Questions to Ask Before Acceptance to a PhD program?

[SiSi26]

Hi Everyone,

I am wondering if we can develop a list of questions to ask the Department before accepting an offer to a PhD program. Some possible topics  to consider: funding, work space, supervision, TA/RA work, courses etc.

Love to get your advice. Thanks!

[thegirldetective]

In addition to your list:

 

1) Average time to degree

2) Retention rate

3) Departmental procedure for what happens if your advisor leaves before you are done

[juilletmercredi]

1) Placement.  What do students do after the PhD program?  Do they become academics, do they go into industry, are they stuck in adjunct hell?

 

2) Definitely retention.  How many students leave, and when do they leave?

 

3) Funding: How long does the funding last?  (A question you should ask yourself is whether the amount is adequate for living in that particular city.  Use a cost of living wizard; there are many on the Internet).  How often do students get outside funding/how successful are students in winning outside funding?  If I have to stay longer than the allotted fuding, are there additional sources I can get?  What happens to students who take an extra year or two to finish?

 

4) Work space: Where do doctoral students tend to work?  Does everyone get a work space?  Is it within your PI's lab, or in a collective space?  Do you get your own desk, or do you have to share?  If you can visit the school ask to see it.

 

5) TA: Some of these questions are more appropriate for grad students than PIs.  How often do you have to TA?  How many hours per week does it take (no, really.  At my department the departmental estimate is lowish compared to how long it actually takes for some classes).  What are the undergrads at the university like?  Are their opportunities for you to design and teach your own classes if you want to?  Can you buy yourself out of teaching if you get a fellowship?

 

6) Supervision: More appropriate if you have a specific PI.  What's your work style like?  What are your expectations of doctoral students?  Do they expect you to be in the lab a certain amount of hours, all the time, or don't care as long as your work's done? (May be better posed to the grad students.)  What's your mentorship style?  Where have your former PhD students ended up?

[sarab]

This is great! These can even be used to be able to decide between universities.

[GeoDUDE!]

This is great! These can even be used to be able to decide between universities.

 

 

what else would it be used for ?

[sarab]

what else would it be used for ?

 

Interview questions (when professors ask if you have any questions), or even when considering applying to certain universities.

[sharanbngr]

That was really helpful. Any more contributions?

Edited February 18, 2014 by sharanbngr

[elisewin]

I asked if there were any grants available to international students (since that would be my case) for summer travel.

[likemythesis]

I didn't interview for one school, so I asked to be put in contact with a grad student so I could pick their brain about the program. I figure they have less at stake and may be more casual and open about everything, but I definitely plan on asking someone higher up if there is any uncertainty. 

[bakalamba]

I agree with likemythesis, it's always favorable to ask graduate students about their experience. There are a lot of things that you won't get out of faculty or administration - the general intellectual environment of the program, who works well/doesn't work well with students, and how easily students get funding/research opportunities/TAships. Just be wary of students who might be having bad experiences, or unfairly comparing a program with previous graduate experiences - increase your sample size of students to get a more accurate view of grad life in the department.

 

There's programs I never took seriously until I spoke with grad students and found they were working well, with funding, in my particular area.

[Skyride Season]

A lot of these questions are totally logical (average run to graduation, retention rate, etc.) but let's say that you just got an acceptance letter to a PhD program that is only a year old... That is, if you accepted, you'd be part of their second cohort ever.

That's the boat I'm in.

Some of you are probably thinking, "Why apply to that program in the first place?" 1) For me it offers the best of all possible worlds, intellectually-speaking (faculty resources, range of scholarly interests they support, etc.) and 2) for PhD programs, it is slim pickings in my field. There are just a few dozen at the PhD level in the whole world, although more keep sprouting up every year.

So anyway... If you were in my boat, what might you ask this program prior to acceptance?

[TakeruK]

47 minutes ago, Skyride Season said:

A lot of these questions are totally logical (average run to graduation, retention rate, etc.) but let's say that you just got an acceptance letter to a PhD program that is only a year old... That is, if you accepted, you'd be part of their second cohort ever.

That's the boat I'm in.

Some of you are probably thinking, "Why apply to that program in the first place?" 1) For me it offers the best of all possible worlds, intellectually-speaking (faculty resources, range of scholarly interests they support, etc.) and 2) for PhD programs, it is slim pickings in my field. There are just a few dozen at the PhD level in the whole world, although more keep sprouting up every year.

So anyway... If you were in my boat, what might you ask this program prior to acceptance?

