My Journey Applying to a PhD Directly from after My Bachelors

A woman holds a sign that says "Welcome to the Office," inviting guests into the workspace with a friendly gesture.
by Tori Chizuk, Spanish PhD UAlbany Student

After graduating with my bachelor’s in French in Spanish, I had an idea that I wanted to continue in higher education, but I hadn’t yet applied to graduate school. I planned to take a year off to explore my opportunities. During that year I worked as a Spanish teacher, and as a waitress. I decided during this gap year that I wanted to work in the documentation and revitalization of endangered languages. I applied to both the M.A. and Ph.D. programs for Spanish Linguistics at UAlbany and was accepted for the doctorate. Here is how my process went from networking, to deciding on a degree, to finally, my application. 

Networking
When looking into graduate school, I had a few ideas of where I wanted to go. I looked at multiple universities but ultimately decided only to apply to UAlbany. Why? My network. 
After mentioning my interest in continuing my education, my mentor, a faculty member from my undergraduate department, connected me with the professor who is now my mentor at UAlbany. 

Proving yourself
I found that there were three ways to demonstrate my commitment to the program, all of which I included in my personal statement. These three aren’t guarantees of acceptance or rejection, but they are the items I found important and helpful when applying to a doctoral program.

  1. Research experience. The best way to prove your ability to do research is to have already done research. This is especially helpful if it is in a related field to the program you’re applying to. In undergrad, I completed a research assignment on the use of the Spanish language for non-binary people. This was not the same research I planned on doing during grad school, but the work I did was related to Spanish Linguistics, which proved my competency in my field. Other options for research experience include spending a gap year working in a lab, or volunteering with faculty after graduation.
     
  2. Having a research question in mind. This allows you to narrow your focus. You don’t necessarily need a question, but a dissertation topic will show faculty that you have already put effort towards your future degree.

Familiarizing yourself with faculty’s work. If you already know what work you are interested in, and you are familiar with the work of the faculty member that you want to mentor you, there should be overlap. An application for a Ph.D. is a request for a mentor to take on the work of guiding you through the doctorate. A faculty member will be much more inclined to work with somebody who is familiar with their work and is interested in the same topics than somebody who is unfamiliar. 

Preparing for the Ph.D. Journey
A Ph.D. program is a much bigger commitment than a master’s program. It is important to be sure that you are ready to devote about 4-7 years to a degree. Once you’ve made that decision, you can prepare for your application by participating in related research at the undergraduate level, considering what topic and question you are interested in researching for your dissertation, and familiarizing yourself with the literature in that field to find your ideal mentor. My greatest advice I would have given myself when applying for a Ph.D. program directly from a bachelor’s, is to prepare ahead of time, and most importantly, remember that you are equally competent and qualified to undertake the responsibility of a doctoral program.