phd researcher vs phd student

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What is the Difference Between a PhD Candidate and a PhD Student?

Pursuing a doctoral degree is a significant academic achievement that requires years of dedicated study, research, and intellectual rigour. Within the realm of doctoral studies, the terms ‘PhD candidate’ and ‘PhD student’ are commonly used, often interchangeably. However, a closer examination reveals that there are nuanced differences between these two designations. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for both prospective doctoral students and those seeking to comprehend the various stages of the doctoral journey.

In this article, we delve into the disparity between a PhD candidate and a PhD student, shedding light on the roles, responsibilities, and progression associated with each stage. We explore the specific criteria that differentiate a student from a candidate and the various milestones marking the transition. Additionally, we delve into the responsibilities and expectations that accompany each designation, illuminating the unique experiences and commitments faced by PhD candidates and students.

Furthermore, we acknowledge the variability in terminology across international boundaries, academic institutions, and disciplinary fields, providing insights into how different contexts might influence the usage of these terms. By the end, readers will have a comprehensive understanding of the contrasting aspects between a PhD candidate and a PhD student, facilitating informed conversations and a deeper appreciation for the intricate nature of doctoral education.

Introduction

Who is a phd student, when phd student attains status of phd candidate, variation in terminology.

Pursuing a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degree involves conducting original research in a specific field of study, making a significant contribution to knowledge, and demonstrating a high level of expertise. It is the highest academic qualification one can attain and is highly valued in academia, research institutions, and certain industries. A PhD signifies a deep understanding of a subject area, advanced analytical and critical thinking skills, and the ability to conduct independent research.

While the terms “PhD candidate” and “PhD student” are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between the two.

A PhD student typically refers to an individual who has been admitted to a doctoral program, actively engaging in coursework and other program requirements. They are in the early stages of their doctoral journey and are working towards completing the necessary academic components of their degree. On the other hand, a PhD candidate is typically someone who has progressed beyond the coursework stage and has advanced to the research phase of their program. They have usually completed comprehensive exams, passed a research proposal defense, and are actively engaged in independent research for their dissertation or thesis.

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the distinction between a PhD candidate and a PhD student. By exploring the criteria, milestones, and responsibilities associated with each designation, this article aims to clarify the unique experiences and progression of doctoral students. It also seeks to address the varying terminology used across different contexts and disciplines, enabling readers to grasp the intricacies of the doctoral journey and fostering informed discussions around this topic.

Through this article, readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the journey from being a PhD student to becoming a PhD candidate and the distinct roles and responsibilities associated with each stage.

A PhD student is an individual who has been admitted to a doctoral program and is actively engaged in pursuing their doctoral studies. They are at the initial stages of their doctoral journey, seeking to expand their knowledge, skills, and expertise in a specific field of study. PhD students play a vital role in academic research communities as they contribute to the generation of new knowledge and the advancement of their discipline.

PhD students are required to complete a set of coursework specific to their field of study. These courses are designed to provide a foundation in the discipline, enhance research skills, and broaden the student’s understanding of relevant theories and methodologies. Coursework may include seminars, advanced classes, and specialized topics. The specific coursework requirements can vary between programs and disciplines.

Example: Imagine a student named Alex who has just been accepted into a doctoral program in psychology. At this stage, Alex is considered a PhD student as they begin taking relevant coursework, attending seminars, and collaborating with faculty members. They are laying the foundation for their research and acquiring the necessary knowledge in their field.

Who is a PhD Candidate?

Advancement from being a PhD student to a PhD candidate typically involves meeting specific requirements set by the doctoral program. These requirements may vary depending on the institution and field of study but often include successful completion of coursework, exams, and other program-specific milestones.

One of the primary requirements for transitioning to a PhD candidate is the successful completion of coursework and exams. PhD students are expected to complete a designated set of courses, which provide a broad understanding of their field and research methodologies. They are also required to pass comprehensive exams, which assess their comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their research area.

As part of the transition to becoming a PhD candidate, students typically prepare and defend a research proposal. The research proposal outlines the scope, objectives, methodology, and significance of the intended research. The proposal defense may involve presenting the proposal to a committee of faculty members, who evaluate its feasibility, rigour, and contribution to the field. Additionally, PhD students often have to pass comprehensive exams, which test their knowledge of their research area and related disciplines.

If you are not familiar with writing PhD proposal and making PhD proposal presentation, then visit my articles on “ How to Write PhD Proposal Presentation to the University ” and ” How to Make a PhD Proposal Presentation to the University Panel” . These articles will guide you through the process of preparation and presentation of PhD proposal to the University panel.

Upon successful completion of the requirements, PhD students are often granted candidacy status. Advancement to candidacy signifies that the student has demonstrated the necessary knowledge, skills, and potential to conduct independent research and contribute to their field. This status allows students to focus more exclusively on their research and dissertation work.

Once students become PhD candidates, there is a shift towards an increased emphasis on independent research. They are expected to dedicate a significant portion of their time and effort to conducting original research, collecting data, analyzing results, and making novel contributions to their field. The focus is primarily on their dissertation or thesis work, which serves as the culmination of their doctoral studies.

Example: Let’s consider a PhD student named Alex in the field of computer science. After completing their coursework and passing comprehensive exams, Alex develops a research proposal outlining their intention to investigate the applications of machine learning in cybersecurity. They present the proposal to a committee of faculty members, who assess the feasibility and potential impact of the research.

Alex successfully defends their research proposal and is granted candidacy status, transitioning from a PhD student to a PhD candidate. With candidacy status, Alex’s focus shifts towards conducting independent research. They spend considerable time collecting and analyzing cybersecurity datasets, developing and refining machine learning algorithms, and testing their effectiveness in detecting and preventing cyber threats.

As a PhD candidate, Alex works closely with their advisor, regularly discussing research progress, seeking guidance, and receiving feedback. They collaborate with other researchers in the field, attend conferences to present their findings and contribute to the scholarly community through publications. The focus is now on producing an original and significant contribution to the field of computer science through their dissertation.

The transition to PhD candidacy marks a critical stage in the doctoral journey, as it signifies the ability to independently drive research and make scholarly contributions. PhD candidates like Alex are immersed in the world of research, expanding knowledge, and pushing the boundaries of their field.

Terminology related to PhD candidates and PhD students can vary internationally and among different academic institutions. In some countries, the terms “PhD candidate” and “PhD student” may be used interchangeably, while in others, there may be specific distinctions. For example, in the United States, “PhD student” is commonly used, while in the United Kingdom, “PhD candidate” is more frequently employed. Additionally, different universities or institutions may have their own terminology preferences, which can create further variation.

Terminology can also vary based on the disciplinary field of study. Different academic disciplines have their own conventions and terminology for referring to individuals pursuing a doctoral degree. For instance, in the sciences, one might encounter terms like “graduate researcher” or “doctoral candidate.” In the humanities and social sciences, the terms “PhD candidate” and “PhD student” are often used. This variation reflects the specific linguistic and cultural norms within different academic domains.

In Canada, for instance, doctoral students are commonly referred to as “PhD candidates,” regardless of their stage in the program. In Australia, “PhD candidate” is the preferred term for those who have completed the required coursework and have advanced to the research phase. In contrast, in the United States, “PhD student” is frequently used to refer to individuals at all stages of their doctoral studies.

Disciplinary variations can also be observed. In engineering, individuals pursuing a doctoral degree are often referred to as “PhD students” or “doctoral students.” In contrast, in the field of education, the term “PhD candidate” is commonly used to denote those who have advanced to the research and dissertation stage.

It is important to note that these examples represent general trends, and there can still be variation within specific institutions and programs. The usage of terminology can evolve over time and may be influenced by regional or institutional preferences.

The distinction between a PhD candidate and a PhD student holds significant importance in the realm of doctoral education.

While these terms are often used interchangeably, they represent different stages and responsibilities within the doctoral journey. A PhD student is in the initial stages of their program, actively engaging in coursework, research, and academic requirements.

On the other hand, a PhD candidate has advanced beyond coursework, passed comprehensive exams, and is focused primarily on independent research and the completion of their dissertation.

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PhD Candidate vs Student: What’s the Difference?

Many people use the terms “PhD student” and “PhD candidate” interchangeably. However, these terms actually mean something quite different, including a different status level at universities.

We’re here to define the differences between a PhD candidate vs student, as well as other essential information, before you continue your educational journey.

Table of Contents

What I s a PhD student?

A doctoral student is anyone who is enrolled in a doctorate degree, also referred to as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program. PhD students are typically required to complete a certain number of course credits and sit qualifying exams. Next, they can move on to conduct research and present it in the form of a dissertation.

A PhD is centered around self-directed research and possibly teaching/running tutorials, but they typically also involve a substantial amount of coursework and require attending classes, either online or in person.

Unlike candidates, PhD students are in the process of completing the required coursework for the degree. They haven’t passed the relevant qualifying exams yet.

What Is a PhD Candidate?

A PhD candidate has completed the required coursework and passed the qualifying exams for their doctorate program. They are currently working on their dissertation.

Most PhD students need to go through an application process and show they meet certain requirements such as a relevant master’s degree . To become a PhD candidate, doctoral students need to pass an internal application process, typically involving a set of exams.

This stage involves significant research usually in innovative areas and incorporating this into a dissertation (this stage is sometimes referred to as “all but dissertation” [ABD]), as they’ve completed all other aspects of the program and satisfied these requirements. To complete their doctoral journey, a PhD candidate must defend their dissertation. Once they’ve successfully done this, they will be awarded their degree and move from PhD candidate to doctor of their chosen field.

PhD Candidate vs Student: 6 Key Differences

view of students in lecture hall from above

There are a number of key differences between a PhD student vs PhD candidate, from their status to the structure and nature of study.

Note: Some universities have recently started adopting hybrid approaches (where there is no clear difference between PhD students and PhD candidates). These programs don’t involve any qualifying exams and students typically begin the dissertation as part of their coursework. Most schools, however, continue with the traditional distinction between a PhD candidate and PhD student.

1. Program Stage

A PhD student could be at any stage of the doctoral program . Coursework still needs to be completed and qualifying exams must be passed. Students may be in the initial stage of the program or about to complete the coursework (before beginning their research).

On the other hand, a PhD candidate has completed all coursework and has at least started their research. They may have completed their dissertation and are preparing to defend it.

