’ve split my Thesis doc up so that I’m just working with one document per empirical chapter. In first year, a simple thesis structure in a single document is a good place to start.

4. Think about how to make the flexibility of your PhD (and your control over it) work best for you

This one’s quite big-picture, and I’m kind of cheating the list-of-five by squeezing several tips into one. But I think that the general principle of this tip is important, and can be interpreted in different ways to suit different people: PhDs are often inherently flexible, in how you set your daily, weekly and monthly schedule, and I think that you should make the most of that.

The nature of your PhD flexibility and your control over it depend on the details of your project, how you’re going to be working with your supervisors and institution. But there are usually opportunities for flexibility, even if you have to be in the lab most days. PhD-life-flexibility can be exploited for your professional or personal development, to maximise your productivity, to create opportunities that are fun or useful now, or allow you to flex creative muscles you haven’t had the opportunity to flex before.

Below I list the kinds of things you can think about to best use the flexibility of your PhD. These are all things that can work alongside the core research / write / defend thesis requirements of your PhD, and while you definitely don’t have to make any firm plans on day one, I think that it’s really valuable to think about ideas like this (and any more you have) early in your project. It’s all about what you want to get out of your time whilst doing your PhD , including but not limited to the PhD itself, and how you want to structure that time:

• How do you want to set your daily schedule, where do you want to work? What’s going to be most pleasant and productive for you, and fit in with your home life?
• What things do you want to do outside of your PhD (sports, reading non-PhD-related books, joining local clubs and groups, always protecting weekends off) to actively maintain a healthy work-life balance (which is better for both your wellbeing, and the state of your thesis)?
• Are there times when you’re going to be working extra hard (like fieldwork)? How do you want to balance that with rest and recuperation afterwards (an extended post-fieldwork holiday…?)?
• Do you want to take an interruption from your PhD for an internship or job?
• Do you want to practise writing by starting a blog or try a bit of science journalism ?
• Do you want to get involved with science outreach?
• Do you want to build a professional profile and network by making a website or getting on social media?
• Do you want to teach undergraduates or Masters students?
• What training courses would you like to do (and where do you find out about them)?
• Do you want to try turning one or more of your chapters into academic papers?

5. Talk to people, lots, in both general and specific ways

Starting a PhD can be overwhelming, and knowing where to start, or where to go next, can be really tough. Having conversations with other PhD students about what they are working on, how they are finding their PhD, what kind of training they have received, might point you to interesting new research topics, training opportunities, or just give you a bit of a general feel for what it’s going to be like doing a PhD in your new department. These general conversations are important because they can provide you with nuggets of wisdom you didn’t know you needed and, crucially, help you feel connected to and supported by your colleagues and peers.

Asking your supervisor or others specific questions like are there any academics whose work you recommend I look into? / do you recommend any textbooks on [planning a research project], [planning fieldwork], [fundamentals of landscape ecology], [fundamentals of development research] [insert another topic you’re not sure about yet but want to learn about]? / are there any conferences I should look out for? can give you some useful starting points for directing your own learning in the early stages of your project. So, think specifically about what you need at the start of your PhD, and ask for help with it.

…And one bonus tip: read advice from other (ex-) PhD students

There are similar posts to this one with advice on starting your PhD here , and I particularly like the twenty top tips from Lucy Taylor here . There are actual full guides to PhD life like The A-Z of the PhD Trajectory and The Unwritten Rules of Ph.D. Research which can be very helpful to read through at any stage of your PhD (though I guess you maximise your use of them if you read them early!) and to use as reference books as and when you need them. There are lots of people blogging about their past and present PhD experiences, which can offer great advice and comfort at every stage in your PhD. Personally, I love the Thesis Whisperer and like to check in with it semi-regularly. Reading TW feels a bit like my tip #5: it’s about seeking out help and advice, sometimes when you didn’t even know you needed it.

Practical tips on how to be an interdisciplinary individual

It all depends.

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• Doing an internship during your PhD – Ellie Wood

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Planning for Ph.D. Programs

Main navigation.

Thinking of pursuing a doctoral degree?  Your Academic Advisor in your neighborhood is a Ph.D.-level advisor who can give you general information about the experience. But it will also be important to check in with your faculty mentors for more specific advice and support.  Here are some important considerations to keep in mind, both in the early days and as you start to apply.

Reflection and Exploration

Ask yourself the hard questions.

Before applying, consider your goals and what you hope to get out of a Ph.D. program. These days, many Ph.D. programs require five or more years of study, and being fully funded for your entire time in the program isn't guaranteed. Furthermore, tenure-track jobs as professors are highly competitive and difficult to attain even with a Ph.D. from an elite institution. So simply being good at school and wanting to stay a student for a while longer may not be the best reason to pursue a doctoral degree. Ask yourself, are you passionate about research? Are you committed to becoming a professor despite the challenges? Or can you envision how you might use your specialized training in a non-academic career?

Consider Your Finances

Unlike Master's programs, most Ph.D. programs at elite institutions will offer to fund you while you pursue your doctoral degree. This funding may take the form of a stipend, or teaching opportunities, or a combination of both. If the school you are considering does not offer any funding to its Ph.D. students, you may want to look elsewhere for a school that does. But just because a school offers you funding doesn't mean that your finances will be all set. Be aware that you may face challenges down the line, such as balancing your teaching work load and time spent on your dissertation, or supporting yourself if your funded years are finished and your dissertation takes longer than expected.

