This is big and I never thought it would be this way, but anyway, here we go again.
With the intention in pursuing a PhD in Economics or in a related field to further my education, I started looking for some sponsors, someone who could help me get there financially.
What I did not realize is that many of those Universities require that you take a GRE and TOEFL -Tests for Ph. D. or GMAT for MBA Programs before they can accept you.
When I did my Masters in Banking & Finance, there was no need for me to take those exams. This time, for Ph. D. the GRE and TOEFL Tests are one of their requirements.
It was kind of confusing for me why they had to ask someone who already completed University and passed all the required examinations, to take those tests before applying for MBA or Ph. D. Programs. I then called my friend to ask if she had to take the GMAT exams before her MBA Program – the answer was simply no, she did not.
Since that time, I realized that I was not the only one ignoring those concepts, so I decided to put together some definitions that some of you may need.
GMAT
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT, pronounced G-mat, [dʒiː.mæt]) is a computer adaptive standardized test in mathematics and the English language for measuring aptitude to succeed academically in graduate business studies. Business schools commonly use the test as one of many selection criteria for admission into graduate business administration programs (e.g. MBA, Master of Accountancy, etc.) principally in the United States, but also in other English-speaking countries. It is delivered via computer at various locations around the world. In those international locations where an extensive network of computers has not yet been established, the GMAT is offered either at temporary computer-based testing centers on a limited schedule or as a paper-based test (given once or twice a year) at local testing centers. As of August 2009, the fee to take the test is U.S. $250 worldwide.
Source: Wikipedia
GRE-Test
The Graduate Record Examination or GRE is a commercially-run standardized test that is an admission requirement for many graduate schools, principally in the United States[citation needed], but also in other English-speaking countries. Created and administered by Educational Testing Service (or ETS) in 1949,[1] the exam is primarily focused on testing abstract thinking skills in the areas of mathematics, vocabulary, and analytical writing. The GRE is typically a computer-based exam that is administered by select qualified testing centers; however, paper-based exams are offered in areas of the world that lack the technological requirements.
Source: Wikipedia
TOEF
TOEFL: Test of English as foreing language, in other words is a test for speakers of other languages that is an entrance requirement for study at a US university or some other Universities in Europe.
So, if you are thinking about pursuing your education in a PhD level, you must know how to write a PhD Project Description.
- Precision and reflection
- Relevance and perspectives
- Questions and hypotheses
- Theories and methods
- Focus and realistic expectations
- Abstract
- Length
The reasons for writing a PhD project vary widely. Some students may have been harbouring a good idea ever since they submitted their Master’s thesis; others may have been working for a few years and have become inspired to reflect on their own or others’ practice. Still others may respond to an advertisement for a PhD scholarship.
Whatever the reason, it is necessary to think systematically about how the PhD project is built up and described. The quality of the project description is the most critical element in an application for a scholarship and enrolment in the PhD programme. If enrolment and possibly the scholarship application are successful, a clear and concise project description is also a good point of departure for the subsequent three years of research.
There are a number of different subject areas and disciplines at the Danish University of Education, and prospective students are always advised to consult the homepage under departments, research programmes and research units as well as to get in touch with any contact people available in order to get an impression of the research environment to which the application is directed.
It is also always a good idea to get someone else to read the application and give feedback on it before it is submitted.
Precision and reflection
The purpose of writing an application is to convince others of the relevant and innovative perspectives of your project. Therefore, your application must be coherent. It must be clear and precise but also well argumented and demonstrate that you have reflected on the strengths and boundaries of the project. It is seldom possible to study and find answers to everything one finds interesting within the area of a given project, and absolutely impossible to do so within a timeframe of three years.
Relevance and perspectives
However, it does not suffice for the application to be well written – attention must also be paid to content. When you have described your research issue, you should also give an account of the most relevant research within the research area you are applying to work in and explain how your project and its research question(s) are related to the field. What is new about them in comparison with what we already know? And how is the knowledge that will arise from the project relevant for the field or society? In other words, why is it important that the opportunity is given for conducting precisely this research?
Questions and hypotheses
Different subjects and paradigms have different forms of practice regarding how research issues are specified. According to some forms of practice, issues may be specified by formulating a number of research questions. When the issue is made more concrete in the form of one or more research questions, your research focus will be sharpened. This will in turn help you to assess which theories and methods you should apply in order to obtain the best results when answering the questions.
Other disciplines operate by putting forward hypotheses as a way of clarifying the main idea of the project. Sometimes work is carried out on the basis of formalized hypotheses, which demand proper testing. In other cases, hypotheses are put forward as a way of formulating somewhat broader assumptions about the nature of the problem, which are studied using methods that do not involve testing.
Hypotheses and research questions must be prepared just as thoroughly as the main research issue of the project. In other words, their content and relevance as well as testing or solution must be considered.
Theories and methods
How are you going to explore your research issues? It is important to clarify how you plan to answer the research questions and/or hypotheses you have put forward.
What research design, what theories and conceptual systems will you apply? Are there any special research traditions within the field that you are following/not following?
If you are conducting empirical research, what type of empirical data do you intend to use, and how do you intend to collect them? You should give a very detailed account – also in relation to the extent and nature of, for example, interviews, observations, questionnaires, test materials or whatever else you have chosen to work with.
What analytical methods are you using? Are there any special research traditions within the field that you are following/not following?
You should think of your description of the theoretical framework and research design as a description of the scientific tools you plan to use in your explanation of the research issue(s). Therefore, it is important when you describe theory and methods that the tools are relevant in relation to your research task. Take a critical and reflective stance when making your descriptions: what are the strengths and possible weaknesses of the theoretical framework in relation to your purpose? What are the strengths and possible weaknesses of the methods in relation to your purpose? Finally, what answers can be expected to be found? Are there any phenomena that cannot be elucidated in this way – and what are the consequences of this?
Focus and realistic expectations
The project should appear focused and manageable, in the sense that it should be possible to carry it out within a timeframe of three years, of which maybe only one year is spent on research, You should anticipate spending six months of the three years’ standard duration of the PhD programme on research courses, six months on communication/teaching (work for the department at which you are enrolled), and (at least) one year on writing.
It is useful for the assessment committee to know how long you expect to spend on reading background material on the subject, how long on the collection of empirical data and finally, how much time you have allocated to the working up and analysis of data as well as the writing of the thesis. It can therefore be a good idea to make a realistic schedule, which also indicates when you may plan to make a study visit abroad.
You can find more details about the requirements of the PhD programme in the student’s guide. There will be many things required by the programme that you will be unable to plan for in advance, but the ones that can be planned should be made explicit in your schedule.
Moreover, it is important for the assessment of a project application that the assessment committee gains insight into any relevant research experience the applicant already has. Be brief! You will need most of the limited space available for the project description.
Abstract
The application may be introduced by a short abstract (max. 1200 characters). What is the research issue, what are the hypotheses and/or research questions, what theories, methods and empirical data are going to be used, and how is the topic relevant for the field or society? This is a good litmus test of whether the application is coherent and well argumented.
Length
The PhD Board of Studies, like the national research councils, has set a maximum length for applications of 5 pages of 2400 characters each, excluding references and notes.
