graduate research phd

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UCLA Graduate Programs

Whether you’re a new grad student, a postdoc, a visiting graduate researcher, or a prospective applicant looking to see what research we’re doing on campus, we’ve compiled some resources on this page to get you started.

As a preeminent public research university, UCLA offers the opportunity to lead research in state-of-the-art facilities while collaborating with world-renowned faculty. Scholars will learn to further shape and define their particular projects, expand their mastery in their chosen field, work in partnership with their peers and mentors and share their knowledge in the classroom and lab. This collective effort is the spark that ignites solutions to the most pressing global problems of today and tomorrow. Susan L. Ettner Dean, UCLA Division of Graduate Education Professor, Department of Medicine Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management

Visiting Graduate Researchers

Visiting Graduate Researchers are domestic or international degree-seeking graduate students at their home institution who are invited to conduct short-term doctoral research or participate in a mentored or independent research project or master’s research collaboration with a faculty member at UCLA. The initial Visiting Graduate Researcher appointment can range from 3 weeks to 12 months; the maximum stay is 24 months.

Postdoctoral Scholars

A  Postdoctoral Scholar  (Postdoc) is an individual who holds a doctoral degree, is engaged in advanced training and education, and conducts research under the guidance of a faculty member at UCLA. A postdoctoral scholar position prepares you for a career in academia, industry, government or the non-profit sector. Each year, UCLA hosts approximately 1,200 postdocs worldwide who play a critical role in furthering the University’s educational and research mission.

Research Assistantships

Graduate Student Researcher positions provide experience working on faculty-supervised research projects. Applicants should inquire within their department.

Internships

The UCLA Career Center’s  Handshake  is a good place to start looking for internships, as is the  UCLA International Education Office  if you’re looking for an experience abroad. Other places are your home program/department and other programs/departments on campus.

Summer Programs

Many UCLA summer programs are designed to give undergraduates research experience before applying to graduate school. Head to our Admissions section to learn more about Undergraduate Summer Programs . For graduate students, search our Graduate Funding Search Engine to see current research opportunities available through the summer.

• UCLA-Peking Joint Research Institute Summer Exchange

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="graduate research phd"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Research and scholarship.

With $1.22 billion in research expenditures, one of the 15 largest academic research libraries, top ranked graduate fields, and some of the best facilities in academia, Cornell University is consistently ranked as one of the most comprehensive universities in the world.

Cornell has more than 150 interdisciplinary research centers, institutes, laboratories, and programs where research is conducted on everything from nano-particles to labor migration in Nepal. The Graduate Linkage program links graduate students at Cornell University’s Ithaca campus with the Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC) and Graduate School of Medical Sciences (WCGSMS).

Graduate education receives strong financial support with nearly $50 million in tuition, stipend, and organized research expenditures. Cornell is ranked among the nation’s top five academic institutions in National Science Foundation research funding. ( Source: Cornell Research .)

Research Highlights

• Cornell scientists are building and testing a prototype of a linear accelerator-driven, ultrabright x-ray source – the Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) – an essential tool for investigating all types of materials, physical phenomena, biological molecules, and chemical processes.
• With its legacy of leadership in nanoscience and nanotechnology, Cornell is a global force in nanofabrication capabilities, particularly featuring advanced electron beam and optical lithography and expertise in complex process integration.
• With a long tradition of research leadership in genetics and genomics, Cornell is a nationally recognized institution for implementing and utilizing the latest sequencing technologies as shared resources. More than 1,000 researchers use Cornell’s sequencing capabilities annually for genomics research.
• A Cornell lead science team created two of the world’s most famous robots – Spirit and Opportunity – which have been exploring Mars since January 2004.
• Cornell faculty scholarship in literary theory is among the most highly regarded in the field.
• Cornell biophysicists invented multiphoton microscopy, a widely used technology that is allowing researchers to image fluorescent markers deep inside tissue, “seeing” what takes place inside living cells.

Learn more:

• Cornell Centers and Institutes
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Doctoral programs.

The goal of the GSE PhD in Education is to prepare the next generation of leading education researchers. The cornerstone of the doctoral experience at the Stanford Graduate School of Education is the research apprenticeship that all students undertake, typically under the guidance of their academic advisor, but often with other Stanford faculty as well.

In this apprenticeship model, doctoral students are provided with a multi-year funding package that consists of opportunities each quarter to serve as teaching and research assistants for faculty members' courses and research projects. By this means, and in combination with the courses they take as part of their program, students are prepared over an approximately five-year period to excel as university teachers and education researchers.

The doctoral degree in Education at the GSE includes doctoral program requirements as well as a specialization, as listed below, overseen by a faculty committee from one of the GSE's three academic areas.

Doctoral programs by academic area

Curriculum studies and teacher education (cte).

• ‌ Elementary Education
• ‌ History/Social Science Education
• ‌ Learning Sciences and Technology Design
• ‌ Literacy, Language, and English Education
• ‌ Mathematics Education
• ‌ Science, Engineering and Technology Education
• ‌ Race, Inequality, and Language in Education
• ‌ Teacher Education

Developmental and Psychological Sciences (DAPS)

• ‌ Developmental and Psychological Sciences

Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Policy Studies in Education (SHIPS)

• ‌ Anthropology of Education
• ‌ Economics of Education
• ‌ Education Data Science
• ‌ ‌Educational Linguistics
• ‌ Educational Policy
• ‌ Higher Education
• ‌ History of Education
• ‌ International Comparative Education
• ‌ Organizational Studies
• ‌ Philosophy of Education
• ‌ Sociology of Education

Cross-area specializations

Learning sciences and technology design (lstd).

LSTD allows doctoral students to study learning sciences and technology design within the context of their primary program of study (DAPS, CTE, or SHIPS).

Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE)

RILE trains students to become national leaders in conducting research on how race, inequality, and language intersect to make both ineffective and effective educational opportunities. RILE allows students to specialize within their program of study (DAPS, CTE, or SHIPS).

Other academic opportunities

• ‌ Concentration in Education and Jewish Studies
• ‌ PhD Minor in Education
• ‌ Stanford Doctoral Training Program in Leadership for System-wide Inclusive Education (LSIE)
• ‌ Certificate Program in Partnership Research in Education
• ‌ Public Scholarship Collaborative

“I came to Stanford to work with faculty who value learning in informal settings and who are working to understand and design for it.”

Doctoral graduates were employed within four months of graduation

of those employed worked in organizations or roles related to education

For more information about GSE admissions and to see upcoming events and appointments:

To learn more about the Academic Services team:

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See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

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Graduate Research Degree Programs

Go beyond the classroom to make a meaningful impact.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) offers research-centered (M.S./Ph.D.) advanced degree programs in more than 30 fields of study. 

Cornell is ranked first among the nation’s academic institutions in National Science Foundation research funding. The total research expenditure in CALS exceeded $185 million in fiscal year 2016. Graduate research education receives strong financial support with nearly $50 million in tuition, stipend and organized research expenditures.

Admissions decisions for all CALS graduate degree programs are made by CALS graduate field faculty committees. The Cornell University Graduate School administers the application process for graduate programs at Cornell and provides administrative support for all Cornell graduate research students. 

Graduate research degree offerings

Master of science (m.s.).

Master of Science (M.S.) degree programs are designed for those who wish to obtain further education in a selected field and to develop their ability for critical inquiry, independent research, and teaching.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs are designed for individuals who demonstrate the potential to perform original research under guidance, with a view to various careers, including those in research and teaching.

Joint M.S./Ph.D

Some graduate fields also offer joint M.S./Ph.D. degree programs. In certain cases, students who desire a Ph.D. but have not demonstrated research capabilities may be admitted to an M.S./Ph.D. program.

Graduate research at Cornell

With nearly $700 million in research expenditures, one of the 10 largest academic research libraries, top-ranked graduate fields and some of the best facilities in academia, Cornell University is consistently ranked as one of the most comprehensive universities in the world.

Graduate research education receives strong financial support with nearly $50 million in tuition, stipend, and organized research expenditures. Cornell is ranked first among the nation’s academic institutions in National Science Foundation research funding.

Million in Research Expenditures

Largest Academic Research Libraries

Total Graduate Students

Graduate fields of study

Learn more about the graduate degree programs available in CALS. General information about graduate study at Cornell University is available on the  Graduate School's website .

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Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Additional Information

• Download the Doctoral Viewbook
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The Harvard Ph.D. in Education trains cutting-edge researchers who work across disciplines to generate knowledge and translate discoveries into transformative policy and practice.

Offered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. in Education provides you with full access to the extraordinary resources of Harvard University and prepares you to assume meaningful roles as university faculty, researchers, senior-level education leaders, and policymakers.

As a Ph.D. candidate, you will collaborate with scholars across all Harvard graduate schools on original interdisciplinary research. In the process, you will help forge new fields of inquiry that will impact the way we teach and learn. The program’s required coursework will develop your knowledge of education and your expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative methods needed to conduct high-quality research. Guided by the goal of making a transformative impact on education research, policy, and practice, you will focus on independent research in various domains, including human development, learning and teaching, policy analysis and evaluation, institutions and society, and instructional practice.   

Curriculum Information

The Ph.D. in Education requires five years of full-time study to complete. You will choose your individual coursework and design your original research in close consultation with your HGSE faculty adviser and dissertation committee. The requirements listed below include the three Ph.D. concentrations: Culture, Institutions, and Society; Education Policy and Program Evaluation; and Human Development, Learning and Teaching . 

