Top Islamic Websites
How to find an advisor/program/university when looking to get a PhD?
I want to get a PhD in Economics with a focus on Economic Development. I am especially interested in interest-free banking (similar to Islamic Finance/banking) but want to find an advisor at a University that would be a good fit for me. How do I go about finding the right program at the right University and the right advisor?
Public Comments
- During your master's program, you explore options for a PhD. Your advisor will help you find the right program and see to it that the proper connections are made. You rely on networking.
- First, I'd ask professors at your current university. Professional academics know the lay of the land pretty well and will best be able to steer you in the right direction. Read up on universities' websites about their admissions requirements and the professors they have on hand. Usually the faculty have webpages that outline their research interests, and from there you could contact them via e-mail and ask the professors yourself. They could best tell you if it's worth applying there and if they'd be interested in your field of research. Ultimately contacting professors personally will help you to determine who would be the best fit for you. Funnily enough, I have a friend who's doing his Ph.D. in economics. I just gave him a call to see what he'd say in terms of schools to look at, and he gave me a link: http://www.econphd.net/rank/rtrade.htm . It ranks off the schools based on fields of expertise. Not unexpectedly, the top schools for 'economic development/country studies" are Ivy League and other high-ranking well-known places. But he also suggests taking a look at the University of British Columbia or Queens University if you're Canadian (or just interested in studying in Canada).
