PhD Jokes And Puns

These funny PhD jokes and puns are a real lesson in humor! In fact, they’re in a class of their own! No need to doctor them, they get top marks just as they are!

Funny PhD Jokes

I call him Dr. Awkward.

What is Dr. Pepper’s PhD in?

They call me Dr. LaunDré.

She sure has a lot of photos in thesis.

They start chatting and the Gen Z kid says that social justice issues are the biggest problem facing the world, and that the white supremacist patriarchy is a plague on society.

The boomer waves this off and says the kids these days are just too sensitive, and that he fought for civil rights in the sixties and did his part.

Flight attendant: one passenger is having a heart attack and one passenger is having an asthma attack.

A Doctopuss.

What do you call a chili with a PhD?

I guess that makes me a spin doctor.

In a roundabout way, he did become a fizzicist.

Dad: “My first son has a PhD in arts, my daughter has two degrees in communication and journalism and my youngest son is a burglar.”

A man walks into a bar and finds its patrons raucously celebrating with a young man standing on the bar shouting for more drinks, on him.

So, I have this friend who studied to become an Egyptologist.

As far as I’m concerned, it is a pyramid scheme.

“Come on, you know that’s impossible! No one will publish such rubbish.” says the fox.

“I’m writing the second chapter of my thesis, on how rabbits devour wolves.”

As before, the rabbit comes out with a satisfied look on his face and a diploma in his paw.

The moral: It’s not the contents of your thesis that are important – it’s your PhD advisor that really counts.

I’ve been doing my psychology PhD thesis on the mental health and well-being of little people.

6 out of 7 dwarves aren’t Happy.

What do you call someone who does a BA in Arts, a MA in English and a PhD in Gender Studies?

To the woman I met in the bar last night who was mad at me this morning…

Due to the size of my student loans for my PhD I have debts no honest man could pay.

What’s the difference between a PhD in mathematics and a large pizza?

Turns out he was just exaggerating.

He woke his son up and asked him, “What do you see?”

Jokes About PhDs

Share the fun:, leave a comment cancel reply.

Pun and Jokes

Laughing at the Life of a Ph.D.: 107+ Hilarious Ph.D. Jokes

Introduction.

Pursuing a Ph.D. is an impressive and challenging journey filled with academic rigor and intellectual growth. But every scholar deserves a break and a good laugh. 

In this article, we bring you a collection of light-hearted Ph.D . jokes that will tickle your funny bone. Let’s take a humorous detour from the world of academia and enjoy a bit of academic humor!

Read More: Jokes About MBA

Ph.D. Jokes

  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a ladder to class? To get to the highbrow discussions, of course!
  • What do you call a Ph.D. student who enjoys gardening? A “doctor in bloomology.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student stay up all night? Because they were trying to find the elusive “eureka” moment.
  • How does a Ph.D. student greet someone? “Hey, I’m a doctor. Well, almost.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a notebook to the conference? To record all the “wise” remarks!
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite type of music? “Theore-melodies.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student love math jokes? Because they were absolutely “integer”-taining.
  • What do you call a Ph.D. student’s favorite place in the library? The “thesis” section, of course!
  • Why did the Ph.D. student have a pet owl? Because it’s the only bird that can say “dissertation”!
  • How does a Ph.D. student solve a problem? They form a “committee” and write a proposal, of course!
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite word? “Citation,” because they love giving credit where credit is due.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student carry a backpack to the lab? To make sure they had enough “space” for their research!
  • What do you call a Ph.D. student who moonlights as a chef? A “doctor in gastronomics.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a magnifying glass to the thesis defense? To “focus” on the finer details.
  • How does a Ph.D. student order coffee? “One caffeine molecule, please!”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite app? “Notepad Pro,” for jotting down those groundbreaking ideas.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student choose to study chemistry? Because they wanted to have all the “solutions”!
  • What do you call a Ph.D. student’s favorite type of humor? “Academ-puns,” because they’re pun-derful!
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a thesaurus to the exam? To find a “synonym” for success!
  • How does a Ph.D. student get inspired? They read a thesis and think, “I can do better than that!”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s secret superpower? The ability to turn coffee into thesis chapters.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student attend the conference in pajamas? Because they believe in “sleep-search.”
  • What do you call a Ph.D. student’s preferred mode of transportation? The “scholar-ship.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a toolbox to the lecture? To “fix” any gaps in their knowledge.
  • How does a Ph.D. student describe their ideal date? “A peer-reviewed evening with intellectual compatibility.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student start a bakery? Because they wanted to knead some “dough” for research.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite exercise? “Critical bench-pressing.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a telescope to the library? To find those obscure references, of course!
  • How does a Ph.D. student introduce themselves at a party? “I’m like a Ph.D., but funnier.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a gardener? Because they wanted to conduct experiments on “plant-tations.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite subject in school? “Thesis-tory.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a highlighter to the lab? To make sure they didn’t “research” in the dark.
  • How does a Ph.D. student describe their research? “Like solving a mystery, but with more coffee.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s preferred form of communication? “Hypo-thesis statements.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a ladder to the graduation ceremony? To reach new heights of accomplishment.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite holiday? “Dissertation Day” – it’s like Christmas for scholars!
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a bag of alphabet pasta to the exam? To spell out the answers.
  • How does a Ph.D. student tell time? “In thesis chapters, of course!”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite game? “Hide and Publish,” because they’re always hunting for elusive research.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a GPS to the conference? To navigate through the sea of academic jargon.

Read More: Jokes About English Teacher

Funny Ph.D. One-Liners

  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s go-to snack? “Data chips,” for intellectual sustenance.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student attend a stand-up comedy show during finals week? Because they needed a “study break” full of laughs.
  • How does a Ph.D. student decorate their office? With “post-grad” posters and a perpetual coffee pot.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite bedtime story? “The Thesaurus and the Hare.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student choose to study psychology? Because they wanted to understand the “mind-boggling” aspects of academia.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite outdoor activity? “Peer-reviewed hiking” for fresh air and fresh ideas.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a map to the research expedition? To prove that they were “on the right track.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student stay warm in the winter? With a “thesis scarf” to keep the cold drafts of doubt away.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s ideal vacation destination? The “Library of Paradise,” where they can read and relax.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a jar of pickles to the lab? Because they heard it was a great way to conduct “dill-experiments.”
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a musician? Because they wanted to research the “sound science” of laughter.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite breakfast cereal? “Hypothesis Puffs,” for a scholarly start to the day.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a compass to the conference? To ensure they never lost their way in academic discussions.
  • How does a Ph.D. student organize their bookshelf? “By the Dewey Decimal System, but with a thesis on top.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite place in the world? The “Library of Alexandria,” if it were still standing.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a meteorologist? Because they wanted to predict the “forecast” for groundbreaking research.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite accessory? A “pro-thesis” cap, for those moments of academic celebration.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a ruler to the research lab? To ensure their data was always “measurelessly accurate.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student describe their social life? “Data-driven and hypothesis-hopeful.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite board game? “Stratego…thesis edition,” for intellectual battles.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student start a podcast? To discuss their findings and hypotheses with a “sound” audience.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s preferred mode of transportation? The “thesis-tube,” for quick journeys through knowledge.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a magnifying glass to the library? To find the tiniest details in the sea of information.
  • How does a Ph.D. student send text messages? With “peer-reviewed emojis” and scholarly language.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite kind of art? “Ab-stract,” because they appreciate the obscure and unexplained.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a detective? To solve the mysteries of “unsolved hypotheses.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite place to unwind? “The Quiet Room,” for moments of silent contemplation.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a calculator to the lab? To prove that research was a “calculated risk.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student plan a surprise party? With a “double-blind invitation” to ensure no leaks.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s preferred pet? A “research retriever,” for their love of collecting data.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become an artist? To illustrate the “abstract art of academia.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite season? “Thesis-writing season,” of course!
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a map to the library? To navigate through the “volumes of wisdom.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student pack for a vacation? With “peer-reviewed luggage” and well-documented travel plans.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite superhero? “Doctor Strange,” for his mystical approach to research.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a broom to the lab? To sweep away any research dust.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite hobby? “Sudoku-solving,” for those moments of brain training.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a puzzle enthusiast? Because they loved piecing together “data jigsaw puzzles.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student prepare for a presentation? They practice their “thesis-timony” until it’s perfect.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite type of poetry? “Haiku-ptheses,” for concise academic expression.

Read More: Jokes About Teaching

Humorous Ph.D. Jokes

  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a flashlight to the library? To shine a light on obscure references.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite way to relax? “Data-day spa” for intellectual pampering.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student start a YouTube channel? To share their “theoretical tutorials” with the world.
  • How does a Ph.D. student pack for a conference? With “hypothesis-suitcases” full of academic attire.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite musical instrument? The “research drum,” for intellectual beats.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a crossword enthusiast? To solve “knowledge crosswords.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s go-to accessory? A “thesis-ring” for intellectual commitment.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a magnifying glass to the lecture? To scrutinize every detail of the topic.
  • How does a Ph.D. student stay cool during the summer? With a “dissertation fan” to beat the heat.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite genre of literature? “Nonfiction-fiction,” for scholarly reading.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a historian? To uncover the “histo-theses” of the past.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite workout routine? “Thesis-robics,” for mental fitness.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a dictionary to the lab? To define success one word at a time.
  • How does a Ph.D. student take notes? With “annotated annotations” and meticulous highlighting.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite musical genre? “Ph.D.-estrian,” because they walk to the beat of their own research.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student start a blog? To share their “research musings” with the world.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite movie genre? “Docu-mentaries,” for factual entertainment.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a lab coat to the art museum? To investigate the “canvas of creativity.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student unwind after a long day of research? With a “peer-reviewed cup of tea.”
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite way to stay organized? “Thesis-planners” for academic scheduling.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a suitcase to the library? Because they wanted to check out a lot of knowledge.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite app? “Thesisbook,” for social networking with fellow scholars.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student become a chef? To master the “recipe for research.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student navigate through a dense academic text? With a “thesis GPS” to find their way.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s favorite type of music? “Dissertation-strumental,” for focused study sessions.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a backpack to the conference? To carry all their “intellectual baggage.”
  • How does a Ph.D. student organize their desk? With “peer-reviewed piles” of papers and books.
  • What’s a Ph.D. student’s preferred workout? “Hypo-thigh-sis” exercises to stay in shape.
  • Why did the Ph.D. student bring a stopwatch to the lecture? To measure the time spent on each topic.
  • How does a Ph.D. student order food at a restaurant? They ask for the “thesis special,” of course!

Read More: 

Jokes About Teacher Student

Jokes About Medical Students

A Ph.D. journey may be a serious pursuit, but a good laugh can always be a refreshing break. These Ph.D. jokes remind us that humor can be found in even the most intellectual of places. So, whether you’re a Ph.D. student or not, let’s appreciate the lighter side of academia.

