Study a PhD in the USA

Why study a PhD in the USA?

Two kinds of US PhD

A flexible format

Classes are mostly online and the in-person part is a few weekends or sessions each year. Wayland’s PhD runs in 8-week terms and lets you take two classes per session (about 2 years) or one class per session (about 4 years). Southwest Baptist holds three weekend residencies a year in Springfield, Missouri. Cumberlands holds one residency weekend each semester.

Practical training and career

F-1 students can work in their field through CPT while enrolled and through OPT after graduation (see “Working while you study and after graduation” below). A doctorate can also help with teaching, consulting and senior leadership roles.

As of October 2026 — sources: Study in the States – training opportunities, NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates 2024, Wayland PhD in Management handbook 2025–26, Southwest Baptist University, University of the Cumberlands.

The US PhD system

How a PhD works

The doctorate is the highest academic degree a US university awards. A research PhD usually takes 5 to 6 years (the median was about 5.7 years in 2024). Professional PhDs follow the same path in a shorter, part-time format: coursework, research methods and then a dissertation. At Wayland, the 60 credits are 39 content credits, 9 research-methods credits and 12 dissertation credits, in four dissertation courses. The time limit from admission is seven years.

Credits and GPA

US universities use a credit system. The PhD programmes in this guide need 60 to 66 credits. GPA is on a 4.0 scale and most doctoral programmes ask for at least 3.0. Transfer credit depends on the university:

• Wayland: up to two-thirds of approved doctoral credit, with a grade of B or higher and not more than seven years old.
• Southwest Baptist: up to 9 credits. Campbellsville: up to 12 doctoral credits.

Popular private universities for a PhD

A selection of private universities that enrol international PhD students, in no particular order:

Spotlight: Wayland Baptist University

Wayland Baptist University is a private Baptist university based in Plainview, Texas. For the 2025–26 catalogue it turned its Doctor of Management into the PhD in Management and added two specialisations.

Entry requirements

Each university sets its own admission requirements for each programme, so read the international admissions page of every programme on your shortlist.

Doctoral studies

• A master’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution. Cumberlands asks for a master’s in a field related to the PhD (for example IT or computer science for the PhD in Information Technology).
• GPA: 3.0 on the 4.0 scale.
• Credential evaluation of Indian degrees. Wayland asks for a course-by-course evaluation, and Cumberlands needs a certified evaluation showing US master’s equivalency.
• Current résumé, and an essay, recommendations or an interview where the programme asks for them.
• No GRE or GMAT is listed in the published requirements of the programmes in this guide. Check each programme to be sure.
• Application fee: US$75 at Wayland and at Cumberlands for graduate programmes.
• English test scores (see below).

English requirements

If English is not your first language, US universities will ask for an English test. Each university sets its own minimum score.

• TOEFL iBT – since 21 January 2026, scores are reported on a new 1 to 6 scale. Cumberlands’ graduate minimum is 4 (the old 65).
• IELTS Academic – Cumberlands asks for an overall 6.
• Duolingo English Test and PTE – Cumberlands accepts Duolingo at 100. Wayland accepts Duolingo, IELTS, TOEFL iBT and PTE where a test is required, and Southwest Baptist accepts TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or equivalent.

Universities waive the test if you have a US bachelor’s degree or at least nine hours of US master’s coursework. There is no general waiver for Indian applicants, so check each programme.

Scholarships and assistantships

Most professional PhDs at private universities are self-funded, and awards are usually small. Funded PhDs mostly sit at research universities.

• Southwest Baptist University – international students accepted into its PhD STEM programme are eligible for a scholarship that brings tuition down from $750 to $575 per credit.
• Indiana Wesleyan University – an Alumni Scholarship of $1,500 for the first term, for graduates of its International Student Programs. Ask the enrolment counsellor about other awards.
• Assistantships (TA/RA) – at research universities, these usually include a stipend and a full or partial tuition waiver, arranged by the department. Competition is high, and 2026 federal funding cuts have reduced cohort sizes at several universities.
• Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships – run by USIEF for doctoral research, postdoctoral research and academic and professional excellence.
• Not open to Indian students on F-1: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and Ford Foundation fellowships need US citizenship or permanent residence.
• Education loans – we guide you on bank and NBFC loans if you are self-funding.

Proof of funds

Before it issues your Form I-20, the university must see proof that you can pay for tuition, living costs and other expenses for at least the first year. Wayland asks for a bank statement or affidavit dated within the last six months, and an affidavit must carry the bank emblem, the account value and a bank official’s signature. Carry the same documents to your visa interview and when you enter the US.

