PhD

In an earlier post I expressed the interest in someday pursuing a PhD program. I have spent much thought from the time of my visit to IISc over the past some years in thinking about it and I am happy to say that over the past few months things have clarified enough for me that though I have not made a decision one way or the other , I feel I understand it very clearly - an understanding I wish I had earlier.

A large percentage of my friends have either earned a PhD or are in the process of earning such a degree and conversations with them have not only had the effect of keeping the thought process going (I have compared their inquizitive questions about my plans in this regard to the throwing of a pebble into a calm lake disrupting the peace on the surface) but also I have learned a lot about the program itself and the research career beyond it from their experiences.

Here are a few points for an undergraduate engineering student in India considering joining a PhD program who would like to know whether it is the right step.

1. You are in awe of technology. You are good in math and analytical thinking.

2. You have a very basic understanding of the sub-fields within your field and how they interact with each other.

[Taking the example of Computer Science, the sub-fields would be Algos, Automata Theory, Progg Languages, Architecture, OS, DBMS and Networks. By the end of the first year of graduate study, you should be qualified to take the Advanced GRE or the Qualifying exam. To reach the level, there are standard textbooks - one each for each of the sub-field that if you read it well enough, you should be good to go. Studying 10 textbooks in three years when you can use the same knowledge for your undergraduate studies as well is not a big deal at all.]

3. Take at least one rudimentary research project and one implementation style project before and see it through completion to demonstrate to yourself that you can keep a commitment.

4. Read trade magazines to understand what problems technology companies encounter all the time. You might not understand much, but knowing even a little helps immensely.

[Example: "Energy consumption is a big challenge in microprocessors especially those built for mobile applications." is a rough industry-wide problem.]

With the above four qualifications, an admission to a PhD program and enthusiasm to work hard, you are very well positioned to earn a PhD in 4 to 5 years.

Now, the thousand dollar question -

Will you have a satisfying career in research after you have earned your PhD? One that is much more satisfying than a career in engineering or applied science implementing solutions?

Not necessarily. You might, you might not. A PhD is no guarantee of that. In fact, many students in PhD programs look for a different area of research once they graduate and many do not have very satisfying careers, but many also do. Many find a niche and learn to love their work later on in their careers. Many end up doing administrative or engineering jobs that could be done with other educational qualifications. Going into a PhD program, there is a 50-50 chance of it going either way just like any other degree.

A couple of things about research careers:

+ An overhwhelming majority of research is incremental and takes the field forward (possibly for a very narrow application) by a very small step. Some steps might lead nowhere. You can become an Einstein, but it is highly unlikely for most mortals.

+ Many (including me) find it incredibly rewarding to solve challenging and different problems every day although the problems are neither unsolved nor uncommon. And I don't have a PhD.

+ Sure, the lifestyle afforded by research labs and university campuses is attractive in some ways but that should not be the guiding factor for this decision.

+ Research needs a source of funding. In fact money drives research and funding sources can be unreliable, so you have to open yourself to the reality that what you are working on today which you like might not be something you have to work on tomorrow due to the shift in funding direction and the different work might not be to your liking. Research directions can be temperamental, although less so than industry directions. New entrants to non-research careers expect this going in, whereas in research they don't - at least not as much. You should have the foresight to delve into an area that will be "hot" for a few decades at least. Either that or you should be willing to change to a different field or different type of work.

+ Even after a short while in research, it might become difficult for one to listen to a manager about the direction that their research should take.

+ Networking with people in your own field is more important for a person in a research career than any other, though people in this career, I believe, are not prepared well enough for this aspect of it. A lot of money gets spread around among "collaborators" and this term actually refers to a group of people who scratch each other's backs.

The important thing is not as much whether you are right for such a career, it is whether such a career is right for you.

The comparison I'd like to make is that although you might love to hear a certain kind of music and know all the great performers and songs and styles and tunes and even be a skilled musician yourself, it is a whole different ball game when it comes to turning professional and playing to an audience and being successful at that. You have to know yourself well enough to make the judgement which group you would like to be.

Of course, you might decide to join a PhD program for the short-term financial advantages and leave it with a Masters degree for greener pastures. If you decide to do this, I turn my head away and say "Hmmmfff..."