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Science PhD Admission, Pure Mathematics

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TSAh_Hao1996
post Jan 29 2017, 07:35 PM, updated 8y ago

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Hi guys , I am here for a question on the process of applying Phd . DOES the application for RESEARCH PROGRAMS in various university happens throughout the year or there is some specific time or deadlines ?

I am particularly interested in local U like UM , USM and Singapore Local U which is NUS. Thanks .
Blofeld
post Jan 30 2017, 02:55 PM

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Admissions into research programs are usually opened throughout the year but I can't say for all universities.

Probably some will require you to sit for some research methods classes and therefore, they have deadlines for admissions.
ComposMentis
post Jan 30 2017, 07:18 PM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Jan 29 2017, 07:35 PM)
Hi guys , I am here for a question on the process of applying Phd . DOES the application for RESEARCH PROGRAMS in various university  happens throughout the year or there is some specific time or deadlines ?

I am particularly interested in local U like UM , USM and Singapore Local U which is NUS. Thanks .
*
Application for research program is indeed throughout the year. However, it's not just submitting your application and hoping that the said uni will accept you, these are the things you need to do before that, in the case of UM, you need to first find a supervisor
1. Whose research field interests you.
2. Who has vacancy and is willing to accept you.
2. Who has sufficient grant that can support you for the entirety of your masters/phd research project.
4. Talk to him/her about his/her current project(s), or propose one
After that, write a proposal, get your proposal approved by your supervisor/co-supervisors, only then you can submit your application.

Good Luck smile.gif
jonoave
post Jan 30 2017, 08:50 PM

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QUOTE(ComposMentis @ Jan 30 2017, 02:18 PM)
Application for research program is indeed throughout the year. However, it's not just submitting your application and hoping that the said uni will accept you, these are the things you need to do before that, in the case of UM, you need to first find a supervisor
1. Whose research field interests you.
2. Who has vacancy and is willing to accept you.
2. Who has sufficient grant that can support you for the entirety of your masters/phd research project.
4. Talk to him/her about his/her current project(s), or propose one
After that, write a proposal, get your proposal approved by your supervisor/co-supervisors, only then you can submit your application.

Good Luck  smile.gif
*
Just to expand on this.

Based on my experience in UKM and applying for PhD positions in general, it's better to seek out groups/supervisor whe are doing research that interests you - after all you will be working on it for the next few years! Write to them and ask them about your interests, what projects are they offering, and whether they are taking in new students etc. Once you find a match, then only you apply to the university for official purposes (with proposals etc). Then it makes the whole application easier. For official purposes, you would likely count as "registered in Semester X" etc, but technically you could start earlier or later.

if you apply directly to the university, then it is more complicated. Your application will be tossed around and they will ask if there are any supervisors who are willing to take candidate X. It makes it harder because they don't have a personal connection with you. If no one agrees, then your application might be rejected. If someone agrees, the problem might be that person is doing research in areas which is not compatible with your own preferences.

Therefore, i would advise you to directly contact the supervisors you're interested in before applying officially.
TSAh_Hao1996
post Jan 30 2017, 09:44 PM

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QUOTE(ComposMentis @ Jan 30 2017, 07:18 PM)
Application for research program is indeed throughout the year. However, it's not just submitting your application and hoping that the said uni will accept you, these are the things you need to do before that, in the case of UM, you need to first find a supervisor
1. Whose research field interests you.
2. Who has vacancy and is willing to accept you.
2. Who has sufficient grant that can support you for the entirety of your masters/phd research project.
4. Talk to him/her about his/her current project(s), or propose one
After that, write a proposal, get your proposal approved by your supervisor/co-supervisors, only then you can submit your application.

Good Luck  smile.gif
*
Find the supervisor using email ? Will they reply ? I have heard some rumours that some supervisors didn't look up their email for a few months .

While I am waiting for the phd submission , what should i do ? A part time job or anything else ?
TSAh_Hao1996
post Jan 30 2017, 09:47 PM

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QUOTE(jonoave @ Jan 30 2017, 08:50 PM)
Just to expand on this.

