{"id":9397,"date":"2017-09-25T19:00:43","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T13:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=9397"},"modified":"2019-07-19T15:49:45","modified_gmt":"2019-07-19T09:49:45","slug":"industrial-phd-or-academic-research-phd-which-program-should-you-choose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/industrial-phd-or-academic-research-phd-which-program-should-you-choose\/","title":{"rendered":"Industrial PhD or Academic Research PhD: Which Program Should You Choose?"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the past few years, the demand for highly qualified researchers in the industry has increased considerably. This has led to an increased need to prepare PhD students for a career outside academia. While most traditional PhD programs do not offer this kind of \u201cindustrial\u201d or \u201cbusiness\u201d training, the fundamental skills and techniques developed as a graduate student or a postdoc are extremely valuable for working at a high-profile company<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Many firms are therefore interested in combining the hard skills and basic knowledge acquired during a university-based PhD with user-oriented research and business skills needed to work in an industry. This has led to several types of industry-partnered<\/a> PhD programs, which are now becoming more and more popular.<\/p>\n

A Clear Goal<\/h2>\n

The type of PhD that is better suited for you depends on your goals. If you love fundamental research and know that you would like to work at a university or a research institute, or if you want to teach others what you have learned and maybe even become a full-time professor, then a traditional PhD might be the best option for you. However, staying in academia is getting more difficult and the path up to tenured faculty positions is becoming narrower.<\/p>\n

If you are starting a PhD because you are fascinated with a subject and its applications and want to have many opportunities to work in that area, then an industrial PhD could open the door<\/a> to all those possibilities.<\/p>\n

Related:\u00a0Not sure about whether to pursue an academic or industrial PhD? Grab a cup of coffee and visit our Career Corner<\/a><\/strong> now!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PhDs in Industry<\/h2>\n

A high percentage of PhD holders in developed countries<\/a> work in industry\u2014not in academia\u2014and about 60% of research and development in Europe is conducted at companies instead of universities. Some countries, such as Denmark and France, have well-established PhD cooperation programs involving academia and industry. In Germany, about 16% of all doctoral students took up a company-based PhD in 2013, and in Italy, the International Doctoral School in Human Capital Formation and Labor Relations, promoted by ADAPT<\/a>, has granted hundreds of scholarships to PhD students as a way to promote academic and scientific exchange between universities and enterprises.<\/p>\n

Students who take part in industrial doctorate programs usually are highly demanded and valued by employers. Many of them are able to access the labor market shortly after finishing their PhD. Although there is no job guarantee in an industry-based doctorate, many companies offer their PhDs a position on course completion.<\/p>\n

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