We invite you to review an example course list, which is provided in two formats — one as the full list by course number and one by broad course category . These lists are subject to modification. 

Ph.D. Concentrations and Examples

Summary of Ph.D. Program

Doctoral Colloquia  In year one and two you are required to attend. The colloquia convenes weekly and features presentations of work-in-progress and completed work by Harvard faculty, faculty and researchers from outside Harvard, and Harvard doctoral students. Ph.D. students present once in the colloquia over the course of their career.

Research Apprenticeship The Research Apprenticeship is designed to provide ongoing training and mentoring to develop your research skills throughout the entire program.

Teaching Fellowships The Teaching Fellowship is an opportunity to enhance students' teaching skills, promote learning consolidation, and provide opportunities to collaborate with faculty on pedagogical development.

Comprehensive Exams  The Written Exam (year 2, spring) tests you on both general and concentration-specific knowledge. The Oral Exam (year 3, fall/winter) tests your command of your chosen field of study and your ability to design, develop, and implement an original research project.

Dissertation  Based on your original research, the dissertation process consists of three parts: the Dissertation Proposal, the writing, and an oral defense before the members of your dissertation committee.

Culture, Institutions, and Society (CIS) Concentration

In CIS, you will examine the broader cultural, institutional, organizational, and social contexts relevant to education across the lifespan. What is the value and purpose of education? How do cultural, institutional, and social factors shape educational processes and outcomes? How effective are social movements and community action in education reform? How do we measure stratification and institutional inequality? In CIS, your work will be informed by theories and methods from sociology, history, political science, organizational behavior and management, philosophy, and anthropology. You can examine contexts as diverse as classrooms, families, neighborhoods, schools, colleges and universities, religious institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more.

Education Policy and Program Evaluation (EPPE) Concentration

In EPPE, you will research the design, implementation, and evaluation of education policy affecting early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education in the U.S. and internationally. You will evaluate and assess individual programs and policies related to critical issues like access to education, teacher effectiveness, school finance, testing and accountability systems, school choice, financial aid, college enrollment and persistence, and more. Your work will be informed by theories and methods from economics, political science, public policy, and sociology, history, philosophy, and statistics. This concentration shares some themes with CIS, but your work with EPPE will focus on public policy and large-scale reforms.

Human Development, Learning and Teaching (HDLT) Concentration

In HDLT, you will work to advance the role of scientific research in education policy, reform, and practice. New discoveries in the science of learning and development — the integration of biological, cognitive, and social processes; the relationships between technology and learning; or the factors that influence individual variations in learning — are transforming the practice of teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. Whether studying behavioral, cognitive, or social-emotional development in children or the design of learning technologies to maximize understanding, you will gain a strong background in human development, the science of learning, and sociocultural factors that explain variation in learning and developmental pathways. Your research will be informed by theories and methods from psychology, cognitive science, sociology and linguistics, philosophy, the biological sciences and mathematics, and organizational behavior.

Program Faculty

The most remarkable thing about the Ph.D. in Education is open access to faculty from all Harvard graduate and professional schools, including the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School, the Harvard Law School, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health. Learn about the full Ph.D. Faculty.

Jarvis R. Givens

Jarvis Givens studies the history of American education, African American history, and the relationship between race and power in schools.

Paul L. Harris

Paul Harris is interested in the early development of cognition, emotion, and imagination in children.

Meira Levinson

Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who works at the intersection of civic education, youth empowerment, racial justice, and educational ethics. 

Luke W. Miratrix

Luke Miratrix is a statistician who explores how to best use modern statistical methods in applied social science contexts.

Eric Taylor

Eric Taylor studies the economics of education, with a particular interest in employer-employee interactions between schools and teachers — hiring and firing decisions, job design, training, and performance evaluation.

Paola Uccelli

Paola Ucelli studies socio-cultural and individual differences in the language development of multilingual and monolingual students.

View Ph.D. Faculty

Dissertations.

The following is a complete listing of successful Ph.D. in Education dissertations to-date. Dissertations from November 2014 onward are publicly available in the Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) , the online repository for Harvard scholarship.

• 2022 Graduate Dissertations (265 KB pdf)
• 2021 Graduate Dissertations (177 KB pdf)
• 2020 Graduate Dissertations (121 KB pdf)
• 2019 Graduate Dissertations (68.3 KB pdf)

Student Directory

An opt-in listing of current Ph.D. students with information about their interests, research, personal web pages, and contact information:

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Student Directory

Introduce Yourself

Tell us about yourself so that we can tailor our communication to best fit your interests and provide you with relevant information about our programs, events, and other opportunities to connect with us.

Program Highlights

Explore examples of the Doctor of Philosophy in Education experience and the impact its community is making on the field:

Reshaping Teacher Licensure: Lessons from the Pandemic

Olivia Chi, Ed.M.'17, Ph.D.'20, discusses the ongoing efforts to ensure the quality and stability of the teaching workforce

Lost in Translation

New comparative study from Ph.D. candidate Maya Alkateb-Chami finds strong correlation between low literacy outcomes for children and schools teaching in different language from home

Graduate Research Degree Programs (M.S./Ph.D.)

The Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs emphasize research preparation and experience.

Please note that Berkeley EECS no longer requires, nor accepts, GRE scores.

The Fall 2024 Admission application is now closed

The next available application cycle will be for Fall 2025.  The application will reopen in September 2024.

When choosing between our degree programs (M.S., M.S./Ph.D., Ph.D.), please carefully consider the descriptions at the bottom of this page.

Application Prerequisites for All Graduate Research Degree Programs

The minimum graduate admission requirements are:

• A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution . If you are in your final year of studies, and you expect to earn your degree by mid-August of the following year, you may apply. If you are admitted, you will be required to provide proof at that time that you have earned your bachelor’s degree, usually in the form of a final official transcript.
• If you attended a university that uses a 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) scale, a satisfactory scholastic average with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B) is required. If you attended a university that does not use the 4.0 GPA scale, please do not try to convert your grades to the 4.0 scale for the application.
• Three Letters of Recommendation uploaded as PDFs through the link provided in the online application. Your letters could include details about your goals, research accomplishments, technical and leadership skills, academic work, etc. We suggest you give your recommenders at least two months to write your letters.
• If you received or are a candidate to receive a degree from an institution outside the United States , please see Minimum Degree Requirements for International Applicants and Evidence of English Language Proficiency .

*The GRE is no longer required nor accepted.

Research Areas

You can apply for the M.S., M.S./Ph.D., or Ph.D. program in either Electrical Engineering (EECS) or Computer Science (CS) .  To apply you will need to choose a division.  The table below shows which specialization areas fall under the EE division, under the CS division, and under both.

**Please note that on the official Grad Division application page EE is referred to as Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) and CS is referred to as Computer Science (CS) .  EE applicants must make sure to apply to EECS, and CS applicants make sure to apply to CS.

Electrical Engineering

Information, Data, Network, and Communication Sciences (IDNCS)

Computer Vision and Artificial Intelligence (CVAI)

Control, Intelligent Systems, and Robotics (CIR)

Integrated Circuits (INC)

Micro/Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)

Physical Electronics (PHY)

Signal Processing (SP)

Biosystems & Computational Biology (BIO)

Computer Architecture & Engineering (ARC)

Cyber-Physical Systems and Design Automation (CPSDA)

Energy (ENE)

Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Database Management Systems (DBMS)

Education (EDUC)

Graphics (GR)

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Operating Systems & Networking (OSNT)

Programming Systems (PS)

Scientific Computing (SCI)

Security (SEC)

Theory (THY)

Admissions Checklist

The current application period is closed.  The next application period will open in early September 2022.

• Open an online application.
• Proof of English Proficiency – If your previous degree is from a university in a non-English speaking country, then you need to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam by November. TOEFL scores will remain valid for up to two years .  Send your scores electronically to Institution Code 4833.
• Statement of Purpose – Why are you applying for this program? What are your research goals and interests? What do you hope to accomplish in this degree program? What do you want to do after and how will this help you?
• Personal History Statement – What from your past made you decide to go into this field? And how will your personal history help you succeed in this program and your future goals?
• 3 Letters of Recommendation – Letters from professors are highly preferred. Letters could include details about your goals, research accomplishments, technical and leadership skills, academic work, etc. We suggest you give your recommenders at least two months to write your letters and upload them as PDFs through the link (provided from your online application).
• Unofficial Transcripts – Upload unofficial copies/PDFs of your transcripts from all the higher education institutions you attended. Hard copy or emailed transcripts will not be accepted. Transcripts not in English or Spanish must be translated prior to uploading to the application. If you graduated from a university outside of the U.S. you should also upload a copy of your degree certificate if your transcripts do not show the award of your degree.
• GPA – If you attended a university that does not use a 4.0 GPA scale, please enter your GPA as listed on your transcript in the section “Other Scale GPA.”
• Resume/CV – List any education, work, research, volunteer experience, awards, or future coursework.
• Pay the application fee. Eligible US citizens and Permanent Residents may apply in advance for application  waivers .
• Submit your completed application by the deadline. To avoid any technical issues, we recommend submitting your application well before the deadline. Late applications or materials will not be accepted.

Please review our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Master of Science (M.S.) Only*

Full-time Commitment: ~2 years

Focus: Leads to career in industrial R&D or Ph.D.

The MS only degree is intended mostly for currently registered UC Berkeley Ph.D. students that want to add the degree. Occasionally we admit exceptional applicants with research experience, but the cohort generally is limited to less than 10. Students interested in a research oriented degree should consider applying directly to the MS/PhD program.