Check in With Your Faculty Mentors

Not sure if you need a Ph.D. for your dream career? Unsure if your GPA is good enough? Wondering what schools you should apply to? Your faculty mentors can be an invaluable source of advice on the Ph.D. planning process. Talking to them early on can give you a good sense of whether you need a Ph.D. to achieve your career goals. If you do decide to apply, your professors are experts in their fields and have a good sense of which schools you might want to look at. In addition, faculty members regularly sit on the admissions committees for their own department's Ph.D. programs, and can tell you what makes for a strong candidate in general.

Get Involved in Research

The centerpiece of most Ph.D. programs is a dissertation that showcases your own original research. Doing your own independent research project during your undergraduate years can help you figure out whether you enjoy the research process or not. Such projects also mark you as a strong candidate to Ph.D. programs because they demonstrate your readiness and ability to take on a dissertation someday. You may want to think about applying for an  Undergraduate Research grant,  or doing a senior capstone project or honors thesis.

Applying to Ph.D. Programs

You don't need a master's degree to apply.

Many students think they have to do a coterm program or get a Master's degree elsewhere before they apply to Ph.D. programs. This is untrue! You can be a strong candidate for a Ph.D. program even without a Master's degree. In fact, it's common for students to be accepted into a Ph.D. program and earn a Master's degree along the way without any additional cost, usually after taking a certain number of classes or passing certain exams.

Know the Admissions Process

Generally speaking, the Ph.D. admissions process isn't centralized the way your Stanford undergraduate admissions experience was. Instead of applying to a university, you apply to a particular department's Ph.D. program within the university. The admissions committee isn't made up of professional admissions officers, but faculty members within that department. And different departments will have different application requirements and deadlines: be sure to double check what your desired program is asking of you. It's common for Ph.D. applications to ask for a personal statement, GRE scores, a transcript, and letters of recommendation. It's possible you may also be asked for a writing sample or an example of your past work, as well as other components.

Think About Applying Elsewhere

Just because you loved your Stanford undergraduate experience doesn't mean you should pursue a Ph.D. program at Stanford. Many professors will tell you they valued the chance to do their Ph.D. program at a different institution from their undergraduate college. There's a lot to be said for exposing yourself to the difference in perspective, knowledge, and skills that a new set of faculty at a new school can bring. Talk to your faculty mentors and dig around on department websites at different schools. Try to get a sense of the strengths of the particular department you're applying to, and whether they might be a good a fit for you.

Ask for Rec Letters Early On

Be sure to give your faculty mentors enough time to write you a thoughtful letter of recommendation. To be courteous, you should ask for letters at least a month in advance of when you'll need them, and two months in advance is even better! Even if you don't plan on going to graduate school immediately, it's a good practice to ask your professors to write you letters of recommendation during or shortly after your time at Stanford, while their knowledge of you is still fresh in their mind. You can use a dossier service like  Interfolio  to store your rec letters and then send them out at a later date.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

Most Ph.D. programs have application deadlines in the fall, and a strong application usually can't be completed in just a couple days. You'll want to give yourself enough time to write a strong personal statement, request copies of your transcript, ask your faculty mentors for their rec letters, and take the GRE exam if it's required. The entire application process can be time-consuming and sometimes stressful. Don't make it harder than it needs to be by rushing it!

• Asking for Letters of Recommendation
• How do I pursue an independent research project?
• Planning for an Honors Program

Return to the Advising Student Handbook

• How to Apply for a PhD – Application Process Explained
• Applying to a PhD

This guide explains the PhD application process and outlines the steps you will need to follow, and information you will need to provide when applying to a PhD programme.

How to Apply for a PhD – Application Process

There is no single guide that can cover the entire application process for applying to PhDs, as it differs not only between universities, but also between programmes. In the same sense, what a supervisor might consider a strong application for one of their programmes, they may consider a weak application for another of their programmes.

Furthermore, the process of applying for a PhD in the UK can be slightly challenging to navigate as there is no centralised application system, as is the case with undergraduate degrees, and the process can vary from university to university.

Regardless of this, the below outlines the most common steps you will need to follow when applying for a PhD. Pay particular attention to each stage, as slipping on a single one of them can significantly affect your chances of securing the PhD you want.

1. Find Research Projects you like

Identify research areas that align with your research interest.

This should be done by thinking about all topics, courses, projects, recent publications, recurring questions or experiences that have caught your curiosity over the past year.

Once you have a better understanding of your preferred research area, browse through our PhD listings  or the ‘postgraduate research degree’ and ‘research centre’ sections of a university’s website if you already have a particular one in mind.

This is probably the most important thing to consider before you apply to PhD programmes given you will be working on your project for the next three to eight years – make sure not to rush it.

Note: If you intend to study part time or via distance learning, make sure to check the university offers this option as not all do.

2. Contact Potential PhD Supervisors

If you are proposing your own research project, which is usually the case with a self-funded postgraduate programme, you will need to find your own potential supervisor.

The best way to find a suitable PhD supervisor is to review the staff profiles on the department’s webpage and examine the topics they have published on in the past two years, as well as the research projects of the students they have supervised in the past. This will help you decide whether their research interests coincide with yours. Outside of research interests, there are other aspects you will want to look for, such as their level of support and patience, and how successful their former students have been. For further information on this, you can learn how to find a good PhD supervisor here .

If you are applying to a pre-determined research project, which is usually the case with funded programmes, you do not need to find a supervisor, as they already have a supervisor assigned to them.

Before you formally apply to funded PhD projects, most PhD supervisors will prefer you to apply informally by  sending them an email with your CV. This is so they can better understand your motives for applying and where your academic strengths lie before you start the formal application process.

