# So you're thinking about Ph.D Programs... ### Will Styler - CSS 209 --- ### Today's Plan - What is a Ph.D? - Pros and Cons of getting a Ph.D - What to look for in Ph.D programs? - What do applications look like? - Where might a Ph.D lead? --- ### Important Proviso - Your field might be a bit different! - Chat with faculty in your area - Different fields and departments have different cultures - I'm representing a very student-centered approach, not... always found --- ## What is a Ph.D? --- ### General Structure of a Ph.D - Years 1-2 - Course work, TAing, Independent Research - Years 3-5 - Extra course work, continue TAing - Come up with dissertation (Ph.D. thesis) topic → “qualify” - Write dissertation, apply for jobs - Finish the Dissertation and leave! --- ### A Ph.D is your chance to dive *deep* into a field of your choosing - You will take classes in your field - You'll likely teach and help with other people's research - You'll do your own research - You'll mentor undergraduates and M.S. students - You'll write a dissertation, and likely other smaller papers --- ### Mentorship - You'll work with a specific advisor, who will guide you through the process - Some people are co-advised, this is common for interdisciplinary folks - This person will help guide your dissertating, your coursework, and train you on how to be a good academic and scholar - They should be your strongest advocate in the department - Some advisors are more 'lab' focused, where the PI works with senior students, senior students help junior students, junior students help undergrads... - You should always be able to make an appointment with your mentor --- ### The Dissertation - A large research project where you need to advance the knowledge of the field (just a little!) - Should show independent research into something which is new for our species - Mine was ['On the Acoustical and Perceptual Features of Vowel Nasality'](http://wstyler.ucsd.edu/publications.html) - You will never get another chance to nerd as singlemindedly on something as this --- ## Pros and Cons of a Ph.D --- ### Pros of a Ph.D - Ability to dive deeper than any class allows in a particular field - Opportunities to teach and do research in your field - Classes which are as advanced as one can find - Strong 1-on-1 mentorship from an expert in the field - Opportunity and support to focus in on one topic for a massive research project --- ### Cons of a Ph.D - 5-7 years of fiscal renunciation - Inability to 'put down roots' for 5-7 years - Lots of hard work, with long hours - If you don't love it going in, you'll hate it coming out - The return on your investment involves a probability distribution of unknown nature --- ### "You get a Ph.D in social science only if there's *nothing else* you can imagine doing with your life" - "I have questions I can't NOT answer" - "My only path to happiness requires a Ph.D" - "No other plan for the next 5-7 years makes sense to me" - "Teaching this at the college level is my only path to joy" - "I really don't want to be on the job market right now..." --- ### This doesn't mean it's a bad choice, just that it shouldn't be an easy choice - "That just seems like the natural next step" is not a good enough answer! - Consider this carefully! --- ### Other thoughts? --- ## What to look for in Ph.D Programs --- ### Apply to advisors, not programs! - If you keep citing them, think about working with them! - Or maybe their students... - Find the people you respect in the field, and apply to work with them - Reach out to potential advisors ahead of time - The most prestigious program is not always the best one for you - ... but some fields are more prestige-focused - Keep an open mind, though! --- ### Do your research! - Read the graduate handbook for programs you're considering - Seriously, it's incredibly helpful to see what policies exist - Contact current students under your prospective advisor - How do they feel about the program? Their advisor? - Ask your current professors what they know about the program? - Talk to your potential mentors and ask how they work with their students --- ### Green flags for Ph.D Programs - Good student support systems - Reasonable time to degree - Strong endorsements from existing students - Livable wages and student housing - Opportunities for teaching --- ### Green flags for Ph.D Programs (cont.) - Students have some voice in the department and campus - Support for (e.g.) your first and last year without teaching - Research independence, but with strong support - Faculty who care about you as humans --- ### Yellow flags for Ph.D programs - Strong compartmentalization under labs and PIs - This can be OK, but also be very isolating - No/Low housing availability - This