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How to even choose a PhD course?!

I'm entering my final year of my BSc Physics with the aspiration to continue through to a Masters and then a PhD.

The choice of Masters program is predominantly dictated by what I aim to do a PhD in, and that is where I have encountered the main problem: how do I even choose what I want to do?

I don't feel or foresee covering any topic in anywhere near enough detail to know that this is something I want to spend years doing. For example for previous research experience, I have greatly enjoyed lasers/optics. But you don't do just "lasers" (as daft as it sounds, I know).

Lasers is always a counterpart to the degree. For example, lasers for accelerators, laser-plasma accelerators, ultra-short laser generation, etc. etc. The point is, how will I know that it's right for me? I'll never have done ANY plasma work before getting to that stage for example, so I would find out that I don't like it when it's simply too late. Disaster.

PhD courses seem like such niche topics that you will never have encountered, it unnerves me that I'd be committing so much of my time to it. And I've tried various fields in research projects/internships, but it has not narrowed it down much further.

Any suggests are greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance!

Reply 1

post-grad-u-ate

Do the masters course you want to do and apply via jobs.ac.uk for a Ph.D.

You can't get everything so specific, do what works well for you and apply to the opportunities that are available and they (the research supervisor) will choose you based on your understanding of the research objectives and their belief of your capabilities to achieve the objective and to develop new and important skills for your career.

Reply 2

Duncan2012

You're thinking about this the wrong way round. Forget about the PhD and choose a masters course you'd enjoy and find interesting. As you narrow your field some topics for PhD study will start to emerge.