Are these Ph.D. jokes meant to make fun of Ph.D. students?

Not at all! These jokes are meant to celebrate the academic journey with humor and affection, highlighting the lighter aspects of the Ph.D. experience.

Can Ph.D. students relate to these jokes?

Ph.D. students often enjoy academic humor and can certainly relate to the unique challenges and experiences referenced in these jokes.

Is humor important during a Ph.D. journey?

Yes, humor can be a valuable tool for maintaining a positive outlook, relieving stress, and fostering camaraderie among Ph.D. students.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

220 Phd Puns: A Hilarious Break from Academic Stress

phd puns

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of academia? Don’t worry, we have just what you need to tickle your funny bone and give your brain a much-needed break. Introducing our collection of over 200 PhD puns that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face and lighten the load of your academic stress. From hilarious wordplay to clever jokes, we’ve got it all. So sit back, relax, and prepare to have your intellect amused. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or professor, these puns are sure to resonate with your scholarly side and provide a much-needed dose of laughter. Let’s dive into the world of PhD humor and relieve some of that academic tension.

The Top PhD Puns That Will Make You “Doctor” With Laughter (Editors Pick)

1. Why did the PhD student bring a ladder to class? To reach new heights in their studies! 2. What did one PhD student say to the other? “Let’s make this research project a deep dive!” 3. Why did the PhD student become a meteorologist? They wanted to specialize in the study of high degrees. 4. Why did the PhD student become a chef? They wanted to earn a degree in culinary arts. 5. What do you call a PhD student wandering around aimlessly? A “dissertation on wheels.” 6. How did the PhD student feel after successfully defending their thesis? Re-“search”-ed! 7. Why did the PhD student bring a compass to the library? They were looking for a “dissertation-north.” 8. How did the PhD student make their research more visually appealing? They added “graphs-ics.” 9. Why did the PhD student become a gardener? They wanted to specialize in “growth and plant data analysis.” 10. Why did the PhD student always carry a calculator ? To “sum” up the data quickly. 11. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of pet? A “lab”rador. 12. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of music? “Bach”-ground music for concentration. 13. What did the PhD student do when they couldn’t find relevant research articles? They went to the “library-hay.” 14. Why did the PhD student go to the therapist? They had a case of “data-aggravation.” 15. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of drink? A specialty “brew”-sing. 16. How does a PhD student like their pizza? “Well-documented” with extra toppings. 17. Why did the PhD student always carry a notebook? To take “note-verifiable” observations. 18. What did the PhD student say to their friend who started a Master’s program? “Welcome to the ‘research’-tangle!” 19. Where do PhD students go for inspiration? The “cite-seum” of knowledge. 20. Why did the PhD student become a detective? They had a knack for “uncovering” new discoveries.

Punnily Polished PhD Puns

1. My PhD research on the effects of caffeine just keeps percolating. 2. I’m getting a PhD in geography because I’m really good at finding my way around. 3. My thesis on the history of stairs is really taking me step by step. 4. Studying cognitive psychology for my PhD is really a no-brainer. 5. I’m writing my dissertation on puns because it’s a play on words. 6. My PhD in chemistry is really fusing all my passions together. 7. I’m getting a PhD in music theory so I can finally hit all the right notes. 8. Researching marine biology for my PhD is definitely making some waves. 9. I’m getting a PhD in astronomy because the sky’s the limit. 10. My PhD in art history is really painting a bright future for me. 11. I’m studying linguistics for my PhD because I have a way with words. 12. My thesis on the psychology of humor is really a joke that keeps on giving. 13. I’m getting a PhD in genetics because I’m naturally inclined. 14. Studying environmental science for my PhD is really planting seeds for a better future. 15. I’m writing my dissertation on the history of clocks because time flies when you’re having fun. 16. My PhD in economics is really paying dividends. 17. I’m getting a PhD in biology because I like to branch out. 18. Studying literature for my PhD is really a novel idea. 19. I’m writing my dissertation on the effects of laughter because it’s contagious. 20. My PhD in physics is really attracting a lot of positive energy.

Pun-tastic PhD Q&A (Question-and-Answer Puns)

1. Why did the PhD student become a chef? Because they wanted to earn a degree in culinary science! 2. What did the PhD student say when they won a research grant? “I’ve finally cracked the code!” 3. How did the PhD student organize their research notes? They used pi-cards! 4. Why was the PhD student always calm in stressful situations? Because they had a doctorate in chill-ology! 5. What subject did the PhD student study when they were feeling sour? Lemon-strating! 6. Why did the PhD student always carry a pencil and paper? They were always ready for a docu-mentary! 7. How did the PhD student know they were getting close to a breakthrough? They could finally sniff out some thesis-scent! 8. What did the PhD student say when they found a solution to a complex problem? “Eureka, I’ve dis-covered it!” 9. How did the PhD student communicate? They were fluent in academi-languages! 10. Why did the PhD student prefer to work in the library? It had the best study peer-review! 11. How did the PhD student feel after successfully defending their thesis? They were on top of the world – doctorate Everest! 12. Why did the PhD student always carry a ruler? They were always measuring up to expectations! 13. How did the PhD student ensure their experiments were accurate? They used science-sational precision! 14. What did the PhD student say when they found a research gap? It was like finding a hole in one’s knowledge! 15. Why was the PhD student so good at multitasking? They had an advanced degree in juggling responsibilities! 16. What did the PhD student say when their research was published? “My name is in-print-tastic!” 17. How did the PhD student make mathematical calculations? They were the master of numeri-calculations! 18. Why did the PhD student love hiking? It was a great way to explore new heights of knowledge! 19. What did the PhD student say when they solved a complex equation? “Now that’s what I call math-terpiece!” 20. How did the PhD student navigate through academic challenges? They had a compass of knowledge and perseverance!

PhDoodles: The Witty World of PhD Puns

1. I’m pursuing a PhD in philosophy, or as I like to call it, a “Pondering How Deeply” degree. 2. Did you hear about the PhD candidate who believed that the key to good dental health lies in flossophy? 3. My friend’s PhD research in music theory is really striking a chord with the academic community. 4. I recently completed my PhD in geography, but let’s just say I really enjoyed exploring more than just maps. 5. As a PhD student studying astronomy, I’m always reaching for the stars… and for funding. 6. They say getting a PhD in psychology is a mind-boggling experience. I couldn’t agree more! 7. My friend’s PhD research in linguistics is all about the language of love. Talk about a bilingual heartthrob! 8. My PhD thesis in mathematics is quite the equation: long, complex, and can make your head spin if you’re not careful. 9. They told me my PhD in chemistry would require a lot of testing, and boy, were they right! There’s never a shortage of experiments to try. 10. I thought getting a PhD in archaeology would be a bit of a drag, but it turns out it’s quite the excavation! 11. I’m studying marine biology for my PhD, a field where every day feels like a tidal wave of excitement! 12. My friend’s PhD in literature is like a never-ending novel—full of analysis, suspense, and plot twists. 13. Sometimes I feel like a mad scientist in my PhD lab, dissecting data and brewing up some intriguing results. 14. I’m studying social work for my PhD, turning empathy into a science and kindness into a career. 15. Getting a PhD in physics is like diving into the unknown; you never know what mind-blowing discoveries you’ll make. 16. My friend’s PhD research in neuroscience requires a lot of brainpower… and maybe a few brain cells too! 17. I always have a “theory” that getting a PhD in economics will make me rich, but I think I might need to rethink that. 18. My PhD research in environmental science involves a lot of digging for the truth, quite literally! 19. My friend’s PhD in political science is all about finding the right balance between power and diplomacy. Quite the politician! 20. I’m studying animal behavior for my PhD, and boy, studying those cheeky monkeys can be quite an amusing experience!

PHD Puns: Doctorate Doodles

1. My friend’s dissertation on tree growth really branches out. 2. I gave up on my PhD in math because I couldn’t count on it. 3. The professor’s jokes during lectures are always a real scholarly “page-turner.” 4. My friend’s PhD research on aquatic life really made a splash in the scientific community. 5. He wrote his thesis on gravity but never really fell for it. 6. Getting a PhD in art history can really frame your career. 7. Studying psychology for a PhD can really mess with your mind. 8. Our friend’s PhD in linguistics is a real “wordsmith.” 9. My friend’s thesis on solar energy is truly enlightening. 10. The physicist’s groundbreaking research left everyone in a state of quantum “awe.” 11. My friend with a PhD in archeology is always digging up new information. 12. Applying for a PhD program in literature was a novel idea. 13. My friend’s PhD in astronomy literally reached for the stars. 14. Studying marine biology for a PhD can leave you feeling a little “crabby.” 15. After completing her PhD in history, she really made her mark on academia. 16. Our friend’s research on renewable energy really sparked a lot of interest. 17. Getting a PhD in psychology can really mess with your head. 18. My friend’s PhD in computer science really programmed him for success. 19. The biologist’s research on insects really caused a “buzz” in the scientific community. 20. My friend’s research on climate change is really a breath of fresh air.

Ph.D. Fun (Pun Juxtaposition)

1. He became a doctorate in philosophy, but could never figure out the meaning of life. 2. The physicist was a genius but struggled to tie his own shoelaces. 3. The mathematician loved numbers but couldn’t count on his fingers. 4. The archaeologist had a PhD but couldn’t find his own car keys. 5. He studied psychology, but couldn’t understand why people kept calling him crazy. 6. The biologist had a PhD but couldn’t keep a houseplant alive. 7. The linguist got a doctorate but couldn’t speak a second language fluently. 8. The historian was an expert on ancient civilizations but couldn’t remember their names. 9. The geologist studied rocks but couldn’t find his way around town. 10. He had a PhD in literature but struggled to write a simple email. 11. The computer scientist had a doctorate but couldn’t fix his own printer. 12. The economist was well-versed in financial markets but couldn’t balance his own checkbook. 13. The chemist had a PhD but always forgot to put on deodorant. 14. He studied physics but couldn’t figure out how to open a jar. 15. The art historian knew all about famous paintings but couldn’t draw a stick figure. 16. The sociologist had a PhD but rarely left the house to interact with people. 17. She specialized in genetics but couldn’t solve a simple crossword puzzle. 18. The political scientist studied governments but couldn’t navigate a voting booth. 19. The neurologist had a doctorate but couldn’t remember where he parked his car. 20. The engineer had a PhD but struggled to assemble basic Ikea furniture.

