<p>Hi,
I'm from the US, but I'm considering studying for a PhD in the UK. I plan on studying plant science, so I would be looking at a research degree. I know that it only takes three-four years to get a degree in the UK, which is one of the reasons that I would consider studying there. I also would like to experience living in another country. However, I've heard that a degree from a university in the UK might not be as highly regarded as one from a university in the US.
Is this true?
I'm planning on looking for a job either in industry or at a research center, not a faculty position-probably in the US, but possibly in the UK, or at an international research center.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>The reason it takes less time to get a PhD in England is because in that country (and most others) you don’t go straight from undergrad to grad school for a PhD, you go from undergrad to grad school for a Masters degree, THEN you go for a PhD (often but not always at a different institution).</p>
<p>So to make this clear, when you enter a PhD program in the UK, you are supposed to already have a MS or MA in that field. The <em>total</em> amount of time from freshman undergrad to “here’s your PhD, doctor” is pretty much the same in both countries.</p>
<p>Although, believe it or not, to become a <em>medical</em> doctor in many other countries you are not required to get a useless Bachelor’s degree first, you go straight from high school to medical school.</p>
<p>EDIT: Cambridge and Oxford are on par with Harvard and Princeton, so if you can get into one of those schools then you have nothing to worry about. There are a handful of other schools in the UK which are world-class in reputation for their given subject areas but I do not know what they are (except the LSE for economics).</p>
<p>According to the program I am considering applying to, the academic qualification they require is an Upper Second Class (Hons) Degree (2(i) or equivalent). I researched this, and my findings indicated this was equivalent to a United States bachelor’s degree. Am I correct in this? Is there any translation of this degree to a US GPA?</p>
<p>Also, what are the pros and cons of a research PhD vs a PhD in the US, where you have to do research and take several classes?
Thanks!</p>
<p>Really, there’s not much difference between them because in the case of the “research PhD,” you have already done the classes that you would do in the US in your master’s program. Think of it like this: under the UK model, they just separate what would be the first 2 years of a US PhD program and the last 3-4 years of that program.</p>
<p>That degree is second class honors, upper division or a 2:1, which is a bachelor’s degree. It’s kind of equivalent to a GPA requirement in the U.S. The University of the West Indies describes it as equivalent to a GPA in the 3.0-3.59 range, with first-class honors being in the 3.6+ range. I think what each department will accept will depend on the department in question.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, a U.S. PhD that allows direct entry will also cover your master’s part as well as the PhD part, so you don’t have to pay for the coursework. A separate MA will require that you may for the coursework unless you find a funded one. Some may argue that a U.S. PhD gives you a little more time to focus your research, decide on your field, and publish some articles that will help on the job market. But for someone who already knows what they want to research and doesn’t need the extra prep time, that my be extraneous.</p>
<p>Of course a pro of the UK system is that the degree is a bit shorter - 3-4 years instead of 5-6.</p>