the scholarship is quite hard to get
how u apply?
how they judge?

Haha...that's why i say this is limited to people who are doing research in the lab..
both my supervisors in UKM and ANU expect students to be at work latest 9am...they expect you to come during weekends as well..not so much different from working...

For this scholarship, they judge you based on your credentials, ie academic results, recommendation letters from your referees..there is no interview..
there are a lot of prestigious scholarships for postgraduate which do not require interview..like Commonwealth Scholarship and Endeavour Scholarship..
Purely based on academic excellence, recommendation letters, and essays you write..

1st step (Research Mode for bio..i'm not sure about others) is to approach a prospective supervisor..if he/she decides to take you, application to the university isn't much a problem..after that apply for scholarship using the offer letter you've obtained..

In Monash (IT) it's pretty much the same. They just want your academic results and a research proposal from your selected supervisor (so yes, in this case, I had to choose my supervisor even before I applied official for my doctorate studies). No interview either.

sunway or aus campus?

Sunway. You're not encouraged to transfer to Australia midway through your studies though, since you'll have to re-apply for the scholarship over there, and apparently, it's somewhat harder to get it there.

As smart as you are, there will be free stuffs from BSC this week. Belief it or not?
Free Ipad and many other items. Check out announcement tomorrow!

BSC? what is that?

err i got one question here..forgive me if it was a stupid question i juz want to know..earlier u said Phd doesn't have lecture and structureless rite?..so how we want to know that we already complte our Phd?..how we know that we are ready to grad?..like in degree after we finish all subject and got a required CGPA we can grad..how about in Phd?

Not very true. It depends on which system you're doing your PhD in. The American system for example, is more akin to a structured course in the first 1-2 years (with exams that you have to pass and all), and then becomes a lectureless/structureless system, after you've chosen a supervisor and stuff (Typically you apply to a department, and then you only get the research supervisor after 1-2 years). This does mean that the typical length for a PhD there is about 5 years (Princeton is an exception, their PhDs last 4 years), compared to the British system (which I'm more familiar with) where PhD courses last 3 - 3.5 (if you're lucky, 4) years (3 for research + 1/2 year for preparation of the thesis), due to funding constraints. The British system is similar to what's being described above, where you pre-choose your supervisor before undertaking the PhD program.

Typically knowing when you have enough original material to compile a PhD thesis will be a matter of discussion between you and your supervisor, and you have to go through a defence (viva), where you'll either get a PhD, or be told that you have to do a rewrite and come back for another defence, or if it's not good enough, they might just award you a MPhil instead of a PhD. This is not a mere formality, it does happen.

This post has been edited by bgeh: Jun 8 2010, 10:29 AM

Yeah...great explanation..US PhD can take up to 7 years to complete due to the coursework component..
There are also some UK universities that started PhD with coursework prior to research work..PhDs like this takes longer time to complete..
The downgrade of PhD to MPhil also differs from place to place..At my place (Aus), candidate is advised to convert to MPhil halfway through the candidature if the progress is not of satisfactory..

@scarface: i believe this would help you understand the different PhD systems around the world...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phd

and to add, phd candidate is required to published their research finding in cited journal publishers.

in UPM for example, there are Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) awards to the selected PhD candidates, monthly allowance about RM2.5k is not mistaken plus summore other allowances for local people.

but in return, UPM expected the candidate to publish at least 2 cited papers.
and bear in mind that it is worthy to own several journals when defensing your thesis during viva.

and when u graduated, u will obtain a cool 'Dr.' title in front of your name that make people 'wow' at you.
Germany engineering PhD will obtain more cool additional title, "Dr. Ing."

This post has been edited by exsaga: Jun 8 2010, 12:29 PM

There. Fixed.

RM2.5k is high..but bear in mind not all pay that well for PhD candidates..

NSF pays rm2.3k, USM fellowship around Rm2.1k with yearly increment, and UKM rm1.6k if BSc qualification or rm1.8k MSc qualification (subject to Supervisor's research grant)..

And not all universities require the findings to be published..but it is very encouraged that PhD students publish their findings as this will boost your CV..

Regarding viva, is there any uni. out there which DOESN'T practise it? Cause over here in Monash, we don't.

I think none in ANU as well...maybe it's australian system?
There is a final seminar presentation..but i doubt it can be regarded as viva because the thesis draft isn't submitted at this point and examiners haven't really gone through your project in detail..

i do think that is Australian system.
my concern is, is there no question arises since the thesis wasnt went through examination, defending, etc etc

and i also heard that some of the Japanese PhD studentship doesnt require to come up with any nobellity values? somebody can explain?

The thesis will go thru examination..after the final seminar@ oral presentation..it's an open seminar, so be prepared for questions also...just that it isn't as vigourous as an actual viva...
examiners will go through the thesis and you'll have to do correction when they return it to you...
You may have to do some correction to the drafts @ redo some experiments...
Hmm..that's rare...don't have to have novelty?

thanks for the correction.

in my uni, UNMC, we required to do Viva after completion of the thesis. For scholarship, NSF offer scholarship for MResc and PhD candidates. Got 4 times a year they will conduct an interview. check mosti website for further clarification

in germany, they have specific title for every field instead of general 'phd'.
hence, a doctor of medicine is given Dr. med, a doctor of economy Dr. oec. and a doctor of music Dr. mus..
Heck, they even gave specific title for their undergraduates (prior to bologna process).
Dipl.-Ing. for engineering graduate, Dipl.-Kaufm. for business graduate (Dipl. titles for applied sciences), Mag. art. for arts graduate, Mag. iur. for law graduate (Mag. titles for social sciences)
and germans are most-obsessed with academic titles.

i am planning to pursue doctorate (in german is called promotion) after working for 2 years.
so, probably late this year or early next year.
i am lucky because i graduated with an old german undergraduate degree which is equivalent to master.
after 5 yrs of study.
half of my classmates went straight to do doctorate after undergraduate.

in germany and probably in many other developed countries, phd can be pursued in the industry.
i.e. you work at a certain company as phd student/candidate rather than at school.
(heck, i even completed my final year and undergraduate thesis while working at a company)
usually companies advertised this position in their website or job bourse, specifically looking for a phd candidate.
the candidate, when successfully selected, will work at the company like normal workers.
he/she will be given one projects that related to his/her phd. (this usually for applied sciences candidates)
apart of that, he/she will be given other tasks demanded by the company, as well.
he/she is treated as part of the company, received salary and benefits.
the downside is, all his research works will now belong to the company.
but he/she is still allowed to published the work under his/her name.

after completing the doctorate he/she can stay at the company, or pursue employment at other company.
not many end up as lecturer (like in malaysia).
you need to have many years of industrial experience before you can teach.
at least in engineering.
the universities usually will looked up among those in managerial position and ask them to teach.
most will take the job not because they need the money. (the pay is not that great from what i heard)
they took it up because they considered it an honour to teach.
they usually give lecture once a week on one specific topics.

those who want to teach straight away, must 1st enrolled in professorship program.
they will become teaching assistant (tutor) for at least 2 years (depending on the uni) before taking an exam for full professorship.
if passed, they can get another title habil. attached after the doctor before the specific field (not for engineering).
the full name is Habilitation, which is a license to teach. (mostly in classical universities).
applied sciences universities have an easier route.

most importantly, majority of successful doctorate candidates pursue employment in the industry.
they usually have the job title technologist or researcher or r&d/principal engineer.
and they get big bucks, usually 6 digit salary.