Brittany Johnson, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, is the co-organizer of a virtual computer science event, 2020-2021 CS PhD Recruiting, on November 6.
Computer science students sometimes don’t consider getting a PhD in the field because they aren’t aware of all the opportunities it will open up for them, says Brittany Johnson, an assistant professor in Mason Engineering’s Department of Computer Science.
To spotlight those advantages, she helped organize a virtual event, 2020-2021 CS PhD Recruiting, on Friday, November 6, beginning at 9 a.m. “We are going to focus on the power of a PhD program,” Johnson says.
Faculty members from different universities and panelists with PhDs in a variety of careers, including software engineers at Google and Google Research, will share their expertise and experiences.
Panelists will discuss the pay, benefits, and expectations of doctoral programs. “Students should view the PhD as an apprenticeship that opens many career paths,” Johnson says. “If you are interested and think this is a path for you, you should apply.
“We realize that the PhD application process can be daunting, especially when students face inordinate stress and uncertainty, so we’ll show you how to do it,” she says.
More than 100 students have already signed up for the event.