PhD interview questions can be very tricky to answer and this is for a good reason. Before going for the interview look into each and every source related to your research area. Everyone was friendly. R3ciprocity LLC is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. For Assistant Professors: If you are going for an Assistant Professor position, this is going to called the campus visit, where you will have to give a research presentation for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. Why is this an issue? The people who interview potential PhD candidates can be HR staff, heads of departments and almost always your future supervisors. Let’s discuss what PhD interviews mean for you, and go into details about interviews in all stages of the academic journey. People have a tendency to make themselves look outstanding on their resume. That being said, there are some questions that are pretty universal when you are talking to other academics. But with the right PhD preparation, some sound advice, and a thorough understanding of the task at hand, your years as a doctoral student can be some of the most rewarding of your life. Where have your PhD students gone in the past? You might even meet with other doctoral students. Don’t ask the Professors, but ask the people who have this data (the admissions office). This is your chance to reflect on your supervisor and possible compatibility. However, the act of pursuing a PhD can be a complex, frustrating, expensive and time-consuming exercise. Lastly, I would have thoughts about what tools and assets you can bring to their lab and their institution. Take a question like this: “Tell us about your plans to revise your dissertation into the book” Graduate students almost invariably answer in some form of the following, “Well, the dissertation isn’t really in a publishable state yet. You can highlight your passion for the topic and mention that you want to learn as much as possible during your studies. One interview started with "Tell me about your father?" You will meet with several people, either individually or as a group. You should be able to answer this before you go into the interview, but sometimes you just don’t know what the answer is to this question. A good degree program which believes in your potential will offer you at least some funding, even if it won’t fully fund your degree. A PhD, much like any other interview can be a terrifying experience. The MD-PhD dual degree training prepares you for a career that is busy, challenging, and rewarding, and offers opportunities to do good for many people by advancing medical science, developing new diagnostics and treatments for diseases, and pushing back the boundaries of the unknown. applicants gain admission to clinical psychology doctoral (Ph.D.) programs than to law school, medical school, or any other type of advanced graduate degree program, and your interview brings you one enormous step closer to gaining admission! best. Can you ask sharp questions? Don’t become too emotional during the PhD interview. Whilst they may be the perfect fit intellectually and academically, are they the perfect fit for your development? So what is a PhD interview like? save hide report. We have lots more on the site to show you. Here are several questions that you are free to ask during your grad school interview: 1. You will be working very closely with different academic colleagues for years to come, and frankly you are going to be a significant risk. However, even if you experience some of these “good interview” signs, it’s never a shoo in. On 1-4 articles for each person, have notes about what the article is about, what you liked about the research, and how you could build on their research. link to What Is The Average Cost of a PhD Program? Work one-on-one with an Accepted advisor to practice your interview, boost your confidence, and get the tools you need to truly impress the doctorate program adcom. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. An expert on doctoral education, Professor Brabazon’s articles for THE, including 10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you and How not to write a PhD thesis have been read hundreds of thousands of times, so we asked her to expand on the issues in a series of videos.. They will likely give you a more candid answer. You probably should just ask the Chair of the Department or someone like that to have the best understanding. This is akin to asking somebody about the profession, and generally if you ask academics about their projects, they will talk about these points for a long time. Before the interview, he got so lost in daydreaming about having a PhD from this particular university that he forgot one essential thing – to read about the specific interests of the researcher who was about to interview him. Furthermore, interviews will only rarely be a determining factor in your admissions process. Again, I have been on both sides of the interview. Again, it is akin to dating, and you never quite know how their other person is viewing you. You bounce off the conversation and leave with a sense of security. It also means that people on the committee read your statement of interest / purpose, and thought it was OK to pretty good. 4). The reason is that you do not want to give a bad impression at the get go. After a job interview, it's common for a job candidate to go over every single thing the interviewer said or did, looking desperately for clues to see how the interview went.Like at the end of an interview, when they hear words like "good luck" or "we'll be in touch" or even "we'll let you know." However, it is the best tool that we have. If you're invited in for a postgraduate interview, you can take it as a good sign. 3. You won't be interviewed. Then during the interview, you could say, “I really liked your article on X, but I was thinking of doing Y as an extension, what do you think of this idea?” The goal is to get the conversation focused on research, and in particular, their research. what school are they currently at). Or, not…. Studying for a PhD is an amazing academic achievement, as well as serious time commitment, and it's certianly not one for the faint hearted. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time. The position was cancelled due to COVID. Prep for your PhD interview with an admissions expert. There might be an initial Skype screening with one person, then there will be a group Skype interview, and then eventually a campus interview with multiple people. In fact, if you have ever been to a job interview, then you would know what to expect since a PhD interview is very similar. GRE: 800Q, 610V, 5.5W, 99% BIOCHEM Boston, MA Expected May 2020 Nanyang Technological University Singapore . Equally though, answers like ‘my only downfall is excessive perfectionism’ can sound a bit contrived. 3) Frame always in the positive, not the negative. R3ciprocity LLC also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. However, from being on the other side of the process, I’ve also realized that there are a few common things that job seekers panic about that aren’t really “bad signs” at all. During the interview you will have a chance to ask questions, so it is a good idea to have a set of questions prepared. Are they going to work hard? My interview went pretty well (45 mins long) I was asked a few technical questions to which I replied to the best of my capability. If you can feel engaged to the conversation, than that is probably a good sign during the PhD interview. If you can have a conversation, and the conversation is a lot of fun, then that is likely the place for you. When you get a PhD interview, what does it mean about you as a candidate? You can get a Skype, telephone, or campus interview. Alternately, many departments will show overt signs of liking all the candidates they interview. It is one of those questions that can freeze people on the spot. Most PhD or research placement interviews focus on your past experience in research. What Is The Average Cost of a PhD Program? If you have the time, it is best to send a handwritten note to the interviewer or scholarship committee. However, you don’t have to lie, just know how to present your situation. You ought to check out these other blog posts that will help you with your PhD decision: Good luck with the PhD interviews! If you have stated that there is a philosophy or technique that you have mastered, then be prepared to talk about that too. One of the main factors when considering a PhD is your potential supervisor, and their academic speciality and experience. Will the PhD interview be a simple one-to-one with your potential supervisor? The fact that its a good University is just a bonus, but not the reason for applying. However, this is precisely the point with the r3ciprocity project. Finally, I realized that a good opportunity had slipped through my fingers. Don’t worry if you are much more well-dressed than they are. The selection committee will all look at the applicants, and pick the best people that they like. 5). Being invited to interview is a good sign that the project supervisor is keen to employ you; however, at this stage it is still possible for a project to have several students vying for the same place. Archived. Last Friday I had a PhD interview for a position that matched with my research interests. At the interview stage, you are not expected to know your topic inside out, but you should have a high enough level of knowledge — especially if you have undertaken undergraduate and graduate degrees in the particular field. An interview can be done face to face as well as via the internet. You should do proper things like wait to be invited into someone’s office, say your please and thank-yous, and address everyone by Dr. / Professor So-and-So. Rather than asking, you might want to get a sense of how supportive everyone at the school might be if that person left. 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