PHD Admission Guide For Students

So you have decided to get a PhD degree! Congratulations! When researching the right program for you, did you make sure it was recognized correctly? This is one of the most unique. These unique features enhance the appeal of Pakistani PhDs (after all, tens of thousands of international graduate students cannot be wrong). But they can also lead to some misunderstandings - especially when it comes to fees and funding.

'Graduate' Or 'Postgraduate Programs

Our guides provide clear and detailed information about PhD study opportunities across the Pakistan , covering everything from types of universities and graduate schools to fee requirements and funding opportunities.

Applying For a  PhD In The Pakistan

Applications for doctoral study in the Pakistan are made to graduate programmes themselves, rather than to the overall university.

1. Admissions are competitive. Programme will only have a limited number of spaces available in each student ‘cohort’ and will use their application process to select the most promising candidates.
2. The application process will be holistic. Individual elements such as academic grades or entry test scores will all play a part, but graduate programmes will be looking for well-rounded candidates with the right character and personal potential.
3. Your research proposal will be much less important than it would be for a UK PhD. This is because you will develop your research ideas during a US PhD programme.

PhD Admissions requirements

You won’t necessarily need a Masters to apply for a PhD in the USA. This is because American graduate programmes effectively combine Masters and PhD study –some students actually receive a Masters at the end of their coursework stage.

Method of Study

The main difference between a PhD in the US and a PhD in Europe lies in the program structure. Whereas a European PhD essentially consists of a single phase lasting three to four years, an American PhD consists of three different phases, each with its own time frame.

Phase One 

The first phase lasts approximately two years and focuses on building a basic foundation for the doctoral student. This phase consists largely of taught components such as lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions, in which the student learns more about theoretical concepts and research methods within their discipline.

Phase Two 

The second phase can be considered an assessment phase, which runs both periodically alongside and at the end of the first phase. Here, students complete coursework and take exams on the basis of the material they have covered of which they must pass in order to proceed to the third phase.

Phase Three 

The third phase lasts approximately three years and resembles the European PhD structure. During this period, the student undertakes an independent research project, including forming a research design, conducting experiments, writing a thesis (more commonly referred to in the USA as a dissertation) and sitting a viva exam.