The Doctorate Discourse (Ph-Delightful Puns)

1. The Write Doctor 2. The Research ProFESSOR 3. The Thesis Whisperer 4. The Data Genie 5. The Lab Rat 6. The DigiTutor 7. The Scholarly Scribe 8. The Knowledge EnGEEk 9. The Intellectual ThinkTank 10. The Dissertation Dynamo 11. The Science Nerd 12. The Wise WordMaster 13. The Academic Guru 14. The Education Sage 15. The Intellectual Sage 16. The Study Sage 17. The Academic Artist 18. The Degree Wizard 19. The Brainy Bookworm 20. The Lecture Lover

“PhD Puns Flipping Words for Fun”

1. Quad of the Ph.D. – God of the Qh.D. 2. Philosophical Sh.D. – Sophie’s Physical Ph.D. 3. Thesis supervision – Sisisth supervision. 4. Academic research – Academic researth. 5. Peer-reviewed articles – Ear-peeved pureticles. 6. Doctoral dissertation – Doctoreal dissertation. 7. Ph.D. defense – D.PH defence. 8. Tutoring sessions – Suturing tosions. 9. Thesis committee – Seesis thommittee. 10. Research methodology – Methology researcody. 11. Doctoral program – Pectoral drogram. 12. Academic conferences – Comicademic conferemes. 13. Educational psychology – Psydicational educology. 14. Doctoral studies – St. Ductopathic dudies. 15. Graduate students – State growdent sutements. 16. Dissertation proposal – Positation dissero

PhD-larious Puns (Tom Swifties)

1. “I just defended my PhD thesis today,” Tom said confidently. 2. “Writing my dissertation was a real struggle,” Tom said painstakingly. 3. “I’m finally done with my PhD coursework,” Tom said academically. 4. “I need to edit my research paper,” Tom said studiously. 5. “I don’t know if I’m ready for my oral defense,” Tom said nervously. 6. “I have to present my findings at the conference,” Tom said confidently. 7. “I got a scholarship to pursue my PhD,” Tom said thankfully. 8. “I have so many deadlines to meet for my dissertation,” Tom said urgently. 9. “I need more references for my literature review,” Tom said extensively. 10. “I spend most of my days in the lab,” Tom said experimentally. 11. “My research methodology is quite unique,” Tom said innovatively. 12. “My advisor gave me some valuable feedback,” Tom said constructively. 13. “I’m presenting my research at an international symposium,” Tom said globally. 14. “I’m passionate about my field of study,” Tom said enthusiastically. 15. “I’m considering pursuing a PhD in a different discipline,” Tom said thoughtfully. 16. I landed a teaching assistantship to support my studies,” Tom said gratefully. 17. “My research topic is quite complex,” Tom said intellectually. 18. “I’m writing a book based on my PhD research,” Tom said creatively. 19. “I need to attend more academic conferences,” Tom said actively. 20. “I want to make a significant contribution to my field,” Tom said ambitiously.

Contradictory Doctorate Jokes (PhD Punny Paradoxes)

1. A PhD dropout, seeking higher education. 2. A PhD candidate, conducting a study on procrastination. 3. A PhD in relaxation therapy, always stressed out. 4. A PhD in time management, never enough hours in the day. 5. A PhD in decision-making, unable to choose what to have for breakfast. 6. A PhD in organization, constantly misplacing things. 7. A PhD in silence, always speaking their mind. 8. A PhD in financial planning, broke as a joke. 9. A PhD in linguistics, struggling to find the right words. 10. A PhD in patience, constantly running out of it. 11. A PhD in creativity, always experiencing writer’s block. 12. A PhD in motivation, feeling unmotivated. 13. A PhD in happiness, constantly fighting off the blues. 14. A PhD in multitasking, preferring to do one thing at a time. 15. A PhD in humility, always showing off their achievements. 16. A PhD in sleep studies, constantly awake. 17. A PhD in problem-solving, always encountering new challenges. 18. A PhD in comedy, never telling a good joke. 19. A PhD in time travel, always late for appointments. 20. A PhD in nutrition, indulging in unhealthy food choices.

Recursive Riddles (PhD Puns)

1. Did you hear about the mathematician who got his PhD in doughnuts? He made great pi rings! 2. My friend was awarded his PhD in dentistry. Now he’s always in a cavity! 3. My friend just completed his PhD in botany. Now he’s branching out! 4. My friend got his PhD in marine biology. Now he’s always making waves! 5. My friend received his PhD in music theory. Now he’s always hitting the right notes! 6. Did you hear about the chef who got his PhD in cooking? He’s really taking the spice to the next level! 7. My friend just got his PhD in astronomy, and now he’s over the moon! 8. Did you hear about the doctor who completed his PhD in medicine? He’s always prescribing a healthy dose of laughter! 9. My friend just obtained his PhD in psychology. Now he’s analyzing my dreams! 10. Did you hear about the scientist who earned his PhD in genetics? He’s always making new discoveries in his genes! 11. My friend received his PhD in history. Now he’s always turning the page! 12. Did you hear about the engineer who achieved his PhD in civil engineering? He’s always building a solid foundation! 13. My friend just completed his PhD in literature. Now he’s a real bookworm! 14. Did you hear about the mathematician who got his PhD in Geometry? He’s always getting his angles right! 15. My friend just earned his PhD in physics, and now he’s all charged up! 16. Did you hear about the artist who received his PhD in painting? He’s really making masterpieces brush by brush! 17. My friend just obtained his PhD in linguistics. Now he’s always speaking in tongues! 18. Did you hear about the economist who completed his PhD? He’s always calculating the value of a good pun! 19. My friend just earned his PhD in computer science. Now he’s coding his way to success! 20. Did you hear about the biologist who got his PhD? He’s always exploring new species and branching out!

“PhD’s Guide: Pundamentals for Academic Wits”

1. I got my PhD in philosophy, but it didn’t bring me any enlightenment. It just left me with a lot of student loans. 2. The best piece of advice I received during my PhD was to always take notes, because some day they might fetch a pretty penny at a research garage sale. 3. They say a PhD is just a fancy piece of paper, but I prefer to think of it as a passport to endless job applications. 4. A PhD is like a marathon – it’s an exhausting journey that goes on for years, and the finish line seems to always be just out of reach. 5. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a committee to approve a PhD dissertation. 6. My PhD was like a rollercoaster ride – filled with ups and downs, and at some point, I just wanted to scream. 7. They say a PhD is like being married to your research – you dedicate your life to it, and there’s no escape until the day you defend. 8. Getting a PhD is like climbing Mount Everest – it’s a long and treacherous journey, and you might lose a few brain cells along the way. 9. They say a PhD is just a piece of paper, but it’s the most expensive piece of paper I’ve ever owned. 10. My PhD was like a puzzle with missing pieces – I spent years trying to find them, and in the end, some are still lost. 11. They say a PhD is the ultimate achievement, but sometimes it feels like you’ve just unlocked a higher level of unemployment. 12. My PhD was like a never-ending maze – just when I thought I found the way out, I stumbled upon another dead end. 13. They say a PhD is like a badge of honor, but it’s more like a permanent scar on your psyche. 14. My PhD was like a complex math problem – it had multiple solutions, but my professor only accepted one. 15. They say a PhD is like a piece of art – it’s a masterpiece you create with your mind, but it’s not guaranteed to sell. 16. My PhD journey was like a never-ending dark tunnel – I kept moving forward, hoping to find the light at the end, but it was always just out of reach. 17. They say a PhD is like a marathon – you may hit a wall at some point, but the key is to keep pushing through. 18. My PhD was like a game of chess – I had to strategically plan each move, and if I made the wrong one, it could lead to checkmate. 19. They say a PhD is like a rite of passage – you endure trials and tribulations, and in the end, you come out stronger (and with an immeasurable amount of stress). 20. My PhD was like a never-ending puzzle – just when I thought I had all the pieces, I realized I was missing a whole section.

In conclusion, if you’ve been drowning in academic stress, these 200+ PhD puns are just the ticket to lighten the mood and tickle your funny bone! But don’t stop here, there are even more puns waiting to bring a smile to your face on our website. We hope you’ve had a great time with us and thank you for taking the time to visit!

Related Pun Articles

europe puns

220 Unforgettable Europe Puns For Historic Laugh

' src=

Punsteria Team

Looking to brighten your day with some European humor? Look no further! We’ve compiled over 200 unforgettable Europe puns that ...

blue puns

220 Hilarious Blue Puns: Unleash a Wave of Laughter

Dive into a sea of laughter with over 200 hilarious blue puns that will leave you feeling like you’re floating ...

tennessee puns

220 Tennessee Puns: Humorous Quips to Brighten Your Day

Are you a fan of puns? Do you appreciate clever wordplay? Then get ready to have a laugh with our ...

las vegas puns

Roll the Dice on Laughter: 220 Las Vegas Puns to Spice Up Your Humor Game

Looking for a sure bet to crack a smile? Look no further than Las Vegas puns! These clever wordplays will ...

hearthstone puns

220 Hilarious Hearthstone Puns That Will Leave You Spellbound

If you’re a fan of Hearthstone and enjoy a good pun, then you’re in luck! We’ve compiled a list of ...

change puns

Embrace the Laughter with These 200+ Hilarious Change Puns

Are you ready to add some laughter and light-heartedness to your day? Look no further than these 200+ hilarious change ...

elvis puns

Rock n Roll Laughter: 220 Elvis Puns That Will Have you All Shook Up

Are you an Elvis Presley fan who loves a good pun? Then get ready to have your hips shaking and ...

phd puns

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of academia? Don’t worry, we have just what you need to tickle your ...

tech puns

Tech Puns Extravaganza: 220 Handpicked Jokes for Technology Geeks

Are you a technology geek with a love for puns? Then this article is for you! Get ready to tickle ...

olive puns

Ultimate Collection: 220 Olive Puns to Spice Up Your Humor Palette

If you’re tired of the same old jokes, it’s time to spice up your humor palette with some olive puns! ...

We're the wordplay enthusiasts behind the puns you love. As lovers of all things punny, we've combined our passion for humor and wordplay to bring you Punsteria. Our team is dedicated to collecting and curating puns that will leave you laughing, groaning, and eager for more.

punsjokes logo

PhD Jokes: Hilarious and Clever Doctorate Humor

Celestino-Miller

  • March 12, 2024

Are you in need of a good laugh? Look no further than these hilarious PhD jokes that are sure to tickle your funny bone. From poking fun at the long hours spent in the lab to the endless revisions of dissertations, these jokes capture the unique humor found in the world of academia.

PhD jokes often highlight the struggles and triumphs that come with pursuing a doctorate degree. Whether it’s the never-ending quest for funding or the jargon-filled conversations at conferences, these jokes offer a lighthearted perspective on the challenges faced by PhD students.

funny phd jokes

Best Phd Jokes

Here’s five jokes about Phd:

1. Why did the PhD student bring a ladder to the library? Because they heard the books were high-level! 2. How many PhD students does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one, but it may take them 5 years to finish! 3. Why was the math book sad? Because it had too many problems. PhD students can relate! 4. What do you call a PhD student who doesn’t procrastinate? An urban legend! 5. Why did the PhD student bring a pencil to the interview? In case they needed to draw examples on-demand!

