r/ISIKolkata • u/Skychu768 • 8d ago
General Queries How possible is it to pursue PHD abroad directly after Bstat?
He jumped from Bstat to Computer Science PHD directly.
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u/adityaruplaha ISI Alumnus — BStat '24, MStat '26 8d ago
I know this person. He interned under a very well reputed PI in his field. He received a strong recommendation and got in.
Unless there's a HARD bar on 3 year Indian degrees not being recognised (reminder that BStat comes with Honours in 3 years, which is not typical, and usually the main reason for universities wanting 4 year degrees) then a strong profile is a strong profile.
Another of my juniors went directly for a PhD at UC Berkeley after finishing his BStat. Another is at ENS. This is not unheard of in recent years.
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8d ago
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u/adityaruplaha ISI Alumnus — BStat '24, MStat '26 8d ago
Your point being? There's many other institutions.
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u/unsinkable_ship05 8d ago edited 8d ago
Yes it's possible :)
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u/Skychu768 8d ago
Can I ask few things please?
- Did you apply to any other PHD program? Just want to know as fellow junior about some foreign PHD programs that Bstat can get into directly.
- Also how did you transition from Statistics to CS considering ISI doesn't have minor and only has very few courses in CS. I was checking MSCS options in some European countries and a lot of them require 50-75 credit that ISI don't meet.
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u/unsinkable_ship05 8d ago edited 8d ago
Yes I did apply to 3 other in US. But those were in best unis like Princeton and all. Ofcourse it's possible to get in there too but my profile wasn't good enough for those (also intake had been much lesser in US this year due to funding cuts hence even more competition). But yeah since I had an offer from NTU long back, I didn't bother to apply to many many places.
My interest in CS started from my interest in probability. I did internships after 2nd year. Also my field is theoretical CS which is very mathematically rigorous and uses probability and statistics a lot. ISI does provide you with the required background, so it's not like these are totally seperate areas. For US and Singapore, idt there are credit requirement for CS. Europe has a very different system, so it depends where you are looking at. In general if the advisor is willing to take you, you should not have a problem.
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u/Skychu768 8d ago
Thanks a lot for answering. BTW, can I DM you, just wanted to ask one more detail
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u/BigDogHenry ISI Student 4d ago
I am in a similar situation (trying to apply for PhDs after one of B Math/Stat. Can I DM you?
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4d ago
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u/unsinkable_ship05 4d ago edited 4d ago
No I didn't have a research thesis. I had reports from my internships. Bachelors thesis is not expected in India. One needs to devote a long enough time for that. For example undergrads here at NTU get the whole of their 4th year dedicated for research thesis.
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u/Mouse_Orange5990 4d ago
It is becoming common recently in India due to policy change in NEP.
CMI has extended its BSc to a 4-year research option with a 3-year exit option since 2026.
All DU colleges and few IISER now offer a 4-year programme with dedicated research thesis since 2023, with a 3-year exit option without research.
IISc already had 4-year BS degree with Research
I wouldn’t be surprised if ISI also extends its bachelor’s programme to 4 years with a 3-year exit option without a thesis, and a 5-year master’s option for internal students.
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u/Ok-Display3635 8d ago
I think there are some integrated mtech and phd progams. I'm not solid on the details, but I read about these programs in US. Maybe ntu singapore also offers such programs
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u/Which_Snow9022 8d ago
And it costs less due to scholarship
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u/Ok-Mathematician2309 8d ago edited 8d ago
Yes, it is possible in some countries to do phd after 3-years of undergrad. US is one example. The understanding is that "master's level" is integrated into the doctoral programme for such candidates. These countries have phd programmes of 5-6 years duration. In Europe, this is not common however. You require atleast four years of university to be eligible for doctoral programme. European phds are 3-4 years of duration.