In recent years, it can be found that out of personal interest and career development needs, more and more people choose to study abroad for PhDs, and these "top students" have embarked on the road of further study where academic and scientific research complement each other.
Among them, the United States deservedly became the first choice for PhD applicants. According to data released by the American Association of International Education in 2020, one-third of international students who have obtained doctoral degrees in the United States are Chinese students.
What is the attraction of studying for a PhD in the United States? Why does everyone want to go to the United States to study for a PhD?
1.There are many colleges and universities, and higher education is outstanding
As the essence of American higher education, American universities have cultivated PhDs in various fields to provide strong talent support for scientific and technological innovation and economic development.
The United States has nearly 4,000 halls of higher learning, and every year QS, Us.News, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, you can see American institutions everywhere. Computer science, biology, physics, chemistry, electronic engineering and many other popular science and engineering majors lead the world, almost "occupying" the top 10 of the world's university rankings, and are sought after by students around the world.
More schools and more majors also means that there are more options to choose from. Taking mathematics majors as an example, there are about 100 schools in the United States that recruit doctoral degrees in mathematics, and about 50 of them have a very good overall level, and the number of doctoral students who can be admitted is also more than that of other countries.
At the same time, this new continent is bursting with amazing innovation year after year, giving birth to many scientific research achievements that benefit all mankind, and nearly 80% of the world's Nobel laureates are from the United States. Among the 30 universities with the most Nobel Prize winners, Harvard University, Columbia University, the University of Chicago, Princeton University and other well-known American universities occupy about two-thirds of the seats.
The 2022 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry American scientist Carl Barry Sharpless, the first "two-time Nobel laureate" in the 21st century, received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, and he also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University and Harvard University.
2."Easy to learn", flexible application and teaching methods
In the preconceived notion of many Chinese students and parents, a master's degree is a "stepping stone" to applying for a doctorate, but it is not. In the United States, both domestic and foreign undergraduates can directly apply for a doctorate, and there is no mandatory requirement for a master's degree.
The schools of engineering at Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Ann Arbor in Michigan have all made it clear that "a master's degree is not required." "These top schools pay more attention to the plasticity of their students than their academic qualifications, and tend to produce doctoral students with their own school research style. The abundant educational resources and flexible application system have largely met the needs of different types and levels of students.
Of course, a PhD will not only open a "door to a new world", but also immerse you in the discipline you love. Most PhD programs in the U.S. encourage students to collaborate with professors on the projects they are studying, and under the guidance of your supervisors, you will have the opportunity to complete a number of rare research results. Outstanding students are often able to pass five to six years of complete scientific research training and become "rising stars" in the scientific research community.
3.The Ph.D. is fully awarded, and the funds are abundant and generous
The cost of studying abroad has always been the focus of concern for families studying abroad. As the saying goes, "under the heavy reward, there must be a brave man", with sufficient scientific research funds and a perfect scholarship system, American doctors have attracted many outstanding students to compete for the "unveiling of the list".
Most PhDs in the United States do not require students to pay tuition, which is also commonly known as the concept of "doctoral full scholarship". The school will list all the scholarship numbers and admission requirements at the same time as the admission is granted, so that students can make a choice.
Doctoral scholarships range from US$30,000 to US$50,000 (about RMB220,000 to RMB350,000) per year, and are usually divided into two categories: service scholarships and non-service scholarships.
Service scholarships are mainly tuition-free, allowing students to earn a living allowance by working as a research assistant and teaching assistant.
The amount of the subsidy can not only cover the basic consumption expenses such as renting and eating for students, but if you save a little, you can even save a sum of money. Obtaining a degree without burdening the family is a key consideration for many students from ordinary families when they choose to study for a doctorate in the United States.
Due to the great importance attached to the cultivation of talents, the United States spends a large amount of financial expenditure every year to support the academic and scientific research fields. According to statistics, the total R&D expenditure of American universities in 2020 exceeded 86 billion US dollars (about 610 billion yuan). The generous financial support has given researchers the courage to "give it a go", boldly challenge and try, and stimulate their innovation and creative potential to the greatest extent.
Therefore, sufficient scientific research funding and strong academic exchange are a major feature of American doctors, and they are also the learning environment that doctoral students want.
4.The income is substantial, and the employment prospects for PhDs are good
So would it be better to get a job than a master's degree in the U.S.? We can see this through a set of data.
Since 1957, the United States has conducted an annual census for doctoral degree holders, the survey of earned doctorates (SEDs), to assess the characteristics, current situation and development trends of the doctoral population in the United States.
According to the results of the 2020 survey, more than half of the PhD graduates choose to work in industry and non-postdoctoral academic positions, and the income is quite considerable. The median annual salary of a PhD in Arts and Commerce is 680,000 US dollars (about 490,000 yuan); The median annual salary of a Ph.D. in science and engineering has reached 970,000 US dollars (about 700,000 yuan). Among them, the median annual salary of industry or business is the highest, with an income of 1060,000 US dollars (about 760,000 yuan).
It's not just overseas that provide such generous treatment, but also at home. Although the domestic workplace environment is becoming more and more "involuted", and the positions of major famous enterprises, universities, and first-class institutions have become saturated, they are still quite favored by doctoral students with overseas study experience, and the salary is not only "sky-high", but also often attached to the recruitment requirements such as "work experience in overseas high-level scientific research institutions" and "high-level journals", which just meets the training goals of American doctors.
Even in the recruitment documents for the teaching position of a university, the difference between the settling-in allowance and scientific research fee between overseas doctors and domestic doctors is at least 50,000 yuan. Pursuing a Ph.D. in the U.S. is not only a smart investment, but also a guarantee for your future job.
Having said all this, I believe you have a preliminary and systematic understanding of the doctoral program in the United States. Over the years, U.S. higher education has been a leader in the world, and doctoral training has steadily maintained a high-quality standard.
From the well-known teaching configuration to the intimate and solid "rear support", this may be the reason why American PhDs are included in the primary goal of academic development by many Chinese students.