As a beginning Ph.D. student in Mathematics at Howard University, I was excited to finally spend my days doing what I loved!\u00a0 Graduate courses seemed to build on much of the abstraction that I had only seen little of as an undergraduate student.\u00a0 In my second semester, I took a Biostatistics elective taught in the Biology department.\u00a0 All of a sudden, I was forced to analyze real biological data and draw scientific conclusions. \u00a0At the end of the semester, I had left my first love and fallen madly in love with Statistics!\u00a0 The only problem was that Howard didn\u2019t have a Statistics program.\u00a0 I had to make the tough decision of whether to stay and finish a Ph.D. in Mathematics or to leave to pursue a Ph.D. in Statistics.<\/p>\n
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I was reluctant to give up the time that I had already invested in the Ph.D. program especially since I had passed a qualifying exam.\u00a0 Ultimately, I chose to finish a Masters Degree at Howard and apply to Statistics programs for the following fall.\u00a0 Although it meant \u201cstarting over,\u201d I was a well-seasoned graduate student and easily hit the ground running compared to many of my peers.<\/p>\n
It might also be the case that your current graduate program is not a good fit for you.\u00a0 Perhaps you haven\u2019t been successful in passing your qualifying exams or you aren\u2019t able to find a thesis advisor whose research you\u2019re passionate about.\u00a0 If you find yourself in the position where you need to transition to another program, here\u2019s a bit of advice:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>Find a professor in your department that you can confide in.<\/b>\u00a0 Whether you are leaving to try a different field or because the school isn\u2019t a good fit, you will likely need recommendation letters from your current department.\u00a0 Reach out to someone that will support and encourage your decision.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>Apply to schools that may have initially denied you.<\/b>\u00a0 Surprisingly, with a (soon to be) Masters Degree in tow, I looked more attractive to programs that I had gotten rejected from as an undergraduate student.\u00a0 This was perhaps due to the fact that my transcript clearly showed that I could do graduate level work.<\/p>\n
3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/b>Leave gracefully.\u00a0 <\/b>Remember that the graduate students and faculty at your former institution are likely to become your colleagues in the years to come.\u00a0 Be sure to maintain respectful relationships and not burn bridges should you decide to exit.<\/p>\n
By following the advice above, you can make a smooth transition from one graduate program to the next.\u00a0 Ultimately, my decision to transition to a graduate program in Statistics resulted in me earning my Ph.D. in an area that I am still very passionate about!<\/p>\n