Based on my experience in UKM and applying for PhD positions in general, it's better to seek out groups/supervisor whe are doing research that interests you - after all you will be working on it for the next few years! Write to them and ask them about your interests, what projects are they offering, and whether they are taking in new students etc. Once you find a match, then only you apply to the university for official purposes (with proposals etc). Then it makes the whole application easier. For official purposes, you would likely count as "registered in Semester X" etc, but technically you could start earlier or later.

if you apply directly to the university, then it is more complicated. Your application will be tossed around and they will ask if there are any supervisors who are willing to take candidate X. It makes it harder because they don't have a personal connection with you. If no one agrees, then your application might be rejected. If someone agrees, the problem might be that person is doing research in areas which is not compatible with your own preferences.

Therefore, i would advise you to directly contact the supervisors you're interested in before applying officially.
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Great views ! How long they usually reply you ?
jonoave
post Jan 30 2017, 11:47 PM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Jan 30 2017, 04:47 PM)
Great views ! How long they usually reply you ?
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Depends, few days, maybe 1-2 weeks

Just take it like a job search. Apply for a few and just hope for the best.
TSAh_Hao1996
post Jan 31 2017, 01:07 AM

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QUOTE(jonoave @ Jan 30 2017, 11:47 PM)
Depends, few days, maybe 1-2 weeks

Just take it like a job search. Apply for a few and just hope for the best.
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Oh thanks for your reply. Are you studying PhD locally now ? What is the research quality in Malaysia nowadays ? I am not comparing it to other university in western country , but is it comfortable to do research locally ( those grants , fundings etc, notice that I did not include sciences subject like physics chemistry and bio which requires a lot of experiment apparatus and data analysis )
ComposMentis
post Jan 31 2017, 03:55 AM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Jan 30 2017, 09:44 PM)
Find the supervisor using email ? Will they reply ? I have heard some rumours that some supervisors didn't look up their email for a few months .

While I am waiting for the phd submission , what should i do ? A part time job or anything else ?
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Yes by email, there's no telling that they'll reply so to be safe just shortlist a few potential supervisors, send them your CV detailing your research experience and ask them if they're hiring postgrad. The number of postgrad is critical to their promotion, so if they're on the lookout for postgrad, you'll be in luck.

As for finding a part time job, it depends. Some supervisors will ask you to start working in the lab as RA while prepping your proposal and if they didn't you might need to find a part time job because it will take some time for you to write your proposal and getting it approved by your supervisor.
TSAh_Hao1996
post Jan 31 2017, 04:07 AM

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QUOTE(ComposMentis @ Jan 31 2017, 03:55 AM)
Yes by email, there's no telling that they'll reply so to be safe just shortlist a few potential supervisors, send them your CV detailing your research experience and ask them if they're hiring postgrad. The number of postgrad is critical to their promotion, so if they're on the lookout for postgrad, you'll be in luck.

As for finding a part time job, it depends. Some supervisors will ask you to start working in the lab as RA while prepping your proposal and if they didn't you might need to find a part time job because it will take some time for you to write your proposal and getting it approved by your supervisor.
*
Thanks for the detailed explanations . Do you think is it better for me to pursue PhD locally or overseas ( assuming I get both ). How was the research quality in Malaysia nowadays ?
jonoave
post Jan 31 2017, 07:52 AM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Jan 30 2017, 08:07 PM)
Oh thanks for your reply. Are you studying PhD locally now ? What is the research quality in Malaysia nowadays ? I am not comparing it to other university in western country , but is it comfortable to do research locally ( those grants , fundings etc, notice that I did not include sciences subject like physics chemistry and bio which requires a lot of experiment apparatus and data analysis )
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I just finished my Phd in Germany.

Well, what is the field of PhD you're interested in? I can only give you my perspective and experience on life science research in public local uni, since I did my Masters (by thesis) there.
ComposMentis
post Jan 31 2017, 10:33 AM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Jan 31 2017, 04:07 AM)
Thanks for the detailed explanations . Do you think is it better for me to pursue PhD locally or overseas ( assuming I get both ). How was the research quality in Malaysia nowadays ?
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As far as I'm concerned the research in local unis is satisfactory, but sadly the long term prospects are not good as local unis are facing intense budget cuts from the gov each year and this is affecting the number/amount of grant that lecturers can get. The students are feeling the heat too because we're depending on the grants to purchase consumables/reagents for our research project. So, if you're fortunate enough to get an overseas offer, go for it.

