A lot of people wonder what exactly a PhD is useful for. Sure, you can use it to teach students at a university, but there are other positions available that don’t require you to spend the time and effort getting one. A PhD is really useful if you want to go into a variety of different careers. For example- Did you know that the majority of high-ranking government positions are by PhD holders?
It’s true. The same goes for business–do you know how many CEOs have PhDs? A lot! You can also write books or give lectures on anything related to your field of study, which will be useful in contributing to your reputation as an expert in your field.
That’s something that’s really valuable in certain industries, especially if you’re trying to get funding from a large company. And finally, if you do end up going the route of becoming a teacher, a doctorate will be necessary for admission into most schools, so it’s better to get it sooner than later.
A PhD’s Usefulness
While most people would agree that earning a PhD is useful, it can definitely be difficult to explain why. To start with, if you’re looking at different types of degrees as a stepping stone to your career. A PhD will almost certainly be more helpful than an MA or an MS.
While some PhD programs are available only to those who have completed their Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Accept all aspirants regardless of their educational background. Most PhD programs require both the completion of a Master’s degree and the submission of a research proposal before admission.
All of these things together mean that even if you already have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. It means you have less experience in the work including the bulk of your day-to-day activities as a PhD student.
A PhD can increase your skillset and open up new doors in ways you might not have thought about. Here are just a few: –
- You’ll learn to write well.
- Your doctoral committee will ask you to write chapters, articles, and even books as part of your research process.
- This will go far in helping you craft clear and concise writing—especially when combined with coursework or work experience in writing professionally.
Significance of a PhD:
- A PhD opens up a lot of career options, not only because you’re at the top of your academic class. Having a PhD will you train in research methods, which means you qualify to be a professor or a researcher. Whether you’re doing the hands-on work yourself or supervising others who are doing it.
- The training also gives you a toolkit for analyzing data and interpreting its significance, which is an important skill for people working in every field, from epidemiology to economics to advertising.
- A PhD also gives you an understanding of how scientific research works—what kinds of questions it can answer and which ones it can’t.
- In some cases, this can give your insight into how you maintain your research by the people who write news articles or government officials who might not understand what they’re talking about when they use the scientific literature as their source of information.
- Finally, having a PhD makes you a more desirable candidate for any job that requires higher than average intelligence—working as an editor at a publishing company, for example, or becoming an investment banker—and many jobs where intelligence isn’t the biggest factor have higher standards for PhDs
- When you get a PhD, you get a top-notch education and training in an academic field that can help you get into to a variety of jobs.
- Having a PhD tells an employer that you’re someone who enjoys solving complex problems and working on long-term, in-depth projects.
- You may have the skills to lead research teams and to perform the thorough, time-consuming testing involved with pharmaceuticals or the safety of new technology.
Process of a PhD degree
The process of obtaining a PhD varies depending on the type of degree. However, there are some common steps that all PhDs go through.
Although every university has its own process and standards, these general steps are followed by most students:
- Application period. The application period allows students to explore their chosen field and write a thesis proposal. During this time, students receive feedback from faculty members who evaluate their applications and help them refine their plans for the future. The application period typically lasts two or three months.
- Awarding of degrees. The university awards degrees during convocation (graduation ceremony), when the student receives his/her diploma and degree.
- The university may also pay an honorarium to teaching assistants or research assistants who were with an assistantship during the award year. At some colleges and universities, a faculty or departmental induction ceremony is at which new members of academic staff are into their respective faculties or departments and awarded honorary doctorates for outstanding contributions in the field of academic research.
Importance of Research
The PhD program has two main parts: coursework and research. Coursework provides students with the knowledge, skills and experience they need to become successful researchers. Usually, you can complete it during the first two years of study. The final year of coursework consists of thesis development, in which students conduct original research under the supervision of their advisors.
Research is the most important aspect of a PhD program because it allows students to apply their learning in an applied context.
Some departments require that all students participate in some form of thesis preparation during their final year at university; others require only that students submit an initial draft of their thesis before beginning fieldwork or other research-based activities (e.g., conferences).
