r/GradSchoolAdvice

Hi everyone,

I have an MS in Psychology and now doing MS in Global Urban Health from Germany. My master's thesis focuses on mental healthcare accessibility for migrants in Germany, using qualitative research to explore barriers, social inequality, and ways to improve access.

I'm confident about my research interests—they lie at the intersection of migration, mental health, healthcare accessibility, and social inequality. However, I'm struggling to decide which discipline would be the best fit for a PhD: Anthropology, Social Work, Psychology, or Public Health.

My priority is to choose a field that aligns with my research interests while also providing strong long-term career opportunities in academia, research, policy, NGOs, or international organizations.

For those familiar with these fields:

• Which PhD would you recommend for someone with my research interests, and why?
• Which discipline offers the greatest flexibility and career opportunities after graduation?
• Is there another field I should also be considering?

I'd really appreciate your advice. Thanks!

Hi y'all, I am new to grad school and i just got an 80% on a midterm that almost everyone in the class got a 90 or higher on and I feel super embarrassed about it. any advice to get over this feeling?

I recently graduated from a strong R1 public university in the US with two BS degrees. My GPA is 3.54, and I have about two years of research experience in neuroscience-related work. I’m interested in pursuing a PhD in neuroscience.

I was recently admitted to a one-year MSc program in neuroscience at a top UK university, which was the only program I applied to there. I’m considering taking it because it seems like a strong step toward PhD applications, especially since I’ve had a hard time finding research work in the US right now.

My main uncertainty is timing. If I take the MSc this fall, I’d likely apply to PhD programs in Fall 2027 for entry in Fall 2028. If I don’t take it, I could keep looking for research positions or apply to other master’s programs starting in January 2027 or Fall 2027, which may be longer and potentially give me more time to build experience.

My questions are:
- Is a one-year UK MSc a good path toward neuroscience PhD programs in the US, Canada, or the UK?
- Is it better to take a gap now and keep applying for research roles, or accept the MSc and deal with any gap later?
- How much does a UK MSc help compared with more direct research experience in the US?
- Should I be worried about whether I can find a research job after the MSc?

I’d appreciate any advice from people who’ve been in a similar situation. I am a US Citizen and would be on a visa if I study in the UK.

I was working in a horribly toxic environment that everyone in my company was fleeing from. My mental and physical health were declining and I needed out badly. I started applying around March, thinking I would find something very quickly. I did not. As we all know now, jobs were getting harder and harder to find. I had taken a course on resume writing a couple of years ago and continued on, still struggling. I was looking for primarily Learning & Development roles and really wanted a remote or hybrid position.

What worked: I used the filter on LinkedIn for <10 applicants. I used the filter at least once a day and applied only with fully tailored resume (used JobOwl for this) What happened was jobs that had unique names that I wasn't searching for, very small companies that lacked large followings, or companies that weren't sponsoring their posts popped up first. Also the newest postings would be mixed in there, so it also have a chance to be one of the first applicants. I landed some really solid interviews where I was in the top few candidates.

I was the first or second applicant to a role I hadn't heard of before that I had a lot of transferrable skills with. HR was contacting me by the next day. I told this to a couple of my friends who were also trying to leave and not having luck and they both landed a lot of interviews this way and were able to find a way out. I'm sure some of us have heard of this, but I figured some probably haven't and it could help. I now work almost entirely remotely, but do have to visit the office about once a month. I'm 2 months in and it has been life changing.

I am a non-US IMG. I graduated medical school in June 2025, passed USMLE Step 1, and plan to take Step 2 this year. I have strong LORs and peer-reviewed publications.

I was admitted to Stanford Medicine’s MSc in Epidemiology & Clinical Research, starting September 2026. The programme takes 2 years. I have no guaranteed funding. To cover first-year costs I would need to take a loan of approximately $20,000 at 2.64% interest with a cosigner. My long-term goal is categorical general surgery, then a cardiothoracic fellowship, then academic cardiac surgery.

Option A — Enroll September 2026: I apply to residency in September 2027. That makes me YOG3. I would have Stanford on my ERAS application and roughly one year of research publications from the programme. I take the $20k loan.

Option B — Defer to September 2027: I apply to residency in September 2028. That makes me YOG4. I have one extra year to take Step 2 without pressure, build publications, and potentially secure a full scholarship for Stanford. But there is no guarantee the scholarship comes through, and I lose one year.

My questions:

For IMG surgical applicants — how much does YOG3 vs YOG4 actually matter in practice?

Does a Stanford MSc affiliation realistically help a non-US IMG get interviews for categorical general surgery?

Would you take a $20k loan at 2.64% to start now, or wait one year and hope for better funding?

Especially interested in hearing from surgical IMGs, current residents, and program directors.

I've been looking for a couple of months for a master's degree programs at some institutions like Voxel School, L'Idem, Trazos, etc. And I've read both really good and bad comments about pursuing a master's degree in general. The general opinion is "don't waste $10k on this kind of education, instead go for animation courses or mentorships from a pro". I don't really know what to do. I don't really have $10k to spend lightly, so it's a really important decision for me. Oh, and something else I want to add as context is that I actually don’t have much experience in animation, maybe like two short films from university. I specialize more in illustration (studying something related to Concept art was an option too but I discarded it because it seems like there aren't many job opportunities). Can someone help me please? 😭

I’m entering my fourth year of PhD.
I’m struggling with learning curves, results not being what I wanted, trouble shooting, etc..
I know that’s science.
Doesn’t make it easier when you’re trying to hustle to get data and graduate at a decent time. Also stressed I’m not on any papers at all.