This post has been edited by ComposMentis: Jan 31 2017, 10:36 AM
TSAh_Hao1996
post Jan 31 2017, 02:50 PM

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QUOTE(jonoave @ Jan 31 2017, 07:52 AM)
I just finished my Phd in Germany.

Well, what is the field of PhD you're interested in? I can only give you my perspective and experience on life science research in public local uni, since I did my Masters (by thesis) there.
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I am interested in pure mathematics phd . Personally I am not a wealthy person ( neither poor ) , so I am quite concerned whether i can study overseas , because maximally i can only pay for the flight tickets , toefl , gre test,admission Fees and one month expenses . Plus , I got a first class honors so I might probably straight away go for phd , I don't know this will affect my enrollment to graduate programmes or not ? ( since I know quite a lot of european country requires a master )
TSAh_Hao1996
post Jan 31 2017, 02:53 PM

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QUOTE(ComposMentis @ Jan 31 2017, 10:33 AM)
As far as I'm concerned the research in local unis is satisfactory, but sadly the long term prospects are not good as local unis are facing intense budget cuts from the gov each year and this is affecting the number/amount of grant that lecturers can get. The students are feeling the heat too because we're depending on the grants to purchase consumables/reagents for our research project. So, if you're fortunate enough to get an overseas offer, go for it.
*
Well , I don't need those consumables / reagents though since I don't have experiments . But , I am also quite concerned whether there a chance for school fellowship and assistantship because I need it for my daily basis. So I think I will try some overseas country then put my last choice on local U . Thanks anyway .
jonoave
post Jan 31 2017, 11:28 PM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Jan 31 2017, 09:50 AM)
I am interested in pure mathematics phd . Personally I am not a wealthy person ( neither poor ) , so I am quite concerned whether i can study overseas , because maximally i can only pay for the flight tickets , toefl , gre test,admission Fees and one month expenses . Plus , I got a first class honors so I might probably straight away go for phd , I don't know this will affect my enrollment to graduate programmes or not ? ( since I know quite a lot of european country requires a master )
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Why didn't you state this earlier in your OP instead of being vague?

I'm not too knowledgeable in maths, but if I'm not mistaken pure maths (is it the same as theoretical?) is very uncommon in Malaysia, other applied maths e.g. statistics etc are much more popular. Have you even found a potential supervisor in any of the local unis?

I know it used to be common for First-class honours to jump straight to PhD in life science, but now it's discouraged as the workload and transition can be too jarring. I'm not sure about Europe, but in Germany the PhD programme I'm in requires Masters or if Bachelor's, with exceptional achievement (I don't think First Class counts as one). You'll need to check the unis that you want to apply too. Some places, like UK allows for a Fast track Masters, e.g. Masters (1 year) --> PhD.

However if you're looking at UK, it's likely beyond your budget without scholarship as they have extraordinarily higher fees for international students.

My advice, look around for a supervisor that you're interested in and browse the entry requirements at different institutions, locally and abroad. Then decide your next move.


TSAh_Hao1996
post Feb 4 2017, 10:38 PM

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QUOTE(jonoave @ Jan 31 2017, 11:28 PM)
Why didn't you state this earlier in your OP instead of being vague?

I'm not too knowledgeable in maths, but if I'm not mistaken pure maths (is it the same as theoretical?) is very uncommon in Malaysia, other applied maths e.g. statistics etc are much more popular. Have you even found a potential supervisor in any of the local unis?

I know it used to be common for First-class honours to jump straight to PhD in life science, but now it's discouraged as the workload and transition can be too jarring. I'm not sure about Europe, but in Germany the PhD programme I'm in requires Masters or if Bachelor's, with exceptional achievement (I don't think First Class counts as one). You'll need to check the unis that you want to apply too. Some places, like UK allows for a Fast track Masters, e.g. Masters (1 year) --> PhD.

However if you're looking at UK, it's likely beyond your budget without scholarship as they have extraordinarily higher fees for international students.

