Dear All, i completed my Bachelor in the UK in 2009 and have been working in Switzerland (2years) and now in Singapore, but i am very interesting in pursuing a PhD for my future careers aspects. I would just need some help/advice on, is it harder for me to get a PhD offer now that i have been out of academia for 3 years. Will my experience in industry count for anything?

Also, if i wanted to apply, would i be at a disadvantage as i only have a bachelor? I am confused and would really like to find the right PhD for myself. Any help would be great thanks

Ketan

Hi Ketan1987,

I don't think 3 years is a long time to be out of academia, and hopefully your industry experience will be seen as a positive thing.

Not every PhD requires a Masters qualification, have a look for suitable PhDs and see what the entry requirements are: http://www.findaphd.com/

Hopefully someone with experience will be able to offer you some advise. Good luck!

In addition to the advice given to you above, I suggest that you type "How does a PhD program work ?" in your favorite search engine. You will see numerous Web sites dedicated to PhD students.
It may be a good way to start, I think.

I took one year out after doing an MSci and asked a potential (now actual!) supervisor whether the gap worried him. His reply was he would only be worried if I had been out for 5+ years, so you should be fine. I am pretty sure your industry experience will be seen as a big plus - a lot of PhD's are now very focused on having a 'real world' applicability or usefulness attached to the research, so having a bit of practical insight can only be a plus.

Of course having a masters would be a plus - it demonstrates you are capable of (semi-)independent research, which is what a PhD is all about, but equally there are plenty of people who go straight from BSc to PhD.