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Interview Questions

Questions for a professor:

Ask what their research interests are right now and where they think their research will go in the next few years. You should be able to participate in this discussion since you've already read some of their material.

Ask about the strengths of the program.

Ask how they would describe their interpersonal style of running a lab. Do they like to be hands-on or generally let the lab 'run itself'?

Find out their views on graduate student publications. Do they allow first authorship to go to grad students?

Are they/the program amenable to collaborative projects with other labs within the department?

If not already arranged, find out how to contact current or previous graduate students in their lab. If they are a new faculty member, ask to speak to someone they have worked with previous to this appointment.

Find out if they are currently considering another position at a different institution. Most professors will be very up-front about this and if this is the case, you probably won't need to ask. If a situation like this occurs, find out whether or not they would want the graduate student to travel with them to their new institution.

Questions to ask graduate students:

Does this particular professor(s) have tenure? If not, will they come up for review while you are there?

Has this professor had students leave the lab before completion of the program? If so, what were the reasons?

Does this professor usually graduate students in 4-5 years? Have there been students who have taken longer than 6 years?

Is this professor available/approachable on a regular basis? What is their interpersonal style in running the lab?

How does the professor feel about grad student publications?

Do students have time for social activities?

How is the library system at the school? Are resources readily available?