I need to decide study in USA or UK for Phd.

[stat.88]

I finished my Master degree currently. In Mathematics. I am not looking for job because I have already job but they asked me to have Phd from either USA or UK. I really like to finish as soon as my Phd degree. I need your help to decide . 

 

Negative things studying in the USA are:

Longer

more exams like comprehensive  and candidate ...

 

I do not know about studying in the UK, but when I open their program I found it 3 years research.

and how can I chose the best adviser there ..

 

Thanks   

[St Andrews Lynx]

If you already have a job and the PhD is just a qualification your employers are looking for, perhaps a shorter 3-year PhD would be better? Doing the  American PhD with the extra coursework would give you a more rounded education, but if you are already educated to a Masters-level then you will have done coursework at 1st year level. 

 

The best way to find a British advisor is to look on the university websites and read about the faculty and their research programs. UK universities often hold postgraduate Open Days (where you can visit the school in Winter/Early Spring BEFORE formally submitting applications), which is a good time to meet potential advisors in person if you are able to attend. Otherwise, email is the standard approach. 

 

I hope that is useful. 

[DEVGRU]

I guess another big difference is funding sources? In USA schools or departments usually cover your tuition fees and provide stipends, but in UK you may need to secure a funding by yourself.

[khaled]

It all depends on the job and your career plans. If the PhD is just a qualification you look for, then go with the shorter one (UK). If you need to be well-rounded and exposed to different areas within your field, and might teach one day, then the US system would be a better fit. 

[SeriousSillyPutty]

If you do look at US programs, find out how many of the master's classes they can count toward your course requirements. (If it's a lot, that could shorten up the US program by a year or so.) It will probably vary by school.

And then there's the things everyone should think about -- what kind of resources/support systems there will be in the town, what kind of connections the professors have (useful even if you do have a job), what the focus of the research would be, etc. Even three years is a long time, so you want to find some place where you can be happy, and that may mean thinking about the weather or if there is a community of people from your home country, how hard it is to get international food, etc. (Granted, most research universities have a large international population, but it's worth looking into.)

Also, the United States has better peanut butter. Just sayin'.

[stat.88]

Thank you guys.

I am not worry about funds because my job will cover everything. they offer me go to any university that will accept you in UK or USA.

[ssk2]

It depends what you plan on doing afterwards and where - you'll get a slight 'home field' advantage to having a PhD in the UK when applying for jobs in the UK - and similarly for having a US PhD in the US. Plus, I'm not sure US employers will give any weight to some of the less prominent universities here (and possibly similar the other way around). 

[Seeking]

If you have funding, apply to the best universities that you can reach depending upon the strength of your application in both US and UK.

 

See where you get accepted and which is the best option. If it happens to be an American university, don't worry about the extra 2-3 years. Sometimes in the US, you can go on a fast track and complete in less than 5-6 years. Of course, you have to do very well in your initial 2-3 years for the fast-track option. If the best happens to be a UK university, then of course you go there.

 

This will give you the advantage that later in life, if you want to change jobs, you can get a higher placement in a better organization - if you have a PhD from a well-respected university either in the US or in the UK. 

 

So, especially because you have funding, you should go for the best option available for you, regardless of how much time it takes.

 

But if you want to stay in this job on a long-term basis, go to UK.

[oopalfrootz]

The two courses are VERY DIFFERENT. I can't emphasize this enough. 

 

You seem to value a short course. Go for the UK then. I value a longer course, which is one of the reasons I am going for the US. 

 

Unfortunately, I have no idea how mathematics specifically works so I can't help with the details. But you can be certain that the two qualifications are very different things. 

[compiler_guy]

If you have a job waiting for you when you graduate, and you want to graduate as quickly as possible - take the UK PhD route.

The USA PhD route is probably better if you want to be better prepared for the academic job market. It does take longer but you'll be learn a lot, have more time shaping your goals, and have perhaps more opportunities if the PhD program is respected.