3. Online Application Form

Once you have found a research programme you are interested in, most universities will require you to make a formal application via their online application portal. The below outlines the supporting documentation you will likely require when completing your online application form.

Academic Qualifications and Transcripts

If you have completed your studies, you will be asked to provide original or certified copies of your academic qualifications.

If you are still studying, you will need to provide an interim transcript of the grades you have received to date and details of any previous qualifications you have acquired.

Academic CV

An academic CV outlines your contact details, academic background and relevant experience. You can read our guide on how to prepare an effective academic CV  here .

Cover Letter

An academic cover letter can be requested alongside your CV. An academic cover letter explains why you are applying for the particular PhD project, why you are a strong candidate for the position and what you can offer the department as a research student. You can read our guide on how to prepare a strong cover letter  here .

Personal Statement

Instead of a cover letter, you may be asked to submit a personal statement. A personal statement is a short document describing your interest in the research programme and explaining why you believe you are suitable for it.

Research Proposal

Most universities will require you to submit a research proposal, especially if you are not applying to a pre-determined research project.

A research proposal is a short document describing your proposed research project. It outlines your research question, which topic it concerns and why you consider it valuable. It is used to show you have the potential for postgraduate-level research by showing that you can communicate complex ideas and evaluate them at their fundamental level. A research proposal also allows the academic department to match you with a suitable PhD supervisor with the expertise to support you if needed.

To support your application, you will be asked for an academic reference, ideally from one or more academic referees.

This is so the university has evidence from another academic source that you are a person who is capable of undertaking PhD study, not only in terms of your credentials and academic abilities but also in terms of your character, as someone who demonstrates commitment, perseverance, independence and the ability to communicate effectively.

To ensure the legitimacy of your references, universities often have strict requirements for how they are to be provided, such as requiring the use of official letterheads and original signatures from the reference provider. Therefore, you must check the specific requirements of each institution and forward them to your referee to minimise the risk of any rejections.

Other Supporting Information

Most online forms also have sections where you can upload any additional supporting information. This can include example evidence, such as previous papers you have published or conferences you have participated in.

Note that e xample evidence, especially of scientific research, is rarely required for STEM subjects

4. Entry Requirements

Academic qualifications.

The entry requirement for most UK universities is a 2:1 (Upper Second Class Honours) undergraduate degree, or equivalent qualification, in a relevant subject.

Note that while many universities require a Masters degree, not all do; it’s possible to  enrol in a PhD programme with just a Bachelors degree , as many students have successfully done so in the past.

In both cases, you will be asked to submit a copy of your degree certificate if you have completed your undergraduate study.

English Language Requirement

If you are an international student from a non-native English speaking country, most universities will require you to either meet their English language requirements or complete an English course with them before starting your PhD.

The two most common tests used to examine English language proficiencies for postgraduate study are the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

Although the score requirements will vary depending on the course and institution, the typical requirements are:

• IELTS – Overall score of 6.5, and no less than 6.0 in each test category.
• TOELF – Overall score of 88.

International Applicant

If you’re an international student, you may need a Tier 4 (General) Student Visa to study in the UK. If this is the case, the university will require your passport details or a copy of your first page and photo page.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

5. Other Things to Keep in Mind

In most countries, including the UK, a PhD studentship starts in September or October of each academic year. However, it’s worth noting that most PhD projects are flexible and can therefore start at any time throughout the year.

Application Deadline

The deadline for a PhD position will be indicated in its advert description, however, you should apply to them as early as possible as a PhD position can sometimes be filled before its official closing date.

As well as monitoring the course deadline, also be aware of the closing dates of associated doctoral research funding opportunities. This is because some funded PhD projects require you to apply individually to both the course and the funding opportunity.

Standardised Tests

Depending on the type of doctorate you are applying for, you may need to take examinations as part of the application process.

While this is uncommon in the UK, most graduate schools in the US and Canada integrate standardised tests into their doctoral course admissions process, with minimum test scores set as an entry requirement for their PhD programs.

MPhil Registration First

In the UK, most PhD students first have to register for an MPhil ( Master of Philosophy ) for the first year of their studies, and only if they pass it, which usually requires the production of a report and an informal interview, will their course be upgraded to a PhD.

Making Several Applications

Unfortunately, for various reasons, you may not always get your preferred supervisor or research project, so it is best to apply for several projects on one or more research topics you interest you.

Please note that the application process for a professional doctorate, such as a DBA or EngD, is slightly different from the one mentioned in this guide . Therefore, please consult the guidelines of the university you wish to apply to before applying.

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How the PhD Program Works

Program Overview

Completing your doctorate at Wharton requires 5 years of full-time study. The first 2 years in the program prepare you for admission to candidacy by taking courses, qualifying exams, and starting research projects. In the last few years, you are primarily conducting research full-time including writing and defending your doctoral dissertation.

Admission to candidacy.

You begin by taking courses required for your program of study. All programs requires a preliminary exam, which may be either oral or written.

Some programs may have further requirements, such as an additional exam or research paper. If you enter with a master’s degree or other transfer credit, you may satisfy the formal course requirements more quickly.

Beginning the Wharton PhD Curriculum How the first two years of the Wharton program helped students discover their interests, learn the tools of the profession, and fuel their passion for teaching.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, you are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies.

Your doctoral dissertation should contain original research that meets standards for published scholarship in your field. You are expected to be an expert in the topic you choose to research.

You are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, but you can start thinking about and working on research of relevance at any time.