Family Friendly Phd Jokes

Here’s some family friendly funny jokes about Phd:

1. Why did the PhD student bring a ladder to the library? To reach the highest levels of knowledge! 2. How many PhD students does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it will take them five years to do it. 3. What do you call a group of PhD students? A procrastination of scholars. 4. Why did the PhD student study herbology? Because they wanted to weed out bad research. 5. How does a PhD student communicate with their plants? Through thesis-statements. 6. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of music? Dissertations. 7. Why did the PhD student bring a pencil to the exam? To draw their own conclusions. 8. How do you know if someone has a PhD? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. 9. What’s a PhD student’s favorite movie genre? Research-mentaries. 10. Why did the PhD student major in philosophy? To ponder the meaning of life, the universe, and their thesis topic. 11. Why did the PhD student get a pet snake? It helps them practice their python programming skills. 12. Why did the PhD student switch from studying biology to psychology? They realized they could dissect people’s behavior instead of frogs. 13. How does a PhD student stay warm in the winter? By burning rejected research papers for heat. 14. What did the PhD student say after successfully defending their thesis? “I’ve arXived at my destination.” 15. Why was the PhD student always calm during presentations? They had a high degree of composure. 16. How do you get a PhD student to leave a party? Start a discussion about their research. 17. What did the PhD student do at the beach? They conducted a peer-reviewed study on sandcastle architecture. 18. Why do PhD students make great detectives? Because they always follow the evidence. 19. What’s a PhD student’s favorite exercise? Running experiments. 20. Why was the PhD student’s bookshelf always full? Because they never returned anything to the library Ð they were afraid someone else would check it out first.

Phd Jokes One-liners – Short Jokes

1. Why did the thesis break up with the bibliography? It just wasn’t a good reference. 2. I told my advisor I wanted to do a thesis on time travel. He said I had all the time in the world. 3. The only thing more daunting than writing a dissertation is trying to pick a font for it. 4. A Ph.D. is just a fancy way of saying you can Google better than most. 5. How many Ph.D. students does it take to change a lightbulb? Just one, but it will take 5 years to finish. 6. Research shows that Ph.D. students have the best theories, but the worst social lives. 7. The only time Ph.D. students count sheep is when they canÕt sleep due to stress over their thesis. 8. Ph.D. students are the only people who can spend hours studying the impact of procrastination on productivity. 9. What’s a Ph.D. studentÕs favorite part of a cookbook? The footnotes. 10. The only thing Ph.D. students love more than research is complaining about research. 11. Why did the Ph.D. student bring a ladder to the library? To reach the high shelves of knowledge. 12. Ph.D. students are like ninjas Ð they disappear for months and suddenly reappear with a thesis. 13. The only exercise a Ph.D. student gets is bending over backward for their committee. 14. The only thing more delayed than a Ph.D. student’s graduation is their advisor’s feedback. 15. A Ph.D. studentÕs idea of a wild night is staying up past 9 P.M. working on their dissertation. 16. Ph.D. students are like sprinkle-covered cupcakes Ð bright and sweet on the outside, but crumbling under pressure. 17. How does a Ph.D. student stay warm in the winter? By burning all their rejected drafts for heat. 18. Why don’t Ph.D. students play hide and seek? Good luck finding them among all the piles of research papers. 19. The only thing Ph.D. students fear more than failing their defense is running out of coffee during it. 20. The only thing longer than a Ph.D. student’s literature review is their list of excuses for not finishing it.

Phd Dad Jokes

1. Why did the PhD student bring a ladder to the library? Because they heard the studies were looking up! 2. What do you call a PhD who is also a magician? A thesis wizard! 3. Why did the PhD student always carry a pencil? In case they needed to draw conclusions! 4. How did the PhD student fix their broken experiment? With some research tape! 5. Why did the professor bring a shovel to class? To dig deep into the subject matter! 6. How did the PhD student propose? With a research proposal, of course! 7. What did the ocean say to the PhD student? Nothing, it just waved! 8. Why did the PhD student bring a magnifying glass to the lab? To make their findings crystal clear! 9. How does a PhD student organize a space party? They planet! 10. Why did the mathematician break up with the biologist? Because they couldn’t find a common denominator! 11. Why was the PhD student always calm during experiments? Because they had a hypothesis! 12. How did the PhD student introduce themselves at the networking event? “Hi, I’m a hypothesis in progress!” 13. Why did the PhD student go to the aquarium? To conduct research on marine biology! 14. How does a PhD student stay warm in the winter? By wearing their thesis statement! 15. What did the tomato say to the PhD student? “Ketchup with you later!” 16. Why did the PhD student become a chef? Because they wanted to experiment with different flavors! 17. How does a PhD student make a decision? By conducting a thorough literature review, of course! 18. Why did the computer go to school? To get a byte-sized education! 19. What do you call a group of PhD students at a conference? A hypothesis of scholars! 20. How did the PhD student fix their car? By conducting a thorough diagnostic study!

Phd Surreal Jokes

1. Why did the PhD student bring a ladder to the research lab? To take their study to a whole new level!

2. How does a PhD student open a door? They use their thesis statement as a key!

3. Why did the PhD student plant a tree next to their computer? To study data branches, of course!

4. What did the frustrated PhD candidate say to their overflowing bookshelf? “I can’t handle all these plot twists!”

5. How does a PhD student make tea? By conducting a steep analysis!

6. Why did the chicken cross the research lab? To get to the other hypothesis!

7. What do you call a group of PhD students at a party? A thesis statement!

8. Why did the PhD student bring a mirror to their defense presentation? To reflect on their research!

9. What do you call a fruit that has a PhD? A pineapple of knowledge!

10. Why did the PhD student bring a pencil to the library? To draw conclusions!

11. How do you catch a squirrel as a PhD student? By setting up a peer-reviewed nut trap!

12. What do you call a ghost who has a PhD in haunting houses? A boo-k smart spirit!

13. Why did the mathematician bring a ruler to their PhD defense? To measure up to the challenge!

14. What do you call a group of dolphins with PhDs? The porpoiseful pod!

15. Why did the PhD student wear sunglasses while writing their dissertation? To avoid getting blinded by their own brilliance!

16. How do you make a tissue dance as a PhD student? Put a little boogie in it!

17. Why did the biology PhD student become a comedian? They had DNA for humor!

18. What do you call a dentist with a PhD? A tooth scholar!

19. How do you know if a chemistry experiment is funny? If it causes a reaction!

20. Why did the PhD student bring a GPS to the library? To navigate through all the research materials!

Phd Dark Humor Jokes

Here’s some funny Phd jokes for adults:

1. Why did the PhD student bring a ladder to the bar? He heard the drinks were on the house. 2. How many PhD students does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it will take them 5 years to do it. 3. Did you hear about the PhD student who got into a fight with their advisor? They ended up having a peer-reviewed smackdown. 4. Why did the PhD student break up with their calculator? It just couldn’t handle the complexity of their relationship. 5. What do you call a group of PhD students at the beach? A lost thesis. 6. Why did the PhD student bring a pencil to the interview? Just in case they needed to draw some conclusions. 7. What’s a PhD student’s favorite type of humor? Dry humor, just like their research papers. 8. How do you confuse a PhD student? Ask them to explain their thesis in simple terms. 9. Why did the PhD student bring a mirror to the lab? To reflect on their questionable life choices. 10. Why did the PhD student bring a chainsaw to the conference? To cut through all the peer-reviewed nonsense. 11. What do you call a PhD student who’s also a magician? A master of “disappearing” data. 12. Why did the PhD student bring a map to the library? They heard it was uncharted territory for them. 13. Why was the computer cold? It left its Windows open. 14. Why did the scientist go to therapy? They had too many issues. 15. Why was the math book sad? It had too many problems. 16. Why did the biology student break up with the psychology student? They couldn’t find a meaningful connection. 17. Why did the chemist like naps? Because they’re a solution to all problems. 18. Why did the physicist refuse to play hide-and-seek? They didn’t want to be found in a state of “uncertainty”. 19. Why did the engineer bring a pencil to the party? In case there was a sketchy situation. 20. Why did the statistics professor bring a ladder to the classroom? To help their students reach new heights of understanding.

How to Use Phd Jokes In a Conversation?

Using Ph.D. jokes in a conversation can be a fun way to lighten the mood or entertain your friends and colleagues. When used appropriately, these jokes can showcase your wit and humor while also bonding over the shared experience of academia. Here are some tips on how to effectively use Ph.D. jokes in your conversations.

Know Your Audience

Before cracking a Ph.D. joke, it’s essential to gauge your audience and ensure that they will appreciate the humor. While academics and students might find these jokes amusing, others may not share the same level of enthusiasm. Use discretion and tailor your jokes to the group you are with.

Relate to Common Experiences

One of the best ways to use Ph.D. jokes is to relate them to common experiences or challenges faced by Ph.D. students and researchers. Whether it’s referencing the never-ending cycle of revisions, the struggle to maintain work-life balance, or the frustration of experimental setbacks, shared experiences can make jokes more relatable and amusing.

Use Humor to Connect

Humor can be a powerful tool for building connections with others. By using Ph.D. jokes in your conversations, you can show your playful side and create a light-hearted atmosphere. This can help break the ice in social situations or strengthen relationships with colleagues who appreciate academic humor.

Avoid Offending Others

While Ph.D. jokes can be funny and entertaining, it’s crucial to be mindful of not offending anyone with your humor. Avoid jokes that are overly critical, insensitive, or perpetuate stereotypes about academia. Instead, focus on light-hearted and relatable jokes that everyone can enjoy.

Practice Moderation

Like any form of humor, Ph.D. jokes are best used in moderation. While they can be a great way to inject humor into a conversation, overusing them can make you come across as one-dimensional or insincere. Use Ph.D. jokes sparingly and be attentive to the reactions of others to ensure that everyone is enjoying the banter.

By following these tips, you can effectively incorporate Ph.D. jokes into your conversations and use them to entertain, connect, and bond with others in academic and professional settings.

Final words

In conclusion, PhD jokes provide a humorous glimpse into the world of academia and the unique challenges faced by those pursuing advanced degrees. These jokes capture the mix of stress, dedication, and absurdity that often come with the pursuit of higher education. Whether poking fun at the length of dissertations, the complexity of research, or the relationship between grad students and their advisors, these jokes offer a lighthearted perspective on the demanding journey of obtaining a PhD.

