6 Tips for Transferring Ph.D. Programs Successfully

Feel that your Ph.D. program is not the right fit? You are not alone. Completing a Ph.D. is a difficult experience, as research suggests that only about 57 percent of doctoral students in the United States and Canada complete their Ph.D. within 10 years.

People leave for all sorts of reasons—but if your program is a poor fit, then you have options. One option that is rarely discussed is transferring. Transferring presents its own risks and challenges, so if you are wondering what factors to consider when making your decision, then I recommend you start here.

However, once you make the decision to transfer, how do you actually go about doing it? There are a few helpful articles but, by and large, the process for transferring Ph.D. programs remains quite opaque. This was the challenge for me when I made the decision to transfer from my Ph.D. program. I am happy to say that my attempt was successful, though it would have been much easier (and less stressful) if there had been more resources or stories about transferring available.

I share what worked for me here in an attempt to add to the available information on Ph.D. transfers. These tips are not foolproof, and some may be more helpful than others depending on your situation. However, while circumstances differ, if enough people share their tips and experiences, we can slowly demystify the Ph.D. transfer process.

• Be able to explain clearly and succinctly why you are transferring in both written and verbal formats.

Throughout the process, whether it is in your admissions application, interviews, discussions with professors, etc., you will need to explain why you wish to transfer. Something that helped me was distilling my reasons for transferring into a couple sentences. In writing my reasons out, I tried to emphasize how my desire to transfer related to my goals for graduate school. For instance, if your program does not have lots of funding for students, you can explain how this impacts your research or professional goals. Focusing on goals also allowed me to avoid seeming like I was criticizing individuals, which was certainly not my intention. Once I was happy with what I wrote, I practiced speaking about it so that it sounded natural. By taking these simple steps, I was prepared to communicate my reasons for transferring across multiple mediums and environments.

• Establish relationships with faculty at your current institution who will support you.

Once you are confident about communicating your reasons for transferring, you will need to reach out to people who will support your application. This is where it is extremely helpful to have professors at your current institution who will be likely to support you. Reach out to professors you have established strong relationships with, tell them your reasons for transferring, and then ask if they would be willing to write you a strong letter of recommendation. If you do not have strong relationships at your current institution, then try reaching out to faculty at your previous institution. If they wrote you enthusiastic letters for your graduate school applications, chances are they will still think highly of you. Once you have a team of people who will support you, it is time to focus on your application.

• Don’t make transferring the sole focus of your application.

While it is important to clearly and succinctly communicate why you are transferring, you do not need to make it the main focus of your application. If your entire application focuses on why you are transferring, then admissions committees might only think of you as a transfer instead of considering how well you would fit in their program. Remember, the rules of applying to graduate school remain the same even if your personal circumstances have changed. In other words, you still need to articulate your research interests, fit with the program, research experiences, goals, etc.

• Maintain a balance between having ideas of what you want to study while also being open to learning new things.

Depending on when you are transferring, you may have amassed significant coursework or research experience. You may therefore already have some strong ideas about potential research projects. Expressing those interests on your application is important, but make sure that you also sound open to exploring and learning new things! For instance, during an interview I was asked about whether I was willing to take more courses. Each program has its own strengths and philosophies around graduate school training. If you sound like a finished product or like you would not be open to the program’s pedagogy, then faculty may be hesitant to work with you.

• Remain diligent and respectful to people at your current institution.

Even if you know you are leaving, do your utmost to remain diligent and respectful to people at your current institution. This means following through on the things you say that you will do, showing up on time, completing assignments, being polite to colleagues and faculty, etc. This of course does not mean that you cannot set boundaries. To be even more clear, if someone is abusive toward you, then this advice does not apply. In that case, please consider distancing yourself and informing the proper authorities. However, in the absence of such abuse, being diligent and respectful will make it more likely that people will support you during the transfer process and will leave fewer burnt bridges behind you when you leave.

• Remember that you have agency during this process.

Speaking of burnt bridges, the most daunting aspect of transferring for many students will likely be how their adviser will react. I must confess that I was very lucky in that I was able to part with my adviser on good terms. However, this may not be the case for everyone. This is where it helps to remember that you still have agency during the process. Sure, there is always the risk that your adviser will react poorly. But it behooves both parties to remain cordial throughout the process. And if you treat others with respect and follow through on commitments you make, you will have already developed a reputation for being a good colleague. Regardless of how people at your institution take the news, if you act respectfully, then you can leave with your head held high.

Once again, everyone’s situation will differ, and there is no magical formula for transferring. No matter how well prepared you are, transferring Ph.D. programs can be anxiety-inducing. For what it is worth, I thought it better to try and find a program that fit my needs rather than graduate without being able to fulfill the goals that led me to pursue a Ph.D. in the first place. I hope that, at the very least, this article adds to the literature showing that transferring Ph.Ds. is possible. Good luck!