Author: Obi
Deciding to Pursue a PhD in your 40s and 50s, time has a whole new meaning. Researchers find that people in their 40s and above tend to value different things like relationships and making a difference. For example, Carstensen et al (1999) suggest that time plays a role in our goals and behaviors when time is viewed as limited or expansive. I always knew I wanted to earn or pursue a PhD but other things in life took over. It wasn’t till I was in my 40s that I decided it was time to pursue that goal. If you’re in…
What is the difference between getting a PhD Education in the US versus a European? What are the pros and cons of each? This blog article will help you answer these questions by providing helpful insights. The Differences between US and European PhD Education. The continents and countries that offer the best value may depend on several factors as well as your personal preferences. Which is one is best is a difficult question to answer, as each country has different tuition fees, research opportunities, and job prospects. I highlight the differences using the following key areas. You decide as you…
For some, picking a PhD Business concentration is a no-brainer. For them, the concentration was determined earlier on from their bachelor’s degree. For others, it’s a nail-biting experience trying to figure out the difference between operations management and logistics or between management and management science. I have seen students confuse “management science” with “management”. They look similar, don’t they? But are wildly different. The students start their program with management science probably because the name seems to include the two things they enjoy ( a mix of management and science). A few weeks into the first semester of course work,…
Picking a good PhD advisor is not easy. One of the reasons why it’s not is that it’s not always your decision to make. In this article, I’ll describe: Who or what is a PhD advisorThe process of picking a PhD advisorThe dos and don’ts of picking a PhD advisor Photo by Pierre Chatel Innocenti Unsplash Who or what is a Ph.D. advisor The PhD advisor is the Ph.D. student’s dissertation chair. The dissertation is the research project that culminates the student’s years of study. To help the students start and complete the dissertation, there needs to be a dissertation…
The personal statement is one of the essential parts of your application for a Ph.D. program. It’s also one of the hardest to write, as it needs to engage the reader from the beginning and make them eager to learn more about you. Writing Your Personal Statement. Your personal statement is one of the essential pieces of your application, and it should be written and formatted to reflect your unique strengths and experiences. Here are a few tips to help you create a statement that will impress admissions committees: Be sure to highlight research projects or papers you have published…
Recommendation letters are important. When applying to a PhD program, one of the initial means of understanding who you are and if you would be successful in the program is through people who know you. That is, recommendations from people who know you and have had interactions with you in the past. Those interactions may be with your previous or current professors, lecturers. These are typically the recommenders that count the most. However, you could also receive recommendations from people in the field of interest (e.g., data scientists, accountants). Try not to use recommendation letters from your friends and relatives,…
PhD Application – Transcripts Some have asked if one can do a PhD without a master’s degree… In many business schools, a master’s degree is a requirement for a PhD. So, both undergraduate and graduate degree transcripts may be required during the application process. In general, and depending on the competitive nature of the program/school, PhD programs require Grade Point Average (GPA) scores of about 3.5 from your master’s degree, and between 3.0 and 3.3 from undergraduate degrees. Applicants are required to mail their transcripts to the appropriate graduate schools. If permitted, they could also physically take their transcripts to…
If you have thought about earning an about PhD but are afraid of the cost of getting one, you are not alone. This was me some years ago. If this is your only fear, then you have come to the right place. There are many Ph.D. programs that are fully funded. I mean, near 99.9% funded. They are available in many disciplines (Engineering, Physical Sciences, Health Sciences, etc.). However, I will only describe about PhD process in the discipline that is familiar to me: Business School PhDs. About PhD for costing: Your aspiration to study for a business Ph.D. is…
About PhD programs: There are many fully funded PhD programs in the world. Before I started my Ph.D., I thought that PhD program were self-funded. This thinking is widespread and unsurprising. It is unsurprising because tertiary education is usually self-funded. For example, one pays to go to college to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. So, it is no wonder that one would think that one should pay to earn a PhD degree. You can find some of the schools that offer full funding on the the tabled funded Ph.D. list.
What is a PhD? The terms, PhD means doctor of philosophy. A PhD is a research program that involves an exploration of a topic of interest (or problem) with so much depth that the researcher becomes an expert in it. The program takes an average of five years to complete. In some universities, it takes 4 years, others, up to 6 years. The depth of knowledge acquired is such that the individual knows more about the topic of interest than their adviser or others in the program or school. What is a PhD and what does it entail? What makes…