2. Research Progress

A PhD student may not have selected their research topic or settled on a particular research question. A candidate’s research is in progress and they should already have a clear research question.

3. Relationship with Advisors

A PhD student may not yet have an advisor. A candidate has an established working relationship with their advisor and works closely with them to complete their research and dissertation.

4. Level of Support

Although they work closely with an advisor, a PhD candidate is generally expected to work more independently than a student enrolled in a doctoral student. Once candidates reach this stage of their doctorate, they typically won’t receive as much direction or supervision.

5. Flexibility and Structure

Understandably, PhD candidates have more freedom and flexibility in their work. Most candidates choose their area of research, as well as the methods used to conduct their work. As part of their coursework, PhD students usually have to work within a set structure (e.g., completing core subjects, meeting deadlines).

Being a PhD candidate comes with a certain degree of status. If they’ve demonstrated a degree of expertise through completing qualifying exams, candidates can put the letters PhD(c) after their name.

Tips for PhD Candidates

view of library stacks on all three sides

A PhD is an advanced degree designed to demonstrate expertise in a given field, as well as high-level skills and abilities in various areas (including research and writing). As such, earning a doctorate can be a challenging process.

The following tips for doctoral candidates will help you put your best foot forward and set yourself up for success.

Stay Organized

Because PhD candidates have to balance many competing priorities, organization is essential. Using organizational tools such as calendars, note-taking apps , and project management software can help you keep track of deadlines and meet your targets.

Focus on Your Research

PhD candidates likely have busy schedules with plenty of demands (such as teaching commitments and crafting a dissertation). As it’s the backbone of any doctoral program, be sure to prioritize this part of your work and monitor progress to stay on track.

Actively Seek Out Feedback

Because PhD candidates often work independently, there’s a risk of feeling isolated. Ask your advisors, mentors, and fellow candidates for feedback and advice. This will help ensure that you’re considering all aspects of your research question and multiple solutions, rather than focusing too intensely on a single area.

Take Advantage of Networking Opportunities

Networking is one of the biggest benefits for PhD candidates, so take full advantage of these events. Use this time to build a strong network of professors, advisors, fellow candidates, and other professionals you meet at conferences and events.

Take Care of Yourself

A PhD program can be taxing, and it’s easy for your mental and physical health to take a backseat. Make sure you exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep . Remember: Resting and recharging is crucial for working on your dissertation.

How Long Is a Typical PhD Candidacy?

view of ivy league building with autumn leaves

Most PhD students require 1-2 years to complete their coursework and pass their qualifying exams. However, the length of a PhD candidacy is much more open. In most cases, programs take between two and five years, depending on:

the complexity of the field of research
the candidate’s other commitments, such as teaching load
other abilities, such as a candidate’s level of organization.

Once a PhD candidate has completed their dissertation, they have to defend it successfully before a panel of faculty members before they can earn their doctorate degree. This process of defending a PhD dissertation can take several months.

Some universities specify a maximum length for PhD candidacy duration. For example, Carnegie Mellon University limits this to six years .

Benefits of Being a PhD Candidate

Being a PhD candidate can be rewarding for several reasons:

1. Research Opportunities

You’ll be exposed to vast research opportunities in your field. You may contribute to valuable discoveries while developing advanced knowledge and skills.

2. Networking

Through your PhD candidacy, you’ll also be in a great position to build gain a stronger network of fellow professionals.

3. Critical Thinking

A PhD candidacy can help you develop high intellectual independence and critical thinking skills.

4. Career Opportunitie s

A PhD is an advanced degree that allows you to build a rewarding career in the academic, government, and private sectors. PhD-holders can also expect to earn more than other graduates and are most likely to find a job.

5. Salaries

According to Northeastern University , professionals with a doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $99,290 on average (and much more for the highest-paid PhDs ) and have a 1.5% unemployment rate. For master’s degree holders, the average annual salary is $81,867 average annual salary and a 2.6% unemployment rate.

6. Personal Fulfillment

Being a PhD candidate can help you pursue your passions. This advanced qualification will allow you to become a specialist in your chosen field, allowing you to hone in on the exact subject thatl fulfills you the most.

Qualifying Exams to Become a PhD Candidate

While requirements vary by program, to become a PhD candidate, most students will need to pass a set of exams. These will test students’ knowledge in the field, measure their research skills, and ensure they’re ready to start their dissertation research.

Traditionally, qualifying exams for PhD candidates involved a written test and an oral exam. These will cover a range of topics related to your field of study, with the oral component designed to demonstrate your level of understanding.

Some universities have recently started to issue doctoral students with a set of questions and have them submit the answers within a set timeframe (usually around two weeks). Other schools ask prospective doctoral candidates to submit a dissertation proposal instead of an exam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a phd candidate be called a doctor.

In most cases, a doctoral candidate cannot be called a doctor until after they successfully defend their dissertation and receive their doctorate.

Can I Put ‘PhD Candidate’ after My Name?

Once you’ve passed qualifying exams and embarked on dissertation research, you’re technically entitled to put “PhD candidate” or “PhD (c)” after your name. However, this is uncommon and not always recommended. It is generally more acceptable to mention that you are pursuing a doctorate (along with the field of research and university) or that you expect to complete your PhD in a certain year (on your CV and online profiles).

How Long Can You Be a PhD Candidate?

There isn’t a set length of time that a person can be a PhD candidate. The length of candidacy depends on a range of factors, including the subject of research and program requirements. Most PhD candidates complete this phase in around 3-5 years (where some university programs have set limits).

Do PhD Students Take Classes?

Yes, most PhD students must take classes and complete coursework as part of the first 1-2 years of their doctorate program. Once they’ve completed this coursework and passed qualifying exams, they move on to work on their research dissertation. At this stage, they’ll be considered a PhD candidate.

Key Takeaways

Now that you know the differences between PhD candidates vs. students, you’ve got a deeper understanding of how to obtain a doctorate. However you slice it, both will help you build your knowledge and skills to become an expert in your field.

However the program is structured, a PhD is a highly valuable degree that allows you to become a high-level professional and build a successful career.

If you know a PhD candidate who’s celebrating their accomplishments soon? Take a look at this guide to the best PhD graduation gifts .

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Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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PhD Student vs. PhD Candidate

How I use gentle, digital nudges to stay current in the post-exams world

July 6, 2017 | Alison L.

Do you know the difference between a PhD student and a Ph.D. candidate?

A candidate is someone who has fulfilled all the requirements for the degree except the dissertation.

I’m a historian (see my earlier post about being a humanist at MIT ), so my path to candidacy differs a bit from other doctoral tracks at MIT. But whatever the discipline, the transition from student to candidate is an arduous process.

My department’s requirements involved: completing two years of coursework; demonstrating proficiency in a research language other than English; submitting at least one grant application; writing and revising a dissertation proposal that the dissertation committee must approve; and, most grueling of all, passing qualifying exams.

I became a candidate on November 24, 2015, after a weeklong examination period that involved three separate seven-hour written exam and a two-hour oral examination during which our committee members can grill us on anything they please.

I felt prepared for the written exams, which were open note, because I’d done nothing but read, take notes, and revise for the four months leading up to the exams.

But I lost sleep (at a time when I really couldn’t afford to be losing sleep) fretting about the oral exam. I shouldn’t have worried as much as I did. While there were a couple moments of panic—like when I blanked on the two ecozones separated by Wallace’s line—I survived “quals.”

So, what do you do once you become a candidate?

First, you take a break. I gave myself a little over a month to relax. I worked on lower-stakes projects, read fiction, attended departmental lectures, caught up with colleagues. I enjoyed the holidays at home in Chicago.

But once the New Year rolled around, a new sense of panic set in. Without the motivating pressure of exams to keep me working at a breakneck pace, how would I ever stay up-to-date in my fields? This anxiety, I’m willing to guess, is one shared by almost all academics.

While I’m actually more interested in how others have handled this pressure—comment away please!—I wanted to share a few tips I’ve picked up for keeping au courant .

1. Sign up for eTOCs That acronym stands for email Table of Contents alerts. Most journal publishers have a system that allows you to receive emails detailing the contents of their most recent releases. Sign up for a few of these and you’ll receive quarterly reminders that make it easier to stay on top of developments in the literature.

For some fields, it might not be necessary to read entire journals. In that case, pick some keywords and set up a bunch of Google Scholar alerts. Talk to your advisors and peers to see what works best in your discipline.

2. Make social media work for you Choose one social media platform and turn it into a research tool. My platform of choice is Twitter. You might be surprised by the number of scholars and professional associations that use social media. I rarely tweet myself, but I check Twitter at least once each day to find links to interesting articles, news about gatherings in my field, and to follow the work of scholars I admire. In addition to yielding worthwhile information, my Twitter sessions have the added benefit of tricking my brain into thinking it’s taking a break from work.

If you’re wondering how to curate your Twitter feed, first take a look at papers you’ve written for classes or published. See if the scholars that you cite in your own work are on Twitter and go from there. This is the most casual form of networking, but especially for introverts (like myself) these social media e-introductions facilitate in-person conference meetings, which can lead to future collaborations.

3. Listservs make life easier Most people at MIT know about the free food listserv. I’m not a member because I don’t need that kind of temptation in my life. Still, I’m a big fan of using listservs to join intellectual communities. In addition to the handful of MIT-based lists that tell me about upcoming lectures and workshops here on campus, I receive emails from communities at other Cambridge- and Boston-based schools. I’m also on a few listservs for universities in other cities. Even if I’m never able to attend those events, I know who is working on what where. If academia is about staying in the know, listservs help you do that.

I’ve written this from the perspective of a PhD candidate who needed gentle, digital nudges to stay current in the post-exams world, but I hope they prove useful for students, candidates, and beyond. Now comes the important question: What are your strategies for staying up-to-date?

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PhD students and PhD candidates: Know the Difference

Phd students and phd candidates: know the difference feb 20, 2023.

Who is a PhD Student?

A PhD student refers to an individual who has registered for a doctoral degree program. These students, often known as learners, may complete their coursework on campus, online, or in both settings. Students must fulfil a minimum number of academic credits and pass prerequisite tests to enroll in a standard PhD program.

Also Read, FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU START A PHD

Once this phase is completed, the student progresses to the dissertation phase, which involves research, writing, and defense.

The distinction between a PhD student and a PhD candidate is that the former is still undertaking coursework and has not yet commenced the dissertation process or passed the qualifying exams, although they may be in the process of doing so.