The dissertation process culminates with a “defense,” in which you defend the proposal orally before your dissertation committee.

While working on your dissertation, you interact extensively with Wharton faculty. Together with interested faculty, you create your own research community that includes your dissertation advisor and dissertation committee.

Policies and Procedures

Get more detailed explanation of course requirements, academic standards, the Teacher Development Program, time limits, and dissertation procedures and requirements.

Sample Program Sequence

Years 1 & 2.

Coursework Examination Research Papers Research Activities Field-Specific Requirements

Directed Reading & Research Admission to Candidacy Formulation of Research Topic

Years 4 & 5

Continued Research Oral Examination Dissertation

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How to get a PhD

Study tips Published 5 Apr, 2022  ·  4-minute read

Trying to wrap your head around how PhD programs work? We don’t blame you. Sometimes it feels like you need a PhD just to figure out how to get a PhD.

So, with a little help from our academics and some UQ PhD candidates, we’ve broken down the application and preparation process into 10 manageable steps:

• Complete prior research
• Choose your topic
• Find a PhD supervisor
• Write your PhD proposal
• Identify potential scholarships
• Gather required documents and apply
• Determine if you'll continue working during your PhD
• Calculate how long you’ll be researching your PhD
• Develop the traits and behaviours of a good PhD student
• Apply and get accepted

Let’s discuss how to get a PhD in Australia – from choosing your topic to getting stuck into the actual research.

1. Complete prior research (if necessary)

You don’t necessarily need a master’s degree to start a PhD. However, you do need to have completed extensive research. This might involve an academic research program (such as a bachelor's degree with an honours year or a Master of Philosophy ), research conducted in your professional career, or a combination of both. The important thing is that you can demonstrate experience in conducting effective research, as this is a key part of the PhD selection criteria.

Learn more about doing a PhD without a master's degree

2. Choose your topic

Whether you’re developing a thesis on a topic you’ve already worked on or branching out into a new area of interest, you’ll want to know early what kind of topic you want to research for your PhD. Finding a niche that sparks your curiosity is important for ensuring you’ll stay inspired during the 3+ years ahead.

Keep in mind that you generally have two options here. You can complete a PhD by:

• joining an existing research project in an area that interests you 
• start a fresh research project that aligns with your specific goals.

Get tips for choosing your PhD topic or explore available research projects at UQ

3. Find a PhD supervisor

One of the essential steps to consider when thinking about how to get a PhD is finding someone to guide you through the process.

Approaching academics about your PhD can be intimidating, but shortlisting and selecting the most appropriate person / team to supervise your research project is important. By choosing your mentor carefully, you can ensure you’ve got someone in your corner who understands your research, has relevant expertise, and will be there to support you throughout your journey.

Learn how to find the right PhD supervisor

4. Write your PhD proposal

Check with your supervisor to see if they require a formal PhD proposal (most will, but not all). If so, with their guidance, it’s time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

Even if your supervisor doesn't explicitly ask for one, a PhD proposal is a valuable document for outlining the scope of your research and giving your project its initial momentum – so it might be worth writing one either way.

Learn how to write a good PhD proposal

5. Identify potential scholarships

Dedicating yourself to research sometimes means sacrificing your income in the short term, though it can lead to more financial security in the long term . To help support yourself during your studies, you can apply for PhD scholarships and funding.

Learn how to get a PhD scholarship

6. Gather required documents and apply

It’s time to jump online and do the official application process. Aside from your research proposal, you should also prepare to provide your:

• academic CV
• academic transcript
• degree certificate(s)
• English language documents (if needed)
• ID (such as a passport)
• two references / letters of recommendation from people who can comment on your research experience.

  Learn how to apply online for a UQ PhD

7. Determine if you'll continue working during your PhD

Some PhD candidates continue doing part-time or casual work while completing their research. However, this isn't easy and may not be feasible in most cases; it takes serious time-management skills to juggle any kind of job alongside a full-time PhD. So, think carefully about whether you’d like to keep working in some capacity or commit your attention fully to your research.

Learn more about working while doing a PhD

8. Calculate how long you’ll be researching your PhD

To complete your PhD within the standard 3.5-year* timeframe, you'll need to be organised with a clear project plan. Of course, the very nature of research is that you'll discover unexpected things and take unplanned detours along the way. So, your plan should include contingencies for any obstacles you might hit to ensure you still complete your research on time. 

*In special cases, you may be able to request an extension of your tuition for up to 4 years, but that is the maximum time allowed for a PhD.

Explore how long a PhD takes

9. Develop the traits and behaviours of a good PhD student

We know you’ve already got what it takes, but there are some skills and attributes you could cultivate or practise to make your upcoming journey a little smoother. Between writing your proposal and meeting with potential supervisors, be sure to set some time aside to work on yourself as well.

Discover what makes a good PhD student

10. Apply and get accepted

All the preparation is done. You’ve equipped all the gear, chosen your guide and mapped out your route. It's time to apply and set the wheels in motion.

Submit your PhD application

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How to decide on a PhD topic

4-minute read

How to find a PhD supervisor

5-minute read

How to write a good PhD proposal

How to get a PhD scholarship or funding

3-minute read

How to tackle the PhD dissertation

Finding time to write can be a challenge for graduate students who often juggle multiple roles and responsibilities. Mabel Ho provides some tips to make the process less daunting

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Writing helps you share your work with the wider community. Your scholarship is important and you are making a valuable contribution to the field. While it might be intimidating to face a blank screen, remember, your first draft is not your final draft! The difficult part is getting something on the page to begin with. 