If you are planning to immediately join the engineering profession without pursuing a Ph.D., the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) is specifically designed as a professional master’s degree.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Only

Full-time Commitment: 5-6 years (starting with a Bachelor’s),  3-5 years (starting with a Master’s)

Focus: Research + teaching experience

A Ph.D. in EECS combines coursework and original research with exceptional faculty mentoring to  prepare students for a career in academia or industry.

The EECS Department offers two types of Ph.D. degrees (EE and CS). The principal requirements for the Ph.D. are:

• coursework (a major field and two minor fields)
• departmental preliminary requirement (an oral exam and breadth courses, which are different for EE and CS)
• the qualifying exam
• the dissertation

* The Master of Science (M.S.) Only program is a very small research program for exceptional applicants with research experience.  Applicants should consider applying to the MS/PhD program, since there are very few students in the M.S. only program.

Equal Access to Application Assistance Program

The student-run Equal Access Assistance (EAAA) program aims to ensure that all applicants to higher degree programs (M.S./Ph.D.) at Berkeley EECS have access to guidance on the higher degree application process. One current (or recent graduate) in EECS will provide feedback on your statement of purpose, personal history statement, CV/resume, and other application materials in advance of higher-degree application deadlines in the fall semester.  This feedback will be Berkeley- and admissions-focused, as opposed to grammar or formatting advice.

Application for admission to Berkeley EECS is a process that must be completed separately; participation in EAAA does not guarantee admission nor affect the admissions decision-making process in any way.

More information about the EAAA

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• Applying for Graduate Research Study at UCL

We've made this guide to help you to apply for graduate research study at UCL.

If you’re applying for Graduate Taught Study, see our separate guide .

Before applying

Selecting your programme.

See our Graduate Prospectus for our available programmes.

Each prospectus page has information about a programme’s content, entry requirements and application deadlines. Find more specific information about a programme’s content from that academic department’s website.

Most opportunities (and potential funding) are not advertised or packaged as studentships. If you meet the entry requirements, be proactive to identify opportunities with UCL academics whose recent research closely match your interests.

There are three main ways to identify an appropriate supervisor to contact:

• Browse research programmes to find centres of research in your area of interest. Click through to the department or centre website to find staff profiles.
• Search for relevant academic units and potential supervisors by keyword using UCL’s Institutional Research Information System (IRIS) . Not all academics are listed in IRIS but it is a good place to start.
• Search our online research repository ( UCL Discovery ) where all UCL’s research papers are published, subject to approvals. If you identify a research paper that particularly interests you, it is likely that one of the authors would be a suitable research supervisor.

Please note

Before you apply, contact the academic department to discuss your suitability and to ensure a suitable supervisor is available

If an academic is impressed with your research experience and proposal, they may be able to help you identify sources of funding (including from their own, or departmental, research funds). They can also nominate you for scholarships.

Not sure which programme to apply to or about life at UCL? Join one of our many recruitment events .

Check the academic and English language entry requirements

You need to check you meet the minimum academic and English language entry requirements for the programme. Entry requirements are clearly listed on each programme’s prospectus page .

Funding your studies

Carefully consider how you will fund your studies. This includes tuition fees and the day-to-day costs of being a research student.

See our scholarship and funding pages to check if you are eligible for UCL funding. This is a separate application and different deadlines apply.

Check if you need a visa to study

If you are an international student, you might need a visa to study at UCL. Please check our immigration and visas pages for more information about applying for a visa to study.

Transferring to UCL

For graduate research degree programmes at UCL, there may be the possibility to transfer into a programme from another institution or department. 

Preparing to apply

Check if your application requires references.

The number of references needed to support your application can be found on the prospectus page for your programme. See selecting your references for details on who to choose.

you should contact your nominated referee(s) before starting your application to check they can provide a reference for you

Deciding when to apply

See your programme’s prospectus page for deadline information.

If your programme has a set application deadline, you must submit your application before 5pm (UK time) on the day of the application deadline.

If your programme has no application deadline, we recommend you apply at least 4 months before your intended start date.

if you are applying for funding, there may be separate deadlines set by the academic department

Getting your supporting documents ready

As part of your application, you must provide the following supporting documents:

• Your official transcript. Please read our guide on getting your academic transcript . This explains exactly what UCL can and cannot accept. Sending documents that cannot be accepted will delay your application being processed.
• A research proposal. Your research proposal is an important part of your application. It should outline the area of research you wish to undertake, demonstrate your knowledge of the subject area and summarise the question you want to answer through your research.
• If you need a visa to study at UCL you will need to provide a copy of your current passport . If you do not have a valid passport, you can complete our Missing passport document and provide your passport later.
• If you meet our English language requirements (using a UCL-recognised test), you should upload your official test report form or qualification. If you cannot provide this evidence when you submit your application, your application will still be considered.

Submitting your application

Applications should be submitted online.

Before you submit your application, please carefully check the information you have provided or uploaded. Once you have submitted your application, you can only update your name, contact details, referees’ details (if applicable) and passport details (if you require a visa).

you cannot replace or add additional documents once you have submitted your application

You should make sure:

• You have selected the correct programme of study
• Your names are entered exactly as they appear in your passport
• You have entered the correct details of your academic qualifications. These should match the information on your transcript.
• your institution
• a list of your modules and any grades you have received.
• You have provided accurate details of any work experience or previous employment you would like UCL to be aware of, either in the employment section or as part of your uploaded CV.
• You have uploaded any compulsory supporting documents required for your course to proceed.
• If applicable, you have entered your referee details correctly and have provided institutional or professional email addresses.

If you are unable to apply online due to accessibility reasons, please contact Graduate Admissions .

We advise that you add [email protected] to your list of approved contacts so that you receive any correspondence sent by the Graduate Admissions Office.

Further information

Prospective students graduate.

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• Applying for Graduate Taught Study at UCL
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PhD Admissions

The PhD program in Psychology trains students for careers in research and teaching. In addition to a wide range of courses, the PhD program is characterized by close collaboration between students and their faculty advisors. 

General Information

The Department of Psychology holistically reviews each candidate's complete application to assess the promise of a career in teaching and research. Consideration is based on various factors, including courses taken, grade point average, letters of recommendation, and the statement of purpose. Additionally, the Department of Psychology places considerable emphasis on research training, and admitted students have often been involved in independent research as undergraduate students or post-baccalaureate settings. Although there are no course requirements for admission, all applicants should have sufficient foundational knowledge and research experience to engage in graduate-level coursework and research.

We accept students with undergraduate degrees and those with both undergraduate and master's degrees. An undergraduate psychology major is not required; the Department welcomes applicants from other academic backgrounds.

Our application portal is now closed for the AY24-25 admissions cycle.  Please consider applying during next year's AY25-26 admissions cycle, which opens on September 15, 2024.

How to Apply

Application and deadline.

Our 2025-26 Admissions application will open on September 15, 2024.

Applications will be due on November 30, 2024

The deadline for letters of recommendation will be  November 30, 2024 . 

Once an applicant submits the recommenders' information, the recommenders will receive an automated email with instructions for submitting the letter. Late letters should be sent directly to psych-admissions [at] stanford.edu (psych-admissions[at]stanford[dot]edu) . Staff will add them to the application file if the review process is still underway. Still, the faculty reviewers are not obligated to re-review files for materials submitted after the deadline.

The status of submitted applications can be viewed by logging in to the   application portal . 

The deadline to apply for the Stanford Psychology Ph.D. program is  November 30, 2024 . 

Applicants who are admitted to the program will matriculate in autumn 2025. 

In addition to the information below, please review the  Graduate Admissions  website prior to starting your application. The Department of Psychology does not have rolling admissions. We admit for the Autumn term only.

Requirements

• U.S. Bachelor's degree or its  foreign equivalent
• Statement of Purpose (submitted electronically as part of the graduate application). You will be able to specify three  Psychology Department faculty members , in order of preference, with whom you would like to work. 
• Three  Letters of Recommendation  (submitted electronically). A maximum of six letters will be accepted.
• Unofficial transcripts from all universities and colleges you have attended for at least one year must be uploaded to the graduate application. Applicants who reach the interview stage will be asked to provide official transcripts as well; Department staff will reach out to these applicants with instructions for submitting official transcripts. Please do  not  submit official transcripts with your initial application.
• Required for non-native English speakers: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores, submitted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) electronically to Stanford. 

Application Fee

The fee to apply for graduate study at Stanford is $125. Fee waivers are available for some applicants. Please visit Graduate Admissions for information on applying for an  Application Fee Waiver .

Application Review & Status Check

The Department of Psychology welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. The review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

To check the status or activity of your application, please log into your  application account . You can also send reminders to recommenders who have not yet submitted their letter of recommendation.

Due to limited bandwidth, the Department of Psychology staff will not answer any phone or email queries about application status, including requests to confirm the receipt of official transcripts.

Our faculty will interview prospective students before making final admission decisions. Candidates who progress to the interview round will be informed in January. Interviews are generally conducted in February.

The Department of Psychology recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

• Diversity and Engagement in Psychology PhD Programs 
• Vice Provost for Graduate Education
• Stanford IDEAL
• Graduate Application Fee Waiver Information

For More Information

Please see our  list of Frequently Asked Questions  and  psych-admissions [at] stanford.edu (contact us)  should you have additional questions.

Graduate research

Whatever your passion, you’ll find stimulating research opportunities at the University of Melbourne. Access the support you need to achieve your goals and secure a better future.