PhD students' education is defined by a predetermined structure, which also sets forth their schedules.

Who is a PhD Candidate?

A person who has finished all the necessary coursework and passed their qualifying tests is considered a PhD candidate. Once this goal is met, the individual gains the unofficial status of all but the dissertation (ABD).

In general, PhD students eagerly anticipate the transition from PhD student to PhD candidate since it will provide them with the opportunity to focus on their original research and start writing their dissertation with the help of their committee advisors.

Know more about Dissertation and Thesis and what are the major differences between these two ,

PhD student vs Candidates: What Are the Main Differences?

The main distinction between a PhD candidate and a PhD student is that as a student, one is still engaged in course-related activities such as attending classes, writing tests and exams, and completing assignments. On the other hand, becoming a PhD candidate puts you one step closer to earning a doctoral degree and adding the title PhD to your name after passing the tests and writing your thesis . It is important to note that you have to be a student before you become a candidate .

While the differences between being a Ph.D. student and a Ph.D. candidate may appear slight, they carry a lot of weight. Transitioning to a Ph.D. candidate can feel like stepping into a new realm, with new demands and expectations. Despite having completed their coursework, many Ph.D. candidates choose to take self-directed study courses with faculty members whose research aligns with their own, as it can help guide their own research and even influence their dissertation.

If you're part of the PhD community or considering pursuing a doctorate degree, it's important to understand the distinction between being a PhD candidate and a PhD student. Knowing where you stand in your academic journey can help you make informed decisions and set realistic expectations. Keep learning and growing as a PhD researcher , and remember to seek guidance and support from your peers and advisors along the way.

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What is a PhD?

Types of Doctorates
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest globally recognized postgraduate degree that higher education institutions can award.
PhDs are awarded to candidates who undertake original and extensive research in a particular field of study.
Full time PhD programmes typically last three to four years, whilst part time PhD programmes typically last six to seven years.
A PhD can lead to an academia teaching role or a career in research. A PhD can also equip you with skills suitable for a wide range of jobs unrelated to your research topic or academia.

Definition of a PhD – A Doctor of Philosophy (commonly abbreviated to PhD , Ph.D or a DPhil ) is a university research degree awarded from across a broad range of academic disciplines; in most countries, it is a terminal degree, i.e. the highest academic degree possible.

PhDs differ from undergraduate and master’s degrees in that PhDs are entirely research-based rather than involving taught modules (although doctoral training centres (DTCs) offer programmes that start with a year of lecture-based teaching to help develop your research skills prior to starting your project).

In most English-speaking countries, those that complete a PhD use the title “Doctor” (typically abbreviated to Dr) in front of their names and are referred to as such within academic and/or research settings. Those that work in fields outside of academia may decide not to use the formal doctor title but use post-nominal letters (e.g. John Smith PhD); it’s unusual though for someone to use both the Doctor title and post-nominal letters in their name.

PhD vs Doctorate

A PhD and a professional doctorate are both research-based terminal degrees.

However, where a PhD focuses on original research mostly around theoretical concepts, a professional doctorate focuses on examining existing knowledge to solve real-life, practical problems.

While there is much crossover between the two, a PhD is generally better suited for an individual to wants to advance the knowledge and understanding in their field, and a professional doctorate degree is better suited to a working professional who wants to better be able to apply knowledge and understanding to their field.

What Are the Entry Requirements for a PhD?

To be accepted on to a PhD programme, students usually need to hold at least a high ( 2:1 and above ) undergraduate degree that is related to the field of research that they want to pursue. A PhD candidate may also be expected to hold a Master’s degree , however, this does not mean you must have one, as it is still possible to enrol into a PhD without a Master’s .

Self-funded courses may sometimes be more relaxed in relation to entry requirements. It may be possible to be accepted onto a self-funded PhD programme with lower grades, though these students typically demonstrate their suitability for the role through professional work experience.

Whilst a distance learning project is possible , most PhD candidates will carry out their research over at least three years based at their university, with regular contact with two academic supervisors (primary and secondary). This is particularly the case for lab-based projects, however, some PhD projects require spending time on-site away from university (e.g. at a specialist research lab or at a collaborating institution abroad).

How Long Does a PhD Take?

Typically, full-time PhDs last 3-4 years and part-time PhDs last 6-7 years. However, at the discretion of the university, the thesis writing-up period can be extended by up to four years.

Although most doctoral programmes start in September or October, they are generally much more flexible than taught-courses and can start at any time of the year.

How Much Does a PhD Cost?

Tuition fees for UK and EU students vary between £3,000 and £6,000 per year, with the average tuition fee of £4,712 per year for 2023/24 programmes.

Tuition fees increase considerably for international students, varying between £16,000 to £25,000 per year, with an average tuition fee of £19,600 per year .

Nonetheless, most students will secure PhD funding in the form of studentships, scholarships and bursaries to help pay for these fees. These funding opportunities can either be partial, which cover tuition fees only, or full, which cover both tuition fees and living expenses.

UK national students can also apply for Doctoral Loans from Student Finance England if they are unable to secure funding.

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

What Does a PhD Involve?

To be awarded a PhD, a doctoral student is required to produce a substantial body of work that adds new knowledge to their chosen field.

A PhD programme will typically involve four key stages:

Stage 1: Literature Review

The first year of a PhD involves attending regular meetings with your supervisors and carrying out a search on previously published work in your subject area. This search will be used to produce a literature review which should set the context of the project by explaining the foundation of what is currently known within the field of research, what recent developments have occurred, and where the gaps in knowledge are. In most cases, this will be an extension of your research proposal should you have produced one as part of your application. The literature review should conclude by outlining the overarching aims and objectives of the research project. This stage of setting achievable goals which are original and contribute to the field of research is an essential first step in a successful PhD.

The supervisor is the main point of contact through the duration of a PhD – but remember: they are there to mentor, not to teach, or do it for you . It will be your responsibility to plan, execute and monitor your own work as well as to identify gaps in your own knowledge and address them.

Stage 2: Research

The second year (and prehapse some of your third year) is when you work on your research. Having identified novel research questions from your review of the literature, this is where you collect your data to help answer these questions. How you do this will depend on the nature of your doctoral research: for example, you may design and run experiments in a lab alongside other PhD students or visit excavation sites in remote regions of the world. You should check in regularly with your supervisors to update them and run any ideas or issues past them.

Have the structure and chapters of your thesis in mind as you develop and tackle your research questions. Working with a view of publishing your work will be very valuable later on.

Stage 3: Write up of Thesis

The next key stage of a PhD is writing a doctoral thesis , which typically takes from anywhere between three months to one year. A thesis is a substantial body of work that describes the work and outcomes of the research over the previous two to three years. It should tell a detailed story of the PhD project – focusing on:

The motivations for the research questions identified from the literature review.
The methodologies used, results obtained, and a comprehensive analysis and discussion of the findings.
A detailed discussion of the key findings with an emphasis on the original contributions made to your field of research and how this has been impactful.

There is no universal rule for the length of a PhD thesis, but general guidelines set the word count between 80,000 to 100,000 words.

For your thesis to be successful, it needs to adequately defend your argument and provide a unique or increased insight into your field that was not previously available.

Stage 4: Attending the Viva

A viva voce , most commonly referred to as just a ‘ viva ‘, is an interview-style examination where the PhD student is required to engage in a critical appraisal of their work and defend their thesis against at least two examiners. The examiners will ask questions to check the PhD student has an in-depth understanding of the ideas and theories proposed in their thesis, and whether they have developed the research skills that would be expected of them.

The viva is one of the final steps in achieving a PhD, and typically lasts at least two hours, but this duration can vary depending on the examiners, the university and the PhD project itself.

Once you have done the viva – you’re on the home stretch. You will typically be asked to make some amendments to your thesis based on the examiner’s feedback. You are then ready to submit your final thesis for either:

PhD – If you pass the requirements you will be awarded a PhD degree (most common outcome),
MPhil – If you failed to meet requirements for a PhD, you may be downgraded to an MPhil degree (uncommon outcome),
Fail – No award is given, typically for cases of plagiarism (extremely uncommon outcome).

What Is It Like to Undertake a PhD?

We’re often asked what it is like to undertake a PhD study. Unfortunately, this isn’t a simple answer to this question as every research project is different.

To help give insight into the life of a PhD student, we’ve interviewed PhD students at various stages of their programmes and put together a series of PhD Student Interviews . Check out the link to find out what a PhD is like and what advice they have to offer you.

What Are the Benefits of A PhD?

A PhD is the highest globally recognised postgraduate degree that higher education institutions can award. The degree, which is awarded to candidates who demonstrate original and independent research in a particular field of study, is not only invaluable in itself, but sets you up with invaluable skills and traits.

Career Opportunities

First, a PhD prepares you for a career in academia if you wish to continue in this area. This takes form as a career in the Higher Education sector, typically as a lecturer working their way to becoming a professor leading research on the subject you’ve studied and trained in.

Second, a PhD also enables the opportunity for landing a job in a research & development role outside of the academic environment. Examples of this include laboratory work for a private or third sector company, a governmental role and research for commercial and industrial applications.

Transferable Skills

Finally, in possessing a PhD degree, you can show to employers that you have vital skills that make you an asset to any company. Three examples of the transferable skills that you gain through a PhD are effective communication, time management, and report writing.

Communication – presenting your work in written and oral forms using journal papers and podium presentations, shows your ability to share complex ideas effectively and to those with less background knowledge than you. Communication is key in the professional environment, regardless of the job.
Time management – The ability to prioritise and organise tasks is a tremendous asset in the professional industry. A PhD holder can use their qualification to demonstrate that they are able to manage their time, arrange and follow a plan, and stick to deadlines.
Report writing – Condensing three years of work into a thesis demonstrates your ability to filter through massive amounts of information, identify the key points, and get these points across to the reader. The ability to ‘cut out the waffle’ or ‘get to the point’ is a huge asset in the professional industry.

Aside from the above, you also get to refer to yourself as a Doctor and add fancy initials after your name!

What Can I Do After a PhD?

One of the most desirable postdoctoral fields is working within independent Research and Development (R&D) labs and new emerging companies. Both industries, especially R&D labs, have dedicated groups of PhD graduates who lead research activities, design new products and take part in crucial strategic meetings. Not only is this a stimulating line of work, but the average salaries in R&D labs and emerging start-ups are lucrative. In comparison, an undergraduate with five years of experience within their given field will, on average, likely earn less than a new PhD graduate taking on a R&D position.