Sounds like a potentially very exciting opportunity  I would ask the program director about their vision for the next 10-15 years. I would ask the faculty there what drew them to this program. Usually new programs recruit experienced faculty from other places, so there must have been something great about this program that made them want to leave their previous jobs and come here. I would also ask faculty I trust at other schools for their thoughts on this program. Are other schools excited to see a new peer institution? 

[Skyride Season]

4 minutes ago, TakeruK said:

Sounds like a potentially very exciting opportunity  I would ask the program director about their vision for the next 10-15 years. I would ask the faculty there what drew them to this program. Usually new programs recruit experienced faculty from other places, so there must have been something great about this program that made them want to leave their previous jobs and come here. I would also ask faculty I trust at other schools for their thoughts on this program. Are other schools excited to see a new peer institution? 

Thank you!! It is very exciting, and nerve-wracking...

This is really great advice, I so appreciate your taking the time to respond. Luckily I have a few contacts at a smattering of WGSS programs around North America, so I will definitely get in touch with them to see if I can glean their impression of this school and program. Also, I know that this program just hired a brand-new faculty member, but I don't know much about them beyond their recent publications and scholarly interests. It seems like sound advice to try to find out where they came from!

If you don't mind my asking, would you, yourself, take a chance on a very new doctoral program?

Thank you, again.

[TakeruK]

3 minutes ago, Skyride Season said:

Thank you!! It is very exciting, and nerve-wracking...

This is really great advice, I so appreciate your taking the time to respond. Luckily I have a few contacts at a smattering of WGSS programs around North America, so I will definitely get in touch with them to see if I can glean their impression of this school and program. Also, I know that this program just hired a brand-new faculty member, but I don't know much about them beyond their recent publications and scholarly interests. It seems like sound advice to try to find out where they came from!

If you don't mind my asking, would you, yourself, take a chance on a very new doctoral program?

Thank you, again.

It's not an easy question to answer, so sorry for the long response but I feel I need to take 2 paragraphs to explain the history of my field to provide context.

My (sub)field is very new! We study exoplanets, which are planets that orbit around other star systems. The very first exoplanet was discovered in 1992 (or 1995 depending on what qualifiers you use). So, it's a very young field. The researchers that are considered the best in the field are in their 30s, receiving their PhDs in the 2000s. Established researchers before that were experts in related fields before exoplanets became a thing. Another way to think about it: During my time as a grad student, I already lived through 25% of the field's entire existence. Exoplanets is generally considered part of Astronomy or Planetary Science and Planetary Science as a field has only existed for 50-60 years. So it's all very new and exciting. 

This means that there are a lot of new programs in my field opening up for the first time. When I started my PhD, Canada didn't have any programs for my field, which was why I went to the US. I'm now at a department with one of the oldest Planetary Science departments in the US (but it's only 50 years old). However, the exoplanet program here was brand new. When I started, my advisor was the only exoplanet researcher and they had been hired 1 year before I arrived. Now, when I am looking for postdocs, I'm applying to work in departments and programs that have exoplanet programs less than 5 years old (many of them in Canada that were created after I left).

I personally find this very exciting. I want to be part of the first group of researchers working on the big problems and questions in my field! When I consider a new program, I look at all of their recent hires (not just the new profs). For example, there's a school in my field that started their research department just a few years ago and I think last year was the first cohort of grad students. The director of this program was hired from MIT and has decades of experience. They also hired several other professors with established careers, reputations and research excellence. In the last year, when they started their PhD program, they also hired several new faculty members who had just graduated 2-3 years ago.

Other positive signs for this program is a large increase in funding set aside for this. Usually a brand new program have a big source of income somewhere (private donors, big grant, government support etc.) and these investors don't want to see their investment fail. I mean, it's not like a bunch of professors just sit around one day and think, "Oh, we're bored, let's start working on X." When a new program is created, it's because there's a motivated group of people that worked really hard to lobby for the program and secure financial and institutional support. So, I would look for evidence that this program is well supported internally by the department, by the University and like I said, by colleagues around the country. 

In theory, I would highly recommend this program and if I was a new PhD student, I certainly would want to apply and go there. (In reality, I personally would not go there because of the location but that's nothing to do with the fact that it's a new program and other people may like the location). But I guess not all new programs can be as good as the one I'm thinking of. I would base my opinion on the reputation of the recent hires, your impression of the director and faculty's vision for the program in the future, and the amount of support it seems to have from internal sources. If you feel that you will have the support you need and be able to get what you want out of your time, a new PhD program could be great. You might have more financial resources than typical and you might be able to have strong influence on how your program turns out. (Personally I find this influence very exciting as well because one of my ideal long term career paths is to be the Dean of Grad Studies and spend a lot of time setting policies and other administrative tasks but that's a long ways away lol).

