What questions should one ask a school to decide on a PHD program?

Question

I'm considering getting a PHD. What questions should I ask when I talk to various schools?

Answer 1

I think you should first do as much research on your own as possible, asking some of these questions. How strong is the university in the subject you want to do the doctorate in? There used to be rankings of various schools by the strength of their graduate programs. And within the larger subject, is the school strong in the area you are particularly interested in? Who are the Professors? Do you know their work? Do they have a national or international reputation? How hard is the school to get into? How much success have they had in placing their Ph.D.s in good research or teaching jobs? Having done this preliminary research you could ask particular questions at the interview. It would be even better if you got in touch with past or present students at the school. What are the opportunities for part-time jobs in the Department? Is it possible to get a full scholarship, which will free you from the need to work. On the other hand working with a Professor can be a valuable educational experience. What is the average time it takes to get a Ph.D.? That will give you an idea of how good they are at motivating students and of how good the students themselves are. If you are in the sciences, what are the opportunities for paid post-doctoral work at the school? How much outside research funding do they attract? Not only will this throw light on the quality of the research they have done and of how valuable others find it but on your own chances of doing good research. How much course work do they want you to do? It is usually two years, before you embark on your own reseach, which in turn may well emerge from your course work. Is the Ph.D. Comprehensive exam oral or written? What are the language requirements? In my day we had to pass reading-and-translation exams in French and German, though other languages could be substituted if justified. Visit the school and department and perhaps ask to sit in on a graduate class or two.

Answer 2

Well, you know what major you want to do and what your research focus is right? You can ask a school about the faculty members that might match you in terms of research focus and the funding. You may also be able to ask the average GPA, GRE scores and etc of admitted students and the minimum requirement for admissions if they do have such requirements. So you will know what the chances are for you to get in.

Answer 3

You could ask the average length it takes their students to get their PhD, the average number of students in a group, the number and type of classes they require, how much financial aid they offer their students and what form it is in (teaching assistantships, research assisntantships, fellowships, etc), how much their average student works per week, how much it costs to live in the area, the percentage of students that drop out of their program...umm.... that's all I can think of right now.