r/PhDAdmissions

So I have a plan to pursue my PhD from abroad after doing my masters in English, so I believe that it is possible in Usa UK and all these places as on top of that I am doing masters in English literature from BHU. So can you give me some idea that how are the professors are giving like letters of recommendations and what is the faculty like if it is researched based or a little bit theory, I need to know some idea so that it would help me further because I want to go ahead with linguistics after doing my masters in English. If anybody knows anything about this? Could give me any idea on any suggestions. I would be really grateful.

So I am really terrible at standardized exams. It is just the way my brain works but I have almost a perfect 4.0 gpa and I have done self guided real world research and I will have the paper ready for when I apply. What gmat score do I need to get? And any advice on what to do if I get a bad score?

Guys, i'm currently second year masters and trying to apply for my phd in cs. i have one preprint research and it's agricultural ai, specifically 3d computer vision. i'm not trying to apply it at top tier uni. i don't care the school ranking, cause there are good prof at lower ranking uni. Even only with this paper, is it possible to be accepted phd in cs? i'm really worried cause it looks very competitive.

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated with honors from a master’s program in AI, and I also have a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. I’m currently looking for an interdisciplinary PhD in the field of AI.

My main interests are logic, Neuro-Symbolic AI, AI ethics, and explainability. Given my background, I don’t think I currently have the technical depth required for a highly technical PhD in pure machine learning. I did study math and programming during my master’s, but I wouldn’t say that’s where my strongest skills are.

The issue I’m running into is that most PhD programs I find seem to be very technically oriented, often closer to engineering or applied ML. So I wanted to ask: do you know of any interesting PhD programs, anywhere in the world, that support interdisciplinary research in AI? Something in a cognitive science or similar department would be ideal.

A good example of what I have in mind would be Stanford’s Symbolic Systems program, although that is probably out of my league.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

How common are integrated Master's + PhD programs in Europe compared to the US? I've heard that they're quite common in the US, with stipends from the first year itself.
I'm interested in pursuing a career in semiconductor and nanoelectronics research. I completed my Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering in India, have been working as a research assistant for the past 1.5 years, and am planning to submit my first paper this month. I'm trying to understand whether similar integrated, funded programs exist in Europe, how the funding usually works, and whether they would be a better option than doing a standalone Master's followed by a separate PhD application.
Please give me some insights on this.

Also, if there aren't many such programs, what advice would you give me if I plan to do a PhD in Europe but funding a masters seems difficult

I got accepted and wanted to share my stats in case it will be helpful.

Background: International, MSc in Europe, thesis in a strong research group (head prof with 100+ h-index) Grades: BSc Cumlaude, MSc 3.3/4 (graduating this month) Location target: Eurasia No publications No work experience

3 references: 2 Profs, 1 Postdoc 11 Applications 4 Interviews 2 2nd interviews 1 Offer (without 2nd Interview)

I did get questioned about why I never published, but I stated that I focused more on lab and course based fundamentals. My diverse background appealed to some PI’s while some seem to prefer highly specialized students (I am a generalist with a broad interest centered around renewable energy).

I think this month there are a ton of openings, I got all of my PhD openings info from Linkedin. Good luck to everyone!

Why is a Research Statement necessary for PhD application?

I have received a PhD offer (molecular/cell bio) from a PI who I have liked personality-wise based on our meetings and whose topic I am also really interested in! The issue is she will be just starting as a PI this year. So she currently doesn’t have her lab open, has no postdocs, PhDs, staff or anything. When I start I’d be her first PhD student, alongside another computational PhD, and we’d sort of be the only people. I feel like the logistics of this sound really hard, even though the topic is great. Does anyone have experience with doing a PhD in such a new lab? Do you recommend it?

It is also currently the only project I am interested for in the city I am in now (I had another 2 options but theyre really not for me). So I’m also feeling pressured to accept on the basis of me \*really\* not wanting to move. I love the city I am in now, and I’ve already moved for both masters and bachelors so I’m quite tired of starting again somewhere each time. I know location is important but I also know I should probably suck it up to have to move somewhere for a better PhD opportunity 💔

Hello I'm finishing my master this summer in electrical engineering i find some offers of phd positions in france i applied for them in the website Adum.fr it's been a month but i received no answer do they actually give answers on this website? Mostly of these offers will begin 1st octobre. I feel a bit stressed about it

Hello everyone,

I am an international student. I am completing my masters by summer 2027.

My research interest lies in the area of semiconductor electronics/optoelectronics materials.

I want to do a PhD from abroad, preferrably US, but want to gain significant research experience before applying by doing projects, assist, learn, cotribute and publish under a researcher/professor.

Do Japanese/Taiwanese or European profs take passed-out students as Research Assistant for long-term projects for a year or so?

If anybody has any knowledge or experience of something like this, please share here. It would mean a lot to me.

Hi. I have been been exchanging msgs with my potential PI for 2 months and he has helped me a lot in terms of PhD application and what to work on to get published. Eversince, I have always been feeling reluctant with this opportunity due to low stipend. (Dorm and tuition are covered).

Yesterday I got a much better offer in terms of funding, institution’s credibility, facility, and PI’s global contributions. It’s a big dream come true for me and it will leverage my potential + network much more.

But how do I turn down my first potential PI? I feel bad about disappointing him especially since he’s been really assistive eversince.

No contract or any sort has been formalized/ presented yet in both opportunities, which are btw within the same southeast asian country.