It’s a common misunderstanding that PhDs only opens the door for an academic career such as university lecturers and training providers. Although obtaining a PhD opens these doors, the opportunities extend far beyond educational roles. In fact, recent data from the UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) indicates only 23% of PhD graduates take a position in educational roles . This low percentage is primarily because PhD graduates have a wide range of skills that make them suitable for a broad spectrum of roles. This is being seen first hand by the increasing number of PhD graduates who are entering alternative roles such as research, writing, law and investment banking.

How Do I Find a PhD?

We appreciate that finding a PhD programme to undertake can be a relatively daunting process. According to Higher Education Student Statistics , over 22,000 PhDs were awarded in 2016/17 within the United Kingdom alone. Clearly there are a huge number of PhD programmes available. This can sometimes be confusing for prospective doctorates, particularly when different programmes are advertised in different places. Often, it is difficult to know where to look or where to even start. We’ve put together a list of useful sources to find the latest PhD programmes:

A great place to start is with our comprehensive and up-to-date database of available PhD positions .
Assuming you are still at university, speak to an existing PhD supervisor within your department.
Attend as many postgraduate open days as you can. Whilst there, speak to current PhD students and career advisors to get an awareness of what PhDs are on offer.
Visit the postgraduate section of university websites and the PhD Research Council section of the UKRI website.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Feature Article

Research Culture: Highlighting the positive aspects of being a PhD student

Elena Angulo
Elsa Bonnaud
Loreleï Guéry
Eléna Manfrini
Anna Turbelin
Céline Albert
Franck Courchamp
Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, France ;
Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Spain ;
UMR Plant Health Institute of Montpellier, CIRAD and INRAE, France ;
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Germany ;
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, United States ;
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Camille Bernery
Léo Lusardi
Clara Marino
Martin Philippe-Lesaffre
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Introduction

Three benefits of doing a phd, recommendations, data availability, article and author information.

Articles about doing a PhD tend to focus on the difficulties faced by research students. Here we argue that the scientific community should also highlight the positive elements of the PhD experience.

Doing a PhD can be both demanding and rewarding. In addition to overcoming the scientific and intellectual challenges involved in doing original research, a PhD student may also have to deal with financial difficulties, an unhealthy work-life balance, or resulting concerns about their mental health ( Woolston, 2017 ; Auerbach et al., 2018 ; Oswalt et al., 2020 ; Evans et al., 2018 ). Despite all this, most PhD students seem satisfied with their decision to do a PhD, mostly because they work in stimulating environments with a high degree of independence and good supervision ( Pommier et al., 2022 ; Woolston, 2017 ).

Paradoxically, however, the fact that most PhD students are positive about doing a PhD is not always apparent to the outside world. For example, the present authors recently analysed more than 90,000 tweets about the PhD experience: almost half of the tweets were positive, and less than a sixth were negative, yet the negative tweets received more likes and retweets ( Figure 1 ). What can be done to counter such misleading and negative impressions? In this article we – a group of PhD students, postdocs and permanent academics – highlight the positive elements of doing a PhD in order to present a more balanced view of the whole PhD experience. We also make recommendations to maintain a positive momentum throughout the PhD. Although these ideas and recommendations are based on our experiences as researchers in ecology working in Europe, we feel that most of the points we make also apply in other disciplines and places.

Sentiment analysis of tweets about the PhD experience.

We retrieved all tweets posted in the English language during 12 consecutive weeks, from September to December 2021, that contained any of the following six hashtags: #phdlife, #phdspeaks, #phdvoice, #phdchat, #phdtips, #phdstudent. We then measured the sentiment (positive, negative or neutral) associated with each original tweet (excluding retweets). Of the 91 229 tweets we retrieved, 43,941 were positive, 12,298 were negative, and 34,990 were neutral. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to compare the average number of likes and retweets of positive versus negative tweets. Negative tweets received significantly more likes than positive tweets (14.5 vs 12.3; P <0.001); negative tweets were also retweeted more than positive tweets but the difference was not significant (1.7 vs 1.5; P =0.383). The Twitter API and the “rtweet” R package ( cran.r-project.org/web/packages/rtweet/vignettes/intro.html ) were used to retrieve the tweets; the “syuzhet” R package ( rdrr.io/cran/syuzhet/ ) and the Bing lexicon ( Liu, 2012 ) were used for the sentiment analysis; all analyses were performed with R software ( R Development Core Team, 2021 ).

There are two primary outputs from a PhD: new skills and expertise for the graduate, and new knowledge for the wider world. In this article we focus on the former and discuss the three main benefits of doing a PhD for the individual: (i) the development of specific skills to become an expert; (ii) the ability to work in a collaborative environment; (iii) improved communication skills while sharing knowledge ( Figure 2 ). For each of these benefits we discuss both general aspects that apply to most doctoral students, and specific aspects that depend on the student’s supervisor, field of research, location and other factors.

The positive aspects of doing a PhD.

The three primary benefits of doing a PhD are acquiring expertise (pink circle), learning to work in a collaborative environment (blue), and developing communication skills for sharing knowledge (yellow). For each benefit, general aspects that apply to almost all doctoral students are shown in bold type in the small circle, and specific aspects that depend on, for example, the student’s supervisor or field of research are shown in plain type in the large circle. The large grey area contains more abstract and subjective ideas that are not discussed in the main text. It should be noted that this figure is conceptual, and that the aspects and ideas in it could be grouped in other, equally valid, ways.

Becoming an expert

Throughout a doctoral project, a PhD student will develop many of the skills needed to grow into an independent researcher, while also developing expertise in a given field. In addition to learning a great deal about their own field – and adding knowledge to it – a PhD student will learn how to perform a variety of tasks, and thus acquire new transferable skills. These will include autonomy, critical thinking, organization and planning, resilience, and the ability to design, lead and carry out projects. Furthermore, unlike postdocs and principal investigators, who have to carry out various management and administrative tasks, PhD students are usually free to dedicate their working hours almost exclusively to academic pursuits that they are (or can become) passionate about. This freedom is one of the aspects that make the PhD experience unique, and it should not be overlooked or taken for granted. Unfortunately, not all PhD students benefit from or are aware of such autonomy, but this ought to be an objective for all PhDs.

A PhD does not consist of a number of uneventful years that culminate in a single success. Rather, there are many steps along the way – such as mastering a technique, completing a series of experiments or activities in the field, or finishing the first draft of a manuscript – and the feeling of accomplishment that comes with each completed milestone should be a source of pride to the student.

Working in a collaborative environment

Learning how to work with other researchers is an important part of getting a PhD. The PhD student’s most important working relationship is with their supervisor (or, in some cases, supervisors), but most PhD students will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other members of their research group or lab, or even with researchers from the wider community. Working on other projects from time to time can help the student’s own project through increased productivity and creativity; moreover, it can strengthen lab cohesion, and might even lead to the student being a co-author on a paper. Additionally, supervising undergraduate students – or even new graduate students – is a good way of acquiring management skills.

Conferences are another way to meet and interact with other researchers. In particular, they are an opportunity to discover, discuss and be inspired by the work of other scientists. Conversations at conferences can generate new research questions or ideas for new and improved ways to tackle existing questions. Moreover, presenting results at a conference gives students a chance to receive feedback, to be recognized as active researchers by their peers, and to build a professional network.

Collaboration also can happen through the many virtual communities that PhD students can join for technical, scientific or moral support. For example, the Global PhD Server enables doctoral students to discuss their experience, exchange anecdotes, and offer or seek help. The @PhDForum supports a variety of activities, such as writing sessions for PhD students working on papers or chapters of their thesis, while Stack Overflow is a good place to offer/seek help with coding and statistics.

Developing communication skills

The ability to communicate results is a crucial skill for any researcher. A PhD student will, for example, be required to present their work to other scientists as talks or posters at meetings and conferences. The student will also start learning how to write a scientific article. Moreover, there are many opportunities for PhD students to share their passion and knowledge about their field, such as teaching and mentoring undergraduates and other graduate students. They can also get involved in public outreach, and contribute to awakening new passions or educating citizens on certain topics.

Along the PhD journey, neither the doctoral student nor the supervisor will have full control over what will happen. Some things will go wrong, which is why it is important to remain positive and try to make the most of what is a unique opportunity. Ways for the student to remain positive include going back to old pages in their laboratory notebook to see how much progress has been made, and keeping a note of all the positive feedback from different people. It is also important to remember that one does not become a PhD student by chance – being accepted to do a PhD is an achievement in itself. Additionally, sharing preliminary results with other members of the group and attending social events of a lab can build a supportive working atmosphere and help students to stay positive.

Focusing only on research can sometimes be exhausting, so spending time on other activities – such as supervising students, teaching, or working on outreach – can break the monotony and generate a sense of progress. Finally, it is important to celebrate achievements, such as a first draft, an accepted paper, a conference presentation or the submission of a grant proposal (and, obviously, a successful grant proposal). These achievements can be celebrated in the real world, on social media – or both! By regularly highlighting positive outcomes, it is easier to recognise that past difficulties have been overcome, that progress has been made, and that expertise, skills and knowledge have been gained.

In parallel, it is important to try to limit the impact of the negative aspects of the PhD experience, for they are real and various, and can be crushing if left unchecked. First, it is essential to contextualize them. For example, bear in mind that failure is an integral part of progress, and is often just a temporary setback as opposed to a defeat. This is especially true when a manuscript is rejected by a journal: viewing the rejection as an opportunity to improve the manuscript, and acknowledging that the reviewer reports are about the science, not the authors, can help reframe rejections in a positive light. After all, even the most distinguished researchers have experienced rejection many times. Moreover, as highlighted above, science is a collective adventure, and one is rarely alone when help is sought out. In this regard, talking about the challenges one encounters during a PhD with other students or researchers can also help put these challenges into perspective and to see the positive aspects.

The relationship between the PhD student and their supervisor will likely have a big influence on the PhD experience. However, it is important to recognize that this relationship works both ways, and both stand to benefit if it works well. Among other things, the PhD students can help their own cause by being clear on the type of feedback they want, or by scheduling regular meetings focused on their PhD – and persisting even if their supervisor is busy ( Kearns and Gardiner, 2011 ).