A new world of possibilities

As a graduate researcher at the University of Melbourne, you’ll receive research training of the highest quality. We’re Australia’s leading comprehensive research-intensive university, so you’ll be well-supported by experts ranked among the world’s best – by number of citations, awards and grant success.

We'll challenge you to push yourself and the boundaries of knowledge to make a difference in your field. Your PhD or master’s research will contribute to human understanding and create an impact far beyond yourself. Research that leads to a better, fairer, more sustainable world.

You’ll leave with a degree you can take anywhere and career opportunities that will find you. As a graduate researcher, you’ll access:

Experts in every field

With experts across a wide range of disciplines, you’ll have all the support you need for your chosen field of research. Your supervisor will guide you to ensure your research contribution is relevant and globally valued.

Multidisciplinary research initiatives

Collaborate with experts from other disciplines across the University by joining a multidisciplinary research initiative. These projects enable you to work with researchers who share a passion for discovering new knowledge in your area of interest. You’ll find opportunities to develop  your interdisciplinary knowledge and networks through a supplementary PhD Program or one of the Hallmark Research Initiatives.

International joint PhD opportunities

To help your research benefit from a global perspective, we offer fully funded international joint PhD opportunities across a range of disciplines. You'll receive a degree certificate from the two institutions, enhancing your prospects for an international research career.

Research degree opportunities

Access a current searchable list with details about specific research projects available at the University of Melbourne that lead to a research degree.  Browse all the  research degree opportunities on offer.

Internships and industry connections

There are many ways to engage with industry as a graduate researcher. You could undertake an internship to gain practical experience, join a mentoring program, or depending on your discipline, you could co-locate at one of the University’s industry precincts. Here, researchers and entrepreneurs meet with leading industry partners to solve real-world challenges.

A safe and supportive environment

We work hard to instil and promote a culture that’s inclusive and supportive . We’ll help you reach your potential as a researcher with training and resources, and services that help you feel safe and respected. This includes tailored support for Indigenous researchers .

Scholarship opportunities

Scholarships aren't just for high achievers. There are opportunities available for many situations, with different eligibility criteria. Browse all the scholarships on offer.

Find a graduate research program

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Learn how a PhD can shape your future

During my PhD, I worked with world-renowned researchers, and accessed technology that helped me get results quickly and economically. Dr Umesh Nair

How can we help?

If you have a question about studying or applying with us, you can find help at the support centre.

Find answers to scores of questions about eligibility, applying, scholarships, offers and more.

Our Future Students team can help answer your questions about studying in Melbourne.

Choose Berkeley

Being a graduate student at Berkeley means being part of something special. A diverse community of change-makers known worldwide for innovation, exploration, and academic excellence.

Our Programs

With more than 120 graduate programs representing the breadth and depth of UC Berkeley’s interdisciplinary scholarship, there’s a program that’s right for you.

Explore Programs

Current Students

We're here to help you locate campus resources and get you the help you need. Browse our resource list or set up an appointment for one-on-one assistance.

Our Students

In this video, see how Chancellor’s Fellow Kendall Calhoun Ph.D. ’23 connects with faculty and undergraduates, conducting field research with the goal of creating more resilient habitats and ecosystems. Like many outstanding Berkeley graduate students, his work helps to drive research excellence and inspires undergraduates, opening their minds to greater possibilities.

See Kendall Calhoun in action

Professional Development

Career preparation only starts in the classroom. We’re here to help you explore career paths and purse the profession that matches your interests and strength. Explore our workshops, or set up a one-on-one consultation today.

Graduate Professional Development

News & Upcoming Events

Beyond academia 2024 conference takeaways: two days of career exploration and reflection.

April 17, 2024

Beyond Academia is a non-profit founded and run by UC Berkeley graduate students, dedicated to empowering PhDs to expand their career options beyond the professoriate.

Victoria Chevee is Berkeley’s 2024 Grad Slam Champion!

April 16, 2024

On Tuesday, April 9, eight Berkeley graduate students selected as semi-finalists competed in the annual Grad Slam competition. Each student presented their fascinating research in a manner accessible to the…

Nearly 30 UC Berkeley Graduate Programs Top 10 in Latest New U.S. News Report

April 11, 2024

In an exciting new development, U.S. News released their first round of 2024 rankings for graduate schools – identifying nearly 30 UC Berkeley graduate programs as Top 10 programs in the country.

Public Health Changemaker: Q&A with Forbes 30 Under 30, Iemaan Rana

April 5, 2024

Iemaan Rana, a Public Health Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley, is one of this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Achievement for Science recipients. Iemaan is the first person ever to simultaneously pursue an M.D. (at the University of Illinois) and Ph.D. at two different institutions, and her research focuses on carcinogenic exposures.

Office for Graduate Diversity Hosts Annual Weekend Visit

April 2, 2024

On March 16 and 17, 136 admitted graduate students visited UC Berkeley’s campus as a part of the University’s Diversity Days. The Diversity Days experience is hosted by the Office for Graduate Diversity and reserved for first-generation and low-income admits as well as admits who’ve graduated from an HBCU, TCU, or HSI.

April Community Dinner UndocuGrads and USP

April 25, 2024

Join us for our Graduation Celebration and Community Toast! The event will take place at the ASUC Student Union: Martin Luther King Jr. Building, BNorth Room 82D on April 25th from 5:00…

UC Berkeley Tanner Lecture: Rachel Barney on The Craft of Virtue and the Virtues of Craft

April 26, 2024

Join Rachel Barney, Professor and Acting Associate Chair from University of Toronto for an Obert C. Tanner Lecture on The Craft of Virtue and the Virtues of Craft. Rachel Barney…

R Fundamentals: Part 1 of 4

April 29, 2024

This interactive workshop series is your complete introduction to programming in R for people with little or no previous programming experience. It covers the basics of using RStudio, creating variables,…

Python Fundamentals: Part 1 of 3

This three-part interactive workshop series is your complete introduction to programming Python for people with little or no previous programming experience. By the end of the series, you will be…

R Fundamentals: Part 2 of 4

April 30, 2024

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Graduate studies, commencement 2019.

The Harvard Department of Physics offers students innovative educational and research opportunities with renowned faculty in state-of-the-art facilities, exploring fundamental problems involving physics at all scales. Our primary areas of experimental and theoretical research are atomic and molecular physics, astrophysics and cosmology, biophysics, chemical physics, computational physics, condensed-matter physics, materials science, mathematical physics, particle physics, quantum optics, quantum field theory, quantum information, string theory, and relativity.

Our talented and hardworking students participate in exciting discoveries and cutting-edge inventions such as the ATLAS experiment, which discovered the Higgs boson; building the first 51-cubit quantum computer; measuring entanglement entropy; discovering new phases of matter; and peering into the ‘soft hair’ of black holes.

Our students come from all over the world and from varied educational backgrounds. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and attracting the widest possible range of talents.

We have a flexible and highly responsive advising structure for our PhD students that shepherds them through every stage of their education, providing assistance and counseling along the way, helping resolve problems and academic impasses, and making sure that everyone has the most enriching experience possible.The graduate advising team also sponsors alumni talks, panels, and advice sessions to help students along their academic and career paths in physics and beyond, such as “Getting Started in Research,” “Applying to Fellowships,” “Preparing for Qualifying Exams,” “Securing a Post-Doc Position,” and other career events (both academic and industry-related).

We offer many resources, services, and on-site facilities to the physics community, including our electronic instrument design lab and our fabrication machine shop. Our historic Jefferson Laboratory, the first physics laboratory of its kind in the nation and the heart of the physics department, has been redesigned and renovated to facilitate study and collaboration among our students.

Members of the Harvard Physics community participate in initiatives that bring together scientists from institutions across the world and from different fields of inquiry. For example, the Harvard-MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms unites a community of scientists from both institutions to pursue research in the new fields opened up by the creation of ultracold atoms and quantum gases. The Center for Integrated Quantum Materials , a collaboration between Harvard University, Howard University, MIT, and the Museum of Science, Boston, is dedicated to the study of extraordinary new quantum materials that hold promise for transforming signal processing and computation. The Harvard Materials Science and Engineering Center is home to an interdisciplinary group of physicists, chemists, and researchers from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences working on fundamental questions in materials science and applications such as soft robotics and 3D printing.  The Black Hole Initiative , the first center worldwide to focus on the study of black holes, is an interdisciplinary collaboration between principal investigators from the fields of astronomy, physics, mathematics, and philosophy. The quantitative biology initiative https://quantbio.harvard.edu/  aims to bring together physicists, biologists, engineers, and applied mathematicians to understand life itself. And, most recently, the new program in  Quantum Science and Engineering (QSE) , which lies at the interface of physics, chemistry, and engineering, will admit its first cohort of PhD students in Fall 2022.

We support and encourage interdisciplinary research and simultaneous applications to two departments is permissible. Prospective students may thus wish to apply to the following departments and programs in addition to Physics:

• Department of Astronomy
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Mathematics
• John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS)
• Biophysics Program
• Molecules, Cells and Organisms Program (MCO)

If you are a prospective graduate student and have questions for us, or if you’re interested in visiting our department, please contact  [email protected] .

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Best Graduate Schools

Rankings, data and advice to help you connect your education to your dream career.

Graduate School Advice

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Sign up for a free U.S. News account to receive expert advice on topics like test prep, admissions requirements, and paying for graduate school. Additional features coming soon.

