A Ph.D often allows opportunities for more independent research and education supervised by expert faculty in that field. This type of program is generally much longer than a master’s program, and involves much more hands-on experience in your program of study. A Ph.D program delves deeply into your subject of choice, and it is important to consider your interests and what such a degree could add to your life further down the line. 

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 Doctoral degrees tend to be the most direct pathway to a career in Academia, or scholarly research and higher education. Most of your professors in undergrad likely had their Ph.Ds (with their Teaching Assistants (T.A.) were probably pursuing a Ph.D program)! However, there are many other options for Ph.D holders that are not in academia

The academia job market can be discouraging to people wanting to pursue a Ph.D but you can check out this article to learn a bit more about what career paths you can pursue with a Ph.D outside of academia.

So how do you know if a Ph.D program is right for you? Begin working on your application with the question Why do you want to pursue a Ph.D? This question will offer you insight into what you imagine your day-to-day looking like, the specification of research you want to do, how it will affect your career, and more… 

Many people in Ph.D programs recommend talking to someone in the field you are interested in to gain perspective. Learn how to conduct an informational interview here. Start by outlining your expectations so you can find where the gaps in your expectations lie. List the expectations that make you want to go into a Ph.D program and the expectations that make you hesitant. Turn these expectations into a list of questions. You can enlist your mentor into helping you prepare these questions. Consider choosing a professor with a Ph.D in your selected field. Also, a current graduate student like a TA can offer helpful insight into what a graduate application process and Ph.D experience looks like right now! Selecting both a professor and current Ph.D candidate will give you a well-rounded look at the Ph.D program prior to making the investment of pursuing a Ph.D.