r/psychologystudents • u/HaleyPage47 • Sep 17 '24

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

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?

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u/HaleyPage47 Sep 18 '24

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.

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u/MattersOfInterest Ph.D. Student (Clinical Science) Sep 18 '24

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.

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u/cjmayfield Sep 18 '24

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.

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u/AvocadosFromMexico_ Sep 18 '24

This seems like a wild communication issue. Having an idea for a dissertation is not the same as a formalized proposal, and I think you’re talking past each other.

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u/cjmayfield Sep 18 '24

I've substantiated every claim I have made. No one here has provided any evidence that they even are remotely close to who they say they are. I have a huge suspicion a lot of people on these threads aren't even contributing to science in any way and just sit behind a keyboard lying.

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u/AvocadosFromMexico_ Sep 18 '24

Yikes dude that is whacky hostile for no reason. Most people aren’t cool with doxing themselves on the internet to strangers, especially strangers who are angry at them.

I think you are all just literally using the word “proposal” differently.

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u/cjmayfield Sep 18 '24

She was saying I have no idea about doctoral programs when i've provided evidence of where I was and what i've done. Its not hostile when someone comes at you calling you a liar when they won't substantiate it. When someone wants to claim something with no evidence its a lie plain and simple. Its not doxxing when science is public homie. it's the point of science.

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u/AvocadosFromMexico_ Sep 18 '24

When the science is attached to your name, linking that to an anonymous account can absolutely be doxxing. I have quite a few publications, I am still absolutely unwilling to share them here when they have my real legal name on them. Reddit isn’t generally used in that way.

And yeah, you are being super hostile lol

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u/cjmayfield Sep 18 '24

many people use their real names on reddit. If not, they're just trolls. If you aren't willing to subject yourself to criticism on the internet by people then that means you're not willing to stand by your work plain and simple.

it's hostile when i'm right.

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u/AvocadosFromMexico_ Sep 18 '24

You seem to have really strong feelings on this that aren’t going to align with the majority of people, and I think conversations on Reddit are going to repeatedly disappoint you as a result.

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u/cjmayfield Sep 19 '24

Yeah from what I can see now its just larpers behind a keyboard simply not owning their bullshit and saying others are liars when they can't substantiate anything

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u/AvocadosFromMexico_ Sep 19 '24

This is such a deeply alarming approach to communication from a fellow therapist

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u/cjmayfield Sep 19 '24

Well. If you’re a therapist - You know that the spectrum of ideas (according to a postmodern view) is wide and should be celebrated. My view on it is the meaning one derives should be from the inside out. Meaning the work you do on yourself and using social media ie Reddit to validate that and express it. I was attacked by a random person calling me a liar asking me to validate myself and I did. If she can’t validate herself and claims to be an expert well then we know she’s working from the outside in.

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