can be fine in low cost-of-living areas - Theoretical Hyperfocus - A department which does one approach will make you good at that, and weak elsewhere - 'Superstar' Faculty members or programs - You can be a luminary scholar and a terrible mentor, so check! - Prominent programs can get toxic, very quickly - More than 5 year time to degree --- ### Red flags for Ph.D programs - One person has complete power over your ability to progress - With no external checks and balances - (Potential) advisors have little time for you - Non-liveable wages for the area - High rates of students leaving the program - ... or transferring away from a certain advisor - Policies which systematically disadvantage students - 'Weeding out' students - Also look out for 'hazing' style, 'it was hard for me, and it'll be hard for you' policies --- ### You should never pay for a Ph.D program in the US or Canada! - There may be some fees, books, and you'll often have to cover living expenses - You should be paid by the school for your tuition, or at the very least, not pay the school - This will often involve a labor component (e.g. RA or TA positions) - Sometimes it'll just be free money (e.g. stipends or fellowships) - **Do not even contemplate a Ph.D Offer in the US or Canada that requires you to pay your own tuition** --- ### Other thoughts? --- ## Ph.D Program Applications --- ### Timing - Ph.D Applications for (e.g.) Fall 2026 will be submitted in Nov/Dec 2025, with decisions in Feb/March 2026. - Usually earlier than M.S Applications --- ### Elements of an Application - Transcripts (from UG and M.S.) - GRE scores (now likely to be optional) - Statement of Purpose (not a personal statement!) - Letters of recommendation (usually 3) - Original writing sample (may be optional, but recommended) --- ### Statement of Purpose - Personal reasons for applying, briefly - Your academic interests for applying: “I am interested in studying speech science, in particular …” - Focus on the research questions more than the subdiscipline of interest - What in your academic or career background has prepared you for grad school and for your research? - Why you are applying to the specific school and/or advisor? - Mention a possible advisor, but also mention other faculty who are interesting (but not all of them) --- ### Demonstrating you have cool questions matters more than your questions! - You are not committing to study the thing in your personal statement - I want to see that you can have interesting questions, not commit to one particular one - Your questions should be realistic, answerable within a Ph.D - **Your goal is to show me that your head contains interesting questions!** --- ### Letters of Recommendation - Generally 3, sometimes more or less - Find people who know you well - Capstone mentors or professors you interacted with a lot - Somebody who knows you is better than somebody who is prominent and doesn't know you --- ### Writing Sample - Should show how you think and write - Doesn't need to be related to your prospective field - Capstone projects are OK, but make clear what your role was - Final projects from project-based classes --- ### Acceptance choices often aren't about you - Is your desired advisor taking on students this year? - Does the department only have funding to take on N students, with N+20 great applicants? - Does the department's allocation of students *have to* go in a certain direction? - Does the department no longer have the resources to support your specific work? - Does one grumpy admissions committee member not like your particular research idea? --- ### Other thoughts? --- ## Where does a Ph.D lead? --- ### Post Doctoral Fellowships - Research based or teaching based - Independent, or mentored - Sometimes project-based, sometimes more general purpose --- ### The Academic Job Market - Very, very rough - Even assuming nothing changes, it is not easy to get a tenure track job - 1 position, 100+ applicants, 15 longlist interviews, 4-6 shortlist interviews, 1 chosen candidate - Often a question of outlasting your competition on the market - Emotionally draining, and requires mobility and flexibility - For both you and the people you love --- ### Ph.Ds in Industry - In some industry roles, Ph.Ds are required - In some industry roles, Ph.Ds start you higher up the chain - In some industry roles, Ph.Ds aren't valued at all - **LinkedIn is a great way to research this!** --- ### Research-Focused Positions - Some private organizations employ Ph.Ds for research (only) - These positions are rare, but can be relatively cushy - This is one outcome which involves no classroom work - There may be non-Ph.D paths into similar positions --- ### Other thoughts? --- ## Questions? Discussion?