We would also encourage supervisors to be positive in their interactions with their PhD students, and to build a global productive environment that could benefit the PhD student ( Andreev et al., 2022 ). Supervisors could, for example, praise PhD students when the opportunity arises, and ensure that criticism is always constructive – and also encourage other members of their lab to do the same.

PhD students may also face challenges that cannot be overcome with positive thinking. Abusive behaviours such as bullying, harassment or discrimination should be reported to the relevant authorities immediately.

Some PhD students will also be anxious about their future job prospects, especially if they hope to remain in academic research. One way to help reduce such anxiety is to clarify life/career goals and identify the steps needed to reach them. For example, if the student makes a list of all potential funding opportunities (including deadlines) at the start of their last year, it will help them plan for the future and relieve some of the pressure that will build up towards the end of their PhD. Building a professional network can also help with career planning, and attending conferences and establishing collaborations are crucial in this regard.

Finally, if needed, it is entirely acceptable for a PhD student to take a break during their PhD, to refocus on what they really want in life, or to even leave their PhD without finishing it if they realize that it is not for them. However, before making such a decision, we would encourage the student to ask themselves if the doubts they are experiencing are due to a momentary difficulty that will pass, or if a PhD is not really the right career path for them.

Doing a PhD is a unique experience that typically occupies three or more years of someone’s life. Through this experience the student will be enriched by acquiring a range of professional and personal skills, and by gaining a prestigious qualification. In the end, it is in the interest of everyone – the PhD student, the supervisor, their colleagues, their institutions, and academia in general – to make this experience as positive as possible.

All data generated or analysed during this study came from Twitter API and cannot be shared.

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Auerbach RP
Bruffaerts R
Demyttenaere K
Pinder-Amaker S
Zaslavsky AM
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Halbritter A
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Author details

Camille Bernery is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Contribution

Contributed equally with, for correspondence, competing interests.

Léo Lusardi is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Clara Marino is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Martin Philippe-Lesaffre is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Elena Angulo is in the Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain and the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Elsa Bonnaud is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Loreleï Guéry is in the UMR Plant Health Institute of Montpellier, CIRAD and INRAE, Montpellier, France

Eléna Manfrini is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Anna Turbelin is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Céline Albert is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Ugo Arbieu is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France, the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, United States

Franck Courchamp is in the Laboratoire Écologie Systématique Évolution, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS and AgroParisTech, Orsay, France

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the internal reviewers (Céline Bellard, Eva Delmas, Christophe Diagne and Xavier Fauvergue) for useful recommendations. Work on this paper began during a lab retreat attended by all co-authors. PhD students were funded by the French Ministry of Higher Education (CB, LL, CM, MPL); postdocs were funded by the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (UA), the Biodiversa ERA-Net AlienScenario project (AT), and the AXA Research Fund Chair for Invasion Biology of University Paris-Saclay (EA, CA, EM); Tenured academics salary were funded by the University Paris-Saclay (EB), the CIRAD (LG) and the CNRS (FC). MPL was also funded as an intern by the ENS Paris-Saclay during part of the project.

Publication history

Received: June 15, 2022
Accepted: July 13, 2022
Version of Record published: July 26, 2022 (version 1)

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.

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Research Culture: A Selection of Articles

Landscape drives zoonotic malaria prevalence in non-human primates

Zoonotic disease dynamics in wildlife hosts are rarely quantified at macroecological scales due to the lack of systematic surveys. Non-human primates (NHPs) host Plasmodium knowlesi, a zoonotic malaria of public health concern and the main barrier to malaria elimination in Southeast Asia. Understanding of regional P. knowlesi infection dynamics in wildlife is limited. Here, we systematically assemble reports of NHP P. knowlesi and investigate geographic determinants of prevalence in reservoir species. Meta-analysis of 6322 NHPs from 148 sites reveals that prevalence is heterogeneous across Southeast Asia, with low overall prevalence and high estimates for Malaysian Borneo. We find that regions exhibiting higher prevalence in NHPs overlap with human infection hotspots. In wildlife and humans, parasite transmission is linked to land conversion and fragmentation. By assembling remote sensing data and fitting statistical models to prevalence at multiple spatial scales, we identify novel relationships between P. knowlesi in NHPs and forest fragmentation. This suggests that higher prevalence may be contingent on habitat complexity, which would begin to explain observed geographic variation in parasite burden. These findings address critical gaps in understanding regional P. knowlesi epidemiology and indicate that prevalence in simian reservoirs may be a key spatial driver of human spillover risk.

Computational and Systems Biology

Collaborative hunting in artificial agents with deep reinforcement learning

Collaborative hunting, in which predators play different and complementary roles to capture prey, has been traditionally believed to be an advanced hunting strategy requiring large brains that involve high-level cognition. However, recent findings that collaborative hunting has also been documented in smaller-brained vertebrates have placed this previous belief under strain. Here, using computational multi-agent simulations based on deep reinforcement learning, we demonstrate that decisions underlying collaborative hunts do not necessarily rely on sophisticated cognitive processes. We found that apparently elaborate coordination can be achieved through a relatively simple decision process of mapping between states and actions related to distance-dependent internal representations formed by prior experience. Furthermore, we confirmed that this decision rule of predators is robust against unknown prey controlled by humans. Our computational ecological results emphasize that collaborative hunting can emerge in various intra- and inter-specific interactions in nature, and provide insights into the evolution of sociality.

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Title of doctoral student changed to doctoral researcher

In future, the University will use the title ‘ doctoral researcher ’ in official contexts to refer to anyone pursuing a postgraduate degree. While the change has been recorded in the Regulations of the University, it does not affect related eligibility requirements or job descriptions.

The new title will be introduced for those who start their employment at the University to complete a doctoral degree as of 1 January 2022. Titles will not be changed in currently valid employment contracts, but doctoral researchers can independently switch to using the new title in relevant contexts as of the beginning of 2022. In the case of doctoral researchers employed by the University, the title change will be implemented in the SAP HR system and their personal profiles.

Those completing a doctoral degree with other funding can also switch to using the title of doctoral researcher. In Finnish, the title of ‘tohtorikoulutettava’ is replaced with ‘väitöskirjatutkija’. In Swedish, the title remains unchanged: ‘doktorand’.

Vice-Rector Paula Eerola commented on the change as follows:

“We wish to express our appreciation of this large group of researchers at the University of Helsinki, and to emphasise through this title change that researchers are professionals at all stages of their careers. The title of doctoral researcher refers to both the content of their work and their career stage. The change is aimed at promoting the researcher identities and careers of anyone pursuing a doctoral degree. People completing a postgraduate degree have themselves wanted this change for a long time.”

A better match between the new title and the job description

A total of roughly 4,700 people are pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Helsinki, of whom approximately 1,350 are employed by the University. Each year, the University awards around 500 doctoral degrees.

The decision to change the title was made because ‘doctoral researcher’ describes the principal duties associated with the position, that is, research, better than ‘doctoral student’. Doctoral researcher is also an appropriate title as it acknowledges the research conducted by doctoral researchers. Moreover, the title indicates the career stage of its holders. The goal is for the title to promote the future careers of doctoral graduates so that the time spent completing the doctoral thesis is taken into account when assessing experience of research work.

The title change has been discussed, among other forums, by the steering group for doctoral education and the extended management group of the University as well as in cooperation meetings. For a long time, changing the title has been a topic of discussion in the academic community, both within the University and on the national level.

PhD Student vs Graduate Student [Correct terminologies]

As you progress down the academic pathway it can become confusing to work out what the appropriate terminology is for your current level of education. Is it PhD student? Is it graduate student? Is the PhD student the same as a graduate? Well, this article will answer all your questions.

Graduate student is an umbrella term for someone with an undergraduate qualification (bachelors, diploma), they are often performing graduate research in a Masters or PhD program. All PhD students are graduate students but not all graduate students are PhD students.

To fully get our heads around each of these definitions, we need to understand exactly what each term really means.

This is where we can look at the actual definitions of PhD student vs graduate student.

Definition of PhD student

A PhD student is someone who is currently enrolled in a doctorate degree program and is in the early stages of their course.

Some institutions require students to undergo a coursework component of their graduate program and are called a PhD student.

After the completion of the coursework component, with the research component still to go, they can be called a PhD candidate .

Definition of Graduate student

A graduate student is a known for a student who continues their studies after completion of their undergraduate degree.

The Cambridge dictionary defines it as:

A student who is studying for a degree that is higher than the one received after four years of study at a college or university.

Who is considered a graduate student?

Graduate students can include:

Masters students
PhD students
Professional Masters
Graduate academic certificate programs
undergraduate/graduate hybrid degree programs

Even if you have got an undergraduate degree, there are many more options for you to obtain many more qualifications and build on your education. In these instances, you will be known as a graduate student.

Is a PhD student a graduate student?

Yes, a PhD student is a graduate student.

They have spent up to 4 years in their undergraduate programs in order to qualify for admission into a PhD program.

PhD students are able to call themselves graduate students but many choose to refer to themselves as PhD students or candidates.

Is PhD the same as graduate?

A PhD is the highest education attainable as a graduate.

In order to obtain a PhD one must graduate from an undergraduate degree. From the moment of graduating in their undergraduate degree they are known as a graduate.

The order of becoming a PhD from a graduate is shown in the table below. It also includes what happens after you get a PhD.

Is a doctoral student the same as a PhD student?

Strictly speaking, a PhD student is someone who is pursuing a doctor of philosophy.

A PhD student is a type of doctoral student but not all doctoral students are PhD students. Anyone aiming to achieve the title of ‘Dr’ is a doctoral student.

There are many other different types of doctoral students including:

Doctor of Arts (DA)
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Doctor of Design (DDes)
Doctor of Engineering or Engineering Science (DEng, DESc, DES)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Doctor of Fine Arts (DFA.)
Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD, SJD)
Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
Doctor of Music Education (DME)
Doctor of Modern Languages (DML)
Doctor of Nursing Science (DNSc)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Doctor of Public Health (DPH)
Doctor of Sacred Theology (STD)
Doctor of Science (DSc, ScD)
Doctor of Theology (ThD)

There are also professional degrees that lead to the person being called Doctor. These professional degrees result in honorific doctor titles, including those found in the table below.

In my 15 years in academia, I would only really refer to someone as a PhD student. However, if someone was to introduce themselves as a doctoral student I would understand them to be a PhD student.