As the adage goes, a good dissertation is a done dissertation, and the goal is for you to find balance in your writing and establish the steps you can take to make the process smoother. Here are some practical strategies for tackling the PhD dissertation.

Write daily

This is a time to have honest conversations with yourself about your writing and work habits. Do you tackle the most challenging work in the morning? Or do you usually start with emails? Knowing your work routine will help you set parameters for the writing process, which includes various elements, from brainstorming ideas to setting outlines and editing. Once you are aware of your energy and focus levels, you’ll be ready to dedicate those times to writing.

While it might be tempting to block a substantial chunk of time to write and assume anything shorter is not useful, that is not the case. Writing daily, whether it’s a paragraph or several pages, keeps you in conversation with your writing practice. If you schedule two hours to write, remember to take a break during that time and reset. You can try:

• The Pomodoro Technique: a time management technique that breaks down your work into intervals
• Taking breaks: go outside for a walk or have a snack so you can come back to your writing rejuvenated
• Focus apps: it is easy to get distracted by devices and lose direction. Here are some app suggestions: Focus Bear (no free version); Forest (free version available); Cold Turkey website blocker (free version available) and Serene (no free version). 

This is a valuable opportunity to hone your time management and task prioritisation skills. Find out what works for you and put systems in place to support your practice. 

• Resources on academic writing for higher education professionals
• Stretch your work further by ‘triple writing’
• What is your academic writing temperament?

Create a community

While writing can be an isolating endeavour, there are ways to start forming a community (in-person or virtual) to help you set goals and stay accountable. There might be someone in your cohort who is also at the writing stage with whom you can set up a weekly check-in. Alternatively, explore your university’s resources and centres because there may be units and departments on campus that offer helpful opportunities, such as a writing week or retreat. Taking advantage of these opportunities helps combat isolation, foster accountability and grow networks. They can even lead to collaborations further down the line.

• Check in with your advisers and mentors. Reach out to your networks to find out about other people’s writing processes and additional resources.
• Don’t be afraid to share your work. Writing requires constant revisions and edits and finding people who you trust with feedback will help you grow as a writer. Plus, you can also read their work and help them with their editing process.
• Your community does not have to be just about writing!  If you enjoy going on hikes or trying new coffee shops, make that part of your weekly habit.  Sharing your work in different environments will help clarify your thoughts and ideas.

Address the why

The PhD dissertation writing process is often lengthy and it is sometimes easy to forget why you started. In these moments, it can be helpful to think back to what got you excited about your research and scholarship in the first place. Remember it is not just the work but also the people who propelled you forward. One idea is to start writing your “acknowledgements” section. Here are questions to get you started:

• Do you want to dedicate your work to someone? 
• What ideas sparked your interest in this journey? 
• Who cheered you on? 

This practice can help build momentum, as well as serve as a good reminder to carve out time to spend with your community. 

You got this!

Writing is a process. Give yourself grace, as you might not feel motivated all the time. Be consistent in your approach and reward yourself along the way. There is no single strategy when it comes to writing or maintaining motivation, so experiment and find out what works for you. 

Suggested readings

• Thriving as a Graduate Writer by Rachel Cayley (2023)
• Destination Dissertation by Sonja K. Foss and William Waters (2015)
• The PhD Writing Handbook by Desmond Thomas (2016).

Mabel Ho is director of professional development and student engagement at Dalhousie University.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week,  sign up for the Campus newsletter .

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by Steve Walentik | May 13, 2024

Ashley Maempa earned bachelor’s degrees in history and philosophy with a minor in French and a certificate from the Pierre Laclede Honors College. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

Ashley Maempa’s curiosity is easily piqued in academic settings. She has always been an engaged and motivated student, eager to learn new things and wrestle with new ideas.

But one class Maempa never really looked forward to during her childhood education was history. Too many of the notable characters of the past or the supposedly key events she was asked to learn about or memorize seemed disconnected from her daily experience.

It wasn’t until around the time Maempa was starting college at the University of Missouri–St. Louis in 2020 that she started to realize how much history could teach her about the modern world in which she lives.

“I was really motivated by understanding a lot of the political turmoil that I was seeing,” Maempa said. “I’m particularly interested in looking at Midwest Black and immigrant history. After everything that was going on in 2020, I started seeing history as sort of the means of understanding the problems that we have and better understanding what we can do about them.”

Maempa came to UMSL on a Chancellor’s Scholarship and was studying philosophy and English with plans of following a path to law school after graduating from Fort Zumwalt South High School in St. Charles County. But her curiosity led her to change course, and she found herself adding history as her second major – along with philosophy – during her sophomore year.

This weekend, Maempa took part in the first of two commencement ceremonies for graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences after finishing both degrees and a minor in French . She earned Latin honors and a certificate from the Pierre Laclede Honors College .

In August, she will begin pursuing a PhD in history at the University of Iowa .

Maempa feels privileged to be studying under Professor Colin Gordon , a prominent historian whose research is primarily focused on the history of public policy in the United States. He has authored four books, including “ Mapping Decline: St. Louis and the Fate of the American City ,” published in 2008 and which has an accompanying web project .

She wrestled with that book at several points during her college coursework.

“It’s a really short but impactful book that shows, using geographic information system data and statistical data, the impact of segregationist policies in St. Louis, city and county,” Maempa said. “A lot of redlining and a lot of the depopulation basically led to white flight and a lot of disinvestment in the community.”

The book aligns with her own goals for diving into the past.

