Science Forums 2

[CraigD]

Originally Posted by KickAssClown

how does one search for programs and schools that offer the kinds of learning and degrees you want?

I’m sure there are many useful answers to this question. Personally, my approach has been to follow popular and academic publications, tracing books, article, and papers that interest me back to their authors – which usually also leads to their authors' schools and departments.

This approach agrees well with my understanding of how schools actually work. Individuals are, IMHO, more important than institutions and programs – in fact, comprising and creating them, individuals are real, while institutions and programs are mere abstractions.

Actually corresponding and conversing with faculty about your academic goals is, in my experience, the best way to attain them. Some faculty are better at such conversations than others – in many cases, mediocre or inferior research faculty are excellent advisors, which excellent researchers are terrible advisors. Other than being carefully skeptical and objective, I know of no systematic way to determine good advice from bad.