[b]Notes On ThePhD Degree
Last week at thedepartment colloquium coffee hour, several students engaged the faculty in adiscussion about our Ph.D. program. It became clear that many of the studentsdid not understand the basics; they were surprised at some of the questions andconfused by some of the answers.
These notesprovide basic information about the purpose of a Ph.D. program in an attempt tohelp students decide whether to pursue a Ph.D. degree.
A Doctor ofPhilosophy degree, abbreviated Ph.D., is the highest academic degree anyone canearn. Because earning a Ph.D. requires extended study and intense intellectualeffort, less than one percent of the population attains the degree. Societyshows respect for a person who holds a Ph.D. by addressing them with the title"Doctor".
To earn a Ph.D.,one must accomplish two things. First, one must master a specific subjectcompletely. Second, one must extend the body of knowledge about that subject.
To master asubject, a student searches the published literature to find and readeverything that has been written about the subject. In scientific disciplines,a student begins by studying general reference works such as text books.Eventually, the student must also search scholarly journals, the publicationsthat scientists use to exchange information and record reports of theirscientific investigations.
Each universityestablishes general guidelines that a student must follow to earn a Ph.D.degree, and each college or department within a university sets specificstandards by which it measures mastery of a subject. Usually, in preparing forPh.D. work in a given field, a student must earn both a Bachelor's and Master'sdegree (or their equivalent) in that field or in a closely related field. Todemonstrate complete mastery of the subject, a student may be required tocomplete additional graduate-level courses, maintain a high grade average, or takea battery of special examinations. In many institutions, students must do allthree.
Becauseexaminations given as part of a Ph.D. curriculum assess expert knowledge, theyare created and evaluated by a committee of experts, each of whom holds a Ph.D.degree.
The essence of aPh.D., the aspect that distinguishes Ph.D. study from other academic work, canbe summarized in a single word: research. To extend knowledge, one mustexplore, investigate, and contemplate. The scientific community uses the term"research" to capture the idea.
In scientificdisciplines, research often implies experimentation, but research is more thanmere experiments -- it means interpretation and deep understanding. ForComputer Scientists, research means searching to uncover the principles thatunderlie digital computation and communication. A researcher must discover newtechniques that aid in building or using computational mechanisms. Researcherslook for new abstractions, new approaches, new algorithms, new principles, ornew mechanisms.
To complete aPh.D., each student must present results from their research to the faculty ina lengthy, formal document called a dissertation (more popularly referred to asa thesis). The student must then submit their dissertation to the faculty anddefend their work an oral examination.
In some cases, theresults of scientific research can be used to develop new products or improvethose that exist. However, scientists do not use commercial success orpotential commercial profits as a measure of their work; they conductinvestigations to further human understanding and the body of knowledge humanshave compiled. Often, the commercial benefits of scientific research are muchgreater in the long-term than in the short-term.
Computer Scienceresearch can include such diverse activities as designing and building newcomputer systems, proving mathematical theorems, writing computer software,measuring the performance of a computer system, using analytical tools toassess a design, or studying the errors programmers make as they build a largesoftware system. Because a researcher chooses the activities appropriate toanswer each question that arises in a research investigation, and because newquestions arise as an investigation proceeds, research activities vary fromproject to project and over time in a single project. A researcher must beprepared to use a variety of approaches and tools.
Many of you are tryingto decide whether to pursue a Ph.D. degree. Here are a few questions you mightask yourself.
1. Do you want aresearch career?
Before enrollingin a Ph.D. program, you should carefully consider your long-term goals. Becauseearning a Ph.D. is training for research, you should ask yourself whether aresearch position is your long-term goal. If it is, a Ph.D. degree is thestandard path to your chosen career (a few people have managed to obtain aresearch position without a Ph.D., but they are the exception, not the rule).If, however, you want a non-research career, a Ph.D. is definitely not for you.
2. Do you want anacademic position?
A Ph.D. is the defacto "union card" for an academic position. Although it is possibleto obtain an academic position without a Ph.D., the chances are low. Majoruniversities (and most colleges) require each member of their faculty to hold aPh.D. and to engage in research activities. Why? To insure that the facultyhave sufficient expertise to teach advanced courses and to force faculty toremain current in their chosen field. The U.S. State Department diplomaticprotocol ranks the title "professor" higher than the title"doctor". It does so in recognition of academic requirements: mostprofessors hold a Ph.D., but not all people who hold a Ph.D. degree areprofessors.
3. Do you havewhat it takes?
It is difficultfor an individual to assess their own capabilities. The following guidelinesand questions may be of help.
In your college and graduate courses, wereyou closer to the top of your class or the bottom? How well did you do on theGRE or other standardized tests?
Are you prepared to tackle a projectlarger than any you have undertaken before? You must commit to multiple yearsof hard work. Are you willing to reduce or forego other activities?
Research discoveries often arise when onelooks at old facts in a new way. Do you shine when solving problems? Do youlike "brain teasers" and similar puzzles? Are you good at solvingthem? In school, did you find advanced mathematics enjoyable or difficult?