“She is very much a forward-looking historian,” said Ed Munn Sanchez , dean of the Pierre Laclede Honors College and Maempa’s advisor. “The work she’s going to do at Iowa is fundamentally focused on issues like gentrification, and in St. Louis, she’s going to look at how we’ve gotten ourselves into the situation that we’re in with a fairly racially divided city. What were the urban planning policies that led to it? What is the history of urbanization?

“She wants to look specifically at St. Louis, and she’s interested in it for the sake of then coming in and giving the foundation for making positive changes for the city.”

Maempa’s experiences at UMSL and in the Honors College helped crystalize why history was the field that best fit her interests.

She particularly enjoyed an Honors College course taught by Associate Teaching Professor Rob Wilson that allowed her to step outside UMSL’s campus and engage with the wider community. Last year, she and her classmates worked with the city of Florissant and Historic Florissant Inc. , a nonprofit focused on historic preservation, to design a series of public history projects . They had a chance to use GIS as they created a drivable tour of more than 80 historic properties.

Back on campus, Maempa found herself challenged and engaged by several history courses taught by Teaching Professor Peter Acsay . They gave her a taste of archival research and historiographical work that she expects to do much more of while pursuing her doctorate.

“I found that I really enjoyed that, so that was pretty influential in my decision,” she said.

Maempa is just as grateful to faculty members such as Billy Dunaway in the Department of Philosophy and Violaine White in the Department of Language and Cultural Studies for helping refine her thinking and helping her engage with different topics. She noted a seminar Dunaway led on the philosophy of law and a course White led on the impact of vacation culture and tourism in the Francophone world as being memorable and impactful.

“I feel that a lot of my professors have been really willing to invest extra time in me,” Maempa said. “I’ve definitely appreciated the small class sizes. I’ve had a lot of good opportunities, and as a historian and as somebody who does St. Louis history specifically, UMSL has access to a lot of really good local history resources that have been really helpful. I’ve never run out of projects.”

Munn believes Maempa – whose list of scholarships also included the R. Gene Burns Scholarship , the Marty Hendin UMSL Rivermen Scholarship and the Julie and Robin Kerry Memorial Scholarship – would have been successful no matter the direction her interests led her.

“She was thinking she was going to go to law school and she was thinking of going to get a PhD in philosophy before she realized that history was her real calling,” he said. “None of it was even vaguely implausible. She’s just really engaged. She’s been engaged since the day she got here. She’s really well prepared. I think you see smart kids, you see motivated kids and you see kids that are socially engaged, but having someone that does all three is really the total package.”

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Incoming provost shares plans ahead of July 1 start date

Incoming Provost and Executive Vice President T. Chris Riley-Tillman will coordinate with WSU’s deans to host college-wide meetings this fall.

Riley-Tillman shared his plans as well as his enthusiasm for the upcoming move to Pullman as part of a message to faculty systemwide Monday afternoon. His first day as provost is July 1 .

 “You can anticipate that I will be on a full-fledged listening tour over the fall semester,” Riley-Tillman wrote. “I am eager to engage with the university community to ensure I am building meaningful partnerships.”

More information about this fall’s college-wide meetings will be made public later this summer, with email invitations being sent out by the end of August.

The complete message is available to read on the provost’s website .

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TikTok Inc.

Tiktok shop-operations smb electronics category manager graduate – 2024 start (bs/ms/phd).

• Share This: Share TikTok Shop-Operations SMB Electronics Category Manager Graduate – 2024 Start (BS/MS/PhD) on Facebook Share TikTok Shop-Operations SMB Electronics Category Manager Graduate – 2024 Start (BS/MS/PhD) on LinkedIn Share TikTok Shop-Operations SMB Electronics Category Manager Graduate – 2024 Start (BS/MS/PhD) on X

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul and Tokyo.

Why Join Us: Creation is the core of TikTok’s purpose. Our platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible. Together, we inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we all believe in and aim towards achieving every day. To us, every challenge, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity; to learn, to innovate, and to grow as one team. Status quo? Never. Courage? Always. At TikTok, we create together and grow together. That’s how we drive impact – for ourselves, our company, and the communities we serve. Join us.

Team Introduction: We are looking for talented individuals to join our team in 2024. As a graduate, you will get unparalleled opportunities for you to kickstart your career, pursue bold ideas and explore limitless growth opportunities. Co-create a future driven by your inspiration with TikTok.

The e-commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has become a hotly contested space amongst leading Internet companies, and its future growth can not be underestimated.

With more than 1 billion loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to deliver a brand new and better e-commerce experience to our users. We are looking for passionate and talented people to join our E-commerce Operations team in the US, to build an e-commerce ecosystem that is innovative, secure and intuitive for our users. We aim to deliver high quality products together with a unique customer experience via TikTok.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to one of the following start dates below: 1. January 15, 2024 2. February 5, 2024 3. March 4, 2024 4. May 20, 2024 5. June 10, 2024 6. July 15, 2024 7. August 12, 2024 We will prioritize candidates who are able to commit to these start dates. Please state your availability and graduation date clearly in your resume.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to TikTok and its affiliates’ jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis – we encourage you to apply early.

