Study in USA

Q&A: I Need 5 Universities that Give Funding for PhD in US

funding-for-phdI’m responding to a question posted in our Orkut Scrap book by a student who is currently studying MS in electrical engineering and is planning to proceed to PhD. I was surprised to see such a question by a student who is currently doing Masters.

Question

I am presently doing MS, could you give me name of 4-5 very good universities which fund for PhD (electrical engineering), I’m doing thesis MS and have a couple of papers to my name.

PhD in US University

I’m wondering, if you were interested in proceeding to study PhD, why would you still remain enrolled in a master’s program? You could have enrolled for a direct PhD in electrical engineering program and it would have saved you 1-2 years of your time.

Maybe you decided to do PhD midway through M.S. or very recently. Even then, you always have an option to change track from MS to PhD. I will send you  link to this article, so you can answers above questions and many readers will benefit from it.

Studying PhD is about Passion

I can see money is the main motive when getting a PhD degree from your question. But I can very well say that financial aid will not get you a doctorate degree.

I assume you must have realized from your thesis in your master’s degree about the commitment required to solve your research problem. I wouldn’t advise anyone planning to apply to a doctorate program based on funding availability in a certain university.

What if 2 years into the program, you suddenly felt that the research topic you selected is not of your interest? Having some funding will not help you at that moment. This is because solving research problems require substantial commitment, time and interest.

If you have selected a university based on funding availability, and even if you really didn’t like to solve the research problem in the area your professor is working in, then you have wasted 2 years of your life.

How to Apply for PhD

The first 1-2 years in a PhD program involve course work, then you will spend time selecting a good research problem that had not been tackled substantially by anyone in the world before. So it really takes a lot of time to find a problem.

Then you will spend 2-3 years to research and solve the selected problem. Unless you are able to solve it, a PhD degree will not be awarded. So, you’ve got to have a lot of passion to solve the research problem.

After you complete a PhD degree, you are going to work in the same field for the rest of your life. So there is no way, you can select a school to study PhD based on funding prospects.

You have to select the university and the professor based on research are you are interested in. I haven’t seen any PhD student so far who had completed a doctorate degree without getting some form of funding from a university.

Financial aid can be in terms of grants, scholarships, research or teaching assistantship. Maybe you might not get funding during the first semester, maybe later on until you are able to prove your value to the university.

Image Credit: Tw Collins

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24 Comments

  1. Presently I’m doing my M.E in structural engineering and i will finish my course by may 2016 and I’m interested in doing Phd in USA. If I do Phd in USA in civil engineering, is it worth and will I be able to get a job in the same field and what will be the expenses for doing Phd apart from scholarships.

  2. Hi all ,

    I have a strange situation here . I am admitted to a direct PhD at one of the Top 10 schools on EE. But I don’t have enough personal funds nor any coordination for it with a professor there . Currently , I am doing a master’s in an average school in US .

    What is your advise to my case? If you need more information about me, I will send it to you . I am trying to make a decision within a limited time frame.

    THNX,

  3. hai
    i finished my m.phil in biochemistry now i joined phd . i am confussed that phd biochemistry is value in tamilnadu. my friends confussed me.

  4. hello,
    I have done my MSc from one of the Uk universities in the field of information and business system , at the moment I am interested to do PHd in the US, but without funding i wont be able to continue , now I just started looking at universities with their terms and conditions , but honestly I am so confused and need some help to get the right way, does all the phd periods take 5 to 7 years? i would prefer to find somewhere less than that,
    I would appreciate if you guide me in this process ,
    thanks in advance

  5. Hello Sir,

    I have done B.tech in mechanical from B.C.E. Bhagalpur with 75 percentage, My 10th percentage is 72 from Bihar board and 12th percentage is 57. Their is 2 years gap after 10+2(10+2 in 2002 and Btech 2004-2008). I am currently working as Nuclear Engineer at Nuclear Power Corporation of India.
    Due to great interest in Astrophysics, I want to go for research in astrophysics from USA. Also I have financial problems. I have not given GRE and Toefl yet.

    I would be obliged if you let me know what can I do to get my aim in life fulfilled

  6. Hello Sir,

    I have done B.tech in mechanical from B.C.E. Bhagalpur with 75 percentage, My 10th percentage is 72 from Bihar board and 12th percentage is 57. Their is 2 years gap after 10+2(10+2 in 2002 and Btech 2004-2008). I am currently working as Nuclear Engineer at Nuclear Power Corporation of India.
    Due to great interest in Astrophysics, I want to go for research in astrophysics from USA. Also I have financial problems. I have not given GRE and Toefl yet.