My advice, look around for a supervisor that you're interested in and browse the entry requirements at different institutions, locally and abroad. Then decide your next move.
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First of all , I appreciate your reply and I learnt a lot from you. Indeed , pure mathematics is something theoretical. Personally , I wish I can study in a cheapest way and get a job as a lecturer in Malaysia. I am very interested to pursue knowledge and hoping that I can make something new that's why I am here for PHD. Yet , I do need some financial assistance so that I can study without any concerns. I managed to make a mini thesis when I was in year 4 and my lecturer said I am quite suitable for a jump to PHD. I did find a supervisor which is pretty good in local university.

THE MAIN REASON I want to study overseas because I might learn new things from those modern countries. But , do you think it is actually almost the same if I studied in local U since nowadays we can access a lot of knowledge from internet , plus pure mathematics do not require any experiment apparatus ( maximally a PC with good processing power ) . For me ,

Local U - fast(don't have to wait for admissions , visas,those might take a year etc) , cheap (I got a fellowship which the salary is near to a fresh graduate) and less problematic (my parents will be comfortable with me)

Overseas - can learn from grand-masters in mathematical field . I did see a lot of scientist from Malaysia succeed in their field if they did research overseas , but we don't see a lot locally . I don't know what is the reasons though . Was it because the knowledge difference between modern countries and Malaysia?

I don't really mind studying environment though . For me , Malaysian has a good environment , what worries me was the knowledge , I am just scared I can't learn something new forever if I studied locally. As job prospects , I am not sure whether local PHD have less employability than overseas PHDs?

I truly need some suggestions on whether to take it Local U or Oversea . Anyway , thanks for your patience if you did read through my post . Regards.
Critical_Fallacy
post Feb 7 2017, 01:51 PM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Feb 4 2017, 10:38 PM)
I managed to make a mini thesis when I was in year 4 and my lecturer said I am quite suitable for a jump to PhD.
What was the math topic of your undergrad dissertation about? rolleyes.gif
TSAh_Hao1996
post Feb 7 2017, 02:37 PM

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QUOTE(Critical_Fallacy @ Feb 7 2017, 01:51 PM)
What was the math topic of your undergrad dissertation about? rolleyes.gif
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Analysis - specifically PDE's
Critical_Fallacy
post Feb 7 2017, 05:30 PM

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QUOTE(Ah_Hao1996 @ Feb 7 2017, 02:37 PM)
Analysis - specifically PDE's
Wow! PDE are heavily used in complex dynamical systems, constrained optimization, and advanced control theory. No wonder your lecturer encouraged you to pursue a PhD. You may want to consider University of Hong Kong (HKU) and National University of Singapore (NUS). icon_rolleyes.gif

http://ww1.math.nus.edu.sg/research.aspx?f=pure

BAO Weizhu (PhD Tsinghua)
DAI Min (PhD Fudan)
LEUNG Man Chun (PhD Michigan)
PANG Peter Yu Hin (PhD Illinois)
TONG Xin, (PhD Princeton)
XU Xingwang (PhD Connecticut)
YU Shih-Hsien (PhD Stanford)

http://hkumath.hku.hk/MathWWW/people.php?faculty.research

Dr. Jian SONG
Dr. Tak Kwong WONG
Dr. Siu Pang YUNG
Dr. Zhiwen ZHANG
TSAh_Hao1996
post Feb 7 2017, 08:19 PM

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QUOTE(Critical_Fallacy @ Feb 7 2017, 05:30 PM)
Wow! PDE are heavily used in complex dynamical systems, constrained optimization, and advanced control theory. No wonder your lecturer encouraged you to pursue a PhD. You may want to consider University of Hong Kong (HKU) and National University of Singapore (NUS). icon_rolleyes.gif

http://ww1.math.nus.edu.sg/research.aspx?f=pure

BAO Weizhu (PhD Tsinghua)
DAI Min (PhD Fudan)
LEUNG Man Chun (PhD Michigan)
PANG Peter Yu Hin (PhD Illinois)
TONG Xin, (PhD Princeton)
XU Xingwang (PhD Connecticut)
YU Shih-Hsien (PhD Stanford)

http://hkumath.hku.hk/MathWWW/people.php?faculty.research

Dr. Jian SONG
Dr. Tak Kwong WONG
Dr. Siu Pang YUNG
Dr. Zhiwen ZHANG
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Well , can all of these university allow fast track to PHD or require master degree? Another concern is , is it hard for scolarship as fast as possible ? I don't think I can survive more than half year expenses with my money.

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