Responsibilities: – Acquire and incubate merchants to support category growth. – Discover innovative collaborative models that fit into merchants’ short-term and long-term development plans, and invest platform resources effectively and efficiently. – Solve key challenges in business growth by strong collaboration with cross-functional teams. – Employ a consultative approach by offering strategic content, creator/affiliate/agency partner, merchandising, and logistical solutions to all clients – Update active clients on TikTok Shop product developments and new promotional opportunities

Qualifications: – Interest in e-commerce business; Internship experience in e-commerce or having a solid understanding of the industry landscape is a plus – Bachelor’s Degree or above – Quick learner, proactive and resilient. Ability to thrive in ambiguity and adjust fast to change. – Structured and original thinking, good data sense, analytical skills and judgment capability. – Excellent communication and cross-team collaboration, skilled at moving things forward. – Passion for business and aim for higher goals. – Previous experience with e-commerce beneficial to a quick ramp up to the ecosystem

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at [email protected].

By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy.

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $65478 – $90355 annually.​

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.​

Our company benefits are designed to convey company culture and values, to create an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to support our employees to give their best in both work and life. We offer the following benefits to eligible employees: ​

We cover 100% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, approximately 75% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account(HSA) with a company match. As well as Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life and AD&D insurance plans. In addition to Flexible Spending Account(FSA) Options like Health Care, Limited Purpose and Dependent Care. ​

Our time off and leave plans are: 10 paid holidays per year plus 17 days of Paid Personal Time Off (PPTO) (prorated upon hire and increased by tenure) and 10 paid sick days per year as well as 12 weeks of paid Parental leave and 8 weeks of paid Supplemental Disability. ​

We also provide generous benefits like mental and emotional health benefits through our EAP and Lyra. A 401K company match, gym and cellphone service reimbursements. The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

ABC News: Starbucks sees sales slump

Uc economist says it would be more concerning if other companies also reported revenue declines.

Sales at Starbucks are slumping, ABC News reported , which has some people worried about broader consumer spending.

Michael Jones, PhD, assistant professor of economics

In an earnings report, the coffee chain reported an approximately 2% decline in revenue over the first three months of the year. Many economic analysts view Starbucks as a bellwether for consumer spending, leading to questions about whether the reduced consumer spending is a problem specific to the company or to the economy as a whole.

Michael Jones , PhD, assistant professor of economics in the University of Cincinnati's Carl H. Lindner College of Business, told ABC News there should be concern if more companies start reporting similar declines to revenue.

“When you see it happening at companies outside of Starbucks, that’s when it becomes a broader worry that you’re concerned about,” Jones said.

See more from ABC News.

Featured image at top: Starbucks logo and coffee beans. Photo/engin akyurt via Unsplash

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Tiktok shop-mass acquisition manager graduate (mai partnerships) – 2024 start (bs/ms/phd).

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TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul and Tokyo.

Why Join Us Creation is the core of TikTok’s purpose. Our platform is built to help imaginations thrive. This is doubly true of the teams that make TikTok possible. Together, we inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we all believe in and aim towards achieving every day. To us, every challenge, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity; to learn, to innovate, and to grow as one team. Status quo? Never. Courage? Always. At TikTok, we create together and grow together. That’s how we drive impact – for ourselves, our company, and the communities we serve. Join us.

Team Introduction We are looking for talented individuals to join our team in 2024. As a graduate, you will get unparalleled opportunities for you to kickstart your career, pursue bold ideas and explore limitless growth opportunities. Co-create a future driven by your inspiration with TikTok.

The e-commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has become a hotly contested space amongst leading Internet companies, and its future growth can not be underestimated.

With more than 1 billion loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to deliver a brand new and better e-commerce experience to our users. We are looking for passionate and talented people to join our E-commerce Operations team in the US, to build an e-commerce ecosystem that is innovative, secure and intuitive for our users. We aim to deliver high quality products together with a unique customer experience via TikTok.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to one of the following start dates below: 1. January 15, 2024 2. February 5, 2024 3. March 4, 2024 4. May 20, 2024 5. June 10, 2024 6. July 15, 2024 7. August 12, 2024 We will prioritize candidates who are able to commit to these start dates. Please state your availability and graduation date clearly in your resume.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as early as possible.

Candidates can apply to a maximum of two positions and will be considered for jobs in the order you apply. The application limit is applicable to TikTok and its affiliates’ jobs globally. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis – we encourage you to apply early.

Responsibilities: – Responsible for onboarding new sellers to TikTok Shop platform via massive channel – Make massive acquisition strategy and plan via data analysis and massive leads mining – Massive outreach to potential leads via email outbound and 2B advertising, and guide the leads to self-serve onboard – Work closely with tech & product teams to build up and keep optimizing the onboarding funnels to reach higher conversion rate and better seller experience – Collaborate and partner with internal, XFN teams to coordinate resources and drive vendor acquisition results.

Qualifications – Interest in business development, e-commerce, sales or B2B performance marketing in tech, media agencies, or startups. – Bachelor’s Degree or above – Quick learner, proactive and resilient. Ability to thrive in ambiguity and adjust fast to change. – Structured and original thinking, good data sense, analytical skills and judgment capability. – Excellent communication and cross-team collaboration, skilled at moving things forward. – Passion for business and aim for higher goals. – Previous experience with e-Commerce beneficial to a quick ramp up to the ecosystem

TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

TikTok is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at [email protected].

By submitting an application for this role, you accept and agree to our global applicant privacy policy, which may be accessed here: https://careers.tiktok.com/legal/privacy.