Wrapping up

In this article, we have learned the difference between PhD student vs graduate student.

In summary, a graduate student is an umbrella term that includes anyone that has done an undergraduate qualification and is continuing their education. It includes Masters students, PhD students and others.

All PhD students are graduate students but not all graduate students are PhD students.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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13 November 2019

The mental health of PhD researchers demands urgent attention

You have full access to this article via your institution.

Frank B. Gilbreth motion study photographs of a typist and lab-worker

Performance management — captured here in photographs from Frank Gilbreth — has long contributed to ill health in researchers. Credit: Kheel Centre

Two years ago, a student responding to Nature ’s biennial PhD survey called on universities to provide a quiet room for “crying time” when the pressures caused by graduate study become overwhelming. At that time , 29% of 5,700 respondents listed their mental health as an area of concern — and just under half of those had sought help for anxiety or depression caused by their PhD study.

Things seem to be getting worse.

Respondents to our latest survey of 6,300 graduate students from around the world, published this week, revealed that 71% are generally satisfied with their experience of research, but that some 36% had sought help for anxiety or depression related to their PhD.

These findings echo those of a survey of 50,000 graduate students in the United Kingdom also published this week. Respondents to this survey, carried out by Advance HE, a higher-education management training organization based in York, UK, were similarly positive about their research experiences, but 86% report marked levels of anxiety — a much higher percentage than in the general population. Similar data helped to prompt the first international conference dedicated to the mental health and well-being of early-career researchers in May. Tellingly, the event sold out .

How can graduate students be both broadly satisfied, but also — and increasingly — unwell? One clue can be found elsewhere in our survey. One-fifth of respondents reported being bullied; and one-fifth also reported experiencing harassment or discrimination.

Could universities be taking more effective action? Undoubtedly. Are they? Not enough. Of the respondents who reported concerns, one-quarter said that their institution had provided support, but one-third said that they had had to seek help elsewhere.

There’s another, and probably overarching, reason for otherwise satisfied students to be stressed to the point of ill health. Increasingly, in many countries, career success is gauge by a spectrum of measurements that include publications, citations, funding, contributions to conferences and, now, whether a person’s research has a positive impact on people, the economy or the environment. Early-career jobs tend to be precarious. To progress, a researcher needs to be hitting the right notes in regard to the measures listed above in addition to learning the nuts and bolts of their research topics — concerns articulated in a series of columns and blog posts from the research community published last month.

Most students embark on a PhD as the foundation of an academic career. They choose such careers partly because of the freedom and autonomy to discover and invent. But problems can arise when autonomy in such matters is reduced or removed — which is what happens when targets for funding, impact and publications become part of universities’ formal monitoring and evaluation systems. Moreover, when a student’s supervisor is also the judge of their success or failure, it’s no surprise that many students feel unable to open up to them about vulnerabilities or mental-health concerns.

The solution to this emerging crisis does not lie solely in institutions doing more to provide on-campus mental-health support and more training for supervisors — essential though such actions are. It also lies in recognizing that mental ill-health is, at least in part, a consequence of an excessive focus on measuring performance — something that funders, academic institutions, journals and publishers must all take responsibility for.

Much has been written about how to overhaul the system and find a better way to define success in research, including promoting the many non-academic careers that are open to researchers. But on the ground, the truth is that the system is making young people ill and they need our help. The research community needs to be protecting and empowering the next generation of researchers. Without systemic change to research cultures, we will otherwise drive them away.

Nature 575 , 257-258 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-03489-1

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How to develop a researcher mindset as a PhD student

Entering the postgraduate sphere is a whole new ball game. Shaif Uddin Ahammed shows how to hone a PhD mindset

Shaif Uddin Ahammed

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Life as a PhD student is challenging – and one of the most testing aspects of it is the change in mindset it requires.

You switch from being a consumer of knowledge to a producer of knowledge. In other words, you transition from passively absorbing information to actively generating new insights through original research. To do that, you have to develop the mindset of a researcher. Here, I’ll reflect on my own academic journey and experiences of supervising others, to share my thoughts on how to do just that.

Have a career plan

A PhD can be long and the prospect of writing a thesis is daunting. It can even be distracting, because you’re leaving the very idea of long-term goals on the back burner.

Viving la viva: how to answer viva questions
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That’s exactly why it’s worth having a career plan. It will remind you why you’re doing all of this and carry you through the more draining aspects of your studies and research. Trust me, this will help.

But there’s a difference between simply having goals and having a plan. A plan involves steps to help you achieve the goals you’re aiming towards and gives you boxes to tick. For example, your plan could involve attending conferences, publishing articles and teaching and supporting students. It should also identify skills gaps and outline plans to address them.

Make sure your targets are realistic and achievable, and discuss them with your supervisor, who will guide you accordingly. Having a well-considered plan will help to motivate you and provide a map to help you chart your progress. Aside from anything else, this is important in helping you maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Take every opportunity that you can to learn

If you’re studying towards a PhD, you have already demonstrated a desire to learn. Make sure you now take every opportunity to do so and that you learn from sources beyond your supervisor or supervisory team.

Postgraduate research students can attend regular events and workshops organised by the academic skills teams and career advisors within their universities. By leveraging these resources, you can develop the knowledge and skills required to complete your doctoral degree and also learn about the skills required to secure a job with potential employers.

It is particularly important to attend workshops organised by the university’s doctoral school. I would strongly urge you not to ignore these sessions. Some students choose to select only those workshops they believe will be beneficial, but attending all workshops – particularly in the early stages of your degree – will help you to develop skills and knowledge that could prove vital in the future.

For instance, if you are a qualitative researcher, you might choose only to attend workshops related to qualitative research. However, in a future job you might need to teach quantitative methodology or be involved in research using quantitative methods. So it’s good practice not to be selective and to attend all workshops, allowing you to gain wider knowledge and develop networks with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Involve yourself in academic activities

In research-related careers, applicants are generally expected to have experience of teaching, so it’s hugely important to actively seek teaching and supervisory opportunities both within your university and outside of it. You should also engage in grant applications with others, including your supervisory team – this will provide hands-on experience of the daily challenges faced by academics.

Many PhD students – and even some supervisors – think these activities could delay the completion of a doctoral degree, but they really do help you to acquire the skills you will need going forward. Supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students will offer insight into mentoring and managing expectations, including those of your supervisor. Involvement with teaching and assessments will give you an intuition when it comes to academic life, and the opportunity to directly apply new skills with the students you work with. This will foster the mindset that you are not only a PhD student but also an active academic.

Attend conferences and engage with journals

Seek out opportunities to publish in academic journals and attend relevant conferences. If you don’t, your work might not have the desired impact, regardless of its merit.

Conferences offer a platform for feedback, peer review opportunities, research visibility and invaluable networking. Similarly, involvement in publications and conferences can inspire new ideas and perspectives for research.

The PhD journey is never an easy one, given the number of commitments involved. Remind yourself that you are a researcher and an academic, and that your work has the potential to shape knowledge and understanding for years to come. Research is challenging – but if you’re in a position to study for a PhD, that means you already have the tools to overcome them.

Shaif Uddin Ahammed is programme leader of MSc International Management and lecturer in strategy and leadership at the University of the West of Scotland.

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Aspiring PhDs: the (un)surprising relation between doctoral students and research productivity

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Published: 22 January 2023
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Cristóbal Rodríguez-Montoya ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8988-0248 1 ,
Carlos Zerpa-García ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7150-384X 2 &
Mirnalin Cherubin ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4296-4046 3

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Knowledge is a significant driver of economic growth. For higher education institutions (HEIs)-prime knowledge generators- as well as for nations, research productivity is a priority. The contribution of PhD students to research productivity is not entirely visible. This lack of visibility may have implications for policy making at the institutional and national level. This research employed a bi-level, mixed-method approach: qualitative at the microlevel (institutionally and individually) for inductive insights about the connection of PhD programs and students to research productivity; and quantitative at the macro-level, analyzing data from 78 countries, from 2014 to 2019. We found a statistically significant correlation between the number of PhD students and the quantity of papers published: over 90% ( R 2 = 0.904, F (1.365) = 3431.9, p < 0.01). Participant observation provided theoretical insights about the “how” and “why” of the student´s connection to research productivity.

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Rodríguez-Montoya, C., Zerpa-García, C. & Cherubin, M. Aspiring PhDs: the (un)surprising relation between doctoral students and research productivity. SN Soc Sci 3 , 32 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-023-00616-8

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Ph.D. Student Sanjaya Herath Receives SMART Scholarship

University of Maryland Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. student Sanjaya Herath has been awarded a SMART scholarship from the Department of Defense (DoD) for his research that focuses on integrating machine learning techniques to enhance and optimize array signal processing. Herath, advised by Department of Computer Science Assistant Professor Christopher Metzler , aims to improve radar systems' accuracy and efficiency.

The Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Program is part of the DoD’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) portfolio. It provides students with tools to pursue higher education and begin careers within the DoD. The program offers full scholarships, allowing STEM students to focus on complex research projects that further the DoD’s mission. Recipients also participate in summer internships at DoD facilities, gaining hands-on experience with scientists and engineers to prepare for full-time employment with the DoD.

The SMART fellowship recipients receive full tuition, education-related expenses and a stipend ranging from $30,000 to $46,000 per year, depending on their degree level.

“ Winning the SMART scholarship, with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory as my sponsoring facility, is a significant milestone in my academic journey,” Herath said. “ This prestigious award recognizes my hard work and dedication, offering a unique chance to advance my research with better resources and support. I'm excited about the opportunities this opens for collaborative learning and impactful contributions toward scalable array signal processing.”

Herath’s research focuses on integrating and utilizing machine learning techniques to enhance and optimize array signal processing for radar applications. His work aims to significantly impact society.

“My work has the potential to greatly impact society by making radar systems more accurate and efficient, improving public safety and national security,” Herath said. “This approach optimizes resource use, contributing to more sustainable technology development. Additionally, it enables faster and more reliable data processing, enhancing decision-making in critical situations. This work aims to create safer and more efficient environments for all.”

The scholarship seeks to maintain the technological edge of the DoD workforce by creating pathways for a diverse and technically proficient talent pool to meet U.S. national security needs. Looking ahead, Herath plans to continue his research in the field.

