PhD Programs in America
Those who want to start and complete the PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) process, which is the second stage of graduate education, in American universities should first be aware that they will start a difficult process. The 3-4-year PhD process (this period may be longer in research-oriented fields) after the master’s education is pregnant with financial and moral difficulties. Our primary recommendation to those who want to do a PhD in the USA is to research various scholarship programs and start the process in this way.
PhD Education Process in the USA
Preferred by those who want to continue their postgraduate education, PhD-PhD education is a 3-4 year learning and research process above the master’s degree. This process may take longer depending on the areas in which the student will research. Those who want to continue their doctoral education have to prepare a doctoral thesis in a field that has not been studied before.
Doctoral programs are oriented towards research rather than study. The student attends the courses he is responsible for 1.5-2 years and gives the specialization exams for these courses. After that, the stage in which he will prepare his doctoral thesis begins. This process is quite demanding, the student has to work together with the ‘PhD Supervisor’. During this period, the candidate, who has reviewed thousands of resources, books and theses, writes an “original” thesis of approximately 80,000-100,000 words and completes his PhD.
Conditions for Doctorate Application and Points to be Considered
One of the first requirements for applying to doctoral programs is to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree. In some special cases, universities can accept very successful students to postgraduate doctoral programs.
People who want to apply for PhD programs must first find a PhD Supervisor. The first thing that many universities look for when accepting PhD students is whether there is an advisor in their academic staff who can be a “doctoral mentor” for the student. Many successful doctoral applications are turned down simply because there are no suitable ‘doctoral teachers’. Finding a doctoral teacher is not very difficult, but a very good preliminary research should be done. The relevant departments and academicians of the universities should be contacted individually and asked if they will be a doctoral advisor. Before making official doctorate applications to many universities, a “PhD Supervisor” must be present and approval must be obtained for a “research proposal”.
Candidates applying for a PhD are expected to have a good educational background. The student applying for a doctorate must have a grade point average of at least 3 out of 4.
A good level of English is mandatory. The student has to prove his English proficiency with exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, GRE or GMAT.
It is noteworthy that the student has an active academic and social life throughout the education. If the student presents his/her activities in his/her field, presentations, assignments, conference/seminar participation, awards won in competitions, and internships, he/she will earn plus points.
You are expected to write ‘Statement of Purpose’ or ‘Personal Statement’ in order to introduce yourself to the school while applying for your doctorate. In this written composition, the student is expected to explain the subjects such as why he chose the field he applied for, how he was prepared for this field, and what kind of path he would like to follow in this field in the future.
The applicant’s undergraduate and graduate GPA is important, but the criterion that is more important than the GPA is the research proposal (Research Proposal). When choosing a university, the PhD student candidate should definitely pay attention to the compatibility of the field of specialization of the university to which he / she wants to apply and his or her “research proposal”.
Scholarship opportunities for PhD education are generally provided by universities. These scholarships are usually in the form of direct financial aid or “teaching assistantship”. However, to receive a PhD scholarship from the world’s top 200 universities requires exceptional success. For this reason, PhD student candidates who want scholarships or assistantships should apply to other universities as well.
Required documents
Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
English proficiency certificate. Min 6.5 from IELTS, min 80 from TOEFL
academic reference
Published work, article
The subject of the research (Research Proposal)
Some universities may require proficiency in their own exam.
PhD Scholarship Alternatives
Scholarship opportunities for PhD education are generally provided by universities. These scholarships are usually in the form of direct financial aid or “teaching assistantship”. However, to receive a PhD scholarship from the world’s top 200 universities requires exceptional success. For this reason, PhD student candidates who want scholarships or assistantships should apply to other universities as well.
Make a free consultation appointment with Oscar Education for your Master’s or Doctorate education in the USA.