From poking fun at the infamous imposter syndrome to the struggles of trying to explain one’s thesis in simple terms, PhD jokes continue to resonate with graduate students and academics alike. They serve as a form of comic relief in an environment that can sometimes feel overwhelmingly serious and competitive. Despite the challenges that come with pursuing a doctorate, the ability to find humor in the process is a valuable skill that can help students navigate the ups and downs of academic life.

In the end, the world of academia is no stranger to the absurd and the comedic. PhD jokes provide a refreshing break from the intensity of research and writing, allowing individuals to laugh at the quirks and idiosyncrasies of academic life. These jokes serve as a reminder that even in the most challenging moments, there is always room for a bit of humor. Hillarious PhD jokes will continue to be shared among graduate students and academics as a way to bond over shared experiences and find solidarity in the pursuit of knowledge.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Add Comment  *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post Comment

phd supervisor jokes

A list of puns related to "Phd"

I call him Dr. Awkward

She sure has a lot of photos in thesis.

Parentheses

phd supervisor jokes

Theoretical Fizz-ics.

I guess that makes me a spin doctor

phd supervisor jokes

A pet-degree

I asked him if he is now called a Doctor of Pillosophy.

He's an aye doctor.

It was a 2nd-degree burn.

It was a third degree burn

They were all arrested for third-degree murder.

"What's with the third degree?"

Photos in thesis.

She really gave him the third degree.

Background:

My dad recently retired and has since gotten a new favorite joke that he tells everyone who calls to congratulate him with his retirement.

The pun doesn't really work in english(I'm danish), but I thought I would share it anyway. This is how it usually goes:

Caller: How are you holding up? are you enjoying your spare time?

Dad: I actually just started my pHD

Caller: What? Wow

Dad: Pensioner every day

(In danish It would be: P entionist h ver d ag, hence the PhD)

It's not funny at all, but he loves it and tells it to everyone

Outstanding in his field.

A Doctopuss.

Dad: Are you thinking of doing a PhD?

Me: pffffffft

Dad: oh is that how it's pronounced

Because no matter the amount of proof his work remained a mere Hippo Thesis.

Watching The Strain when the doctors start doing an autopsy on a vampire body

Sister: So the vampire virus destroys all of the hosts organs?

Me: No it just changes them into different organs.

Dad: Yeah, they're... disorganized!

Laughter ensues

Turns out she's just a spin doctor.

He said it has its pluses and minuses.

Please note that this site uses cookies to personalise content and adverts, to provide social media features, and to analyse web traffic. Click here for more information.

phd supervisor jokes

Thirty PhD Memes For The Grad Student Who's Checked The Eff Out

Grad school is no joke; you're stressed out all the damn time and you can't catch any sort of break ever. But if you do in fact find yourself with a fleeting moment to take a break, we think you'll like scrolling through these relatable memes for anyone in the thick of finishing up their PhD.

If you want to feel even more angry about your academic woes, click here for more grad school memes!

Text - Grace Mallon @GraceMallon3 PhD student, c.2020: Here's a limited argument I made based on years of specialized research. Hope it's OK O Philosopher dude, c.1770: Here are some Thoughts I had in the Bath. They constitute Universal & Self-Evident Laws of Nature. FIGHT ME. 6:02 AM · 2/3/20 · Twitter Web App 17.9K Retweets 104K Likes

  • Advertisement

Leg - Experimental methods section in my paper aHIPM under review

Stay entertained and up to date by following us on Facebook and Instagram!

Next on memebase.

phd supervisor jokes

Follow The Laughs

phd supervisor jokes

With all my high level degrees and PHD's, I stumbled upon these questions......... 1. If poison expires, is it more poisonous or is it no longer poisonous? 2. Which letter is silent in the word "Scent," the S or the C?

I'm starting a charity for phd students so they can finally afford to live on their own without the need for roommates....

This joke may contain profanity. 🤔

What's the difference between a jungle cat who wrote his PhD thesis on the economic effects of taxation, and the order of insects that includes butterflies and moths?

What does phd stand for, how to get a phd in music, what is the most common question that a person holding a phd in philosophy asks other people, my nerdy friend just got a phd on the history of palindromes., my socially anxious friend got a phd in palindromes., what do you call somebody with the phd in the field of drink carbonation, i've been doing my psychology phd thesis on the mental health and wellbeing of little people. after 4 long years and multiple studies, i've concluded..., why god never got a phd, i tell my dates i have a phd in sex talk., i have a phd, i have finally completed my phd in literary criticism..., right after i got my phd in theoretical physics, i was able to land a job at stanford, due to the size of my student loans for my phd i have debts no honest man could pay...., did you know that brian may, the guitarist from british rockband queen, has a phd on astrophysics, who called it phd, what's the difference between a phd in mathematics and a large pizza, what do call a fish with a phd, i was driving down a country road when i saw a sign: "talking dog for sale.", having a phd. gains you leverage in online dating, an illiterate dad and his son who has a phd in astrology went camping., i have a phd, a phd student, a post-doc, and their professor are walking through a city park., for my phd thesis, i wanted to write the best researched paper about general relativity, so my crush wants a guy with a phd, why are black people unable to get a phd, i’m like dr. strange without the phd and magic cape., a gen z kid and a boomer walk into a bar, hospitals are full of hypocrites, so, i have this friend who studied to become an egyptologist, what do you call a black man with a phd , what does dr. pepper have his phd in, an awkward friend of mine just finished his phd in palindrome theory.., a harvard grad with a phd and a redneck with a 5th grade education are in a contest, after many years of studying at a university, i’ve finally become a phd, my phd student claims to have made a breakthrough in hyperbolic mathematics, a us navy cruiser anchored in mississippi for a week's shore leave., why dentist don't like phd holders , i've decided to get a phd in how much soda you should have for the end of the world., a physicist, an engineer and a statistician are on a hunting trip..., how do you make a venetian blind, one day, a red fruit loop looked at himself in the mirror and said, "i need to become an orange fruit loop.", engineer and an academic on a plane, a rabbit says to a fox, "i'm writing a dissertation on how rabbits eat foxes", a man walks into a brothel with $100, after working long and hard for my phd people finally recognize me.., a white girl, an asian girl and a black girl are on a plane..., there once was hippo child prodigy., my chemistry professor e-mailed this joke to me., comeback school, educated sons, did you hear about the octopus who works as a therapist (nsfw), jeffrey vs. clown (long), a man goes to the circus, a doctor who was proud of his degrees..., why there are led lights now.

Please note that this site uses cookies to personalise content and adverts, to provide social media features, and to analyse web traffic. Click here for more information.

phd supervisor jokes

  • Interesting
  • Scholarships
  • UGC-CARE Journals

PhD Memes About Research Life | High Impact PhD memes

ilovephd phd memes

ilovephd

Explore the world of “High Impact PhD Memes,” where humor meets academia. This collection of memes delves into the unique challenges and relatable moments of the PhD journey. From battling writer’s block to celebrating small victories, these memes capture the essence of research life. Join fellow doctoral candidates in sharing a laugh and finding solace in shared experiences. Get ready to dive into the comical side of academia!

Check this impact meme, interesting and funny PhD memes about research life from iLovePhD Memes Facebook Page

This is how I Run my PhD Life with Research Problems and Life Problems

phd memes

Research Gap Identified

phd memes

A Night Before Thesis Defense

phd memes

When My Supervisor Shouts At Me

phd memes

Position to Read Article in PDF

phd memes

References and Review Paper

phd memes

I heard he’s doing PhD in stress management

phd memes

ILovePhD’s Meme Presented in the Final Thesis Defense

phd memes

How deadlines chsing me

phd memes

Motivation During First and Final year of the PhD

phd memes

Can you Proof Read my Article

phd memes

Cofee with First Publication Motivate a lot

phd memes

Ph.D. Couple Goals | We Love PhD

phd memes

Forget Princess I Want to be a Scientist – PhD Memes

phd memes

Difference between First and Fifth year in LAB

phd memes

PhD Scholar after Thesis Defence

phd memes

Graphical Abstract vs. Abstract – PhD Memes

phd memes

Welcome to PhD – Memes

phd memes

When you notice people reading your research work but no one citing it.

phd memes

Where is the novelty

phd memes

PhD advisor before and after PhD admission

phd memes

What if someone had published your idea

phd memes

Eat and Innovate

phd memes

Difference between Theory and Practice

Difference between Theory and Practice

Procrastination to write a research paper

phd supervisor jokes

Advisor with new project ideas

phd supervisor jokes

What I am doing in Life | Why I joined PhD

phd supervisor jokes

Show the difference between existing vs proposed work

phd supervisor jokes

Before deadline vs after deadline

iLovePhD Memes

When your experiment gives outstanding result but you don’t know how

iLovePhD Memes

The idea of graduating and having to write my thesis

iLovePhD Memes

When scholar says he/she will submit manuscript draft tomorrow, but it’s been 6 months now

phd supervisor jokes

When everything is going wring in your life but you’re used to it

phd supervisor jokes

Study vs Stress Meme

iLovePhD Memes

Lab on Sunday

iLovePhD Memes

When you start thinking about your research during dinner

ilovephd memes

“High Impact PhD Memes” offers a humorous and relatable glimpse into the world of research and academia. These memes resonate with the experiences of doctoral candidates, highlighting the challenges, victories, and moments of camaraderie that define the PhD journey. As we explore this collection, it becomes evident that humor can be a powerful tool for coping with the rigors of research life. So, whether you’re in the midst of your own PhD adventure or simply curious about the world of academia, these memes provide a lighthearted and insightful perspective that brings a smile to your face and a sense of connection to the scholarly community.

  • getting a phd memes
  • High impact PhD memes
  • high impact phd memes twitter
  • interstellar phd memes
  • latest phd memes
  • love phd memes
  • md phd memes
  • Peer Reviewer
  • phd dissertation memes
  • phd doctor memes
  • phd humor memes
  • phd jokes memes
  • phd memes facebook
  • phd memes funny
  • phd memes instagram
  • phd memes jokes tamil
  • phd memes postdoc
  • phd memes reddit
  • phd memes tamil
  • phd memes twitter
  • phd research memes
  • phd student memes
  • phd student phd memes
  • phd supervisor memes
  • phd thesis on memes
  • phd thesis writing memes

ilovephd

Find and Understand 25 Million Peer-Reviewed Research Papers for Free

480 ugc-care list of journals – science – 2024, swiss government excellence scholarships, leave a reply cancel reply, most popular, india – sri lanka joint research funding opportunity, india-eu partner up for explainable and robust ai research, top 7 artificial intelligence (ai) tools in scientific research 2024, reviewer three: unveiling the world of peer review, quantitative vs qualitative research, top 100 machine learning topics and 10 research ideas – 2025, auto-gpt: the next-level ai tool surpassing chatgpt for complex tasks, best for you, 24 best online plagiarism checker free – 2024, what is phd, popular posts, how to check scopus indexed journals 2024, popular category.