[kekology4]

40 minutes ago, Skyride Season said:

Thank you!! It is very exciting, and nerve-wracking...

This is really great advice, I so appreciate your taking the time to respond. Luckily I have a few contacts at a smattering of WGSS programs around North America, so I will definitely get in touch with them to see if I can glean their impression of this school and program. Also, I know that this program just hired a brand-new faculty member, but I don't know much about them beyond their recent publications and scholarly interests. It seems like sound advice to try to find out where they came from!

If you don't mind my asking, would you, yourself, take a chance on a very new doctoral program?

Thank you, again.

Congrats on your acceptance!!! 

Do you know about the thread on here for Women's and Gender studies applicants for this coming fall? I'm sure people would love to help you out! It's under interdisciplinary studies. 

I would absolutely take a chance on a new WGSS program. I've applied to Santa Cruz feminist studies which is only in its third or fourth cohort, and while I'm a little nervous about the lack of experience, I'm excited by the faculty there, and the structure of their degree. If you're okay with sharing what school you're considering, I could take a look at the faculty and everything and let you know what I think.

As for interview questions, I would consider mentioning that you are a little hesitant about going to such a new program. You could then see how prepared and put together they are by their response.

Best of luck! 

[Skyride Season]

On 1/20/2017 at 11:31 AM, TakeruK said:

In theory, I would highly recommend this program and if I was a new PhD student, I certainly would want to apply and go there. (In reality, I personally would not go there because of the location but that's nothing to do with the fact that it's a new program and other people may like the location). But I guess not all new programs can be as good as the one I'm thinking of. I would base my opinion on the reputation of the recent hires, your impression of the director and faculty's vision for the program in the future, and the amount of support it seems to have from internal sources. If you feel that you will have the support you need and be able to get what you want out of your time, a new PhD program could be great. You might have more financial resources than typical and you might be able to have strong influence on how your program turns out. (Personally I find this influence very exciting as well because one of my ideal long term career paths is to be the Dean of Grad Studies and spend a lot of time setting policies and other administrative tasks but that's a long ways away lol).

Hey, I really appreciate your taking the time to respond. I think there are a lot of similarities in terms of growth in our fields-- although I'd be lying if I said I still had complete confidence in light of this new political climate we're living in...

This school is my first choice definitely because of the faculty. I have met two of them multiple times at conferences and speaking events, and I met several other faculty and members of their first PhD cohort. It was great to be able to ask the PhD students about their experience in the program, as far as the dynamic between students, between students and faculty, between faculty and admins, etc. Something I really value is a climate of collaboration and collective involvement, as opposed to competition, and they confirmed to me that their mutual success is something each of them are invested in.

My acceptance letter also indicated that I'd have four years of funding through a teaching assistantship, so that is DEFINITELY hard to pass up... The other schools I applied to will be hard pressed to one-up that offer.

The idea of having an influence on the direction of the program is very exciting! I think that is a good possibility with this program, because the faculty who are the foundation of the department continue to impress me with their egalitarianism, inclusivity, and the degree to which they appear to take their students (grad and undergrad) seriously. 

Hmm, this certainly gives me a lot to think about! It also allays some of my fears about the risks of joining a brand-new PhD program... Thanks, again, for taking the time to reply!

[Skyride Season]

On 1/20/2017 at 11:53 AM, kekology4 said:

Congrats on your acceptance!!! 

Do you know about the thread on here for Women's and Gender studies applicants for this coming fall? I'm sure people would love to help you out! It's under interdisciplinary studies. 

I would absolutely take a chance on a new WGSS program. I've applied to Santa Cruz feminist studies which is only in its third or fourth cohort, and while I'm a little nervous about the lack of experience, I'm excited by the faculty there, and the structure of their degree. If you're okay with sharing what school you're considering, I could take a look at the faculty and everything and let you know what I think.

As for interview questions, I would consider mentioning that you are a little hesitant about going to such a new program. You could then see how prepared and put together they are by their response.

Best of luck! 

I will check the WGSS thread out!

The school I am mostly strongly considering is Oregon State. I'd appreciate you taking a look! I am most excited about Patti Duncan and Qwo-Li Driskill, but that is because they are the two faculty with whose work I am most familiar. There are several other amazing faculty members, I just don't know as much about them and have only met them once (at a conference meet-and-greet).