PhD Study - What is a PhD?

A PhD is a postgraduate doctoral degree, awarded to students who complete an original thesis
offering a significant new contribution to knowledge in their subject. PhD qualifications are
available in all subjects and are normally the highest level of academic degree a person can
achieve.

This page explains what a PhD is, what it involves and what you need to know if you’re
considering applying for a PhD research project, or enrolling on a doctoral programme.

On this page

The definition of a PhD - what is a doctorate? The PhD research process - what's involved?
Doing a PhD - what's it actually like? What is a PhD for - and who should study one?

The definition of a PhD

The PhD can take on something of a mythic status. Are they only for geniuses? Do you have to
discover something incredible? Does the qualification make you an academic? And are higher
research degrees just for people who want to be academics?

Even the full title, ‘Doctor of Philosophy’, has a somewhat mysterious ring to it. Do you become
a doctor? Yes, but not that kind of doctor. Do you have to study Philosophy? No (not unless you
want to).

So, before going any further, let's explain what a PhD actually is and what defines a doctorate.

PhD vs doctorate

First thing's first: what's the difference between a 'PhD' and a 'doctorate'? Often, there isn't any.

A doctorate is a qualification that awards a doctoral degree. In order to qualify for one you need
to produce advanced work that makes a significant new contribution to your chosen discipline.
Doing so earns you the title 'Doctor' - hence the name.

The PhD is the most common type of doctorate and is awarded in most academic fields. Other
doctorates tend to be awarded in specific subject areas or for more practical and professional
projects.

Essentially, all PhDs are doctorates, but not all doctorates are PhDs.

What does 'PhD' stand for?

PhD stands for 'Doctor of Philosophy' which is an abbreviation of the latin term, (Ph)ilosophiae
(d)octor. The word 'philosophy' here refers to its original Greek meaning: philo (friend or lover
of) sophia (wisdom).

The origin of the PhD

Despite its name, the PhD isn't actually an Ancient Greek degree. Instead it's a much more recent
development. The PhD as we know it was developed in nineteenth-century Germany, alongside
the modern research university.

Higher education had traditionally focussed on mastery of an existing body of scholarship and
the highest academic rank available was, appropriately enough, a Masters degree.

As the focus shifted more onto the production of new knowledge and ideas, the PhD degree was
brought in to recognise those who demonstrated the ncessary skills and expertise.

The PhD research process - what's involved?

Unlike most Masters courses (or all undergraduate programmes), a PhD is a pure research
degree. But that doesn’t mean you’ll just spend three years locked away in a library or
laboratory. In fact, the modern PhD is a diverse and varied qualification with many different
components.

Whereas the second or third year of a taught degree look quite a lot like the first (with more
modules and coursework at a higher level) a PhD moves through a series of stages.

A typical PhD normally involves:

 Carrying out a literature review (a survey of current scholarship in your field).

 Conducting original research and collecting your results.
 Producing a thesis that presents your conclusions.
 Writing up your thesis and submitting it as a dissertation.
 Defending your thesis in an oral viva voce exam.

These stages vary a little between subjects and universities, but they tend to fall into the same
sequence over the three years of a typical full-time PhD.

PhDs in other countries The information on the page is based on the UK. Most countries follow
a similar format, but there are some differences. In the USA, for example, PhD students
complete reading assignments and examinations before beginning their research. You can find
out more in our guides to PhD study around the world.

The first year of a PhD

The beginning of a PhD is all about finding your feet as a researcher and getting a solid
grounding in the current scholarship that relates to your topic.

You’ll have initial meetings with your supervisor and discuss a plan of action based on your
research proposal.

The first step in this will almost certainly be carrying out your literature review. With the
guidance of your supervisor you’ll begin surveying and evaluating existing scholarship. This will
help situate your research and ensure your work is original.

Your literature review will provide a logical jumping off point for the beginning of your own
research and the gathering of results. This could involve designing and implementing
experiments, or getting stuck into a pile of primary sources.

The year may end with an MPhil upgrade. This occurs when PhD students are initially
registered for an MPhil degree and then ‘upgraded’ to PhD candidates upon making sufficient
progress. You’ll submit material from your literature review, or a draft of your research findings
and discuss these with members of your department. All being well, you’ll then continue with
your research as a PhD student.

The second year of a PhD

Your second year will probably be when you do most of your core research. The process for this
will vary depending on your field, but your main focus will be on gathering results from
experiments, archival research, surveys or other means.

As your research develops, so will the thesis (or argument) you base upon it. You may even
begin writing up chapters or other pieces that will eventually form part of your dissertation.

You’ll still be having regular meetings with your supervisor. They’ll check your progress,
provide feedback on your ideas and probably read any drafts your produce.

The second year is also an important stage for your development as a scholar. You’ll be well
versed in current research and have begun to collect some important data or develop insights of
your own. But you won’t yet be faced with the demanding and time-intensive task of finalising
your dissertation.

So, this part of your PhD is a perfect time to think about presenting your work at academic
conferences, gaining teaching experience or perhaps even selecting some material for
publication in an academic journal. You can read more about these kinds of activities below.