  • POSTDOC 317
  • Interesting 258
  • Journals 234
  • Fellowship 131
  • Research Methodology 102
  • All Scopus Indexed Journals 92

Mail Subscription

ilovephd_logo

iLovePhD is a research education website to know updated research-related information. It helps researchers to find top journals for publishing research articles and get an easy manual for research tools. The main aim of this website is to help Ph.D. scholars who are working in various domains to get more valuable ideas to carry out their research. Learn the current groundbreaking research activities around the world, love the process of getting a Ph.D.

Contact us: [email protected]

Google News

Copyright © 2024 iLovePhD. All rights reserved

  • Artificial intelligence

phd supervisor jokes

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • View all journals
  • Explore content
  • About the journal
  • Publish with us
  • Sign up for alerts
  • CAREER COLUMN
  • 12 May 2021

The 100 memes that immortalize my PhD defence

  • Sophie Dufour-Beauséjour 0

Sophie Dufour-Beauséjour works as a policy analyst for the Government of Canada’s Climate Change Preparedness in the North Program.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

I finished my PhD on sea-ice dynamics in Nunavik, an Inuit territory in the Canadian Arctic, during the pandemic. My defence took place on 30 October 2020, over Zoom.

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

24,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

185,98 € per year

only 3,65 € per issue

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-01273-8

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged .

Related Articles

phd supervisor jokes

How to network with the brightest minds in science

Career Feature 26 JUN 24

What it means to be a successful male academic

What it means to be a successful male academic

Career Column 26 JUN 24

Is science’s dominant funding model broken?

Is science’s dominant funding model broken?

Editorial 26 JUN 24

The strategy behind one of the most successful labs in the world

The strategy behind one of the most successful labs in the world

Comment 26 JUN 24

Securing your science: the researcher’s guide to financial management

Securing your science: the researcher’s guide to financial management

Career Feature 14 JUN 24

Need a policy for using ChatGPT in the classroom? Try asking students

Need a policy for using ChatGPT in the classroom? Try asking students

Career Column 05 JUN 24

Why China has been a growing study destination for African students

Why China has been a growing study destination for African students

Nature Index 05 JUN 24

PostDoc Researcher, Magnetic Recording Materials Group, National Institute for Materials Science

Starting date would be after January 2025, but it is negotiable.

Tsukuba, Japan (JP)

National Institute for Materials Science

phd supervisor jokes

Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty Positions

Tenure-Track/Tenured Faculty Positions in the fields of energy and resources.

Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

School of Sustainable Energy and Resources at Nanjing University

phd supervisor jokes

Postdoctoral Associate- Statistical Genetics

Houston, Texas (US)

Baylor College of Medicine (BCM)

phd supervisor jokes

Senior Research Associate (Single Cell/Transcriptomics Senior Bioinformatician)

Metabolic Research Laboratories at the Clinical School, University of Cambridge are recruiting 3 senior bioinformatician specialists to create a dynam

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire (GB)

University of Cambridge

phd supervisor jokes

Cancer Biology Postdoctoral Fellow

Tampa, Florida

Moffitt Cancer Center

phd supervisor jokes

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

  • Explore articles by subject
  • Guide to authors
  • Editorial policies

ThePhDHub

Top PhD memes of 2021 (Updated)

The era is of the internet. People are passing their time on the internet, blog, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Memes are evolved recently. It is a pictorial representation of a joke. And people love memes.

Our social media is flooded with jokes, memes and gifs. Here in the present article, we have enlisted some of the meme material related to PhD. PhD is a very serious business, still, some of the memes are incredible and describe some of the common problems everyone faces during their PhD time.

phd supervisor jokes

See this What a PhD student feel on Friday when everyone is planning to party!

phd supervisor jokes

This meme is best understood by those who are still struggling to write their research paper.

phd supervisor jokes

A cold-blooded insult to a PhD student.

phd supervisor jokes

This story is for those who have actually mastered a skill to describe their research like no one other did do it.

phd supervisor jokes

This one is actually exciting.

phd supervisor jokes

Another next level of insult to us (PhDs).

phd supervisor jokes

This happens to everyone. By reading a few papers we think we know everything.

phd supervisor jokes

Dr. Tushar Chauhan is a Scientist, Blogger and Scientific-writer. He has completed PhD in Genetics. Dr. Chauhan is a PhD coach and tutor.

Share this:

phd supervisor jokes

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on Linkedin
  • Share via Email

About The Author

' src=

Dr Tushar Chauhan

Related posts.

Are PhD studies in India a waste of time?- Students’ Voice (unfortunately- unfortunate does exist- an individual’s perspective!!!)

Are PhD studies in India a waste of time?- Students’ Voice (unfortunately- unfortunate does exist- an individual’s perspective!!!)

What is an Honorary Doctorate (PhD) Degree?

What is an Honorary Doctorate or honorary PhD?

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Browse links

  • © 2024 BuzzFeed, Inc
  • Consent Preferences
  • Accessibility Statement

If You've Ever Struggled With A PhD, You're Going To Find These 41 Memes Hilarious

"Wanna hear a research joke, or not et al.?"

Ambili Nair

BuzzFeed Contributor

View this photo on Instagram

Share This Article

When good supervisors go bad…

I get a lot of emails from students complaining about their supervision experience. This one, from an anonymous student, stood out. I think it’s the way the student thought they had it all figured out – before it went so very wrong….

Screen Shot 2014-03-03 at 8.20.27 pm

I had a great supervisor. The perfect combination of thesis-related support, professional development, collegial co-worker and friendly laughs. In the face of my peers’ stories of unresponsive, out-of-touch or exploitative supervisors, I used to smile smugly to myself. I’d done my homework, I was onto a winner.

Until I wasn’t.

This is a story of a good supervisor gone bad . But, more importantly for anyone who is in the early stages of a PhD, this is a story of the mistakes I made along the way that contributed to a bad situation.

I came to my PhD after working on a wide range of research projects. I’d seen first hand how important a good supervisor is, and I was going to find the perfect candidate . I practically conducted interviews for the job…

I take that back. I did interview for the job.

I settled on someone who was less experienced that I was originally seeking. She had supervised PhD students before, but never as a principal supervisor. But she knew first hand what it takes to survive in a sector characterised by dwindling funds and few permanent positions.

She was concerned about my professional welfare beyond the thesis, insisting on 12 month plans that covered publications, conferences, papers, presentations, and networking activities, accompanied by five year plans covering postdocs and post-post-docs (is that a thing?). I thought she was great, so great I also took a job with her , and then followed her to another research institution when she moved jobs.

And she was great. She was great for three whole years. Until ensuring that I “had three papers under review at all times”, “had at least two conference presentations a year”, “was involved in a range of professional committees”, as well as working two research assistant roles, applying for numerous awards, running a granted-funded project and doing a fulltime PhD took its toll.

Stress does terrible things to the body.

I got sick. Not just a little run down or out of sorts. I got ‘your life may never be the same again’ kind of sick.

Not surprisingly, things began to slip. I got kicked off a committee for missing too many meetings, I couldn’t find the energy to revise my papers, and the thesis chapters I was turning out were starting to become subpar.

In response, my good supervisor was less than supportive . I won’t go into all the details. Let’s just say that what started as tough love evolved into bullying, abuse, manipulation and lying and, finally, the blocking of my submission.

Over the course of eight months, my great supervisor had become an unrecognisable master of psychological abuse. We were engaged in a war of attrition, a war that took me to the edge of my psychological and physical wellbeing – beyond any place I thought I could go, or perhaps more importantly, beyond what I would have thought I could survive. This sounds dramatic I know, but read the literature of narcissistic personality disorder and you’ll get the picture.

But, you see, I had made myself vulnerable to this abuse. I’d isolated myself. I had two other supervisors but, because my principal supervisor seemed so fantastic, I never built relationships with them – seeing them once a year at best.

As I mentioned before, I also followed my supervisor to another institution. This meant that I was physically isolated from the department in which I was enrolled as a student, and which had responsibility and a duty of care towards me. I stopped going to seminars, chatting to students in the hall, sitting on University committees or doing extra bits of work for other staff members. I stopped being visible.

This was a critical error. Firstly, there were no witnesses to what was occurring. Secondly, because I wasn’t witnessing other student-supervisor relationships or chatting to people informally, I lost perspective of what a normal and acceptable supervisory relationship looks like. And thirdly, people lost touch with how I was doing – windows of opportunity for someone to lend a hand before the situation escalated were missed.

Finally, when I did seek assistance at the University, I was anxious that I was perceived as the problem. My supervisor was a colleague and collaborator of the various staff I sought support and assistance from. I was a PhD student no one had seen in two years. Looking back, I’d say only half the people I sought help from really believed me.

In the end, one of my other supervisors intervened and recommended my thesis be submitted. It passed with no changes.

Yup, no changes.

And my supervisor?

My bad supervisor turned good overnight.

So, what have I learned from all of this?

  • Set your own limits. Don’t let someone else push you to take on more than you should.
  • Work out what your goals and aspirations are. Don’t let someone else project theirs onto you.
  • Build relationships with all of your supervisors. Make all of them accountable and responsible for your progress and wellbeing.
  • Keep in contact with people in your department (staff members and students). This is important not just so you have someone to turn to, but so they know what’s normal for you and can help you realise something is amiss before you find yourself engaged in all out psychological warfare.
  • Document. Let me say that again. Document. When things finally got bad enough that others got involved, I had a history of missed meetings, strings of emails and inappropriate feedback that I was able to produce to support my claims.
  • Smooth it over. I don’t plan to work with my supervisor again. Hell, I don’t plan to talk to my supervisor again. But I did sit down and (very awkwardly) patch things over after my thesis had passed. Academia is a small world and I’ve already lost count of how many times I’ve thanked my lucky stars for having “cleared the air” (no matter how tokenistic these efforts might actually be).

Thanks Anonymous! Glad to hear it all worked out, despite the difficulties. I think these are great tips. Has anyone else had to patch up a relationship gone bad after it was all over? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments section.

Related posts

How I broke up with my supervisor

Treat your supervisor right!

Share this:

The Thesis Whisperer is written by Professor Inger Mewburn, director of researcher development at The Australian National University . New posts on the first Wednesday of the month. Subscribe by email below. Visit the About page to find out more about me, my podcasts and books. I'm on most social media platforms as @thesiswhisperer. The best places to talk to me are LinkedIn , Mastodon and Threads.

  • Post (607)
  • Page (16)
  • Product (6)
  • Getting things done (259)
  • Miscellany (138)
  • On Writing (138)
  • Your Career (113)
  • You and your supervisor (66)
  • Writing (48)
  • productivity (23)
  • consulting (13)
  • TWC (13)
  • supervision (12)
  • 2024 (6)
  • 2023 (12)
  • 2022 (11)
  • 2021 (15)
  • 2020 (22)

Whisper to me....

