PhD Transfer

[happyforever]

Hi,

I am currently a 1st year PhD student. The advisor I wanted to work with just got his tenure denied. Assuming that I won't be able to work with him in the future, I want to considering applying to other PhD programs and just transfer the courses I've taken this year.

Have anyone been in similar situation before and please tell me how you handled this when you are re-applying to the schools you previously applied to. More specifically, should I explain the situation of my advisor in my personal statement? How should I describe it?

I have a feeling that, if I don't explain my situation, then they would hold it against me, because it's very odd that you want to apply to another PhD program once you are already in one.

I would appreciate any help! Thank you very much,

[timuralp]

It sounds like you didn't take your prelims/quals yet and thus are not a PhD student. If your school awards you an MS once you pass the qual, I would transfer after the MS and not before that, since you'll still be shaping your interests. For now, I'd say you should just try working in different labs and see how it goes.

[happyforever]

Good idea! One of my concerns right now is that if I try to catch the deadline of Dec 15 this year, then I don't have much time to work on my application materials, like PS and talking to profs to ask for recommendation letters. Also, I don't have much more to add to my PS either because I've just started my school year here after undergrad, and haven't even finished any courses yet.

So, one more question, is it common for people to re-apply to other schools once they got a masters from one school (where they intended to do a PhD)? Would my school give me a hard time regarding this? I currently have full funding for the PhD program at my current school.

So when I apply to another school, I basically need to go through the application procedure like everyone else, correct? There's no special procedure for "transfer", correct?

Thanks very much

[timuralp]

I think you have to unfortunately go through the grind of the app process again, as you did before.

Schools do not encourage students to leave after MS, for obvious reasons. They cannot however hold you after you get it. It's up to you. I think over these two years you should be able to develop some relationships with the faculty, and they will understand your situation. You need their support to have a good application (letters of reference) and you have to show good research potential. So, stick it out and work hard on making the best of it. After all, your MS thesis doesn't have to be your PhD thesis

[rising_star]

It sounds like you didn't take your prelims/quals yet and thus are not a PhD student.

This varies by program. At my school, if you apply to and enroll in the PhD program, you're a PhD student or doctoral student. Once you pass qualifying exams, you become a PhD candidate. So you can be a PhD student without taking quals.

[timuralp]

While that does vary by school, I wouldn't consider anyone to be a PhD student while he/she is still doing the coursework and getting the MS or getting ready to pass the quals. The reason being that you're not working on your thesis nor doing research full time nor sometimes doing research period. Obviously, if your school doesn't award an MS, then yes, by all means you can be a PhD student, but most top schools award an MS first in the MS/PhD track, as far as I know.

[franz1973]

In my program you have to have an MA before entering the program. In this case, I would still be interested in how one goes about transferring from one PhD program to another. In my case, I have come to recognize that the program I am in does not offer a focus or academic mentoring in my research area. Clearly, I made an error when I decided to come to this school rather than to research others that aligned better with my project.

I mistakenly believed I could study that work where I am. After several attempts and after being encouraged to take up multiple other kinds of projects and focuses, I have found that I gain the best scholarly mentoring from professors I meet from other programs. However, this is simply not something one can say in a program, or at least not mine. I currently attend is highly reputable in many fields but clearly not the right one for me. I'm trying to figure out how one goes about writing a statement of purpose and getting letters of recommendation when one comes to realize that the education s/he is seeking is not possible in their current program.

[gradapp2012]

I am wondering about transferring credits towards a PhD too. I have an admit from a university into their PhD program, but the professor who works on my area of interest doesn't have any funding , it seems. I already have an M.S, so I wouldn't want to earn another M.S . I am mulling over the possibility of getting a transfer after the first year or so after being done with the core courses. Is that an available option? Oh, by the way I am an international student, so I should consider possible complications in visa status with such a move too.

Thanks!

[DJLamar]

If you were accepted to other schools' PhD programs already, you should consider contacting them to see if they would let you in next year without reapplying. I've heard of cases where students started at one school, after years ended up frustrated due to advising issues, and were able to start at a different school (years after the application year in which they were accepted).

[gradapp2012]

Thank you, DJLamar. Is it a possibility to get into a program to which I have not yet been admitted ? Also , is it possible to transfer from any university to any other university ? As far as graduate courses are concerned , do most universities follow the same rigor in syllabus?

[scyrus]

It's possible under special circumstances (like the one you're in, where your advisor is probably leaving). However, it's likely that your coursework won't necessarily transfer. One of the students coming in to my program next year was a 2nd year PhD student elsewhere, but because his advisor is leaving he was allowed to transfer. He'll have to effectively "restart" here, however -- so he'll have to do everything the first year students will have to do.

[gradapp2012]

Thank you! That is good news for me

[DJLamar]

Yeah, the one guy that I've ever heard of that has transferred was basically done with his coursework at the original school, but had to start from scratch at the new school.

[Ancient CS Grad]

On the transfer credit question. I would assume it would be the same as getting a terminal masters then going on for the Phd. I completed my masters at a school that does not have a Phd program. Most of the programs I applied to have straight forward rules (all different of course) for transfer of credits for students coming in with a masters. It really varies by program. The one thing that was consistent was that you will have to meet the quals requirements at the new school which will mean at least some new course work no matter what you have completed. In my case I am receiving course credit but it will not go against the core courses required for the quals.