Graduate School Rankings

Best Business Schools

Earning an MBA or another master's degree in business can help prospective students advance their careers.

• # 1 Stanford University  (tie)
• # 1 University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)  (tie)
• # 3 Northwestern University (Kellogg)  (tie)
• # 3 University of Chicago (Booth)  (tie)

Programs & Specialties

• Entrepreneurship
• Executive MBA

Best Law Schools

The first step for prospective lawyers is to find a school that can give them a top-notch legal education.

• # 1 Yale University  (tie)
• # 3 University of Chicago
• Environmental Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Part-time Law
• Trial Advocacy

Best Medical Schools: Research

Students who dream of donning a white coat can explore which schools are best for primary care and research.

• # 1 Harvard University
• # 2 Johns Hopkins University
• # 3 University of Pennsylvania (Perelman)
• Anesthesiology
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Internal Medicine

Engineering

Best engineering schools.

Engineers can build on their skills with advanced degrees in a wide range of specialties.

• # 1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• # 2 Stanford University
• # 3 University of California, Berkeley
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Environmental / Environmental Health Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Best Nursing Schools: Master's

Nurses are increasingly encouraged to earn a graduate degree to enhance their knowledge of patient care.

• # 1 Emory University (Woodruff)  (tie)
• # 1 Johns Hopkins University  (tie)
• # 3 Duke University
• Master's Nurse Practitioner: Family
• Master's Nursing Administration

Best Education Schools

Educators may find it necessary to earn a graduate degree to meet their career goals.

• # 1 Teachers College, Columbia University  (tie)
• # 1 University of Wisconsin--Madison  (tie)
• # 3 University of California--Los Angeles  (tie)
• # 3 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor  (tie)
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Elementary Teacher Education
• Higher Education Administration
• Secondary Teacher Education
• Special Education

U.S. News Grad Compass

Unlock our comprehensive data, rankings and interactive tools to help you choose the right graduate program.

Expanded Profiles

Access expanded data for business, engineering, education, medical, and nursing programs.

Test Scores

What test scores do you need to get into your dream school? Receive all MCAT, GMAT, and GRE data.

Financial Aid

Find out the average grants, scholarships and student debt for business, and medical schools.

More Graduate School Rankings

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• Biological Sciences
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Featured Advice

Is Graduate School Worth the Cost?

Find B-Schools That Lead to Good Jobs

How to Get Into a Top Law School

Engineering Graduate Degree Jobs

Preparing and applying for graduate school.

If you’re interested in a profession that requires graduate school , such as law or medicine, it’s important to ensure that you’re committed to that career path before investing time, money and effort into a graduate education. U.S. News & World Report offers guidance to prospective students on how to decide whether to attend grad school and how to identify the correct type of program. The Best Graduate Schools rankings  provide data that you can use to discover schools that match your preferences.

Aspiring business executives, for example, can explore the Best Business Schools  rankings, future lawyers can refer to the Best Law Schools  rankings and medical school hopefuls can consult the Best Medical Schools  rankings. Meanwhile, individuals who plan to pursue graduate engineering degrees can check out the Best Engineering Schools  rankings, and those who wish to obtain an education-related graduate credential may want to look at the Best Education Schools  rankings. People who intend to become advanced practice registered nurses with graduate-level training in nursing can examine the Best Nursing Schools  rankings.

U.S. News also offers rankings of graduate schools within the following disciplines:

• Library and information studies
• Social sciences and the humanities
• Public affairs

Each of these rankings lists includes links to school profile pages where you can find details about the academic institutions. Website users who purchase a subscription to U.S. News Grad Compass  can gain access to school-specific information beyond what is displayed for free on school profile pages. Both paying and nonpaying readers have access to the U.S. News graduate school search tool  that allows them to find grad schools within a specific academic discipline or geographic region.

In addition to its rankings database, U.S. News also offers an abundance of advice  to prospective graduate students. Expert tips cover topics such as deciding where to apply and how to assemble a compelling application, including ways to identify a person who can write a persuasive letter of recommendation for graduate school and techniques that can be used to craft an eloquent personal statement. Plus, U.S. News offers insight into what factors matter most to graduate school admissions officers and answers common questions about the admissions process, such as how much grad schools care about where you went to college  and how to prepare for admissions interviews.

In addition, U.S. News provides advice on how to prepare for graduate school entrance exams such as the GRE , tips for winning graduate school scholarships  and other strategies to pay for graduate school . U.S. News even provides guidelines to applicants who have been admitted to multiple grad programs on how they should choose among those options. All of this advice content, plus the rankings and the grad school directory, can serve as valuable resources for individuals who dream of attending graduate school.

Graduate Research Fellowship Program

What is GRFP?

Fellowship benefits.

• Five year fellowship period with three years of financial support
• Annual stipend of $37,000
• Cost-of-education allowance of $16,000 to the institution
• No post-graduate study service requirement
• Access to supplemental funding to sustain research while on medical deferral (e.g. family leave)

Learn More »

Am I Eligible ?

To be eligible for the NSF GRFP, you must:

• be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident
• intend to pursue a research-based Master’s or Ph.D. program in a GRFP-supported field
• be enrolled in an eligible program at an accredited United States graduate institution, with a US campus, by fall following selection
• be at an early stage in your graduate career
• have completed no more than one academic year of full-time graduate study (or the equivalent)
• Graduate students are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted either in the first year or in the second year of graduate school

Click here for more information

What's My Level?

Application level selection.

The GRFP Application requires you to select the academic level that best describes the stage of your academic career. Use the GRFP Academic Level Questionnaire to help you select the appropriate academic level in your application. Levels are determined as follows:

Level 1. You have not previously enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program, but plan to start graduate study next fall. Includes undergraduates in the final year of a bachelor’s degree program and individuals who previously earned a bachelor’s degree.

Level 2. First year graduate student currently enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program, who has never applied to GRFP before as a graduate student or returning graduate student, or a student currently enrolled in a joint bachelor’s-master’s degree program (must have completed three academic years in program).

Level 3. Second year graduate student who has completed no more than one academic year of graduate study while enrolled in any graduate degree-granting program, does not have a graduate degree, and has never applied to GRFP before as a graduate student or returning graduate student.

Level 4. Returning graduate student who is not currently enrolled in a degree-granting program, and may have more than one academic year in a graduate-degree granting program and/or a master’s or professional degree, followed by an interruption of at least two years just prior to the GRFP application deadline. Note: address the reasons for the interruption and why you should be considered to be in the early stages of your graduate education in the Personal, Relevant Background and Future Goals Statement.

GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who have demonstrated the potential to be high achieving scientists and engineers, early in their careers. Applicants must be pursuing full-time research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education at accredited US institutions.

• Oct. 17, 2022 - Life Sciences
• Oct. 18, 2022 - Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Materials Research, Psychology, Social Sciences, STEM Education and Learning
• Oct. 20, 2022 - Engineering
• Oct. 21, 2022 - Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy
• Oct. 28, 2022 - 5:00 PM ET
• Aug. 31, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Info for Applicants Webinar 1
• Sept. 21, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Info for Applicants Webinar 2
• Sept. 28, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Reading the Fine Points of the GRFP Solicitation Webinar

NSF welcomes scientists and engineers to serve as reviewers of GRFP applications. Serving as a GRFP Reviewer is an excellent opportunity to apply your research and career expertise to help identify future science and engineering leaders.

• Sep. 15, 2022 - 5:00 PM ET
• Nov. 1, 2022 - 11AM to 1 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #1
• Nov. 4, 2022 - 2 PM to 4 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #2
• Nov. 10, 2022 - 2 PM to 4 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #3
• Nov. 15, 2022 - 2 PM to 4 PM ET Reviewer Training Webinar #4

Reference Writers

Reference letters are a key component of a strong GRFP application package. The most effective reference letters provide detailed and specific information about how an applicant meets the NSF Merit Review Criteria of Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts.

• Oct. 5, 2022 - 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM ET Info for Reference Writers & Research Mentors
• Oct. 6, 2022 - 11 AM to 1 PM ET Reference Writers Webinar

Postgraduate research degrees

Our research is driven by the big picture. The University of Sydney is home to leading researchers who are finding solutions to the world's most pressing issues by changing the way they look at them. 

We are home to 90 world‑renowned multidisciplinary research and teaching centres that tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges, such as health, climate change and food security. These centres include the Charles Perkins Centre, the Brain and Mind Centre ,  The University of Sydney Nano Institute , the Sydney Policy Lab , the Sydney Environment Institute , and the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre .

Our interdisciplinary approach means that students are part of a community of scholars that unites experts in fields as diverse as medicine, arts, social sciences, engineering, information technologies and science. 

As a researcher at Sydney, you'll work alongside some of the world's brightest and most accomplished academics. You can access high-calibre facilities and unique international partnerships with top-ranked institutions, including Stanford, UCLA, the University of Edinburgh, Utrecht University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the University of Hong Kong.

Types of research degrees

Master's degree by research.

A master's degree by research at Sydney:

• is the second-highest qualification on the Australian Qualifications Framework
• can be a gateway to study at a PhD level
• is usually one to two years full-time or two to four years part-time*
• is awarded based on a supervised thesis, which makes a substantial contribution to the knowledge of the subject concerned.

*Part-time is not available to international student visa holders.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

A PhD at Sydney:

• is our premier research award and the highest qualification on the Australian Qualifications Framework
• comprises of independent research and writing on an approved topic toward a thesis for examination
• may be undertaken in all faculties and divisions, or across disciplines
• is usually 3.5 years of full-time or seven years of part-time* study.