Enter your email address to get posts by email.

Email Address

Sign me up!

  • On the reg: a podcast with @jasondowns
  • Thesis Whisperer on Facebook
  • Thesis Whisperer on Instagram
  • Thesis Whisperer on Soundcloud
  • Thesis Whisperer on Youtube
  • Thesiswhisperer on Mastodon
  • Thesiswhisperer page on LinkedIn
  • Thesiswhisperer Podcast
  • 12,153,010 hits

Discover more from The Thesis Whisperer

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

  • Share on twitter
  • Share on facebook

10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you

There are some important dos and don’ts to bear in mind when choosing someone to oversee your doctoral thesis, advises tara brabazon.

  • Share on linkedin
  • Share on mail

phd supervisor jokes

My father used to tell a joke, over and over again. It was a classic outback Australian, Slim Dusty joke that – like the best dad jokes – I can’t remember. But I do recall the punchline. “Who called the cook a bastard?” To which the answer was, “Who called the bastard a cook?”

This riposte often comes to mind during discussions about doctoral supervision and candidature management. Discussions go on (and on and on) about quality, rigour, ethics and preparedness. Postgraduates are monitored, measured and ridiculed for their lack of readiness or their slow progress towards completion. But inconsistencies and problems with supervisors and supervision are marginalised. In response, I think of my father’s one-liner: Who called the supervisor a bastard? Who called the bastard a supervisor?

To my mind, I never received any satisfactory, effective or useful supervision for my doctorate, research master’s or two coursework master’s that contained sizeable dissertation components. I found the supervisors remote and odd. A couple of them tried to block the submission of the theses to my institution. Indeed, on three separate occasions in my career, academics informed me that if I submitted this thesis, it would fail. The results that followed these warnings were a master of arts passed with distinction, a master of education with first-class honours and a dean’s award, and a PhD passed without correction. I was left with the impression that these supervisors had no idea what they were doing. The worst supervisors share three unforgivable characteristics:

  • They do not read your writing
  • They never attend supervisory meetings
  • They are selfish, career-obsessed bastards

I am now an experienced supervisor and examiner, but I still remember my own disappointments. For the doctoral students who follow, I want to activate and align these personal events with the candidatures I have managed since that time. Particularly, I wish to share with the next generation of academics some lessons that I have learned about supervisors.

Explore PhD and early career jobs

As a prospective PhD student, you are precious. Institutions want you – they gain funding, credibility and profile through your presence. Do not let them treat you like an inconvenient, incompetent fool. Do your research. Ask questions. Use these 10 truths to assist your decision.

Katie Edwards feature illustration (11 July 2013)

1. The key predictor of a supervisor’s ability to guide a postgraduate to completion is a good record of having done so

Ensure that at least one member of your supervisory team is a very experienced supervisor. Anyone can be appointed to supervise. Very few have the ability, persistence, vision, respect and doggedness to move a diversity of students through the examination process. Ensure that the department and university you are considering assign supervisors on the basis of intellectual ability rather than available workload. Supervising students to completion is incredibly difficult. The final few months require complete commitment from both supervisor and postgraduate. Make sure that you are being guided by a supervisor who understands the nature of effective supervision and has proved it through successful completions.

2. You choose the supervisor. Do not let the institution overrule your choice

As a postgraduate who is about to dedicate three or four years to an institution, you have the right to select a supervisor with whom you feel comfortable. Yet increasingly, as the postgraduate bureaucracy in universities increases, administrators and managers “match” a prospective candidate with a supervisor. Do not let this happen. Do research on the available staff. Talk directly with individual academics. Ascertain their willingness to supervise you, and then inform the graduate centre or faculty graduate administrators of their commitment.

3. Stars are attractive but may be distant. Pick a well-regarded supervisor who does not spend too much time away

It may seem a tough, unusual or impossible task to find a supervisor who has a strong profile but rarely goes away on research leave or disappears to attend conferences. Postgraduates need to be supervised by people with an international reputation whose name carries weight when they write references. But they must not be jet-setting professors, frequently leaving the campus and missing supervisory meetings to advance their own career. They must be established and well known, but available to supervise you rather than continually declining your requests for meetings because they are travelling to Oslo, Luanda or Hong Kong.

4. Bureaucratic immunity is vital. Look for a supervisor who will protect you from ‘the system’

There is an excessive amount of university doctoral administration. I understand and welcome the value in checking the ethical expenditure of public money; a programme of study submitted in the first year and an annual progress report through the candidature will accomplish this task. But now we have to deliver milestone reports, public confirmations of candidature sessions, biannual progress reports, annual oral presentations of research and – in some universities – complete a form that must be signed off at the conclusion of every supervisory meeting.

Every moment a student is filling in a form is one less moment they are reading a book or article, or writing a key page in their doctorate. Time is finite. Bureaucracy is infinite. A good supervisor will protect you from the excesses of supervisory administration.

The irony of many graduate centres is that they initiate incredibly high demands on students and supervisors yet are incredibly lax during crucial periods of the candidature when a rapid administrative response is required. One of my postgraduates had to wait 16 months for a decision on her doctorate. Two examiners had returned timely reports and passed with minor corrections. The third academic, however, did not examine the thesis, did not submit any paperwork and did not respond to any communications. I sent email after email – made phone call after phone call – to the graduate centre trying to facilitate a resolution to this examination. Finally, after a rather intensive period of nagging, a decision was reached to accept the two reports and no longer wait for the third. The question remains – why did the graduate centre take 16 months to make this decision? If I had not phoned and emailed administrators, would they have forgotten about this student? A good supervisor must be an advocate for the postgraduate through the increasingly bureaucratised doctoral candidature.

5. Byline bandits abound. Study a potential supervisor’s work

Does your prospective supervisor write with PhD students? Good. Do they write almost exclusively with their PhD students? Not so good – in fact, alarm bells should start ringing. Supervision is a partnership. If your prospective supervisor appears to be adding his or her name to students’ publications and writing very little independently, be concerned. Some supervisors claim co-authorship of every publication written during the candidature. Do not think that this is right, assumed, proper or the default setting. The authorship of papers should be discussed. My rule is clear: if I write it, it is mine. If you write it, it is yours. If we write it together, we share the authorship. It is important that every postgraduate finishes the candidature with as many publications as possible. Ask supervisors how they will enhance and facilitate your research and publishing career. Remember, you are a PhD student. Your supervisor should assist you to become an independent scholar, not make you into their unpaid research assistant.

Katie Edwards feature illustration (11 July 2013)

6. Be wary of co-supervisors

Most institutions insist on at least two supervisors for every student. This system was introduced not for scholarly reasons but to allay administrative fears. There is a concern that a supervisor might leave the institution, stranding the student, or that the supervisor and student might have a disagreement, again leaving the student without support.

These arguments are like grounding all aircraft because there are occasional crashes. Too often I see an academic “added” to the team to beef up his or her workload. I have been in a university meeting where research-active professors were “added” to a supervisory panel not because they were excellent supervisors (far from it) but rather because they needed to boost their profile for the research assessment exercise.

Certainly there are many occasions where a co‑supervisor is incredibly valuable, but this must be determined by their research contribution to the topic rather than by institutional convenience. I once supervised a fine thesis about Russian television. I had the expertise in television studies; a colleague held expertise in Russian studies and the Russian language. It was a great team. We met weekly as a group, with specialist meetings held with either of us as required to complete the doctorate. The candidate submitted in the minimum time.

At times, an inexperienced co-supervisor is added to a team to gain “experience”. That is, perhaps, understandable. But damage can be done to students through bad advice. I know of a disturbing case in which an inexperienced co-supervisor chose a relatively junior friend to examine a doctorate. Before the senior co-supervisor had been informed, this prospective external examiner had been approached and had agreed, and the paperwork had been submitted. Two years later, the candidate is still progressing with corrections. Each time he submits revisions that supposedly verify the concerns expressed during the oral examination, he is presented with another list because the inexperienced supervisor agreed to “corrections to the satisfaction of the examiner”. This problem was caused by an overconfident but inexperienced co-supervisor being added to the team and then going on to appoint an overconfident but inexperienced examiner.

Sometimes – in fact frequently – less is more. A strong relationship with a well-qualified, experienced and committed supervisor will ensure that the postgraduate will produce a strong thesis with minimum delay.

7. A supervisor who is active in the area of your doctorate can help to turbocharge your work

Occasionally students select a “name” rather than a “name in the field”. The appropriateness of a supervisor’s field of research is critical because it can save you considerable time. Supervisors who are reading, thinking and writing in the field can locate a gap in your scholarly literature and – at speed – provide you with five names to lift that section. A generalist will not be able to provide this service. As the length of candidatures – or more precisely the financial support for candidatures – shrinks and three years becomes the goal, your supervisor can save you time through sharing not only their experience but also their expertise.

8. A candidature that involves teaching can help to get a career off the ground

In Australia, teaching with your supervisor is often the default pattern, and it is a good one. In the UK, tutoring is less likely to emerge because of budgetary restraints. But a postgraduate who does not teach through the candidature is unprepared to assume a full-time teaching post. Many doctoral candidates are already academics and are returning to study. Others work in a diversity of professions and have no intention of taking a job in a university. Therefore, this “truth” is not relevant. But for those seeking a career in academia who intend to use the doctorate as a springboard, teaching experience is crucial. A postgraduate may see themselves as a serious researcher. But it is teaching that will get them their first post (and probably their second and third). The ultimate supervisor is also an outstanding teacher who will train their postgraduates in writing curricula, managing assessment and creating innovative learning moments in a classroom. None of these skills is required for or developed by a doctorate. You can be supervised well without these teaching experiences. However, if you have a choice, select the supervisor who can “add value” to your candidature.

One of my proudest moments emerged in a tutors’ meeting for my large first-year course at Murdoch University : creative industries. I apologised to my tutors for the hard work and low pay that was a characteristic of sessional university employment. Mike Kent – who is now Dr Mike Kent and a tenured lecturer in internet studies at Curtin University – stated that the pay was an extra. He was being trained to teach. That was the value from the process. I still think tutors should be paid more, but I valued – and value – Mike’s insight.

9. Weekly supervisory meetings are the best pattern

There are two realities of candidature management. First, the longer the candidature, the less likely you are to finish. Second, a postgraduate who suspends from a candidature is less likely to submit a doctorate.

The key attribute of students who finish is that they are passionately connected to their thesis and remain engaged with their research and their supervisor. I have always deployed weekly meetings as the best pattern for supervision to nurture this connection.