The third year of a PhD

The third year of a PhD is sometimes referred to as the writing up phase.

Traditionally, this is the final part of your doctorate, during which your main task will be pulling
together your results and honing your thesis into a dissertation.

In reality, it’s not always as simple as that.

It’s not uncommon for final year PhD students to still be fine-tuning experiments, collecting
results or chasing up a few extra sources. This is particularly likely if you spend part of your
second year focussing on professional development.

In fact, some students actually take all or part of a fourth year to finalise their dissertation.
Whether you are able to do this will depend on the terms of your enrolment – and perhaps your
PhD funding.

Eventually though, you are going to be faced with writing up your thesis and submitting your
dissertation.

Your supervisor will be very involved in this process. They’ll read through your final draft and
let you know when they think your PhD is ready for submission.

All that’s left then is your final viva voce oral exam. This is a formal discussion and defence of
your thesis involving at least one internal and external examiner. It’s normally the only
assessment procedure for a PhD. Once you’ve passed, you’ve done it!

Looking for more information about the stages of a PhD? How do you go about completing a
literature review? What's it like to do PhD research? And what actually happens at an MPhil
upgrade? You can find out more in our detailed guide to the PhD journey.

Doing a PhD - what's it actually like?

You can think of the ‘stages’ outlined above as the basic ‘roadmap’ for a PhD, but the actual
‘journey’ you’ll take as a research student involves a lot of other sights, a few optional
destinations and at least one very important fellow passenger.

Carrying out research

Unsurprisingly, you’ll spend most of your time as a PhD researcher… researching your PhD. But
this can involve a surprisingly wide range of activities.

The classic image of a student working away in the lab, or sitting with a pile of books in the
library is true some of the time – particularly when you’re monitoring experiments or conducting
your literature review.
Your PhD can take you much further afield though. You may find yourself visiting archives or
facilities to examine their data or look at rare source materials. You could even have the
opportunity to spend an extended period ‘in residence’ at a research centre or other institution
beyond your university.

Research is also far from being a solitary activity. You’ll have regular discussions with your
supervisor (see below) but you may also work with other students from time to time.

This is particularly likely if you’re part of a larger laboratory or workshop group studying the
same broad area. But it’s also common to collaborate with students whose projects are more
individual. You might work on shorter projects of joint interest, or be part of teams organising
events and presentations.

Many universities also run regular internal presentation and discussion groups – a perfect way to
get to know other PhD students in your department and offer feedback on each other’s work in
progress.

Working with your supervisor

All PhD projects are completed with the guidance of at least one academic supervisor. They will
be your main point of contact and support throughout the PhD.

Your supervisor will be an expert in your general area of research, but they won’t have
researched on your exact topic before (if they had, your project wouldn’t be original enough for a
PhD).

As such, it’s better to think of your supervisor as a mentor, rather than a teacher.

As a PhD student you’re now an independent and original scholar, pushing the boundaries of
your field beyond what is currently known (and taught) about it. You’re doing all of this for the
first time, of course. But your supervisor isn’t.

They’ll know what’s involved in managing an advanced research project over three years (or
more). They’ll know how best to succeed, but they’ll also know what can go wrong and how to
spot the warning signs before it does.

Perhaps most importantly, they’ll be someone with the time and expertise to listen to your ideas
and help provide feedback and encouragement as you develop your thesis.

Exact supervision arrangements vary between universities and between projects:

 In Science and Technology projects it’s common for a supervisor to be the lead
investigator on a wider research project, with responsibility for a laboratory or workshop
that includes several PhD students and other researchers.
  In Arts and Humanities subjects, a supervisor’s research is more separate from their
students’. They may supervise more than one PhD at a time, but each project is
essentially separate.

It’s also becoming increasingly common for PhD students to have two (or more) supervisors.
The first is usually responsible for guiding your academic research whilst the second is more
concerned with the administration of your PhD – ensuring you complete any necessary training
and stay on track with your project’s timetable.

However you’re supervised, you’ll have regular meetings to discuss work and check your
progress. Your supervisor will also provide feedback on work during your PhD and will play an
important role as you near completion: reading your final dissertation draft, helping you select an
external examiner and (hopefully) taking you out for a celebratory drink afterwards!

How do I choose a supervisor? A positive and productive supervisory relationship will make a
big difference to your postgraduate research experience. That's why we've put together advice on
choosing a supervisor - and working well with them.

Professional development, networking and communication

Traditionally, the PhD has been viewed as a training process, preparing students for careers in
academic research.

As such, it often includes opportunities to pick up additional skills and experiences that are an
important part of a scholarly CV. Academics don’t just do research after all. They also teach
students, administrate departments – and supervise PhDs.

The modern PhD is also viewed as a more flexible qualification. Not all doctoral graduates end
up working in higher education. Many follow alternative careers that are either related to their
subject of specialism or draw upon the advanced research skills their PhD has developed.

PhD programmes have begun to reflect this. Many now emphasise transferrable skills or include
specific training units designed to help students communicate and apply their research beyond
the university.