If you’re interested in a Joint PhD program, you need to follow the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) application steps 1-3. In addition, your proposed supervisor will need to complete a proposal to negotiate a student agreement form. If accepted, you will also be required to sign an individual student agreement. After your student agreement is finalised, you will then be sent an application form for the Joint PhD program.

Please refer to the University's Dual and Joint Degree Policy for full policy details.

Download our  Joint PhD programs factsheet (pdf, 116KB)  to learn more.

Professional doctorate

A professional doctorate at Sydney:

• allows candidates to pursue rigorous scholarship alongside advancing their practice in many fields
• is usually three to four years of full-time or six to eight years of part-time* study.

Internship opportunities

Grow professionally and academically through a paid 3-6 month internship with an industry partner as you complete your degree.

The University of Sydney has partnered with  Australian Postgraduate Research Intern (APR.Intern)  to provide domestic and international HDR students with internship opportunities  in a range of sectors and disciplines.

A paid internship will allow you to:

• Develop competencies that will contribute to your research
• Gain industry experience, develop skills and build networks
• Enhance your employability
• Earn additional income

HDR coursework 

HDR coursework is mandatory for some of our research degrees. HDR coursework adds to your researcher toolkit so you can graduate with a robust set of skills, for a career in academia or industry.

Your faculty may elect to define certain units of study as mandatory for a given degree, or define any other studies as required by the progress evaluation panel of the research project. Refer to the relevant course in the  handbook .  

Frequently asked questions

Getting started, do i need prior research experience.

Yes, all HDR courses require prior research experience. This is because HDR courses are largely self-driven, requiring pre-requisite research, time and project management skills.

If I have no prior research experience how can I get started?

If you do not have any previous research experience, there are ways to gain what you need. Both the one-year honours and masters by coursework degrees containing substantial research components are great pathways into research. These courses will allow you to gain the research skills necessary to apply for the PhD.

What is the difference between a Master of Philosophy/Research and a PhD?

The PhD is our premier research award and the highest qualification on the Australian Qualifications Framework. The PhD is usually three years full-time or six years part-time.

The Master of Philosophy/Research is usually one to two years full-time or four years part-time (part-time is available to domestic students only). A PhD thesis is generally around 80,000 words while a master’s thesis is 50,000 words.

How do I find a supervisor?

To browse through the profiles of our researchers and learn about their current and past research, please refer to Find a Researcher . Here, you will also be able to access the publications lists and contact details of our researchers. 

My research idea crosses two disciplines – is this a problem?

No. Interdisciplinary research is highly regarded in the world of academia and working across disciplines can be very beneficial in developing and demonstrating different analytical skills. Working on research from two perspectives can also offer insight that you would not be able to achieve from one discipline perspective.

What are the English language requirements for a PhD?

Please check your  course page  for the requirements of each course. Generally, the English requirements are between 6.0 to 7.0 IELTS overall or equivalent in other accepted English proficiency tests.

How much do HDR courses cost?

There are no course fees for domestic students – fees are covered by the government Research Training Program (RTP) fee offset. However, fees apply to international students. Please refer to the  course page  for fee details.

What scholarships are available?

We have one of the largest research schemes in Australia. Opportunities include the Australian government-funded Research Training Program (RTP) stipend scholarships, and the University of Sydney and faculty-specific awards. Explore your options .

Degree progression

Do i have to undertake hdr coursework.

It depends on your degree. Your faculty may define certain units of study as mandatory for a given degree. Where this is not the case, you may still have the opportunity to complete units of study that you find useful to support your learning and research. 

Can I transfer from the Master of Philosophy into a PhD?

It is possible for students to move to the PhD after the first year of study, if you have made satisfactory progress and if the transfer is approved by your Faculty. It is important to inform your supervisor of your plans early so that you can work on a timeline together to achieve this goal.

Support during your studies

Am i able to work while studying my hdr course full-time.

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Almost all of the research by MIT EECS faculty, staff, and students is carried out in interdepartmental laboratories, centers, and programs. The primary labs include the  Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab  (CSAIL), the  Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems  (LIDS), the  Microsystems and Technology Laboratories  (MTL) and the  Research Laboratory of Electronics  (RLE). For a complete list of laboratories, centers and programs at MIT, visit  http://web.mit.edu/research/ .

As a convenience for administering the department doctoral program, research activities in EECS are divided into three Graduate Research Areas. Some research areas (for example, Robotics) are interdisciplinary by nature, and span several of these headers.

Electrical Engineering  comprises the following research communities:  

• Biological and Medical Devices and Systems  
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Computer Science  comprises the following research communities:  

• Algorithms and Theory
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​Bioinformatics research is also included in Computer Science

Artificial Intelligence + Decision Making comprises the following research communities:

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The Melbourne Research Scholarship and Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship are offered to high-achieving international and domestic students who are enrolling in a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne.

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To be eligible for this scholarship, you must:

• have applied for and meet the  requirements for a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne, or
• be currently enrolled in a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne

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All domestic students who are offered admission to a Masters by Research or doctoral degree (PhD) at the University of Melbourne will receive a Research Training Program Scholarship (Fee Offset).

Graduate Research Scholarships that provide a stipend as well as fee offset are awarded to domestic and international students based on academic merit. Eligible applicants are scored and ranked according to their academic achievement of their last completed degree and their research potential in their field of study. Factors such as completion of a degree at the same level of the research course for which the scholarship is sought, relevant professional experience, refereed publications, specialist medical qualifications or composition of original music may be taken into consideration.

These scholarships are subject to the Graduate Research Scholarships Terms & Conditions (as amended).

If you are a new student and have applied for a graduate research course by the application closing date for that course, you will be automatically considered for the Graduate Research Scholarships. You will receive a notification that a scholarship application has been added to your record within ten business days of having submitted your course application.

If you have accepted a graduate research course offer and deferred commencement in order to be reconsidered for a scholarship, you must submit an online application form by 31 October to be considered for a scholarship in the following year. You will receive a notification that a scholarship application has been added to your record within ten business days of having submitted the online form.

If you are currently enrolled in a graduate research course for which you seek a scholarship, you must submit an online application form by 31 October to be considered for a scholarship in the following year. You will receive a notification that a scholarship application has been added to your record within ten business days of having submitted the online form.

Domestic students will receive an offer for Research Training Program Scholarship (Fee Offset) as part of their course offer.

Offers for Graduate Research Scholarships that provide a stipend and fee offset are made separately but around the same time course offers are made.

Melbourne Research Scholarships (MRS)

This scholarship is available to high-achieving domestic and international students undertaking a Masters by Research degree or doctoral degree.

Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships

This scholarship is supported by the Australian Commonwealth Government and offered by the University of Melbourne to high-achieving domestic and international students undertaking a Masters by Research degree or Doctorate by Research degree. See also the University's RTP Scholarship Policy .

China Scholarship Council - University of Melbourne PhD Scholarship

This scholarship is provided by the China Scholarship Council and the University of Melbourne to promote international collaboration and is offered to citizens of the People's Republic of China wishing to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of Melbourne.

What are the benefits?

Stipend and fee offset scholarships.

• Full fee offset for up to two years for students undertaking a Masters by Research degree or up to four years for students undertaking a doctoral degree.
• Living allowance of $37,000 per year pro rata (2024 full-time study rate) for up to two years for students undertaking a Masters by Research degree or up to 3.5 years for students undertaking a doctoral degree. The living allowance may be indexed annually and includes limited paid sick, maternity and parenting leave.
• Relocation grant of $2000 for students moving from States or Territories other than Victoria or $3000 for students moving from outside Australia.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) Single Membership for international students who require a student visa to study in Australia

Fee offset scholarships

For further information, see  Manage my scholarship .

The information listed here is subject to change without notice. Where we have listed information about jointly run scholarships programs, please also see our partners' websites. Information describing the number and value of scholarships awarded is indicative.

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Undergraduate Geosciences Student Awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for PhD Pursuit at University of Michigan

• April 24, 2024

Honors and Awards , Research

Undergraduate geosciences student Abigail Reed was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRF) this year to pursue her PhD at University of Michigan . Abigail is graduating this semester with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Policy and minors in Geology and Biology. She will attend the University of Michigan starting in Fall 2024 in their Earth and Environmental Sciences PhD program. 

Abigail's future research funded by the NSF GRF will address cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie, specifically focusing on winter nitrification and nitrogen cycling. She will expand on her biogeochemistry and GIS skills that she has explored at USF and hopes to incorporate environmental justice into her work to make a meaningful impact in the communities her research will take place in. 

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A collection of articles showcasing the latest achievements, scholarly contributions, and exciting updates from our accomplished students, faculty, and staff. Stay informed and inspired as we celebrate the dynamic accomplishments within our Geoscience community.

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UW Psychology Student Wins National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

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Institutional Communications Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137 Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: (307) 766-2929 Email:   [email protected]

Published April 23, 2024

University of Wyoming psychology graduate student Jaylan Aliev, of Boise, Idaho, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

As a second-year graduate student in the psychology and law Ph.D. program, Aliev’s research interests include juror perceptions of marginalized victims, how these perceptions affect legal decision-making and how to mitigate juror biases.

“Child sexual abuse is a national health crisis, and the process of seeking justice for victims can often be retraumatizing,” Aliev says. “Countless child sexual abuse narratives do not follow the popular culture prototype that suggests victims are young girls and perpetrators middle-aged men, and it is important to investigate how older or male victims of child sexual abuse are treated in the legal system -- and how such demographic factors may influence mock juror decision-making in these cases.”

