PhD/ Masters in the US/ Europe

[Feyza Nur Arslan]

Hi all,

I am a molecular biology and genetics major from Turkey. I will be applying for grad school this fall with 3 years research experience and I have done internships in the US and Germany during summers.

Although I experienced both research environments, I still dont know which country is better for me. I feel like it is harder to get into US universities and many people do their Masters first before getting accepted to programs. Whereas people from my university have been accepted to top institutes in Europe recently.

My final aim is to get my own research lab years years later but right now do you think PhD in Eu or US differ so much in case of education, life quality and later job opportunities base?

Thanks for your opinions.

Edited September 11, 2014 by Feyza Nur Arslan

[sir_william]

Firstly, speaking in such general terms about the USA and the EU isn't going to be very productive; both regions are massive and diverse, and the lifestyle, quality of education, and cost of living are going to vary tremendously within each. 

 

You need to do your research and consider programs individually, although I can make a few generalizations about the US and EU that might inform your decision.

 

Compared to Europe, America has horrible public transportation and is extremely car dependent; public transportation exists, but it is unreliable and often times dangerous when compared to Europe - this is because most people don't use it. This can be very limiting for poor students who can't afford cars to get around. European cities generally have great public transportation and you wouldn't be as limited in your ability to travel in the absence of a car. 

 

Also, it is true that Masters programs are the norm in the USA - but they aren't a requirement. But PhD programs are very competitive here - I don't know if they are or not in Europe/Germany. 

If I were you, I would do my research on individual programs that interest me in both the USA and the EU, and apply to the best ones that I thought I had a chance of attending. Then, I would pick the program with the best financial aid offer, considering the program's reputation and the region's lifestyle as important secondary factors.

[nugget]

When I was applying to grad programs, I applied to every program that interested me in order to increase my opportunities. Once the offers came in, I only ranked the schools that offered me a spot and this made the decision much easier.