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (annually)

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $65478 – $90355 annually.​

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.​

Our company benefits are designed to convey company culture and values, to create an efficient and inspiring work environment, and to support our employees to give their best in both work and life. We offer the following benefits to eligible employees: ​

We cover 100% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, approximately 75% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account(HSA) with a company match. As well as Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life and AD&D insurance plans. In addition to Flexible Spending Account(FSA) Options like Health Care, Limited Purpose and Dependent Care. ​

Our time off and leave plans are: 10 paid holidays per year plus 17 days of Paid Personal Time Off (PPTO) (prorated upon hire and increased by tenure) and 10 paid sick days per year as well as 12 weeks of paid Parental leave and 8 weeks of paid Supplemental Disability. ​

We also provide generous benefits like mental and emotional health benefits through our EAP and Lyra. A 401K company match, gym and cellphone service reimbursements. The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

Connect with us:

Contact us: 9a-5p, M-F | 134 Mary Gates Hall | Seattle, WA 98195 | (206) 543-0535 tel | [email protected]

The Division of Student Life acknowledges the Coast Salish people of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot Nations. Student Life is committed to developing and maintaining an inclusive climate that honors the diverse array of students, faculty, and staff. We strive to provide pathways for success and to purposefully confront and dismantle existing physical, social, and psychological barriers for minoritized students and communities. We engage in this work while learning and demonstrating cultural humility.

Watch CBS News

Columbia University graduation ceremonies begin Friday after main commencement canceled

By Natalie Duddridge , Christina Fan

Updated on: May 11, 2024 / 10:31 AM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK - Columbia University graduation ceremonies started taking place Friday.

This year, Columbia will not be holding the planned main ceremony on the South Lawn of the Morningside Heights campus. Dozens of smaller ceremonies are being held instead. 

Columbia University decided to cancel its main commencement after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests and turmoil on campus . 

Despite bringing in the NYPD , officials cited security concerns, and instead offered students smaller school-level ceremonies where they will be honored alongside their peers.

Students on both sides were frustrated with how it was handled. Faculty members addressed the situation in commencement speeches Friday.

"Recent events on and around campus have not exactly been a PR bonanza for the academic campaign to win back hearts and minds, so to restore our credibility I think we're going to have to turn to you, who are about to go forth into the world and deploy what you have learned here," one faculty member said.

Graduates of Columbia's professional studies program thankful to have opportunity to celebrate

The first graduation took place without incident Friday morning at the Baker Athletics Complex in Inwood, the new location for the majority of the ceremonies. About 1,000 students from the professional studies program graduated. 

Graduates said it was a day of excitement, and also relief, that they still get to graduate with their peers in front of their loved ones. 

"At least we got one ceremony for our graduation," Jennifer Zhen said. 

"On campus would've been great, but this is better," Samik Jheadla said. 

"She was really nervous that it was going to get canceled. We were going to come regardless, but we are glad that it didn't," Adrianna Zuniga said. Her sister is graduating Friday. 

"Honestly, I would be lying if I said that I wasn't bummed about 15th of May commencement being canceled. But in the grand scheme of things, I think what was happening on campus was more important, and I stand with it," graduate Maniha Hashmi said.

"It is a little bit sad. I wanted a little bit more festivity considering how much money I've paying for the university, but they're trying to  make the best of it so I hope it's goes quietly and smoothly," graduate Amber Van Den Heuvel said. 

Professors and parents say this generation of students has been through a lot.

"He missed his graduation in Ireland because of COVID, so that's why we decided we'd come for this graduation," said Elaine Gallagher, the mother of one graduate.

Columbia University officials say a great deal of effort is being made to ensure the ceremonies remain safe and respectful. 

The series of ceremonies will run until next Thursday. Tickets are required to attend. 

Schedule of Columbia commencement ceremonies

Friday, May 10 • 8:30 a.m. - Professional Studies, Morning Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex • 12:30 p.m. - Professional Studies, Afternoon Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex • 4:30 p.m. - Social Work | Baker Athletics Complex • 5:30 p.m. - Columbia Climate School | The Forum

Saturday, May 11 • 8:00 a.m. - Business School, EMBA & PhD Candidates | Baker Athletics Complex • 11:30 a.m. - Business School, MBA | Baker Athletics Complex • Architecture, Planning and Preservation | St. Paul's Chapel

Sunday, May 12 • 8:00 a.m. - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, PhD | Baker Athletics Complex • 10:00 a.m. - Baccalaureate Service | St. Paul's Chapel • 11:00 a.m. - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, MA | Baker Athletics Complex • 3:00 p.m. - The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Graduate Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex

Monday, May 13 • 8:00 a.m. - Columbia School of General Studies | Baker Athletics Complex • 11:45 a.m. - The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, Undergraduate Ceremony | Baker Athletics Complex • 3:30 p.m. - Law School | Baker Athletics Complex • 7:30 p.m. - International and Public Affairs | Baker Athletics Complex

Tuesday, May 14 • 9:30 a.m. - Columbia College | Baker Athletics Complex • 10:00 a.m. - School of Nursing | The Armory • 10:00 a.m. - Physical Therapy | Alumni Auditorium, CUIMC • 3:30 p.m. - Genetic Counseling | VEC 201, CUIMC • 4:00 p.m. - Mailman School of Public Health | The Armory • 5:00 p.m. - Business School, MS | David Geffen Hall, Manhattanville Campus • Teachers College | United Palace Theatre

Wednesday, May 15 • 12:00 p.m. - Journalism School | Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall • 2:00 p.m. - Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons | The Armory • 4:00 p.m. - Barnard College | Radio City Music Hall • 7:00 p.m. - School of the Arts | Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall • Teachers College | United Palace Theatre

• Columbia University

Natalie Duddridge is an award-winning journalist. She joined CBS2 News as a reporter in February 2018.

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