For prospective PhD students, choosing where and what to study is rarely a quick decision.
Unlike taught postgraduate study, where students may begin their search with a subject or course, doctoral candidates often have much more specific questions. What research is taking place? Which academics are working in their area of interest? What funding is available? Where could their research take them?
For universities, this means a strong PhD student recruitment strategy needs to do more than showcase individual opportunities. It needs to support prospective researchers throughout the journey – from discovering a research opportunity to making an enquiry and ultimately applying.
With a busy period for PhD recruitment approaching, here are five ways universities can strengthen that journey.
The first challenge is simple: prospective PhD students need to be able to find you.
Doctoral candidates may search by research topic, supervisor, funding opportunity, institution or a very specific area of academic expertise. They are unlikely to rely on a single source when researching their options, so visibility beyond your own website can play an important role.
Platforms such as FindAPhD.com give universities another opportunity to put their doctoral opportunities in front of an engaged audience actively researching PhD study.
With more than 7.7 million prospective researchers using FindAPhD each year, being visible at this early discovery stage can help universities reach candidates before they have narrowed their choices.
For many prospective PhD students, the right supervisor can be just as important as the institution itself.
They want to understand who is working in their area of interest, what expertise they have and whether their research interests align with their own.
That's why making supervisor information easy to find is so important.
FindAPhD's Supervisor Search helps prospective researchers discover potential supervisors based on their research interests, giving universities another way to showcase their academic expertise and connect with relevant candidates.
For universities, this creates an opportunity to promote the depth of their research community – not just a list of available PhD projects.
Funding can be one of the biggest considerations for anyone considering doctoral study.
Yet prospective students can sometimes have to navigate multiple pages, documents and deadlines to understand what funding is available, who is eligible and how to apply.
Where possible, make funding information easy to find and understand. Clearly explain:
The easier it is for candidates to understand their options, the easier it is for them to decide whether a particular opportunity is right for them.
A PhD is a significant commitment, so prospective researchers are likely to spend considerable time researching before they make contact.
Your website and other student recruitment channels should help answer the questions they are likely to have throughout this process.
For example:
About the research
About the PhD
About the experience
The more questions you can answer early, the more confident a prospective applicant can become in taking the next step.
Your university website will always be an important part of the PhD recruitment journey, but it isn't necessarily where that journey begins.
Prospective researchers are discovering opportunities across search engines, specialist websites, academic networks and other digital channels. Reaching them at the point when they are actively exploring their options can help build awareness before they arrive on your website.
This is where specialist postgraduate platforms can add value.
FindAPhD is designed specifically around the needs of people searching for doctoral opportunities. Alongside PhD listings, universities can use their presence to showcase their institution, research strengths and opportunities to a relevant postgraduate audience.
And with Supervisor Search, universities can also increase visibility for the academics and research expertise that can influence a candidate's decision.
The PhD applicant journey doesn't start when a candidate clicks "Apply".
It starts much earlier – when they first search for a research topic, discover an institution, find a potential supervisor or begin exploring funding opportunities.
Universities that build visibility across these different stages have more opportunities to put their institution in front of prospective researchers, answer their questions and give them reasons to take the next step.
As the next busy PhD recruitment period approaches, it's worth asking:
Can prospective researchers easily discover your opportunities, find the right supervisor and get the information they need to take the next step?
If the answer isn't always yes, there may be opportunities to strengthen your PhD recruitment journey before the next wave of applications arrives.
Find out how FindAPhD can help you reach prospective PhD students and showcase your research expertise.