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Find a
PHD
Finding the right PhD program to suit your needs need
not be a long or difficult process! There are many
things you can do to increase your chances of finding
the best PhD position for your interest area or
specialization.
- Do
some research! Determine your interest
area and read widely. This will help later
on with the writing of your PhD proposal and in
discussions with potential PhD supervisors.
- Look
for topics that have research potential.
The likelihood of winning a PhD position with
additional funding increases dramatically if you
are proposing to undertake research in an area
that has previously had little attention, or if
your idea or theory is ground-breaking.
- Speak
to the school staff at your current or former
university. They may know of research
possibilities within their area, or may have
colleagues at other universities that are
seeking PhD candidates.
-
Take a look at
www.jobs.ac.uk and
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pgdbase as both
list PhD vacancies by research area. This
is particularly helpful if you are from a
Science or Business background, as there is
generally a good selection of vacancies listed
from both of these academic areas.
- Another
great tool for finding research vacancies is the
specialist publications in your area – academic
journals and magazines frequently advertise PhD
opportunities, so this is a great place to look.
Browsing these publications can also be helpful
for determining your PhD topic selection.
- Visit
the websites of the universities you are
interested in gaining a placement with.
Some schools will list their staff research
interests and suggested PhD topics, and they may
even advertise research vacancies or projects.
It is also recommended by most universities that
you contact the academic staff that have
specialties in your area of interest, as they
are the staff most likely to be your PhD
supervisors. This is a great way to make
yourself known to the staff, and to gauge
possible vacancies or PhD projects.
Potential supervisors can also help with putting
together a research proposal and with
information regarding scholarships, so it is
certainly a good idea to get in touch as soon as
possible.
- Consider
your research needs. If your proposed PhD
topic requires you to spend a portion of time
working in the field (away from your home
university), or cannot be achieved without
advanced equipment or resources, this should be
factored in to your choice of university.
Some universities may specialize in the Sciences
or in Information Technology, for example, and
thus they will be more likely to have the
technology and resources to suit your needs.
It is important to remember that
even if you cannot find an advertised PhD
research
 opportunity
that matches with your proposed topic, it
doesn’t mean there aren’t any vacancies
available! Universities are generally keen
to take on unique or ground-breaking research
projects even if they haven’t specifically
listed a PhD opportunity in that area.
Finding a PhD position doesn’t need to be
stressful – all it requires is a little
background research!
Copyright
2007. theFirst
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