PHD Universities

[spirit_wasa]

Hey all,

Im looking for some advice.
I finish my honours next year in physics and maths and I was wondering if I could get some advice of good (international) universities to study with after this (probably PHD)... With this it would be preferable if I was able to apply for a good scholarship since international uni\'s can be expensive. In terms of language i feel quite comfortable learning french and maybe another european language if nessisary and of course im from Australia so i know english.
I have no idea where to start looking (BTW i want to do theoretical or mathematical physics if possible) all i know is the big ones like Cambridge etc and the main scholarships like Fulbright and Rhodes (which i will be applying).

PLEASE HELP IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING.

WASA

[Fernanda]

why not come to the US instead of learning a new language?

I guarantee you that plenty of universities here are willing to pay for your classes and a minimum of $15K a year for a salary. May not sound like much, but its enough to live on.

[keebler_giant]

They pay for your classes?

[Ragnorak]

Do you know any specific field you\'d like to work in? Some of the big name universities are better in certain fields than the other big name universities. In fact, some of the small name universities can outperform the big named ones. It definitely pays to have an idea in mind as theoretical and mathematical physics are very broad areas.

[spirit_wasa]

Well... I am very open minded about topic atm I really do just want to get a good deal :cool:
And founder America sounds ok but to tell you the truth and this is no reflection on you most Australians dont want to move to america on principle (although in most cases it is sensible) because EVERYONE moves there for careers and stuff and Australians are too proud to move...
Im not like that at all but it is funny we pay americans out a little like you guys pay out canadians. Seriously though I wouldnt mind going to an american university at all which ones are good?

[editor]

So, in Australia it\'s the Americans. When I was in the US it was the Polish. In the UK it was the Irish. In Canada it was the French. Here, in New Zealand it\'s the Australians.

[Fernanda]

yes, most programs here pay 100% for classes PLUS $15K in assistantship.

I must brag though, American universities (Physics programs) aren\'t just the best (in my opinion) because they are American.

They are great because of the great faculty, mostly made up of foreigners, and great student body, again mostly made up of foreigners.

And on top of it all, depending on your advisors reputation and school reputation, there are tons of grants and money that allow for great research, travel and stipends.

My lab alone, in a small department of about 25 faculty, has equipment worth around $750,000. And that\'s because my advisor is a rookie...meaning he JUST received tenior and has been teaching for only 6 years.

So, if a small department like mine with a rookie prof (albeit with a great reputation at ORNL) can get two big NSF and DOE grants, then better universities surely can provide you a better opportunity.

[spirit_wasa]

I have absolutely no idea about any of that stuff... all those titles and abreviations i have never heard of obviously some must be american titles and the others im just ignorant of

[Fernanda]

which ones?

NSF : National Science Foundation
DOE : Department of Energy

any others?

[spirit_wasa]

what constitutes a rookie physisist (Dont confuse this question with \"what does the word rookie mean?\" which i know) also what is ornl? also what is tenior

[keebler_giant]

I believe a tenior is when you are hired to teach for 10 years...

[Ragnorak]

I\'ve heard of tenure, but not tenior :fresh:

[spirit_wasa]

fernanda... can you give me a brief discription of some universities that you know in america and what they specialize in that i may be interested in... thanks

[The Eternal Triangle]

physicsweb.org has job listings that include masters and phd adverts. Alternatively, type in \"university\" and the field your are interested in into a google search, and that will give you plenty of results. As far as I\'m aware, pretty much all universities pay for tuition and living allowances for phd students, or offer scholarships. If you do a phd with a well-funded group, they will surely cover costs. The US has the best \"pay\" for phd students for the most part and a more intense course. The down side is that doing a phd in the states can take a long time (7 years is the normal time, I think), whereas in the UK and New Zealand, it takes quite a lot less time because you aren\'t made to take classes.

[spirit_wasa]

thank you eternal triangle, that has been a huge help, seriously. I dont know much about uni\'s i finish my honours next year but i skipped a year so i have only been out of high school for like 2 years so thanks dude.

Spirit_wasa

[Fernanda]

Originally posted by Ragnorak
I\'ve heard of tenure, but not tenior :fresh:

LOL...I knew it didn\'t look right. I\'m a foreigner, so I\'m allowed to make spelling mistakes ;)

Tenure it is!

[The Eternal Triangle]

Originally posted by spirit_wasa
thank you eternal triangle, that has been a huge help, seriously. I dont know much about uni\'s i finish my honours next year but i skipped a year so i have only been out of high school for like 2 years so thanks dude.

Spirit_wasa

No problem :)

About languages in Europe, a lecturer I have from Germany said that there is more and more of a trend to teach in English at the postgraduate level in a lot of European countries. If you decided to go to Holland, you don\'t need to worry too much about learning Dutch because everyone there can speak English and are quite friendly about it. If you go to France or Germany, you should really learn as much of the languages as you can before going over there. Most people *can* speak English, but they are very unfriendly to foreigners who try to communicate to them in English. You don\'t have to speak French or German perfectly, but they appreciate it if you make an effort. At the universities English would probably be acceptable, but knowing the language is important for day to day stuff, stores, pubs, etc.

[Edited on 2-10-2004 by The Eternal Triangle]