What questions should I ask at a PhD interview?
The Best Questions to Ask During a PhD Interview
- Are there opportunities for summer funding or travel grants?
- What are recent alumni doing now?
- What sort of special resources does the university have for research in this field?
- How long does it take on average for students to earn their degree?
Do I need a supervisor for a PhD application?
Often, the answer is “yes” and some universities and education systems will actually prefer students to make contact with a supervisor before they apply for a PhD. But the opposite can also be true, particularly if the university prefers to deal with the formal details of PhD admission and then match students with supervisors.
How do you find the answers to PhD interview questions?
I should also note that some of the answers to these questions can usually be found through a quick Google search of the potential supervisor or looking at their university profile. So do think about which questions in particular you want to bring up in person at the PhD interview. Now on to the questions….
How often should I meet with my PhD advisor?
Many PhD programs have an informal expectation of a weekly one-on-one advisor meeting to structure the student-advisor relationship (this varies by discipline, notably the humanities where the norm leans rarer). Aside from learning about their attendance expectations, questions like this begin to examine what your day to day might look like.
What are some good questions to ask a new professor?
1. Are you taking new students? – 2a. if yes: How many are you looking to take? – 2b. if no: Ask them about the department or other professors. They’ve been there long enough to have opinions. Alternatively, ask what kinds of questions they would suggest you ask other PIs