Universities in the UK (and the discussion in this post is based, and most
likely limited to, the UK academic sector) accept students with a UG (BSc)
degree into their PhD programs. Thus, students in the UK often wonder about the
differences between doing a postgraduate taught degree and a postgraduate
research degree. But also if you have already your MSc finished (or are close to
finishing it) and are considering applying for a PhD programme, it will be
useful to understand the differences in the application and selection process.
One of important difference between a taught program and a research program is
that a research program is an individual programme: it is all about you (and
your supervisor). In contrast, a taught program is mass event (the “mass” can be
relatively small, i.e., cohort sizes of postgraduate taught programs are often
in the medium double-digit range). This has consequences on selecting the right
university (or research group) and strategies for making your application
successful.
Taught Postgraduate Programs §
Let’s start with looking at Taught Postgraduate Programs. When applying for an
MSc programme, you are often one of hundredths applicants and decision if your
application is successful or not, is often taken by a dedicated admissions team,
based on your marks in your undergraduate studies, checking that you satisfy the
admission criteria. Only in exceptional cases, when, for instance, you want to
replace certain requirements (e.g., an undergraduate degree that teaches
programming) by job experience (e.g., if you worked as a software developer),
your application is read carefully by an academic.
Of course, you want to study at a university with a good reputation. But, most
importantly, you want to learn the topics that really motivate you and that
build the basis for your envisioned career path. Hence, carefully check the
description of the programmes you are applying for (and for the modules offered)
to avoid disappointments. For example, not every programme that has
``cybersecurity’’ in its title, will cover those areas of cybersecurity that you
are interested in. This will also help you, if you are considering a PhD after
your MSc: PhD supervisors consider it an advantage, if they have already
supervised the M.Sc. Research Project of a student. And, if the M.Sc. Research
Project and your PhD topic are aligned, it gives you a head-start for your PhD.
Research Postgraduate Programs §
While, in the following, I am focusing on PhD programmes, similar consideration
are valid for the much less common degree “MSc by Research” (a one-year MSc
degree that is purely based on an individual research project). A postgraduate
research program, as the name suggests, focuses on research. There are usually
only a few taught modules (e.g., in the UK it is very common that research
students need to complete a module on research methodology). Hence, both the
application process and the PhD studies are centered around you, our research
topic, and your relationship to your PhD supervisor. This observation should
guide both the selection of the best suitable supervisor and the documents that
your application process
If you want to do a PhD in a certain topic (and, if you want to do a PhD, you
should have an idea, in which area you want to do it), look out for potential
supervisors that are knowledge in your area of interest, e.g., they have
published papers that are, broadly speaking, relevant to your PhD topic. For
example, even though I am doing a lot of research in cybersecurity, there are
many areas of cybersecurity, I am not supervising students on, because I lack
the necessary expertise.
In your application, you should demonstrate that the expertise of your future
supervisor is useful for your PhD topic. Ideally, your application refers to one
or several papers written by the research group you are applying at. In a
certain way, the reputation of the university is less important (compared to a
taught programme). Rather, try to understand if your research topic and your
personality fits well into the research area and supervisory style of your
week/month: some supervisors meet their PhD candidates at least weekly, others
future supervisor. For example, how many supervisory meetings are planned per
only every other week or less often. Similarly, some supervisors are more
involved in the actual research than others. What is best for you, depends on
your personal needs and your research topic. Some topics require a closer
supervision than others. If accepted, you will need to work with this supervisor
for the next 3 to 5 years. Also, at the end of your PhD, your individual work
will be assessed both by the PhD committee and by future employers (that will
also look at your publications and your PhD thesis).
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Today, I am starting a “new life” as Full
Professor (Chair for Cybersecurity) and Head of Group Cybersecurity Group (in
creation) at the Computer Science
Department at the University of
Exeter (and, yes, there is a outdoor swimming pool
next to my new office).