What all of this means is that very few PhD experiences are just about researching and writing
up a thesis.

The likelihood is that you’ll also do some (or all) of the following during your PhD:

 Teaching
 PhD researchers are often given the opportunity to teach undergraduates at their
university. This generally involves leading small group teaching exercises, demonstrating
methods and experiments and providing mentoring.

The work is usually paid and is increasingly accompanied by formal training and
evaluation.

 Conference presentation

As a PhD student you’ll be at the cutting edge of your field, doing original research and
producing new results. This means that your work will be interest to other scholars and
that your results could be worth presenting at academic conferences.

Doing this is very worthwhile, whatever your career plans. You’ll develop transferrable
skills in public speaking and presenting, gain feedback on your results and begin to be
recognised as an expert in your area. Conferences are also great places to network with
other students and academics.

 Publication

As well as presenting your research, you may also have the opportunity to publish work
in academic journals, books, or other media.

This can be a challenging process. Your work will be judged according to the same high
standards as any other scholar’s and will normally go through extensive peer review
processes.

But it’s also highly rewarding. Seeing your work ‘in print’ is an incredible validation of
your PhD research and a definite boost to your academic CV.

 Public engagement and communication

Academic work may be associated with the myth of the ‘ivory tower’ – an insular
community of experts focussing on obscure topics of little interest outside the university.
But this is far from the case.

More and more emphasis is being placed on the ‘impact’ of research and its wider
benefits to the public – with funding decisions being made accordingly.

Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to try your hand at public engagement as a
PhD student. Universities are often involved in local events and initiatives to
communicate the benefits of their research, ranging from workshops in local schools to
public lectures and presentations.

Some PhD programmes include structured training in order to help students with
activities such as the above.
 Your supervisor may also be able to help by identifying suitable conferences and public
engagement opportunities, or by involving you in appropriate university events and
public engagement initiatives.

These experiences will be an important part of your development as a researchers - and will
enhance the value of your PhD regardless of your career plans.

What is a PhD for - and who should study one?

So, you know what a PhD actually is, what’s involved in completing one and what you might get
up to whilst you do. That just leaves one final question: should you do a PhD?

Unfortunately, it’s not a question we can answer for you.

A PhD is difficult and uniquely challenging. It requires at least three years of hard work and
dedication after you’ve already completed an undergraduate degree (and probably a Masters
degree too).

You’ll need to support yourself during those years and, whilst you will be building up an
impressive set of skills, you won’t be directly progressing in a career.

But a PhD is also immensely rewarding. It’s your chance to make a genuine contribution to the
sum of human knowledge and produce work that other researchers can (and will) build on in
future. However obscure your topic feels, there’s really no such thing as a useless PhD.

A PhD is also something to be incredibly proud of. A proportionately tiny number of people go
on to do academic work at this level. Whatever you end up doing after your doctorate you’ll have
an impressive qualification – and a title to match. What’s more, non-academic careers and
professions are increasingly recognising the unique skills and experience a PhD brings.

Other PhDs - do degree titles matter? The PhD is the oldest and most common form of higher
research degree, but a few alternatives are available. Some, such as the DPhil are essentially
identical to a PhD. Others, such as the Professional Doctorate or DBA are slightly different. You
can find out more in our guide to types of PhD

Is a PhD for me?

There’s more advice on the value of a PhD – and good reasons for studying one – elsewhere in
this section. But the following are some quick tips if you’re just beginning to consider a PhD.

 Speak to your lecturers / tutors

 The best people to ask about PhD study are people who’ve earned one. Ask staff at your
current or previous university about their experience of doctoral research – what they
enjoyed, what they didn’t and what their tips might be.

If you’re considering a PhD for an academic career, ask about that too. Are job prospects
good in your field? And what’s it really like to work at a university?

 Speak to current PhD students

Want to know what it’s like studying a PhD right now? Or what it’s like doing research at
a particular university? Ask someone who knows.

Current PhD students were just like you a year or two ago and most will be happy to
answer questions.

If you can’t get in touch with any students ‘face to face’, pop over to the Postgraduate
Forum – you’ll find plenty of students there who are happy to chat about postgraduate
research.

 Take a look at advertised projects and programmes

This may seem like a strange suggestion. After all, you’re only going to study one PhD,
so what’s the point of reading about lots of others?

Well, looking at the details of different PhD projects is a great way to get a general sense
of what PhD research is like. You’ll see what different PhDs tend to have in common and
what kinds of unique opportunity might be available to you.

And, with thousands of PhDs in our database, you’re already in a great place to start.

 Read our other advice articles

Finally, you can also check out some of the other advice on the FindAPhD website.
We’ve looked at some good (and bad) reasons for studying a PhD as well as the value of
a doctorate to different career paths.

More generally, you can read our in-depth look at a typical PhD journey, or find out more
about specific aspects of doctoral study such as working with a supervisor or writing your
dissertation.

We add new articles all the time – the best way to stay up to date is by signing up for our
free PhD study newsletter.

Did you know we currently list 5,238 PhD opportunities worldwide?

Why not take a look?

Last updated - 23/05/2018

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