Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

PhD Quality

Options
  • 18-05-2010 12:41pm
    #1
    Nadnerb111
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15 ✭


    Hey All

    I would like to get some comments on the following topics.


    1) In regards to a PhD, does the university that you graduate from have any bearing on how the qualification is viewed/valued by the outside world? So, for example, would a PhD from Queens be seen as better than a PhD from DIT? Or TCD vs Maynooth?

    2) I want to ask the same question in relation to funded full time vs self funded part time phd. Do these factors have any bearing on the quality of the eventaul qualification?

    Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    claire h
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,056 ✭✭✭claire h


    Nadnerb111 wrote: »
    2) I want to ask the same question in relation to funded full time vs self funded part time phd. Do these factors have any bearing on the quality of the eventaul qualification?

    Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

    In relation to this, it's not as though you'd ever list, say, 'PhD in X, Thesis Topic: blah blah blah, Research pattern: self-funded part-time....' But with any funding/scholarship you'd include that somewhere on a CV, and people often include such things in longer bios (sometimes bragging, sometimes because certain funding asks that you acknowledge the funding in such things), so it does help in that respect.


  • Options
    #3
    Time Magazine
    Registered Users Posts: 8,452 ✭✭✭Time Magazine


    Nadnerb111 wrote: »
    1) In regards to a PhD, does the university that you graduate from have any bearing on how the qualification is viewed/valued by the outside world? So, for example, would a PhD from Queens be seen as better than a PhD from DIT? Or TCD vs Maynooth?
    It varies, but yes, it does matter.
    2) I want to ask the same question in relation to funded full time vs self funded part time phd. Do these factors have any bearing on the quality of the eventaul qualification?
    Not so much.


  • Options
    #4
    simu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,730 ✭✭✭✭simu


    Nadnerb111 wrote: »


    1) In regards to a PhD, does the university that you graduate from have any bearing on how the qualification is viewed/valued by the outside world? So, for example, would a PhD from Queens be seen as better than a PhD from DIT? Or TCD vs Maynooth?

    The reputation of you particular academic department and your thesis supervisor's reputation in their field would matter more imo.


  • Options
    #5
    Nitochris
    Closed Accounts Posts: 122 ✭✭Nitochris


    Nadnerb111 wrote: »
    Hey All

    I would like to get some comments on the following topics.


    1) In regards to a PhD, does the university that you graduate from have any bearing on how the qualification is viewed/valued by the outside world? So, for example, would a PhD from Queens be seen as better than a PhD from DIT? Or TCD vs Maynooth?

    2) I want to ask the same question in relation to funded full time vs self funded part time phd. Do these factors have any bearing on the quality of the eventaul qualification?

    Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

    Not sure about question 1 but in regards question 2 our department had three of its recent graduates come back to give us newbies a seminar on life after the PhD. They suggested that funding awards were one of the main areas that academic employers focus on. These awards seem to be held in higher regard than teaching experience.


  • Options
    #6
    Time Magazine
    Registered Users Posts: 8,452 ✭✭✭Time Magazine


    simu wrote: »
    The reputation of you particular academic department and your thesis supervisor's reputation in their field would matter more imo.

    I expect it depends on the discipline. In Economics, your supervisor only matters for "letter-writing" purposes because, really, you should be doing your own research. The overall world-ranking of the department matters a good bit more than the supervisor.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Ostrom
    Registered Users Posts: 3,483 ✭✭✭Ostrom


    Nadnerb111 wrote: »
    Hey All

    I would like to get some comments on the following topics.


    1) In regards to a PhD, does the university that you graduate from have any bearing on how the qualification is viewed/valued by the outside world? So, for example, would a PhD from Queens be seen as better than a PhD from DIT? Or TCD vs Maynooth?

    Internationally, perhaps, but I have found it does not matter as much in Ireland. What matters is your publication record - frequency and ranking of journals - conference papers, and if you're looking toward academia, teaching experience to a lesser extent. Some universities and supervisors may be better placed to put you in touch with collaborators, introduce you to certain people etc that may present opportunities further down the line.
    Nadnerb111 wrote: »
    2) I want to ask the same question in relation to funded full time vs self funded part time phd. Do these factors have any bearing on the quality of the eventaul qualification?

    Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

    Not really... My own experience - I was fully funded but ended up doing lots of teaching, and writing a few (far too big) articles which took away from my research time. The final pinch is a huge motivator, I took an awful lot for granted in my first years which I am paying for now in tighter deadlines.

    I dont think it matters either way. With the right direction and focus it is possible to complete a phd in a short space of time, but other (necessary) things get in the way. When 'the fear' takes hold you will knock out a draft in six months anyway :)


  • Options
    #8
    Dr Strange
    Registered Users Posts: 3,427 ✭✭✭Dr Strange


    efla wrote: »
    ...When 'the fear' takes hold you will knock out a draft in six months anyway :)

    Fully agree with efla here. I was so pressed for time that I did a full draft from (almost) scratch within 3 months, did corrections to it and submitted the thesis for examination after another 2 months. I made the mistake of not writing until the last year of my PhD or I could have avoided the almost surreal writing frenzies during the last 5 months of the thesis. :o


  • Options
    #9
    Ostrom
    Registered Users Posts: 3,483 ✭✭✭Ostrom


    Preusse wrote: »
    Fully agree with efla here. I was so pressed for time that I did a full draft from (almost) scratch within 3 months, did corrections to it and submitted the thesis for examination after another 2 months. I made the mistake of not writing until the last year of my PhD or I could have avoided the almost surreal writing frenzies during the last 5 months of the thesis. :o

    And on that note (for the OP) another thing to consider would be a structured PhD programme, as these seem to be the norm now. With a structured programme you get a series of graduate modules to choose across a number of universities, with a credit contribution toward your award. They also encourage you to write early and in publication format.


Advertisement