“In the future, I plan to continue my research on scalable array signal processing,” Herath shared. “My focus will be on developing more advanced algorithms that can further improve the accuracy and efficiency of radar systems.

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications

The Department welcomes comments, suggestions and corrections. Send email to editor [-at-] cs [dot] umd [dot] edu .

Olympic Studies Centre
Olympic Refuge Foundation

Launch of the 2025 PhD Students and Early Career Academics Research Grant Programme

The IOC Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) has launched a new edition of the grant programme intended for PhD Students and Early Career Academics engaged in scholarly research on the Olympic Movement, its history and ideals, and the impact of the Olympic Games on the various aspects of contemporary society and culture.

Since its creation in 1999, more than 130 researchers from all over the world have benefited from this programme and received a grant, allowing them to conduct their research and, if appropriate, to visit the OSC in Lausanne to consult its collections and the IOC's historical archives .

Who is eligible to apply?

All current postgraduate students enrolled in a PhD degree programme within the human and/or social sciences encompassing Olympism, the Olympic Movement or the Olympic Games as, at least, one of their research foci.

All academic staff members and postdoctoral fellows who have completed their doctorate or equivalent highest degree (including masters, depending on the field) in or after 2022, are also eligible.

Rules, application form and deadline for submission

Application files and any related correspondence should be sent to the OSC before 23 September 2024. The programme's rules and guidelines and the application form are available on our website .

Selection Committee

The Grant Programme Selection Committee is composed of academic experts who are world-renowned for their involvement in Olympic studies and of OSC representatives.

Other research opportunities

University professors, lecturers and research fellows who have completed their doctorate and who hold an academic/research appointment are eligible to apply to the Advanced Olympic Research Grant Programme. This programme aims to promote advanced research by established researchers with a humanities or social sciences perspective in priority fields of research, which are identified every two years by the IOC. See here for additional information.

Our unique collections of resources to assist your research

We invite you to discover the Olympic World Library (OWL), our library catalogue entirely dedicated to Olympic knowledge, with close to 40.000 official and academic publications.You will also find an overview of the IOC historical archives , accessible via the OSC. For more information on the IOC Olympic Studies Centre, its resources, services and programmes, visit our website or contact [email protected] .

11 Knights Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recognitions for 2024

The U.S. National Science Foundation Fellowship helps students continue research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.

By Ryan Randall | May 23, 2024

Five Knights have earned the most prestigious STEM research fellowship in the United States. Another six have earned honorable mentions for the award.

Five UCF alums have received U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF), which supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000 and a cost of education allowance of $16,000 to the institution. Each award is valued up to $159,000.

“This is a campuswide achievement that could not be possible without the support of faculty like [Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric] Laurie Pinkert, and other academic support offices such as Honors Research and Academic Advancement Programs,” says Morgan Bauer, director of the Office of Prestigious Awards in UCF’s Burnett Honors College.

The Knights who are named fellows are:

Laurie Agosto ’19 Applied sciences alum with a biology minor College of Undergraduate Studies College of Sciences

Saoulkie Bertin ’23 Interdisciplinary studies alum with a medical anthropology minor and anthropology of global health certificate Burnett Honors College College of Undergraduate Studies College of Sciences

Stephen Staklinski ’20 Biomedical sciences alum Burnett Honors College College of Medicine

Andres Torres ’08 Aerospace engineering alum College of Engineering and Computer Science

Stephanie Washburn ’24 Psychology alum with a statistics minor Burnett Honors College College of Sciences

Those who received honorable mentions are:

Rachel Cooper Psychology doctoral student College of Sciences

Michael Kwara ’22 Mechanical engin eering alum; mechanical engineering master’s student Burnett Honors College College of Engineering and Computer Science

Andrea Mullin Psychology student Burnett Honors College College of Sciences

Fahad Nabid ’23 Aerospace engineering alum Burnett Honors College College of Engineering and Computer Science

Sachin Shah ’22 Computer science alum Burnett Honors College College of Engineering and Computer Science

Nyle Siddiqui Computer science doctoral student College of Engineering and Computer Science

For some graduates, such as Bertin and Washburn, the journey to the fellowship was assisted through their involvement with the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, a U.S. Department of Education program that aims to increase the attainment of doctoral degrees by students from underrepresented segments of society.

Through the McNair Scholars Program, Bertin conducted summer research at John Hopkins University and participated in a global health internship in Puerto Rico while she earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies at UCF.

In 2021, Bertin led a point-of-sale task force in promoting a healthier and tobacco-free county through a collaboration between UCF and the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Orange County. For her work, she received the FDOH Health Equity Hero Award, which recognizes public health individuals in the community. The work also led to a thesis in 2023 examining the culture of local activist groups in Central Florida and their influence nicotine-related policy change, using data collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with activist group members, key actors, and nicotine users in Volusia County and Orange counties.

As an incoming global and sociocultural sciences doctoral student at with Florida International University, she will further her research interests at the intersection of climate change and the intricate interplay of government and industry policies concerning food, tobacco/nicotine, and their health implications.

“I like community-engaged research, so [I] definitely [have done] a lot of volunteering in the community [and] I know that can help inform my research in the long term,” Bertin says.

While at UCF, Washburn, a psychology major with a specialization in neuroscience, mainly investigated identity research, which examines how one’s characteristics can ultimately shape resiliency and adaptation in the face of trauma. In particular, her work explored identity’s impact on executive functions, which are dominated by the prefrontal cortex and consist of planning and time organization.

Her research led her to studying at MIT, as well as a TEDx talk, titled The Kaleideoscope of You . As part of the GRF, she has been accepted to the University of Florida, where she’ll be a doctoral candidate in psychology and will focus on furthering her research on Alzheimer’s disease.

“As populations get older, we’re striving for keeping them independent and we don’t really know how. That drove me more toward the aging side of things,” Washburn says. “My grandmother also passed away with Alzheimer’s disease, so there’s a personal motivation as well, in addition to the fascination with neuroscience.”

The McNair Scholars Program not only provided students like Bertin and Washburn with research opportunities, but also support and guidance to apply for the NSF fellowship, ultimately taking their studies even further.

“For me, I needed something outside to push me and empower me to apply, and that was my mentor, [Associate Professor of Anthropology] Shana Harris,” Bertin says. “She and the director of the McNair program, [Michael Aldarondo-Jeffries], told me ‘I think you’d be a good fit.’ Now, if there’s an opportunity and I don’t think I fit, I shrug it off and apply because the worst thing they can say is ‘no.’ Not applying is an automatic no.”

Those interested in the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship program and other opportunities, please reach out to the Office of Prestigious Awards at [email protected] .

Purdue Hospitality and Tourism Management graduate student wins best paper award for innovative technology research

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, [email protected]

A group of individuals stand in a banquet-style conference room, posing for the camera.

Evita Ma poses with the fellow Purdue HTM attendees at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism in January. (Photo provided)

As Starship robots deliver food to hungry Boilermakers across Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus, their presence is often welcomed like that of a neighborhood pet — students are often seen helping them when they get stuck or smiling and moving out of their way when they meet them on the sidewalk. When Alei (Aileen) Fan , associate professor in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) and an expert in service innovation and experience design, helped one along its way one day, she was met with a low-tone, male voice saying, “Thank you.” This contradicted the “cute” vision Fan had in her mind of the robots being like her dog at home.

When Fan relayed the experience to her PhD student Chang (Evita) Ma , the College of Health and Human Sciences graduate student was inspired to investigate deeper how the combination of appearance and voice impacted the consumer’s overall experience in the service encounter.

Evita Ma stands in front of a backdrop, posing with her award.

Evita Ma poses with her best paper award at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism. (Photo provided)

These efforts culminated in winning a best paper award at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism in January.

“I’m really honored,” Ma said. “As far as I know, for the past three years or so, no one from our school has gotten the award, so it was a pleasure to have that. It’s very competitive — over the 130-some presentations, I was selected as one of the four winners.”

The study looked at how people’s reactions differed when comparing matched, or congruent, voice and appearance and mismatched, or incongruent, voice and appearance. The researchers found that depending on the robot’s function, people tended to be either more or less accepting of when a robot’s voice does not match its appearance.

In a utilitarian scenario where the consumer really only desires the robot to perform a job function and doesn’t care as much about having an emotional connection, people often prefer the congruent voice and appearance because they feel the incongruent one is not well-designed or not capable of performing their desired outcome. When consumers are in a hedonic scenario where they don’t care as much about the functions the robot is performing but simply wish to have a connection or engage with the robot, the congruency doesn’t matter as much, and some of the surprising elements, such as the mismatched voice and appearance, may attract people to engage with it.

“We as human beings actually view things holistically,” Ma said. “We don’t separate the different parts.”

Considering how these distinct factors work together to shape consumer perceptions could ultimately shape the characteristics of future service robots to improve service encounters across the industry.

“It’s a timely topic,” Fan said. “Whether you like it or not, technology takes up a lot of our lives. This research provided practical guidelines for industries and companies on how to design different robots to better serve our customer.”

This study resulted as a product of Ma’s study “Decoding the Shared Pathways of Consumer Technology Experience in Hospitality and Tourism: A Meta-Analysis,” which examined the literature currently available to investigate the different types of technology and how humans interact with them. Ma ultimately noticed a gap in papers that combined elements — many simply looked at appearance or voice independently.

“Very few of the papers actually combine all the different subtle elements together; they just focus on one single perspective like appearance or voice,” Ma said. “So, I began looking at: What is the combination between those? Our initial idea was we wanted to know how the combination of design elements of service robots impacts the customer’s reactions and feelings of the service in different scenarios.”

Prior to coming to Purdue, Ma spent four years gaining industry experience at the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals nonprofit in Hong Kong, where she made many connections on the technology side of the industry and solidified her interest in coming to a very technology-focused university to earn her PhD.

“Purdue has such a strong background in terms of technology and engineering, so that was also one of the reasons I wanted to keep focusing on that for my research area,” Ma said. “After taking a class with Dr. Fan, I decided to join her team.”

Beyond research, Ma has fully immersed herself in the teaching and engagement areas of graduate student life as well. Ma teaches two 200-level marketing courses to undergraduate HTM students, where she’s maximized opportunities for the students to engage in experiential education. She’s also working on curriculum development with HTM faculty and has become involved in several graduate student organizations, including the Purdue Graduate Student Government, where she is a senator.