Working while you study and after graduation

CPT (Curricular Practical Training), while you study

• CPT is work that is part of your programme, such as an internship, practicum or co-op. Your university’s DSO approves it and puts it on your I-20.
• It is employer-specific and has to be tied to a course or credit.
• Many universities want one full academic year of full-time study before CPT. Some programmes allow it earlier if the curriculum requires it.
• Part-time CPT is 20 hours a week or less. Full-time CPT is more than 20 hours a week. One year or more of full-time CPT makes you ineligible for OPT.
• Hybrid PhDs like those in our guide handle CPT differently. Wayland says CPT is generally approved only after one full academic year. Cumberlands and Southwest Baptist describe CPT as part of their hybrid programmes. Campbellsville requires international students to be full-time and to enrol in a CPT course. Confirm each programme’s rules in writing before you enrol.

OPT (Optional Practical Training), after you finish

• You get up to 12 months of OPT in your field, applied for through USCIS (Form I-765) up to 90 days before you finish.
• If your PhD is STEM-designated and your employer uses E-Verify, you can apply for a 24-month STEM extension. That makes 36 months in total. Southwest Baptist’s PhD is STEM-designated. Wayland’s Enterprise Systems track is described as STEM, but confirm that with the university before promising it.
• OPT is also possible after a master’s. A PhD is a higher degree level, so you can usually get a fresh OPT period after it. The university’s DSO confirms this.

Online-only doctorates do not qualify

• F-1 students in the US can count only one online class (up to three credits) per term towards full-time study.
• That is why the guide points F-1 students to hybrid PhDs with face-to-face residencies.

If you already have a master’s from another country

A master’s from the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia or India gives you the entry qualification for a professional PhD. What you do next depends on where you are now. There are three common situations.

Which route fits you?

Process for MS graduates who wish to do a PhD

1. Shortlist a hybrid programme – Choose a PhD with face-to-face residencies. Online-only doctorates cannot support F-1 stay in the USA.
2. Get your degree evaluated – A US master’s usually needs only official transcripts. A UK master’s (often one year) or any other foreign degree needs a course-by-course evaluation (WES, IEE or ECE). Ask the university if it will accept the one-year UK master’s before you pay for the evaluation.
3. Apply and get admitted – Application fee (US$75 at Wayland and Cumberlands), transcripts, résumé, English test where required (many universities waive it if your master’s was taught in English in the USA or UK, so ask) and interview if the programme needs one.
4. Request your I-20 – If you are in the USA on F-1, tell your current DSO the new school’s name and the transfer release date. The new school then issues the I-20 with the same SEVIS ID. If you are outside the USA, you get an initial I-20.
5. Transfer timing for those on OPT – Finish your OPT reporting, stay within the unemployment limit, and start the new programme within 5 months of the end of your OPT or STEM OPT. File the transfer before your 60-day grace period ends.
6. Visa and travel – Outside the USA: pay the $350 SEVIS fee, complete DS-160, pay the $185 visa fee and attend the interview. Inside the USA with a valid visa stamp: no interview is needed unless you travel and your visa has expired.
7. Join the first residency – Report to the DSO at the new school within the deadline on the I-20.

What happens to your OPT?

• The SEVIS transfer release ends your current OPT or STEM OPT, even if your EAD card shows a later end date. Choose a release date after your last day of work.
• You can start a new PhD once the release date has passed and the new I-20 is issued.
• After the PhD you may be eligible for OPT again, since this is a higher degree level. The university’s DSO decides on eligibility and STEM extension depends on the degree being STEM-designated, so confirm this before enrolling.
• CPT is possible only where the programme allows it and the DSO approves. Many schools do not allow CPT from the first term, so ask.
• The proposed rule to end “duration of status” is on hold under a court order (14 September 2026), and a separate proposed OPT fee rule is open for comments until 9 November 2026. Check for updates when you apply.

What’s new in 2026–27

• TOEFL iBT moved to a 1 to 6 scale on 21 January 2026. Check which scale each university quotes.
• Wayland renamed its Doctor of Management as the PhD in Management for 2025–26, added two specialisations, and is now running residencies in Irving, Texas.
• D/S rule: the fixed-period rule is on hold after a court order on 14 September 2026. The case is not finished.
• Proposed OPT fees: on 8 October 2026, DHS published a proposed rule to set new OPT fees. Comments are open until 9 November 2026. It is a proposal only and is not in force.
• Visa Integrity Fee of $250 is now in the law. Collection for Indian F-1 applicants was unclear in early October 2026.
• H-1B now uses a weighted selection process from the FY 2027 registration season.