After completing an undergraduate or master's program you may seriously consider pursuing a Ph.D.
There are many things to consider when deciding if this is the direction you want to go in. For many
students, there is a lack of information, misconceptions and myths about pursuing a Ph.D. The purpose
of this dedicated webpage is to provide some information, guidelines, and tools that can be useful to
you in making this decision. It is divided into three parts:
“ The decision to attend graduate school to get a Ph.D. is an important one, and not one to be made lightly or without consideration. Typical doctoral programs take five to seven years to complete; by the time you are done, you will have spent about one-quarter of your life in graduate school. In many fields your training will not be done; in most science fields students then spend 2-4 years in postdoctoral training before beginning their professional career. Committing to a Ph.D. also means some sacrifice. Doctoral students are generally not well paid. You may increase your personal debt. Relative to your peers, you will forego many years of income. Furthermore, you may sacrifice personally, as doctoral training is a "job" that requires perseverance and very hard work.”
A national survey on Doctoral Education and Career Preparation was conducted in 1999 of 4,000 doctoral students from 27 selected universities, and one cross-institutional program (The Compact for Faculty Diversity). They represented 11 arts and sciences disciplines. The purpose of this 20-page survey was to provide a snapshot of their experiences and goals of these doctoral students. The preliminary results of this survey was summaried in a report, “At Cross Purposes: What the experiences of today's doctoral students reveal about doctoral education,” released in January, 2001. Here is the link to the website where you can download the report and read about this project. Doctoral Students Survey
“ It is important to realize that schools do not require you to have a Masters degree before applying to a Ph.D. program. Student's applying for a Masters degree rarely receive funding, while Ph.D. students often do. If you are planning on applying to a Ph.D. program eventually, you might as well apply to the Ph.D. program from the outset; you can always drop out if you change your mind.
The article “Choosing A Ph.D. Program In Computer Science” written by Rachel Pottinger appeared in the Crossroads ACM student magazine in the fall of 1999. The article was based on her personal experience in choosing a Ph.D. program. When she became a member of her department's prospective students committee, she was reminded of the overwhelming and confusing process faced by most students.
In the article she discusses:
- the basics of Ph.D. programs
- whether or not to go to grad school
- application process
- your chances of getting in
- your chances of getting a job once you get out
Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science
Mor Harchol-Balter is an assistant Computer Science professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He has been involved in the Ph.D. admissions process at CMU, U.C. Berkeley, and MIT. In this paper he writes about applying to Ph.D. programs in computer science or related areas. He covers:
- Do I really want a Ph.D.? What does a Ph.D. entail?
- The Application Process
- Fellowship Information
- Choosing the right Ph.D. program for you
- Current 2002 Rankings of CS Ph.D. programs in the U.S.
Ranking a Ph.D. Program in Computer Science
“Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change.” is a study conducted by the National Research Council. The National Research Council is one of four orgnaization that comprise the National Academies. The others being:
- The National Academy of Sciences
- The National Academy of Engineering
- The Institute of Medicine
The National Academies assembles committees of experts from all areas of science and technology in order to address critical national issues and give advice to the federal government and the public.
From there website, you can get a listing of universities that offer a ranked Ph.D. programs in computer science in ascending or descending order according to the attributes important to you such as:
- quality ranking
- effectiveness ranking
- phds produced
- ratio of citations to faculty
- ratio of publications to faculty
Choosing an Online Computer Science Ph.D. Program
Pursuing a Ph.D online has become a more viable options for students and professional who cannot relocate. This website, www.guidetoonlineschools.com gives you a link to the universities listed below that offer a Ph.D program in Information Technology and Computer Science online:
- Capella University
- Warren National University
- California University of Technology
“Everything I wanted to know about C.S. graduate school at the beginning but didn't learn until later; A computer science graduate school survival guide, intended for prospective or novice graduate students. This guide describes what I wish I had known at the start of graduate school but had to learn the hard way instead. It focuses on mental toughness and the skills a graduate student needs. The guide also discusses finding a job after completing the Ph.D. and points to many other related web pages.
The Graduate School Survival Guide was written by Ronald T. Azuma orginally in 1997 and updated in January 2003. He completed his Ph.D. at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and is now working at HRL Laboratories in Malibu California,
Their are many benefits to completing a Ph.D. program:
- personal satisfaction
- prestige
- increase earning potential
The Taulbee Survey shows the employment of computer science and computer engineering doctorates in the United States and Canada in the first year after receiving their doctorate degrees. The table shows employment of new Ph.D. recipients employed by:
- Academia
- Ph.D. and non-Ph.D. granting CS/CE departments
- Non-CS/CE departments
- Self-employed
- Industry
- Government
- Academia outside U.S. and Canada