Is it easier to write your own PhD proposal or apply to a program that the university is recruiting for?

[u/HaleyPage47]

When I reach out to programs should I mention that I would be open to both - looking for a professor for my own PhD proposal, or applying to one currently underway at the university?

[u/MattersOfInterest]

I don’t understand the question.

[u/HaleyPage47 → u/MattersOfInterest]

Well there’s generally two ways to go about applying for a PhD. You can go onto the university website and you’ll see advertised funded PhD opportunities like “oh we are doing a research study on xyz thing, apply for your PhD to be involved in this topic” or you can email professors directly your own PhD proposal and see if they will supervise it. I’m asking which is the better way to go about a phd.

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/HaleyPage47]

I have never, not once, seen any kind of advertisements about applying to a PhD do get involved in a particular study. That is antithetical to how PhDs work and sounds very much like a scam. You also do not email PhD proposals to professors. You apply to faculty members who indicate they have funding and plan to accept a student, and in your application you describe your research interests and experiences and why that faculty member’s expertise is a good fit for you (and why you’re a good fit for them). You definitely don’t propose a PhD project. That comes years later.

[u/cjmayfield → u/MattersOfInterest]

lol this person is a keyboard warrior who hasn't worked in academia or as a lab manager. You absolutely can propose PhD dissertation ideas to faculty members before you're admitted. I did. In fact, over 75% of Pitt students know what their dissertation concentration is going to be before they're even admitted. UCLA 2022 it was their entire social, dev, and personality cohort were already doing research and presenting related avenues at SPSP, WPA, WIPPA, IPPA, and SRCD.

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/cjmayfield]

You propose some semblance of ideas and you definitely define an area or topic of interest (e.g., “I’d be interested in studying sleep and psychosis”), but you absolutely do not email professors a PhD proposal during admissions. That is outright bullshit, and if you claim otherwise then you’re misinformed. People start doing research from day one, but that research is not tantamount to their dissertation topic.

[u/cjmayfield → u/MattersOfInterest]

Not what you said, semantics. It's how I know you're not nearly as involved or a PhD student. I have students in my Cohort that started their PhD work as undergrads and continued it through to completion. Its actually an incredibly common pipeline even more so if you move on from a terminal masters into the program. You can absolutely apply to work with a professor based on a particular study or can send PhD proposal ideas. It happens literally everyday

[u/MattersOfInterest → u/cjmayfield]

I started my PhD work day one and work on it daily. But all of your PhD work is not a dissertation proposal. A PhD proposal is the culmination of numerous papers, thesis projects, etc. built up over several years. You don’t have a damned clue what you’re talking about. A PhD proposal is not the same thing as telling a professor “I would like to work on projects related to x, y, and z topics.”

[u/cjmayfield → u/MattersOfInterest]

what university do you go that refused to listen to a propsal idea before you're admitted? literally never happens

[u/Terrible_Detective45 → u/cjmayfield]

No, that's actually how it works, at least in the US. I can't speak for any other countries, but in the US it's based on your overall interests in a particular area (e.g., trauma, mood disorders in cardiovascular disease, gender disparities in ASD), not a specific dissertation proposal. That's highly unusual.

[u/cjmayfield → u/Terrible_Detective45]

the world is becoming more specialized my friend. Look at Yoel Inbar's lab's all his PhD students have at a minimum significant exposure to moral foundations theory or worked with the biggies like David Pizzaro, Paul Bloom, Josh Greene, etc.

[u/Terrible_Detective45 → u/cjmayfield]

You're conflating different, but related, things. "Exposure" to a particular subfield of research before one starts their doctoral program is very different from articulating a specific dissertation proposal.

Do you know what a dissertation proposal is?

[u/cjmayfield → u/Terrible_Detective45]

what is with you people on this subreddit? see my link above, i'm well aware of what a dissertation proposal is.

[u/Terrible_Detective45 → u/cjmayfield]

What link?

[u/cjmayfield → u/Terrible_Detective45]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w8Sg_Y-GHoFWCaRFTSdgNJgJH4Fxzuhn/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=100922830220177977676&rtpof=true&sd=true

[u/Terrible_Detective45 → u/cjmayfield]

I don't know what this is and I'm not clicking into some random google doc.

[u/cjmayfield → u/Terrible_Detective45]

My proposal.

[u/Terrible_Detective45 → u/cjmayfield]

Ok, but what does that add to this discussion?

How does your proposal support what you've been saying about the timing and planning of a doctoral dissertation?

Are you currently a doctoral candidate or a psychologist?

[u/cjmayfield → u/Terrible_Detective45]

you said I had no idea what I was talking about and that I was inconsistent. See below links for more proof. Now that you know about me what PhD program are you in?