Aliev’s current work examines the impact of victim physical maturity on legal decision-making in cases of child sexual abuse. Her secondary line of research focuses on analyzing racial, socioeconomic, geographic and policy disparities in the U.S. juvenile legal system.

“Receiving the news that I was a 2024 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship awardee felt like a dream,” she says. “I am a first-generation high school and college graduate, as well as first-generation American. My initial thought was, ‘Things like this don’t happen to people like me.’”

In May, Aliev will graduate with her master’s degree in psychology, and she looks forward to beginning her graduate fellowship research plans.

“As I have gained more experience working with community partners, I have become extremely interested in disseminating psycho-legal research in a way that informs public policy and aims to improve our current criminal legal system,” she says.

After earning her Ph.D., she hopes to continue her work at a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization as a researcher or data analyst.

“It still has not fully sunk in that my application was one of the 2,000 that was selected as a recipient out of tens of thousands of applications,” Aliev says. “I immediately started crying and then called my adviser, Kayla Burd (UW assistant professor of psychology), and my parents.”

To learn more about Aliev’s research, email her at [email protected] .

• MyU : For Students, Faculty, and Staff

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program honors nine Chemistry student community members

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (4/26/2023) – Nine members of the Department of Chemistry student community were recently honored with recognition by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). Briana Krupinsky, Grace Murphy, Timmy Nguyen, and Ulises Perez were awarded fellowships, and Mrinalni Iyer, Killian MacFeely, Wallee Naimi, Miles Willis, and Ali Younis received honorable mentions.

Briana Krupinsky is a second-year graduate student in the Lamb group . She joined the UMN community after completing her undergraduate studies at the University of North Dakota. Briana investigates N-hetereocyclic carbene-carbodiimide (NHC-CDI) adducts for application as catalyst precursors in organocatalysis. At the moment, this includes working towards understanding the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of NHC-CDI adducts for well-controlled catalysis. One of Briana’s research goals is to develop a light-activated NHC-CDI catalyst precursor to achieve spatiotemporal control for the synthesis of polymers.

Grace Murphy , a member of the Hoover lab , came to UMN after completing her undergraduate studies at Saint Louis University. One of her long-term goals as a chemist is to study and develop transition metal catalyzed reactions that are used in organic chemistry. She is particularly interested in understanding the structure-reactivity relationships that make difficult reactions possible. Grace is currently working towards understanding the mechanism of nickel catalyzed/mediated decarbonylation, a reaction that has potential future applications to the synthesis of pharmaceuticals to polymer upcycling.

Timmy Nguyen first came to UMN for a summer research experience program in 2022, right before his senior year at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He officially joined the graduate program in 2023 as a member of the Haynes group. Timmy is interested in anisotropic nanoparticles as substrates and recently started working on a project to synthesize silica-coated gold nanorods for use in SERS sensors. He is also passionate about participating in outreach activities through Science for All, a student group that works to bring the excitement of science to Minnesota middle schools.

Ulises Perez , a Spring 2023 graduate from the UMN Chemistry undergraduate program and current PhD student at University of Washington, was also awarded a fellowship.

The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. The program also seeks to support the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM graduate studies.

Mrinalni Iyer, Killian MacFeely, Wallee Naimi, Miles Willis, and Ali Younis received honorable mentions for their applications. The Department of Chemistry congratulates all nine students on this significant national academic achievement!

Related news releases

• Kargbo, Pham, and Tuga receive Merck Underrepresented Chemists of Color Research Award
• Taimeng Liang awarded ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Predoctoral Fellowship
• Manuraj Kallumkal and Pete Gabriel Ledesma receive Pothapragada International Graduate Student Fellowship
• PhD candidate Casey Ritts receives American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
• PhD students recognized with awards and honors at Fall Kickoff Seminar
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Moving Motherhood beyond Bars

Gauging the impact of incarceration on parents—and their children  

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Bethany Kotlar sat in a dormitory room in Georgia’s Lee Arrendale State Prison and listened to the stories of the women incarcerated there. The ones that broke her heart the most were those of the mothers who’d been pregnant during their sentence. They talked about being shackled when they were in labor and again just after they’d given birth, about being separated from their children, and about the lack of basic reproductive health care—even the sanitary napkins they needed during their monthly menstrual cycles.

“I was a divinity school student at Emory University in Atlanta and a chaplaincy intern at Lee Arrendale in 2012,” remembers the 2024 Harvard Horizons scholar. “After hearing the women’s stories, I went to the head chaplain at the prison and I said, ‘Hey, this is crazy. I would like to do something to help these moms. Can I start a program?’ Because the thing that kind of stood out to me was that the women had to do it all alone.”

Hundreds of incarcerated women no longer have to bear the burdens of parenting on their own thanks to Kotlar, a PhD student in population health sciences at the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Motherhood Beyond Bars (MBB), the nonprofit she founded over a decade ago. Kotlar's Harvard Horizons project, “When the Village Is Threatened: The Effects of Maternal Incarceration During Pregnancy and Early Childhood on Wellbeing,” provides badly needed research on a group that society mostly ignores and advances MBB’s effort to provide “comprehensive support for incarcerated mothers, their infants, and caregivers.”

Filling the Information Gap

Kotlar says there is a frustrating lack of the most basic information about incarcerated mothers and their children. “When I was at Lee Arrendale, there wasn’t even a reliable count of how many people were pregnant and in prison in the US,” she says. “We still don’t have great numbers.”

Perhaps not, but the numbers that are now available through MBB are staggering: a 525 percent increase in the number of incarcerated women—disproportionately people of color—over the past 4 decades; 80 percent of women held in jails are mothers to dependent children; in the state of Georgia alone, 200,000 children separated due to parental incarceration.

Kotlar’s PhD research digs into these figures, gathering data on “child development and family wellbeing in the context of mass incarceration.” Her work centers on children who were in utero during their mothers’ prison terms—and their caregivers. “Some moms are released before their kids are born, but most aren’t,” she explains. “So, the baby often goes home with a designated caregiver.” Kotlar’s study follows the children for the first three years of their lives.

“In the qualitative part of our work, we ask open-ended questions like, ‘How has it been going caring for this child?’ or ‘What was it like being pregnant and incarcerated?’” Kotlar explains. “Then, for the quantitative part, we have a survey with questions on a validated scale, including a depression or food insecurity screener. We do both at every time point so we can track the children’s development in a way that can be compared to other populations.”

Being pregnant and incarcerated meant my child was behind bars too. She suffered a lot of the same things I suffered: not being in control of our own medical care or our meals . . . I feel like she was punished in utero. —Birth Beyond Bars participant

Primary caregivers of children with mothers in prison often struggle to hold a job and pay for childcare. Georgia provides subsidies, but Kotlar found that for a complex series of reasons, many caregivers weren’t getting the benefit. Now, thanks in part to her work, they do.

“What MBB was able to do with that information was to make sure caregivers of kids with an incarcerated mother automatically qualified for the Early Head Start program,” she says.  “From there, those moms could get childcare.”

When Poverty Equals Neglect

Subsidies aside, the choice of a caregiver can be fraught for mothers, most of whom are imprisoned for offenses related to substance dependence rather than violent crimes. Some of Kotlar’s first PhD research looked at why the moms chose the caregivers they did and why the designees accepted the role. She found that the decision-making process is driven mostly by a deep-seated fear of the foster care system.

“The federal Adoption and Safe Families Act says that if your child is in foster care for 15 of 22 months, and if you're not following the plan set up by child welfare services, your parental rights can be terminated automatically,” Kotlar explains. “If you’re incarcerated with, say, a two-year sentence, it’s very difficult to jump through those hoops. These moms know that deeply.”

Because Kotlar has been working with incarcerated mothers for over a decade, she hasn’t been surprised by the results of her research. Still, some findings do stand out, particularly the way the child welfare system treats those with few financial resources. Kotlar says impoverished mothers run the risk of a foster care intervention.

“We haven’t been able to discern a consistent, logical reasoning for the process of removing a child from their parent’s care in Georgia,” she says. “What we do know is that 30 percent of the caregiving families in our study are below the federal poverty line. Many more struggle with food insecurity, with housing, with keeping the lights on and the water running. All of those things could be construed by Georgia child welfare services as neglect.”

In the next phase of her research, Kotlar plans to dive more deeply into the removal process and foster care system. “Only one child in our study entered foster care directly at birth,” she says. “But that child moved between families several times in their first year of life. We know that’s a critical period for establishing attachment to a caregiver and for social and emotional development, so that kind of movement data just set off alarm bells in my brain. The consequences are going to be bad for the child—and for the communities they live in.”

A Kind of Ministry

Kotlar planned to take a very different path after she graduated from college. She initially enrolled in the joint master of divinity/master of public health program at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology with her mind set on becoming a deacon in the United Methodist Church. A close relative had recently spent time in jail and horrified Kotlar with stories of the conditions there. When it was time to choose a site for her first-year practicum, Kotlar placed herself at Lee Arrendale, the largest women’s prison in Georgia. “When I heard the stories of women who had given birth during their incarceration I thought, ‘My God! How is this happening?’”

After she visited with the head chaplain, Kotlar started a post-partum support group, then prenatal yoga, then childbirth education classes. She recruited a raft of student volunteers from Emory’s schools of medicine, nursing, and public health to teach the groups and help write curricula. Faculty oversaw course development and contributed their expertise. In 2013, Kotlar consolidated the programs she’d developed and launched the statewide nonprofit Motherhood Beyond Bars.

