Should I pursue a Ph.D.?

I know I am not the only one who has faced the tough question, “Should I pursue a Ph.D.?” However, perhaps different from what most people experience, I faced the same question three times before making up my mind. Today, as a newly-minted full professor at Johns Hopkins University, I have reason to suspect I made the right decision. I appreciate INFORMS for the opportunity to share my journey and hope it is useful to others who may face similar struggles.

The first time I faced the question was in 2004, when I was on the verge of graduating from college and evaluating competing graduate schools and programs. As an engineering student at Tongji University in Shanghai, I applied to the Ph.D. program in automation offered by Tsinghua University and was accepted through a fast-track process. I then received a scholarship from the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) to study for a Master of Philosophy, which is a two-year research program. Should I pursue a Ph.D.? I struggled with the question until I stumbled across a heartfelt essay written by a Tsinghua graduate who described his experience of studying at HKUST as a spiritually enlightening journey. After reading the essay countless times, the allure of Hong Kong became too big for me to resist; my doctoral degree was on hold. 

At HKUST, I studied industrial engineering from an all-star faculty – every faculty member, without exception, received a Ph.D. degree from a top U.S. university and was a leader in their field. I enjoyed taking Ph.D.-level courses and doing research with the faculty; the breathtaking ocean view of the HKUST campus and the staggering vibrancy and freedom of speech in Hong Kong were a bonus. Two joyous years soon came to an end. Now what? I admired the extraordinary faculty, so it was only natural for me to apply to the Ph.D. programs credited for producing them. In the end, I was admitted by the School of Industrial & Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, arguably the best place to study industrial engineering.

It was the second time I had to face the same question: Should I pursue a Ph.D.? Georgia Tech was enormously exciting, yet their offer of admission did not come with a scholarship. My girlfriend – now my wife – had just joined me from Shanghai to start her master’s study in Hong Kong, so the thought of being with her was a major pull for me to stay there for a bit longer. While deciding, I found a research position at the business school of City University of Hong Kong (CityU). The position came with few formal responsibilities, so I spent most of my time reading books and newspapers in the library. I also became a bit of an activist and was elected as a vice chairperson of CityU’s Staff Association, where I led several protests to fight, successfully, for better employee benefits. 

The research position had a one-year term, so it did not take long for me to face the fateful question for the third time. This time, my options were slightly more favorable – I received several full scholarships, including one from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. 

Should I pursue a Ph.D.? My decision was shaped by the three-year-long contemplation process, during which I interacted with Ph.D.s from many areas of study related to O.R. and analytics. I learned from them that a Ph.D. is not just a degree; it is the highest degree one can obtain for any academic subject. This means, when you earn a Ph.D., you are supposed to be the No. 1 expert on your dissertation topic. That perspective was truly stunning and liberating: Just imagine yourself being No. 1 in something in the entire world – how cool is that? 

Another factor was that I discovered my interest in business and politics thanks to the prosperous and free environment afforded by Hong Kong. At CityU, I read almost all the investment books in the library while learning to trade stocks, although I did not get rich from trading. My activities at the Staff Association gave me an initial taste of politics but also led me to realize that I would not enjoy being a politician. Still, my countless hours in the library, especially those spent reading Herbert Simon, George Orwell and Lam Hang-chi, introduced me to a spectacular world of complex systems in which economics and policy interact. I realized that a Ph.D. in O.R./analytics was likely the best path for me to advance my interest in both business and politics. In retrospect, my view may be blissfully ignorant but not entirely mistaken.

Most importantly, I desired to become a professor, and the lengthy process of earning a Ph.D. degree is the best preparation for that. Of note, this may be where engineering and business Ph.D. programs somewhat diverge – engineering schools produce many graduates who become leaders in industry, whereas business schools train their Ph.D. students almost exclusively for academia. In my case, the business Ph.D. program offered by Carnegie Mellon directly led to my faculty position at Johns Hopkins.

Should I pursue a Ph.D.? In 2007, I resolved this question after three attempts. Getting that elusive Ph.D. has been among the best things that ever happened to me. As Warren Buffett said, “Don't ask the barber whether you need a haircut.” I may be biased in offering advice about whether to get a Ph.D. Ultimately, if the question continues to arise, chances are your heart is telling you that going for a Ph.D. is the right thing to do, especially if you are interested in becoming the No. 1 thought leader on a topic you love!