Understanding the Journey to Doctoral Education: Results from the 2019 FUTURE PhD STUDENT SURVEY
Executive summary
This report presents the key findings from a survey of over 1,000 prospective PhD students, undertaken by FindAUniversity: publishers of FindAPhD and FindAMasters.
It presents the first ever such investigation of the intentions, motivations, information needs and concerns of people actively considering commencing a PhD qualification.
Prospective students are primarily motivated to consider a PhD by interest in their subject, but the opportunity to acquire transferable skills and to qualify for an academic career are also key drivers. Anticipations of workload are generally high, with more than 50% of both full-time and part-time students expecting to work hours equivalent to a full-time job (or greater). Those considering a PhD are also concerned about the impact of doctoral study on their work/life balance and personal wellbeing.
Responses vary across different subject areas, with prospective STEM students generally being more confident of career plans and funding options, whilst prospective Arts & Humanities students are more likely to be undecided.
Brexit is a concern for UK and for EU nationals, with uncertainty persisting despite the extension of UK fee and funding guarantees.