Have you always been compelled tounderstand the world around you and to find out how things work? A naturalcuriosity makes research easier. Did you fulfill minimum requirements orexplore further on your own?
Most students are unprepared for Ph.D.study. They find it unexpectedly different than course work. Suddenly thrustinto a world in which no one knows the answers, students sometimes flounder.Can you adapt to new ways of thinking? Can you tolerate searching for answerseven when no one knows the precise questions?
By the time a student finishes anundergraduate education, they have become accustomed to receiving grades foreach course each semester. In a Ph.D. program, work is not divided neatly intoseparate courses, professors do not partition tasks into little assignments,and the student does not receive a grade for each small step. Are youself-motivated enough to keep working toward a goal without day-to-dayencouragement?
If you choose to enroll in a Ph.D.program, you will compete with others at the top. More important, once yougraduate, your peers will include some of the brightest people in the world.You will be measured and judged in comparison to them. Are you willing tocompete at the Ph.D. level?
Compared to coursework, which is carefullyplanned by a teacher, Ph.D. study has less structure. You will have morefreedom to set your own goals, determine your daily schedule, and followinteresting ideas. Are you prepared to accept the responsibility thataccompanies the additional freedoms? Your success or failure in Ph.D. researchdepends on it.
Students sometimesenroll in a Ph.D. program for the wrong reasons. After a while, such studentsfind that the requirements overwhelm them. Before starting one should realizethat a Ph.D. is not:
Almost everyone who has obtained a Ph.D.is proud of their efforts and the result. However, you should understand thatonce you graduate, you will work among a group of scientists who each hold aPh.D. degree. (One faculty member used to chide arrogant graduate students bysaying, "I don't see why you think it's such a great accomplishment -- allmy friends have a Ph.D!").
A guarantee ofrespect for all your opinions
Many students believe that once they earna Ph.D. people will automatically respect all their opinions. You will learn,however, that few people assume a Ph.D. in one subject automatically makes youan authority on others. It is especially true in the science communicaty;respect must be earned.
A Ph.D. degree prepares you for research.If all you want is a diploma to hang on the wall, there are much easier ways toobtain one. After you graduate, you will have occasion to compare your recordof accomplishment to those of other scientists. You will realize that whatcounts is the research work accumulated after a scientist finishes their formaleducation.
When an economy slows, everyone cansuffer. In fact, some companies reduce research before they reduce production,making Ph.D.s especially vulnerable. Furthermore, once a person earns a Ph.D.,many companies will not hire that person for a non-research position. As inmost professions, continued employment depends on continued performance.
A practical way toimpress your family or friends
Your mother may be proud and excited whenyou enroll in a Ph.D. program. After all, she imagines that she will soon beable to brag about her child, "the doctor." However, a desire toimpress others is insufficient motivation for the effort required.
Something you can"try" to find out how smart you are
Sorry, but it just doesn't work that way.Unless you make a total commitment, you will fail. You will need to work longhours, face many disappointments, stretch your mental capabilities, and learnto find order among apparently chaotic facts. Unless you have adopted thelong-range goal of becoming a researcher, the day-to-day demands will wear youdown. Standards will seem unnecessary high; rigor will seem unwarranted. If youonly consider it a test, you will eventually walk away.
The only researchtopic you will ever pursue
Many students make the mistake of viewingtheir Ph.D. topic as a research area for life. They assume each researcher onlyworks in one area, always pursues the same topic within that area, and alwaysuses the same tools and approaches. Experienced researchers know that newquestions arise constantly, and that old questions can become less interestingas time passes or new facts are discovered. The best people change topics andareas. It keeps them fresh and stimulates thinking. Plan to move on; preparefor change.
Easier thanentering the work force
You will find that the path to successfulcompletion of a Ph.D. becomes much steeper after you begin. The faculty imposeconstraints on your study, and do not permit unproductive students to remain inthe program.
Better than thealternatives
For many students, a Ph.D. can be a curse.They must choose between being at the top among people who hold a Mastersdegree or being a mediocre researcher. The faculty sometimes advise studentsthat they must choose between being "captain of the B team" or a"benchwarmer" on the A team. Everyone must decide what they want, andwhich profession will stimulate them most. But students should be realisticabout their capabilities. If you really cannot determine where you stand, askfaculty members.
While we haven't heard any statistics forthe past couple of years, graduate students used to estimate the"payoff" using the starting salaries of Ph.D. and M.S. positions, theaverage time required to obtain a Ph.D., the value of stock options, andcurrent return on investments. For a period of at least five years that weknow, the payoff was clearly negative. Suffice it to say that one must chooseresearch because one loves it; a Ph.D. is not the optimum road to wealth.
Despite all ourwarnings, we are proud that we earned Ph.D. degrees and proud of our researchaccomplishments. If you have the capability and interest, a research career canbring rewards unequaled in any other profession. You will meet and work withsome of the brightest people on the planet. You will reach for ideas beyondyour grasp, and in so doing extend your intellectual capabilities. You willsolve problems that have not been solved before. You will explore concepts thathave not been explored. You will uncover principles that change the way peopleuse computers.
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