“PhD” means slightly different things in different countries. Knowing which type you are applying for tells you how you apply, how you are paid and how long it takes.
By how it is funded and organised
- Funded (advertised) project PhD: a supervisor has funding for a defined project and advertises it like a job. Common in the UK, Europe and Australia. You apply to that project with a CV and motivation letter.
- Self-proposed PhD: you propose your own topic and find a supervisor, then apply for a scholarship (CSC, Commonwealth, DAAD, HEC). Your research proposal matters most.
- Salaried PhD (employee): in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Belgium, Switzerland and parts of Germany, PhD candidates are employees with a salary, pension and holidays.
- Scholarship PhD: you receive a tax-free stipend rather than a salary — common in the UK, China, Korea, Japan and the Middle East.
- Admission-based PhD (US model): you are admitted to a department, often straight after an undergraduate, take two years of courses and qualifying exams, then choose a supervisor. Funding usually comes as research or teaching assistantships.
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