    I would be obliged if you could suggest me what can I do get my aim in life fulfilled

  7. Hello Sir,
    I have done B.tech in mechanical from UPTU with 65.67 percentage, My 10th percentage is 72 from icse board and 12th percentage is 62. Their is 2 years gap after 10+2(10+2 in 2005 and Btech 2007-2011).I want to go for research in aerospace or physics or astrophysics from USA. Also I have financial problems. I have not given GRE and Toefl yet. Suggest me what can I do get my aim in life fulfilled

  8. sir,
    i have completed MS Nuclear Engineering, with 2.87 CGPA
    i am currently working (JOB SPS-8) in the field of computational fluid dynamics but!
    i am not satisfied with my field
    i am tooooo much interested/ made in particle physics, in MS Nuclear Eng. i have’nt read any subject of particle physics!!!
    this is why i have decided to do ” MS leading to PhD plz guide me
    SAMEE ULLAH
    Scientific Officer
    PAKISTAN

  9. I have applied to US universities with my 7 semesters grade. I still not have my BS certificate in my hand. If I get admitted in universities is there any necessities to send the rest of the credentials.

  10. Hii,

    I am doing final year PGDM ( Hr and marketing) and i will be completing this degree in the month of feb 2011. I would like to do Phd in my field. So is it possible to purse after completing my masters degree without any work experience. Then what will be the fee structure and how much will it cost to complete my entire studies. Can you list out some college's which offers scholarship to the branch which i have taken already.

  11. hello sir,

    right now i'm doing my m.phil microbiology. i have planned to persue my phd in US. i'm going to take my GRE and TOEFL in march 2011. would i be able to apply for fall 2011 admission with funding and scholarship providing universities….please do reply and suggest me sir..

  12. hai

    i am studying my m pharm pharmacology in andhra pradesh.i want to do my ph.d in U.S. what should i do after writing GRE?hw much amount should i spend for ph.d?

    pls give reply?

  13. I am working as a faculty in an University in Tamilnadu in India. I am B.E. (Civil) with M.E.(Structures). I want to pursue my Ph.D. in any of the Universities in U.S. Can I get any scloraship or fund for my research work from any of the organisations in India. What is the procedure? If any one of them found information regarding this please kindly share with me.

    1. Presently R u doing your Phd or completed. If you have completed please guide me of how to do Phd in US because I have also completed B.Tech in CIVIL and presently doing my M.E in STRUCTURAL.

  14. hello sir…i have done my masters in physics with aggregate 64% ..so plz could u tell me how i can get phd in physics in us n how much gre score required fr good funding.

  15. Dear sir,
    I have completed M.Sc Biochemistry and looking for PhD program in USA in the field of Biology. I want to persue MS or PhD in USA university. I need the list of university those who are providing the above program with full scholarship or funding.
    Please help me in this regards.

    Thanks

  16. i want to do the p.hd program in physical education and sports.
    which univ. offer this course .and where can i get the funding

  17. hi all

    I am from india.i want to know about M.Sc. in Information technology or computer science in US. Is it possible to get admission in any US university without GRE.

    what will be the total cost of m.sc. in US.

  18. Dear Sir,

    I have passed M. Pharma and doing job in a pharmaceutical company. I want to persue MS or PhD in USA university. I need the list of university those who are providing the above program with full scholarship or funding.

    Please help me in this regards.

    Thanks

  19. hi all,

    I have completed M.Sc Bioinformatics and looking for PhD program in USA in the field of Biology. I have low GRE scores of Verbal 370, Quant 780 Analytical 3. Are there any chances of getting PhD admissions in fields like Biochem, Micro, Cell & Mol Bio. Please give me list of some universities accepting these scores.

  20. hi,

    i am in final year of engineering(ETC)

    I want to apply for direct PHD programs in CS in us only.

    my average is 60%. yet to give gre.. scored 103 in toefl ibt.

    i have done 5 projects in my field not in cs.

    have 2 papers

    certification:- MCPD, OCP,CCNP(working on last paper)

    good extra activities(certified professional from trinity school of music london)

    can u guide me in this process

    thanks in advance….

  21. hai,

    I have completed my Bachelor degree in Bioinformatics i want to purse Phd in my subject is it possible to do? can u tell me the list of colleges that gives scholarship to my specilization

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