After graduating from the program, Ma plans to pursue a faculty position that allows her to combine her passion for research with her love for teaching and service.

“She’s really the star student,” Fan said. “When we evaluate a PhD student, there are three aspects: research, teaching and service. Evita is excellent in all of these.”

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From oncology nurse to researcher, PhD student researches cancer patient care

May 28, 2024

Awards & Accolades , Research , Student Success

Cancer patients across the globe endure severe side effects from treatments that can drastically affect their quality of life. Kailei Yan, a third-year PhD student at the USF Health College of Nursing, is trailblazing research on the role of self-efficacy in mediating the relationship between symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients.

Yan was inspired to pursue research after Dr. Theresa Beckie, a researcher and faculty member at the college, presented in one of Yan’s undergraduate courses.

“That was the moment I became motivated to become a scientist,” says Yan. “And now, Dr. Beckie is my advisor!”

After earning her BSN from the college, Yan worked as an oncology nurse at the Moffitt Cancer Center. Watching patients endure the side effects of cancer and its treatment influenced her decision to pursue cancer research.

“I saw a lot of suffering,” says Yan. “I feel there should be some ways to relieve that. That’s my motivation.”

Yan says she is grateful for all the support she has received as a PhD student at the college. She was recently selected for the Southern Nursing Research Society Dissertation Research Award. With the continued support of the college and this grant, Yan will be able to delve deeper into her research and further contribute to the field of study.

The application for the USF Health College of Nursing’s PhD program opens on August 15.

Learn more about our PhD program

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COMMENTS

Are PhD Students and PhD Researchers the same thing?
1. PhD students and PhD researchers are not the same thing. A "PhD researcher" is a researcher who has a PhD, while a PhD student is working on a project in order to obtain a PhD (i.e. does not have the degree yet). I agree with you, that the term "PhD student" in English is rather unfortunate - in reality, it is much closer to an ...
PhD student vs PhD researcher
A PhD student is a student pursuing a doctoral degree, while a PhD researcher can be anyone who is conducting research at the doctoral level, including PhD students, postdocs, and faculty members. However, in practice, the terms PhD student and PhD researcher are often used interchangeably. The confusion comes from the fact that a PhD research ...
Difference Between a PhD Candidate and a PhD Student
A PhD student is in the initial stages of their program, actively engaging in coursework, research, and academic requirements. On the other hand, a PhD candidate has advanced beyond coursework, passed comprehensive exams, and is focused primarily on independent research and the completion of their dissertation.
PhD Candidate vs Student: What's the Difference?
Students may be in the initial stage of the program or about to complete the coursework (before beginning their research). On the other hand, a PhD candidate has completed all coursework and has at least started their research. They may have completed their dissertation and are preparing to defend it. 2.
PhD Student vs. Candidate: What's the Difference?
This process is followed by the dissertation research, writing and defense. A PhD student is different from a PhD candidate in that the student is still working through the coursework. They have not yet begun the dissertation process or passed the qualifying exams. A PhD student may also be in the process of taking the qualifying exams, but not ...
PhD candidate vs PhD student
Here in the U.S., a "Ph.D. Candidate" is a student who has completed all of the academic requirements for their degree, except their dissertation. So this works in the USA and Canada I presume, because they have structured PhD programs where you attend courses as part of your PhD.
PhD candidate vs student
Published on: June 14, 2023. Welcome to this comprehensive article on understanding the real difference between a PhD student and a PhD candidate. Both terms denote stages in a doctoral journey, but they imply different responsibilities, expectations, and milestones. A PhD student is in the initial stages of their doctoral journey, undertaking ...
PhD Student vs. PhD Candidate
PhD Student vs. PhD Candidate How I use gentle, digital nudges to stay current in the post-exams world. July 6, 2017 ... demonstrating proficiency in a research language other than English; submitting at least one grant application; writing and revising a dissertation proposal that the dissertation committee must approve; and, most grueling of ...
PhD students and PhD candidates: Know the Difference
PhD student vs Candidates: What Are the Main Differences? The main distinction between a PhD candidate and a PhD student is that as a student, one is still engaged in course-related activities such as attending classes, writing tests and exams, and completing assignments. ... Keep learning and growing as a PhD researcher, and remember to seek ...
What is a PhD? Advice for PhD students
A PhD, meanwhile, follows a more widely known and traditional route and requires students, often referred to as "candidates", to produce their own work and research on a new area or topic to a high academic standard. PhD requirements vary significantly among countries and institutions.
What is a PhD?
Definition of a PhD - A Doctor of Philosophy (commonly abbreviated to PhD, Ph.D or a DPhil) is a university research degree awarded from across a broad range of academic disciplines; in most countries, it is a terminal degree, i.e. the highest academic degree possible. PhDs differ from undergraduate and master's degrees in that PhDs are ...
Explained: What Is a PhD Degree?
PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. This is one of the highest level academic degrees that can be awarded. PhD is an abbreviation of the Latin term (Ph)ilosophiae (D)octor. Traditionally the term 'philosophy' does not refer to the subject but its original Greek meaning which roughly translates to 'lover of wisdom'.
Master's vs PhD
The two most common types of graduate degrees are master's and doctoral degrees: A master's is a 1-2 year degree that can prepare you for a multitude of careers. A PhD, or doctoral degree, takes 3-7 years to complete (depending on the country) and prepares you for a career in academic research. A master's is also the necessary first ...
Should I refer to myself as a PhD candidate or a researcher as an
Do you see yourself as a PhD student or a researcher? Be careful because "PhD candidate" has additional meaning some places vs others, and you don't want to misuse it if it doesn't apply to you (it does not mean "PhD student" everywhere). Share. Improve this answer. Follow
PhD Types
Understanding this table. The doctorates in the above table are divided into different types, as follows: Academic doctorates (such as the standard PhD) are usually awarded for original research and scholarship in traditional academic subjects. They can prepare a student for various careers, but their main focus is on broadening theoretical understanding of a subject, rather than improving ...
Research Culture: Highlighting the positive aspects of being a PhD student
Doing a PhD can be both demanding and rewarding. In addition to overcoming the scientific and intellectual challenges involved in doing original research, a PhD student may also have to deal with financial difficulties, an unhealthy work-life balance, or resulting concerns about their mental health (Woolston, 2017; Auerbach et al., 2018; Oswalt et al., 2020; Evans et al., 2018).
PhDs: the tortuous truth
Nature 's survey of more than 6,000 graduate students reveals the turbulent nature of doctoral research. Getting a PhD is never easy, but it's fair to say that Marina Kovačević had it ...
Title of doctoral student changed to doctoral researcher
In the case of doctoral researchers employed by the University, the title change will be implemented in the SAP HR system and their personal profiles. Those completing a doctoral degree with other funding can also switch to using the title of doctoral researcher. In Finnish, the title of 'tohtorikoulutettava' is replaced with ...
PhD Student vs Graduate Student [Correct terminologies]
referred to as a graduate student or a Masters student. a PhD student is someone who is in the early stage of their degree and has two complete the coursework (common in the USA). a PhD candidate is someone who has completed the coursework component of their degree and has to perform research and submit their thesis.
The mental health of PhD researchers demands urgent attention
At that time, 29% of 5,700 respondents listed their mental health as an area of concern — and just under half of those had sought help for anxiety or depression caused by their PhD study. Things ...
How to develop a researcher mindset as a PhD student
Life as a PhD student is challenging - and one of the most testing aspects of it is the change in mindset it requires. You switch from being a consumer of knowledge to a producer of knowledge. In other words, you transition from passively absorbing information to actively generating new insights through original research.
PDF Differences Between Undergraduate and Graduate Students
advantage of your most valuable asset, the student research assistant. This chapter has three goals. First we will address the major differences between faculty driven and student driven research programs including the conditions under which faculty driven programs are better suited. Second, we will discuss the benefits and costs to a faculty
Aspiring PhDs: the (un)surprising relation between doctoral students
The research employed a bi-level, mixed-method approach: (a) qualitative at the microlevel (institutionally and individually) for inductive insights about the relation of PhD students to research productivity; and b) quantitative analysis at the macro-level (by country) to explore the association between total number of doctoral students and research productivity in the sampled countries.
Ph.D. Student Sanjaya Herath Receives SMART Scholarship
University of Maryland Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. student Sanjaya Herath has been awarded a SMART scholarship from the Department of Defense (DoD) for his research that focuses on integrating machine learning techniques to enhance and optimize array signal processing. Herath, advised by Department of Computer Science Assistant Professor Christopher Metzler, aims to improve radar ...
Launch of the 2025 PhD Students and Early Career Academics Research
The IOC Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) has launched a new edition of the grant programme intended for PhD Students and Early Career Academics engaged in scholarly research on the Olympic Movement, its history and ideals, and the impact of the Olympic Games on the various aspects of contemporary society and culture.
11 Knights Earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Recognitions for 2024
Five UCF alums have received U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF), which supports outstanding graduate students in STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support with an ...
Purdue Hospitality and Tourism Management graduate student wins best
These efforts culminated in winning a best paper award at the 29th Annual Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism in January. "I'm really honored," Ma said. "As far as I know, for the past three years or so, no one from our school has gotten the award, so it was a pleasure to have that.
Graduate Student Presents Innovative Research at Second Annual New
On April 12, M.A. Communication student Rylee Nelson presented her research at the 2024 New Jersey Wind Institute Research Symposium. The second annual Wind Institute Research Symposium, held at Kean University, consisted of fellow and researcher presentations, industry panels and presentations on various topics regarding offshore wind and New ...
When is Research Assistant/Associate/Fellow a correct title for a PhD
Additionally, PhD students doing only research, as opposed to having some teaching duties attached to their contract or funding, are often times referred to as lucky. I use the word typical a lot in my descriptions, as exceptions do exist, and I was one of them, but the details go far out of scope of this question.
From oncology nurse to researcher, PhD student researches cancer
Cancer patients across the globe endure severe side effects from treatments that can drastically affect their quality of life. Kailei Yan, a third-year PhD student at the USF Health College of Nursing, is trailblazing research on the role of self-efficacy in mediating the relationship between symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients.

What is the Difference Between a PhD Candidate and a PhD Student?

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Introduction

Sentiment analysis of tweets about the PhD experience.

The positive aspects of doing a PhD.

Becoming an expert

Working in a collaborative environment

Developing communication skills

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