Choosing a PhD for 2017 - Finding the Right University and Project

We try to cover a few bases on this blog. We try to offer a bit of advice and inspiration, we showcase interesting student experiences and we keep an eye on the news that affects postgraduate students.

But this website isn't called findsomephdnewsandinspiration.com. For one thing, we'd have an awful time designing a logo. For another, well, that's not all we do.

We're FindAPhD. We help people find PhDs. And I'm going to assume that, if you're reading this, that's exactly what you're looking to do right now.

If so, you've probably used our site to search for current opportunities. And, depending on how specific your criteria are, well, you might have seen a fair few results.

So, how do you narrow those down? How do you actually go from looking at lots of PhDs to finding a PhD?

This blog will suggest a few ways to do that. Finding the right project will require some research (researching research degrees? - it's best not to think about it). But the following tips and tools will make the process easier - and hopefully more successful!

Considering more than one university for your PhD? You probably should be - at least initially.

University rankings are one obvious means of comparing different institutions. In fact, they're the most common benchmark used by the media and, by extension, the general public. Three different organisations produce 'global' rankings of universities and their annual publication is the occasion for speculation and mainstream press coverage.

There's just one catch: none of the major university rankings focus specifically on PhD study.

But you're not going to let that stop you.

You're a (prospective) PhD student. Analysing and interpreting data is what you do.

Rankings may not directly measure the quality of a university's postgraduate research training, but they do include lots of metrics that reflect that quality - directly and indirectly.

The trick is knowing how to use them - and that's where our brand new guide comes in. We've looked at the top universities in each of the latest 'big' rankings: the Times Higher Education, QS and Shanghai tables. More importantly, we've explained how these tables actually work and how to get the most out of each of them for postgraduate study.

Top-ranked universities for 2017

For ease of reference, here are the current top 5 universities according to each ranking:

For more information, see our full guide to PhD rankings.

The REF (or Research Excellence Framework, to give it its full title) is an official assessment of UK universities that focusses specifically on . . . you guessed it: their research.

It isn't a ranking and it isn't specifically intended for use by students. But that doesn't stop it being a an excellent tool for prospective PhDs.

In fact, we're so convinced of this that we've put together an interactive tool for viewing the most recent REF results, plus a detailed FAQ.

The REF doesn't just measure the quality of a university's research: its output and impact. It also measures the environment in which that research is carried out and in which you'll work as a PhD student. Better yet, it does this for specific subjects, allowing you to find out exactly how effective a university's research is in the field you'd like to research.

Studying abroad?

There's one catch with the REF - and you've probably spotted it. The UK's Research Excellence Framework only focusses on UK universities. This makes it perfect if you're looking at a PhD in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, but not so great if you want to study abroad. And by 'not so great' I really mean 'no use at all.'

Of course other countries have their own systems for assessing universities and maintaining quality standards. The simplest way to to find out about these is to check our guides to PhD study abroad.

This should be obvious, but it's important enough that I'm going to slip it in here anyway.

By definition, every PhD project is unique. It has to be. Tackling a new problem and producing original knowledge is part of what defines PhD-level work. It's what a PhD does and it's an essential part of what a PhD is.

That's why we don't just list PhDs: we describe them, in detail. Every one of the PhD projects we list is unique and every one of our listings explains why.

So, all jokes about researching research aside, it really is worth spending some time looking at different projects in detail. And, as odd as it may sound, it won't hurt to actually treat this like a research exercise.

Make notes. Identify what you'd consider to be the main attractions of each project and identify the questions you'd like to ask about it.

And, when you've done that, get them answered. Which brings me to. . .

There's more to a university than can be revealed in a ranking (or in an assessment like the REF). And there's more to a PhD project than can be covered in a simple listing.

That's why we include contact details for supervisors and advisors associated with each project we list. And it's why you should use them.

If you're serious about a PhD opportunity and want to know more about it, a university will be keen to hear from you and more than happy to answer your questions.

Those questions could be about the content of a project and how it matches with your existing skills and training. Or they could be about the specific application requirements and your eligibility. They could even be about funding opportunities.

Sending an email

Email is the simplest way to get in touch about a PhD project or programme - in fact you can do it straight from our course listings.

But don't just dash off an inquiry. Spend some time composing your message. The clearer your questions are, the easier they'll be for the university to answer and the more its staff can help you.

Chances are this email is also going to be your first point of contact with the university. Things are still informal at this stage, but it doesn't hurt to make a good impression - especially if applications for the project will be competitive, or if funding could be available.

In particular, try to avoid asking for information that's already available in the course listing - or elsewhere on the university website.

Going face to face

Email is ideal for simple enquiries - or for expressing your interest in a project at an early point in the application stage. It's not so great for broader conversation and discussion about a project or a university.

If you've got a range of questions, or want to be able to ask for follow-up information, it may actually be better to chat in person.

I'm not suggesting that you turn up uoutside a potential supervisor's office with a list of questions. That might not get things off on quite the right foot.

But there is a simpler way to meet universities and ask questions 'face to face': come along to a postgraduate study fair. These events run across the UK and are specifically designed for prospective students to learn about Masters and PhD study and have their questions answered directly.

In fact, we'll be running two events specifically for future PhD students this month, in Oxford and Cambridge. Both are free. They also feature a talk by someone who looks suspiciously like the author at the top of this post - albeit with slightly shorter hair.

We'll be offering more specific advice on postgraduate study fairs on the blog next week. In the meantime, you can find out more - and register - here.

Another obvious point to end on, but worth stating anyway.

If you're thinking about a PhD in October 2016, chances are you're looking at studying in the next academic year: 2017-18.

That gives you plenty of time to use the suggestions in this post (and elswhere) and put some serious thought into your decision-making process.

We'll be here whilst you do, with more advice on this blog - and updates via our newsletter.