To organize my questions:

1. Does it make me a bad egg to leave my 1st potential PI hanging? Since September intake is coming.
2. Is it normal to be honest in turning down a PhD offer?
3. Should I just think of another alibi so things will feel lighter?
4. Should I help or offer help in finding a replacement instead?

Pls help :( Thank you :)

I’m planning to apply this September for a 2027 Philosophy PhD start, and I’m trying to get a real gut check before I commit to the process.

I’m in my 40s, a retired software developer, and I have a stable income. I’m not looking at this as a career rescue plan or as a straight path to an academic job. I know the academic job market is rough, and I’m not pretending a PhD magically fixes that.

For me, this is more of a serious passion project. I want the structure, pressure, and discipline of doctoral work because these questions keep pulling me back in. In a way, this feels like my attempt to make some kind of impact on the world.

My background is not philosophy. I have three master’s degrees, mostly in business, management, and analytics, so I’m not new to graduate school. But I also know that does not automatically mean I’m prepared for doctoral work in philosophy. Most of my career has been around automation, analytics, product work, and AI systems.

I’ve built things. I’ve worked with systems that were meant to make organizations faster and more efficient. Over time, though, the technical side stopped being the most interesting part to me. As I automated more, I became more interested in the impact, both positive and negative, at the systems level and the human level.

The bigger questions became harder to ignore. What happens to work when more of it can be automated? What happens to responsibility when decisions are spread across people, models, platforms, incentives, and institutions? What happens to dignity and purpose when a person’s value keeps getting measured by usefulness? And what happens when that usefulness starts to go away?

I’m not coming at this from a “stop AI” angle. That ship has sailed. I’m more interested in understanding the impact, putting better language around what people are feeling, and thinking seriously about how we live with these systems without flattening human beings into productivity numbers.

I know “I have thoughts about AI and society” is not the same thing as being ready for doctoral work. I also know not having formal philosophy coursework could be a real problem.

But I keep coming back to it anyway.

So talk me out of it (or into it).

For those of you in philosophy, especially people who came in from another field, what am I most likely underestimating?

How much does the lack of formal philosophy coursework matter if the writing sample and research direction are strong?

And when you read this, does it sound like the beginning of a serious interdisciplinary research path, or does it sound like someone mistaking personal interest for doctoral-level work?

I have a bachelor’s in Cog Sci from UT Dallas. I am interested in bioengineering phd programs, focusing on brain comp interfaces. I have some research experience in multiple neuroscience disciplines. I am like a 10th co author on one publication. I am currently interning at a non invasive BCI company. But my bigger issue is my GPA (3.05/4.0).
So what are my chances for getting into top programs? What could i possibly do to improve them?

I’m so happy, after the months of stress and uncertainty it feels good to take a breath :)) With 9 applications within Europe, I got 2 offers at around the same time, one in France and one in Germany :) For context, I am in physics with 0 publications, and I am a foreign student. My undergraduate GPA was a 3.6/4, and my US equivalent master’s GPA was around 3.75/4 (without my thesis grade accounted for yet). I interviewed for 4 of the 9 positions, almost got 1 (but turns out they had an in house student they went with) and then got discouraged from that, but finally got 2 offers and I’m going for the one in Germany! The offer is just all around better and the other one had a couple red flags so it ended up being an easy choice. But gah finally, the wait is over!

Maybe the question is silly but I am invited to a second round interview in person and there will be a dinner after the interview with the committee. I don’t want to overdress and I would feel most comfortable in jeans and T-shirt but that’s probably underdressed then?

After a long struggle I got a PhD interview call letter after i wrote the entrance exam,my first PhD interview ever, preparing for the interview now

I've heard way too much conflicting reasoning about this so I just wanted to kind of get an honest opinion.

A lot of people recommend reaching out to potential PIs when applying to PhD programs. However, I've also heard that it's not helpful and most programs admit by committee anyway so it wouldn't matter.

Can someone please clear this up because it's confusing me a lot and I wanna make sure I'm making the right decision?

I am an international applicant applying for funded PhD positions in business/management, with a research focus on AI, market research and responsible use of generative AI.
I have decent grades, a BBA and MBA, teaching experience, a co-authored paper, and research project experience. I’ve also managed to get supervisory support for some applications and submitted what I believe were strong proposals.
However, I keep getting rejected, usually with feedback that my proposal is strong but the competition was very high. I understand funded PhD places are competitive, but repeated rejections are becoming really discouraging.
For those who have been through this process, how can I improve my chances? I am applying in European universities. Main focus is Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany. (English taught programs only )

I’m applying for a PhD position The project is something that I have discussed before with the potential supervisor and the project is closely related to my job, although much of my work is focused on policy and the phd aims to provide a technical anchor.

I had the interview yesterday. I tried to prepare for questions that might come up. I think i was able to explain why I’m interested in the project, how my experiences align with the project, how the work I do can help me, and what my plans were after the PhD and how I plan to use the results.

But what went wrong was

1. When they tried to corner me about data challenges, i tried to think on my feet and come up with answers with every follow up, but in the end one of them said what the right answer was - meaning I was wrong
2. When I was asked about my MS research, i got a little bit flustered and failed to explain how I managed the research work. Because my topic was completely unrelated to my job and the field specialization i’m applying for so it completely slipped from my memory. And I feel like I completely missed the mark on that one.

I really want this because i think the project will be great for the office I work for