The admission of doctoral students actually focuses on research experience. Of course, TOEFL and GRE scores, undergraduate university rankings are also very important. For GPA, compared with the first two, it is actually not that important.
Let's take America as an example:
I. Admission requirements for doctoral students in the United States
Doctor of Philosophy (abbreviated as Ph.D or D.Phil) is one of the senior academic titles, usually the highest academic title in the academic structure.
The so-called doctor of philosophy means that the owner has a considerable understanding of the theory, content and development of his knowledge category, can conduct research on his own and make achievements in the academic field within this category.
Bachelor's degree or master's degree
GPA 3.5+ (especially professional GPA scores)
TOEFL 100+ score
GRE 1300- 1350+
GMAT 700+ points
Undergraduate students should generally have sufficient research experience and background, and have outstanding performance in professional fields. Research experience and papers, professional-related internships, it is best to have a research nature, can reflect the practical scientific research ability. The school attaches great importance to international conference papers. The applicant's learning background, research experience, papers published by the applicant and research projects he participated in.
Second, the US doctoral application process
1, overseas test (TOEFL, GRE or GMAT)
2. Choose a school and major.
3. Write application documents
A) personal statement b) recommendation letter c) resume d) thesis
4. Fund preparation
A) credit card
It will be used when applying online and sending GT scores. It is best to apply in advance. China Bank, China Merchants Bank and China Guangfa Bank all have corresponding international credit cards. It is recommended to apply for a VISA card.
B) economic guarantee
Proof of economic guarantee includes economic sources: personal/family deposits, real estate licenses, scholarships, grants, etc. In the application process, there is generally no need to provide original documents, and the longer the capital history, the better.
5. Formal application and sending application materials.
A) online application
With all the application materials and credit cards ready, you can open an account, apply and track the progress of the school review on the relevant website of the school.
B) sending materials
Submit all the application materials together with the application fee to the school of your choice.
C) send c)GT result.
GRE and TOEFL scores are considered to be officially valid only if they are sent through the test center ETS.
6. Rhetoric interview
You can talk to the professor before and after the application. A school chooses two or three professors or associate professors. The school will also arrange relevant telephone interviews. You can make full use of written materials during the interview.
7. Accept the offer
Students who receive admission permits and scholarships will immediately receive the I-20 form from the school.
Iii. Conditions for obtaining a doctorate in the United States
General doctoral students will go through the following stages from admission to being awarded a doctorate:
1. Complete the assigned courses, usually postgraduate courses in research methodology or related academic fields.
2. Some educational institutions require new doctoral students to pass the qualification examination within a specified period of time, usually within 2-3 years after admission.
3. Write a thesis/research plan and get the approval of the thesis supervisor.
4. Start research and write a paper. At this time, doctoral students can call themselves doctoral students.
5. Submit the thesis and pass the thesis defense (Viva-voce). Some colleges and universities will require that they pass the defense before submitting their papers. Doctoral candidates who have passed the defense but have not submitted their thesis can write the abbreviation of graduation title and add the words ABD (all except thesis) on the personal education list, such as Ph.D. (ABD), indicating that they will receive doctoral degree.
6. confer a doctorate.
Fourth, magnetization.
Magnetization is usually divided into pre-magnetization and post-magnetization. The former is applicable before submitting the application materials, and its function is to determine whether your research direction matches the professor's current project and understand the enrollment situation of the professor; The latter means that after the application materials are submitted, in addition to determining whether your materials are complete with the admission Committee and the college, it is more important to keep in constant contact with the professor to improve your admission rate. In the increasingly fierce competition for scholarships, it is best to start the pre-magnetic work six months before the formal application (that is, when the junior year starts), which will not only give you a preliminary understanding of the research direction of your favorite tutor, but also take the lead among many applicants.
Type of doctoral applicant:
Doctoral students in America mainly do scientific research. To put it bluntly, it is to help the boss (professor). This is different from a master's degree. The training objectives of graduate students are mostly career-oriented, and everything they learn is very practical. Many students who apply for American doctoral students are seeking university scholarships. But getting a doctorate in America is not easy. It's easier to get in than to get out. Moreover, the steering committee has strict requirements for doctoral dissertations. If students are not very clear about their research direction and want to do research and teaching in the future, it is not recommended to apply for a doctorate.
We have made a statistic, which is basically divided into three types: First, undergraduate students have excellent grades, high TOEFL scores and high GRE scores. Second, I have worked as an undergraduate for many years, with rich work experience and good language performance. Third, graduate students are studying, with many scientific research projects and excellent language performance. For these students, the following advantages are analyzed:
1. Advantages of undergraduates.
Undergraduate students have strong plasticity and more choices when applying. They can choose the application direction flexibly according to the information they have learned, which is more flexible. It's like some well-known big companies are often willing to recruit fresh graduates instead of employees with work experience. Many schools value the foundation, not the potential, because with the interdisciplinary nature of the major becoming more and more prominent, the so-called perfect counterparts will only become less and less. However, undergraduate students have a wide range of knowledge, and the focus of undergraduate study is basic courses, and professional study involves many fields. Although it is not as in-depth as the postgraduate entrance examination, it has strong plasticity and adaptability. Many schools still welcome such students. Undergraduate applications need to highlight their own advantages such as GPA, GRE and TOEFL scores, and show more about their course study, future academic potential and their comprehensive quality.
2. Advantages of graduate students and students with work experience.
Obviously, it's research experience. After studying for more than a few years, I should have a deeper understanding and research on my major than undergraduates, and generally have papers published. But it is precisely because of the characteristics of graduate students that the application direction of graduate students is generally fixed. According to common sense, if you apply for a major at the same time as an undergraduate, then the advantages of graduate students should be obvious, but it should be noted that this is more suitable for the situation that your research direction is very consistent with that of American bosses. In this case, research experience means that you can get started quickly. But with such a wide range of majors, the advantages of graduate students are hard to say. Because if the major is not right, it may take you time to change and adapt. Because of the in-depth study, it is easy to form a mindset, and the adaptability is naturally not as good as that of undergraduates. At this time, foreign bosses are often more willing to recruit an undergraduate with wide knowledge and strong learning ability.
Through the interpretation of the conditions and procedures for applying for a doctoral degree in the United States, I believe that many students who intend to apply for a doctoral degree in the United States can refer to the above information and make preparations and plans for applying for a doctoral degree in the United States in advance.