There are reasons for this. Some postgraduates lack time-management skills and would prefer to be partying, facebooking or tweeting, rather than reading, thinking and writing. If students know that written work is expected each week, and they have to sit in an office with a supervisor who is evaluating their work, that stress creates productive writing and research. So if a meeting is held on a Thursday, then on Tuesday a student panics and does some work. Yet if meetings are fortnightly, this stress-based productivity is halved. It is better to provide a tight accountability structure for students. Weekly meetings accomplish this task.

10. Invest your trust only in decent and reliable people who will repay it, not betray it

This truth may seem self-evident. But supervisors – like all academics – are people first. If the prospective supervisor needs a personality replacement, lacks the life skills to manage a trip to the supermarket or requires electronic tagging so that he (or she) does not sleep with the spouses of colleagues, then make another choice. Supervisors should be functional humans. They can be – and should be – quirky, imaginative and original. That non-standard thinking will assist your project. But if there is a whiff of social or sexual impropriety, or if there are challenges with personal hygiene, back away in a hurry. At times during your candidature you will have to rely on this person. You will be sobbing in their office. You will need to lean on them. You must have the belief that they can help you through a crisis and not manipulate you during a moment of vulnerability.

I knew a supervisor whose idea of supervision was a once-a-semester meeting in a bar where he would order three bottles of red wine and start drinking. The meeting ended when the wine finished. Another supervisor selected his postgraduates on the likelihood that the students would sleep with him. Yet another was so completely fixated by her version of feminism that all the doctorates completed under her supervision ended up looking incredibly similar. Any deviation from a particular political perspective would result in screaming matches in her office. This was not only unpleasant but destructive to the students’ careers.

The key truth and guiding principle is evident

Do not select a supervisor who needs you more than you need him or her. Gather information . Arm yourself with these 10 truths. Ask questions. Make a choice with insight, rather than respond – with gratitude – to the offer of a place or supervision.

Like what you’re reading? Get 8 issues of THE free with our PhD student and researcher special offer

Register to continue.

Why register?

  • Registration is free and only takes a moment
  • Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
  • Sign up for our newsletter

Or subscribe for unlimited access to:

  • Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
  • Digital editions
  • Digital access to THE’s university and college rankings analysis

Already registered or a current subscriber? Login

Related articles

PhD student

Essential PhD tips: 10 articles all doctoral students should read

PhD advice: from choosing the right topic to getting through your thesis

Reader's comments (34)

You might also like.

An evaluation screen with happy, neutral and sad faces

Most PhD students with hidden disabilities ‘unhappy with support’

Postgraduate researchers with non-visible disabilties often struggle to access proper employee-type support, says University and College Union report

phd supervisor jokes

PhDs for everyone will not improve academia

Ever-expanding numbers of doctoral students may suit universities, but one’s twenties should be a time for broad learning and professional development, not for burying oneself in detailed research, says Lincoln Allison

A group of adult students in traditional dress participate in the spring festival celebration.

‘Stringent’ oversight needed for private PhDs in Bangladesh

Quality regulation poses the biggest challenge as Bangladesh moves to expand PhD courses to private universities

Featured jobs

phd supervisor jokes

Get the Reddit app

A subreddit dedicated to PhDs.

What’s your best “joke” reason for getting a PhD?

IMAGES

  1. Top PhD memes of 2021 (Updated)

    phd supervisor jokes

  2. 30+ Hilarious PhD Jokes And Puns!

    phd supervisor jokes

  3. How many PHD's does it take to get a PowerPoint presentation to work

    phd supervisor jokes

  4. What PHD really means

    phd supervisor jokes

  5. Les 25 meilleures idées de la catégorie Bande dessinée phd sur

    phd supervisor jokes

  6. Best of PHD Comics :: Sunset

    phd supervisor jokes

VIDEO

  1. KADDU PADDU

  2. KADDU and PADDU 1

  3. 🤣दम है तो हंसी रोककर दिखाओ #shorts #funny

COMMENTS

  1. 30+ Hilarious PhD Jokes And Puns!

    If you liked these hilarious pun and jokes about PhDs, be sure to check out the rest of LaffGaff for lots more funny jokes, such as these: Graduation Jokes. Physics Jokes. Biology Jokes. Art Jokes. College Jokes. School Jokes. Chemistry Jokes. History Puns.

  2. r/PhD on Reddit: Please tell a Ph.D joke here. Everyone is soooo damn

    Everyone is soooo damn serious here! ;-) : r/PhD. Please tell a Ph.D joke here. Everyone is soooo damn serious here! ;-) Oh for goodness sake. Please tell a funny story about your Ph.D, don't be scared. We all need a good laughing shake up. I will start:

  3. Laughing At The Life Of A Ph.D.: 107+ Hilarious Ph.D. Jokes

    Conclusion. A Ph.D. journey may be a serious pursuit, but a good laugh can always be a refreshing break. These Ph.D. jokes remind us that humor can be found in even the most intellectual of places. So, whether you're a Ph.D. student or not, let's appreciate the lighter side of academia.

  4. 220 Phd Puns: A Hilarious Break from Academic Stress

    13. My friend's PhD in astronomy literally reached for the stars. 14. Studying marine biology for a PhD can leave you feeling a little "crabby.". 15. After completing her PhD in history, she really made her mark on academia. 16. Our friend's research on renewable energy really sparked a lot of interest. 17.

  5. PhD Jokes: Hilarious and Clever Doctorate Humor

    12. Ph.D. students are like ninjas Ð they disappear for months and suddenly reappear with a thesis. 13. The only exercise a Ph.D. student gets is bending over backward for their committee. 14. The only thing more delayed than a Ph.D. student's graduation is their advisor's feedback.

  6. 31 Hilarious Phd Puns

    A list of 31 Phd puns! Phd Puns. A list of puns related to "Phd" My socially anxious friend just got a PhD in palindrome studies. I call him Dr. Awkward. 👍︎ 9k ... My dad recently retired and has since gotten a new favorite joke that he tells everyone who calls to congratulate him with his retirement. The pun doesn't really work in english ...

  7. Thirty PhD Memes For The Grad Student Who's Checked The Eff Out

    Thirty PhD Memes For The Grad Student Who's Checked The Eff Out. Grad school is no joke; you're stressed out all the damn time and you can't catch any sort of break ever. But if you do in fact find yourself with a fleeting moment to take a break, we think you'll like scrolling through these relatable memes for anyone in the thick of finishing ...

  8. Phd Jokes

    A PhD student, a post-doc, and their professor are walking through a city park. They find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out in a puff of smoke. The Genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll give each of you just one.". "Me first!

  9. PhD Memes About Research Life

    October 1, 2023. 32937. Explore the world of "High Impact PhD Memes," where humor meets academia. This collection of memes delves into the unique challenges and relatable moments of the PhD journey. From battling writer's block to celebrating small victories, these memes capture the essence of research life. Join fellow doctoral ...

  10. Best PhD memes /jokes : r/PhD

    Best PhD memes /jokes Humor Saw a vid today of someone saying they got their PhD so they could say "just what the doctor ordered" whenever they receive something they've purchased in the mail. Now I can't stop thinking about other ways to spicy up daily life activities once I officially become "Dr. xxx"

  11. PhD Jokes

    Welcome to PhD Laughs, your go-to YouTube channel for hilarious and relatable content tailored for researchers, students, and PhD aspirants! Whether you're deep in your dissertation, tackling ...

  12. The 100 memes that immortalize my PhD defence

    The 100 memes that immortalize my PhD defence. Sophie Dufour-Beauséjour chose an unusual way to capture an academic rite of passage, with a little help from her friends. By. Sophie Dufour ...

  13. High impact PhD memes

    High impact PhD memes. 297,796 likes · 199 talking about this. Meming away PhD stress. Only ORIGINAL memes! To submit a meme, please join the group and follow its rules.

  14. 17 Hilarious And Real Tweets For PhD Students

    14. Jamie Woodham @jwoodham. People are always impressed to hear that I graduated from Harvard at 16, but you can do anything you set your mind to if you just lie. 02:17 AM - 03 Jan 2015. Reply ...

  15. Top PhD memes of 2021 (Updated)

    Top PhD memes of 2021 (Updated) The era is of the internet. People are passing their time on the internet, blog, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Memes are evolved recently. It is a pictorial representation of a joke. And people love memes. Our social media is flooded with jokes, memes and gifs. Here in the present article, we have enlisted ...

  16. Funny PhD Memes

    Search, watch, and cook every single Tasty recipe and video ever - all in one place!

  17. Alternate PHD acronyms to give you some wry Friday night laughs

    Prioritized heavy Drinking. Poorly heeded Disertation. Partially healthy Dreamer. Practically hosed Desk-jockey. Pretty hilariously Denied. Patient hungry and Dizzy. Persistent headstrong Denial. Patience heavily Drained. Pessimistic hedonism Denied.

  18. The Thesis Whisperer

    The perfect combination of thesis-related support, professional development, collegial co-worker and friendly laughs. In the face of my peers' stories of unresponsive, out-of-touch or exploitative supervisors, I used to smile smugly to myself. I'd done my homework, I was onto a winner. Until I wasn't. This is a story of a good supervisor ...

  19. Supervisor constantly "jokes" about how bad I'm supposedly doing : r/PhD

    I know the feeling. I am almost done with my Masters (defending next month, much earlier than expected, with a first author paper published already and few con-authored in line); and still my supervisor thinks I am not even meeting the average expectations.

  20. Dr Jokes, PhD (@phdjokes) • Instagram photos and videos

    5,106 Followers, 23 Following, 302 Posts - Dr Jokes, PhD (@phdjokes) on Instagram: "Laughing through the PhD life! 藍 Memes, jokes, Satire, and humour for Academia and industry. Follow for your daily dose of chuckles! " ... That one supervisor who should be deported to mars. #viral #viralvideos #graduation #PhD #hilarious #funfacts #jokes # ...

  21. Joke in thesis? : r/PhD

    Joke in thesis? I'm writing my thesis now, and I want to include the sentence "With the intuition behind <APPROACH> established, we now begrudgingly re-introduce it using the language of probability to highlight simplifying assumptions in a rigorous manner." Of course, the word "begrudgingly" is purely humorous and serves no practical ...

  22. 10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you

    Ask questions. Use these 10 truths to assist your decision. 1. The key predictor of a supervisor's ability to guide a postgraduate to completion is a good record of having done so. Ensure that at least one member of your supervisory team is a very experienced supervisor. Anyone can be appointed to supervise.

  23. What's your best "joke" reason for getting a PhD? : r/PhD

    10% of the reason I'm applying to a Ph.D is out of spite. I had a supervisor who was a year younger than me who always held over my head that she had a Masters degree while I only had a Bachelors. I'm slated to finish my Masters next spring and am applying to a Ph.D just so I can know in her eyes, I'm better 😑 f*ck you Kate. Reply reply.