Hello all,

I am currently in the process of trying to finish my master's thesis. I have been withheld multiple times by the same examiner due to them not liking my topic (it is a politically relevant topic to current news, which may be a factor here). Their edits are worded unprofessionally, their tone is both judgemental and aggressive, and the goal posts for the reasons to hold me back keep changing. I and other students have witnessed/experienced general unethical/unprofessional behavior from professors, blatant favoritism, and discrimination at the hands of multiple staff members (many in leadership roles) within a very small humanities department.

Another issue I have experienced personally is they encourage international students within the program and yet they systemically exclude them from internship opportunities, job fairs, and extracurricular activities. Most international students end up burnt out, leaving the country with little to no experience that benefits their career (which is what this school advertises they will offer, but leaves out exclusionary criteria that most international students will not get past). They are motivated to include international students because their department gets more national and school funding. This is from the mouth of the department coordinator.

I do not feel comfortable bringing these complaints to those in charge at the university, because it has to go through the leadership within the department first. This is the exact leadership where I have seen much of this misconduct be committed. Is there another avenue, possibly anonymous, that I may be able to talk about these experiences to warn others to think twice about applying to this program? I have thought about using reddit as an avenue, or maybe publishing an online article. However, because these experiences are anecdotal, I fear the reprocussions from the university.

Also, receiving my degree is currently in jeopardy as the examiner is trying to find a bunch of reasons to fail it and my supervisor has turned around and agreed with them. I also fear this will inevitably lead to me failing the thesis and not having a degree. Another option here is I just suck it up and continue on with my life. Looking for any advice someone might have here, especially if you have experienced something similar.

My Professional Communication and Ethics course professor wants us to use generative Al for assignments, has multiple "made by AI" video assignments we have to do, has an AI mock interview for a grade, and uses AI graders. I am both a teacher and an artist and I am quite honestly disgusted by this. It's a 4 week summer course so I didn't know about any of this until after the drop deadline. I am extremely uncomfortable with this and she has no real solution for me when I reached out citing my own personal ethics and morals not agreeing with generative AI use, especially in this quantity. I would have to withdraw, get a W on my transcript, and forfeit the money paid if I want out. How am I supposed to do this ethics course without compromising my personal ethics? How is this allowed in the first place? It feels like she's not doing her job at all!

I have a bachelor's degree in Physics, and I'm currently in the first year of my master's in Theoretical Physics.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to apply for the second year (M2) at my university this year, so I'm considering changing programs next year, either at another university or even in another country.

I'm trying to figure out which master's programs would lead to good job opportunities after graduation. What fields are related to physics but also offer stable, well-paid careers?

I often feel lost and stressed because I worry that I'm falling behind. I still don't have a stable job or financial security, while many people my age seem to have already moved past this stage. I'm not sure what the best path forward is, and I'd really appreciate any advice.

If an AI tool could analyze your background, goals, and career plans, would you trust it to help you decide whether to pursue a graduate degree?

Not to make the decision for you, but as another source of advice.

Why or why not?

Hello,
I just graduated with my MBA this May. I’m an international student and was thinking about starting a EdD, but I will need a fully funded program.
An issue I have: I have never done any research before or published. Will it even be possible to get into a funded program?

Hi,

I'm reaching out on behalf of a research study exploring how top STEM students think about postgraduate study - particularly the decision to pursue a research-focused Master's degree (and potentially a PhD).

We're looking for final-year undergraduates or recent graduates in Engineering or Computer Science from leading research-intensive universities, who are currently exploring postgraduate options-including institutions outside your home country.

What's involved:

A 45-60 minute one-on-one interview (virtual)

Share your perspective on what matters most when choosing a research-focused Master's or PhD path

Fully confidential; your responses are used strictly for research purposes

As a thank-you: you'll receive a $100 USD Global Gift Card for your time

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please dm I'll share more details with you

Hi. Bachelors in Biology on pre-professional track this year. Am I crazy to do SMP/Postbacc AND do a 1 year program to earn MLS certification?
Am I trying to ruin my happiness or does it sound like a successful plan?

I know what I want to go to professional school, but I want a back up plan.
I have many years of experience in the field I want to pursue, but I am scared of not getting in. I do not have a worthy GPA to even apply right now for the school I am interested in.

For those who’ve served on PhD admissions committees: what’s one moment in an applicant’s materials (something they mentioned, an interview answer, a shared detail, an action, or anything) that made you think ‘this person will make a great grad student’? Curious what’s stayed with you from one of the best applicants you’ve ever reviewed.

I want to go to my MSW in NYC (lived there for over 10 years). CUNY Hunger College looks amazing and I love the plethora of specializations/focuses they have.

My parents are telling me I should go to a more prestigious college (NYU, Columbia,Fordham) because they say that people will ultimately be more willing to work with me if I go to a more prestigious college. From my understanding, prestige matters very very little for MSW, but they don’t seem to think that - what do you think in your experience?

Some context if its helpful:

I’m in a position where cost of my MSW is not a consideration.

I want to be an LCSW to have my own clinical practice.

Heyyy I’m a PhD student - just filed! 😩👏 - and just curious: How are people were/are keeping all their notes and PDFs organized and searchable while working on their dissertation for years?

Zotero, Evernote, and Obsidian just didn’t fully work for me. I’m also a digital humanities student, so I’m working on building a bare bones database that’s simple for this sort of work/research. Mine got completely overwhelming over the 5 years, so I’m trying to build something simple that would check all the boxes and make it easy for people to sift through all their material. Let me know what u were wishing was in the tools u used!

i see everyone talking about how getting a masters feels like a natural step after UG. I finished my UG 4 years ago, and after 3 years of a job where i was immobile, and 1 year of a career break, i'm confused as to what is next for me. should i bite the bullet, invest time, money & energy & get a masters? is there any benefit to it, or will i just be wasting my resources? or should i play it 'risky' and keep looking for jobs and continue side courses, certificates, upskilling?