“The name was chosen by incarcerated people to recognize that motherhood transcends the experience of imprisonment,” she says. “Today MBB is a thriving nonprofit with full-time staff, including an executive director, who manages day-to-day operations. We’ve expanded to provide re-entry and caregiver support. Ironically, it was the success of MBB that led me to a PhD.”

How women who are incarcerated are cared for during pregnancy and after giving birth will likely impact their own mental health and well-being as well as the development of their infants.  –Professor Aisha Yousafzai

Kotlar got her master’s degree in public health from Emory’s Rollins School in 2015.  Three years ago, she launched Birth Beyond Bars (BBB), a research initiative that works hand in hand with MBB and is the focus of her PhD at Harvard Griffin GSAS. "It's a really close collaboration with the staff at MBB to answer important research questions about kids that have been exposed prenatally to incarceration," she says. "The data feeds back to the nonprofit to improve programming."

Monik C. Jimenez, an instructor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and who sits on Kotlar’s dissertation committee, says that the partnership with MBB both enriches the student’s research and extends its impact. “Through her research model, the community partner’s expertise is valued and contributes to each step in the process,” Jimenez says. “This approach then functions to first serve the community that is being engaged and the community partner and additionally expands our public health knowledge about the needs of incarcerated pregnant people, their children, and how to respectfully engage in community-based work.”

Another of Kotlar’s dissertation committee members, Harvard T.H. Chan School Professor Aisha Yousafzai, says Kotlar’s work is especially impactful because of its effects on two generations: the women who give birth and their children.

"How women who are incarcerated are cared for during pregnancy and after giving birth will likely impact their own mental health and wellbeing as well as the development of their infants," Yousafzai says, "for example, in the secure attachment between mother and infant and the social-emotional and behavioral development of the infant in the early years and beyond. The stability of nurturing care we receive influences a host of  outcomes later in life including how well we do in school and the quality of our own relationships."

It’s been many years since Kotlar switched from divinity school to public health. (“I’m not sure how religious I am anymore,” she says.) Still, there is a thread that runs through Kotlar’s career, academic, and even spiritual paths: a passion for working with those who have been marginalized, forgotten, or cast aside.

“I’m still committed to the social justice part of religion,” she says. “It’s the moral imperative to do something about injustice. In that way, I guess you could say my work is a kind of ministry.”

Learn more about the 2024 Harvard Horizons Scholars.

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10 facts about today’s college graduates

Having a bachelor’s degree remains an important advantage in many sectors of the U.S. labor market. College graduates generally out-earn those who have not attended college, and they are more likely to be employed in the first place. At the same time, many Americans say they cannot afford to get a four-year degree – or that they just don’t want to.

Here are key facts about American college graduates.

This Pew Research Center analysis about U.S. college graduates relies on data from sources including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Center for Education Statistics, the National Student Clearinghouse and the Federal Reserve Bank, as well as surveys conducted by the Center.

Everyone who took the Pew Research Center surveys cited is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about  the ATP’s methodology .

Nearly four-in-ten Americans ages 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, a share that has grown over the last decade. As of 2021, 37.9% of adults in this age group held a bachelor’s degree, including 14.3% who also obtained a graduate or professional degree, according to data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. That share is up 7.5 percentage points from 30.4% in 2011.

An additional 10.5% had an associate degree in 2021. About four-in-ten Americans ages 25 and older had a high school diploma with no further education (25.3%) or completed some college but didn’t have a degree (14.9%).

In a reversal, women are now more likely than men to graduate from college, according to the Current Population Survey . In 2021, 39% of women ages 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or more education, compared with 37% of men in the same age range. The gap in college completion is even wider among adults ages 25 to 34: 46% of women in this age group have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 36% of men.

In an October 2021 Pew Research Center survey of Americans without a degree, 34% of men said a major reason why they have not received a four-year college degree is that they just didn’t want to. Only one-in-four women said the same. Men were also more likely to say a major reason they didn’t have a four-year degree is that they didn’t need more education for the job or career they wanted (26% of men said this vs. 20% of women).

Women (44%) were more likely than men (39%) to say not being able to afford college was a major reason they don’t have a bachelor’s degree. Men and women were about equally likely to say a major impediment was needing to work to help support their family.

There are racial and ethnic differences in college graduation patterns, as well as in the reasons for not completing a degree. Among adults ages 25 and older, 61% of Asian Americans have a bachelor’s degree or more education, along with 42% of White adults, 28% of Black adults and 21% of Hispanic adults, according to 2021 Current Population Survey data. The share of bachelor’s degree holders in each group has increased since 2010. That year, 52% of Asian Americans had a four-year degree or more, compared with a third of White adults, 20% of Black adults and 14% of Hispanic adults.

The October 2021 Center survey found that among adults without a bachelor’s degree, Hispanic adults (52%) were more likely than those who are White (39%) or Black (41%) to say a major reason they didn’t graduate from a four-year college is that they couldn’t afford it. Hispanic and Black adults were more likely than their White counterparts to say needing to work to support their family was a major reason.

While a third of White adults said not wanting to go to school was a major reason they didn’t complete a four-year degree, smaller shares of Black (22%) and Hispanic (23%) adults said the same. White adults were also more likely to cite not needing more education for the job or career they wanted. (There weren’t enough Asian adults without a bachelor’s degree in the sample to analyze separately.)

Only 62% of students who start a degree or certificate program finish their program within six years, according to the most recent data from the  National Student Clearinghouse , a nonprofit verification and research organization that tracked first-time college students who enrolled in fall 2015 with the intent of pursuing a degree or certificate. The degree completion rate for this group was highest among students who started at four-year, private, nonprofit schools (78.3%), and lowest among those who started at two-year public institutions (42.2%).

Business is the most commonly held bachelor’s degree, followed by health professions.  According to the  National Center for Education Statistics , about a fifth (19%) of the roughly 2 million bachelor’s degrees conferred in 2019-20 were in business. Health professions and related programs were the second most-popular field, making up 12.6% of degrees conferred that year. Business has been the single most common major since 1980-81; before that, education led the way.

The  least  common bachelor’s degrees in 2019-20 were in military technologies and applied sciences (1,156 degrees conferred in 2019-20), library science (118), and precision production (39).

There is a growing earnings gap between young college graduates and their counterparts without degrees. In 2021, full-time workers ages 22 to 27 who held a bachelor’s degree, but no further education, made a median annual wage of $52,000, compared with $30,000 for full-time workers of the same age with a high school diploma and no degree, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This gap has widened over time. Young bachelor’s degree holders earned a median annual wage of $48,481 in 1990, compared with $35,257 for full-time workers ages 22 to 27 with a high school diploma.

The unemployment rate is lower for college graduates than for workers without a bachelor’s degree, and that gap widened as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In February 2020, just before the COVID-19 outbreak began in the U.S., only 1.9% of college graduates ages 25 and older were unemployed, compared with 3.1% of workers who completed some college but not a four-year degree, and 3.7% of workers with only a high school diploma. By June 2020, after the pandemic hit, 6.8% of college grads, 10.8% of workers with some college, and 12.2% of high school grads were unemployed.

By March 2022, the unemployment rate had nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels for college graduates (2%) while dropping to 3% among those with some college education but no four-year degree, and 4% among those with only a high school diploma.

Recent college graduates are more likely than graduates overall to be underemployed – that is, working in jobs that typically do not require a college degree, according to an analysis of Census Bureau and BLS data by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York . As of December 2021, 41% of college graduates ages 22 to 27 were underemployed, compared with 34% among all college graduates. The underemployment rates for recent college grads rose in 2020 as the COVID-19 outbreak strained the job market, but have since returned to pre-pandemic levels.

As of the end of 2021, only 34% of underemployed graduates ages 22 to 27 worked what the Fed defines as “good non-college jobs” – those paying at least $45,000 a year – down from around half in the 1990s. The share of underemployed graduates ages 22 to 27 in low-wage jobs – those earning less than $25,000 annually – rose from about 9% in 1990 to 11% last year.

When it comes to income and wealth accumulation, first-generation college graduates lag substantially behind those with college-educated parents, according to a May 2021 Pew Research Center analysis . Households headed by a first-generation college graduate – that is, someone who has completed at least a bachelor’s degree but does not have a parent with a college degree – had a median annual income of $99,600 in 2019, compared with $135,800 for households headed by those with at least one parent who graduated from college. The median wealth of households headed by first-generation college graduates ($152,000) also trailed that of households headed by someone with a parent who graduated from college ($244,500). The higher household income of the latter facilitates saving and wealth accumulation.

The gap also reflects differences in how individuals finance their education. Second-generation college graduates tend to come from  more affluent families , while first-generation college graduates are more likely to incur education debt than those with a college-educated parent.

Most Americans with college degrees see value in their experience. In the Center’s October 2021 survey , majorities of graduates said their college education was extremely or very useful when it came to helping them grow personally and intellectually (79%), opening doors to job opportunities (70%) and developing specific skills and knowledge that could be used in the workplace (65%).

Younger college graduates were less likely than older ones to see value in their college education. For example, only a third of college graduates younger than 50 said their college experience was extremely useful in helping them develop skills and knowledge that could be used in the workplace. Among college graduates ages 50 and older, 45% said this.

• Higher Education

Katherine Schaeffer is a research analyst at Pew Research Center

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