How to Choose Between Two or More PhD Offers
Compare PhD offers by funding, contract terms, supervisor and location. Use this checklist and these questions before you accept a position.
Getting one PhD offer is hard. Getting two or more at the same time is a good problem, but it is still a problem. You must choose fast, often within a few weeks, and the decision will shape the next three to five years of your life. This guide gives you a method to compare offers, the questions to ask, and the mistakes to avoid.
Start with the research fit
The project matters more than the name of the university. Ask yourself:
- Can I do good, original work on this topic for three to five years?
- Does the project link to my own research interests, or to a field I want to move into?
- Is the project well defined, or still vague? A vague project can be a chance to shape your own path. It can also be a sign of poor planning.
Read the job advert again before you decide. It should state the project, the funding, and the duration. If it does not, ask the contact person for these details in writing. How to Read a PhD Job Advert explains what a clear advert should contain.
Compare the funding and the contract
Do not compare offers on stipend alone. Compare the full funding package and the contract type.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Gross vs net pay | Some countries tax the stipend, others do not. A higher gross amount can mean lower net pay. |
| Contract length | Match it to the normal time to finish a PhD in that country. Ask what happens if you need more time. |
| Funding source | A grant-funded project ends when the grant ends. A permanent group budget is more flexible. |
| Extra costs | Tuition fees, health insurance, and conference or travel budgets differ a lot between offers. |
| Family leave and sick leave | Ask what the contract says, not what a supervisor promises by email. |
In the UK, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) sets conditions for the studentships it funds. Research organisations with a UKRI training grant must supervise students in line with UKRI's statement of expectations for doctoral training. Under this statement, a UKRI-funded student should get support to submit their thesis within the funded period, and must not be asked to do paid work for their supervisor in exchange for their stipend. These rules only cover UKRI-funded UK studentships, so ask about the funding source of any offer and what rules apply to it.
Read Funded vs Unfunded PhD: What It Pays and What to Ask before you compare numbers across countries.
Tip: Ask each offer for the contract or offer letter in writing before you decide. A verbal promise about pay, leave or extension is not binding.
Check the supervisor and the group
The supervisor relationship is often the single biggest factor in whether a PhD goes well. Before you decide, try to:
- Talk to current or former students of the supervisor, not only the supervisor.
- Ask how often the supervisor meets with students, and how they handle time away for illness or family reasons.
- Look at the group's recent publications and ask who else is in the group now.
- Ask who else could supervise or co-supervise you if the main supervisor leaves or is on leave.
Under UKRI's rules for UKRI-funded studentships, a full-time student should get at least 30 days of leave away from study each year, and the organisation must provide an appropriate level of support for a student who needs extensive leave for medical, family or other reasons. Ask any prospective supervisor what their own group's practice is, even outside the UK, since this is a useful benchmark question everywhere.
How to Prepare for a PhD Interview and How to Email a PhD Supervisor give you questions and templates you can reuse when you contact a supervisor before deciding.
Weigh location and life outside the lab
A PhD is a long commitment, so your life outside the lab matters.
- Cost of living, especially rent. A high stipend in an expensive city can leave you with less money than a lower stipend elsewhere.
- Visa and residence permit rules for you and for any partner or children.
- Language. Check whether the PhD, the group meetings, and daily life need the local language.
- Career support after the PhD. Ask whether the university's careers service works with doctoral researchers specifically. The University of Southampton, for example, runs a "Beyond the Doctorate" programme of careers workshops, one-to-one advice and a jobs board for its postgraduate researchers. Ask any university you are considering whether it offers something similar.
Questions to ask before you decide
Use this short list on a call or video call with each prospective supervisor or department:
- What is the exact funding amount, and for how many years?
- What happens if I need more time to finish?
- How many students has this supervisor graduated, and in what time?
- What support is there for conference travel, training and equipment?
- Who do I contact if there is a problem with my supervisor?
Vitae, a UK-based researcher development organisation, publishes guidance on deciding whether a research degree is right for you and a Researcher Development Framework that maps the skills a doctoral researcher needs. It is a useful outside checklist once you already have offers in hand.
Common mistakes
- Deciding on prestige alone, without checking the project or the funding.
- Not asking for anything in writing.
- Ignoring the cost of living and visa rules for a country you have never lived in.
- Accepting an offer before an interview with the actual supervisor, not only an admissions office.
- Waiting too long to decide and losing a good offer because a deadline passed.
Where to find open positions
If none of your current offers is a good fit, you can keep looking while you decide. Browse current PhD positions across countries, or funded PhD positions specifically. PhD Atlas matches open positions to your CV, so you can compare new offers against the ones you already have.