Academia in the US: are PhD programs in the UK or Canada bad ideas

[randompsychologist]

I have just starting researching programs and was wondering if getting a PhD in the UK or Canada would hurt my chances at academic jobs in the US later.

[lewin]

I'm at a Canadian program and recent grads of ours have been offered post docs at Stanford, Duke, Princeton, Yale, and Columbia... and faculty jobs at Stanford, NYU, UMass, and Northwestern. So it can happen. But you don't say where you're applying to in the U.S. (i.e., will a Canadian PhD hurt your chances compared to what?) There's no equivalent to the Ivy league up here, so if you can go to Harvard or whatevs then you should. But if it is choosing between a great Canadian program and podunk state U then I can't imagine it would matter.

I don't know anything about cognitive programs or neurocognition specifically so you should check with your advisors about foreign programs and their reputations.

[randompsychologist]

I meant as compared to any US program...but that's really vague and the answer, it seems, is that it depends on the US program. I am still in the process of putting my schools together so I don't know what or who I'm comparing anything to or even if I am applying this year. I know that my list of schools would include some Ivy schools/honorary Ivy schools, some state schools and places McGill, University of Toronto, and University College London.

Okay from what you are saying, with foreign schools, as with any school within the US, it comes down to reputation of the program. It is reassuring to know that grads from your program have been offered post-docs/faculty jobs to awesome places. I won't strike schools from my list now simply because they are not in the US.

[MakeYourself]

I meant as compared to any US program...but that's really vague and the answer, it seems, is that it depends on the US program. I am still in the process of putting my schools together so I don't know what or who I'm comparing anything to or even if I am applying this year. I know that my list of schools would include some Ivy schools/honorary Ivy schools, some state schools and places McGill, University of Toronto, and University College London.

Okay from what you are saying, with foreign schools, as with any school within the US, it comes down to reputation of the program. It is reassuring to know that grads from your program have been offered post-docs/faculty jobs to awesome places. I won't strike schools from my list now simply because they are not in the US.

Honestly it has less to do with what school you go to than who you work with. There are numerous researchers who are the top in their field in North America (and the world) who work at Canadian Universities. If you work with one of these people, I'd say you're doing quite well for yourself (i.e., you can get a job in the US)

Also I should mention that for a lot of Canadian graduates, their worry is getting a job in Canada, not the US. There are far more opportuniteis in the US and a lot of Canadian grads have no trouble snagging them. But most of them prefer to stay in Canada, but there are less jobs here because we have less Universities. So really, I'd say you're safe going to school here as long as your program/supervisor is good in his/her area.

Edited May 21, 2012 by spinrah