PhD Advice

[jimbeekeeper]

Has anyone done a PhD in a semi part time basis? I have been given the opptertinunity to progress my projects at work, but tag them under the umberllla of a PHd.

I have meet the head of the department at Leeds Uni, who works very closley with my compnay and she has said just send in my application and shee will appprove and we can get going! I was quite shocked at how simple the "application" would be.

I say semi part time, rather than full of part time, as much of the work will be just what I would be doing as part of my day to day work, with the part time section been any addtional work I do in my own time.

I am quite excetend at bout starting it all, will be submitiing my application in the new year....so in 4 years will be Dr Jimbeekeeper

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

First bit of (useless) advice:

Invest in a spell-checker!

"Opptertinunity" indeed!

 

[alanf]

Good luck.

For an academic organisation, the barrier is always funding. Either steering through research councils to get money or having the cash and time internally to provide facilities or supervision.. If an outside company is providing all that, then the department gets the prospect of a research paper credit with minimal outlay. I suspect the externally funded projects have a better than average chance of a write up too. If companies took a genuine interest in their employees development it would happen a lot more frequently.

 

[Queens59]

Depends - don't do it with small kids as it REALLY eats into your time...even if work based - UNLESS it is something that would progress ONLY at work. It is amazing just how much research creeps into your own time though...

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Depends - don't do it with small kids as it REALLY eats into your time...even if work based - UNLESS it is something that would progress ONLY at work. It is amazing just how much research creeps into your own time though...

You seriously need to be able to carve out some uninterupted study time.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Not done one part time but did mine full time. I now supervise a large number (especially at Leeds University).

As others have said then this is a serious committment of time both for you and your employer. Realistically most PhDs done full time are 4 years long (some longer, some shorter) so part time will be a long time. It will eat into your personal time significantly and will always have to be 'squeezed in' but when done well, is worth it. Remember that you will be become the 'world expert' in your particular field and innovation is essential to obtain this degree. It is not about learning facts from others like ordinary degrees but finding new ones.

re the quickness of application and informality, that is the norm as students are generally targetted.

 

[sugarbush]

What are you going for the PHD in? In UK they call PHDs DR? Here the term is pretty much reserved for MDs and Shrinks and the younger generation of MD prefer to be called by their first names. Here you would be referred to as Jimbeekeeper PHD.

I am always for self advancement, good luck with it.

 

[BeeJayBee]

You'll need time, lots of time, as well as determination and dedication.

It generally takes 4 years full-time research and study, so part-time will take longer. Work out how much time you have to spare and then you'll be able to estimate, pro rata, the total number of part-time years it will take you to qualify.

You'll also need funding. Each year's fees have to be paid up front. I expect you've already looked and found that, at Leeds, a research PhD will cost you a minimum of £1,866 p.a. part time, plus lab fees.

There's a fair bit of general information here http://www.findaphd.com/student/ but you'll also find a lot on the University of Leeds site - although I'm sure you've already looked there. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/20023/postgraduate_research/86/applying_for_research_degrees

Applying is simple, making a successful application is often less easy.

Good luck.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Thanks all for your pearls of wisdom. Spell checker is top of my list...she is called my wife!

Dyslexia is not something I mention much as I feel it is generally a benefit to me in my line of work, but spelling, writing gamma etc is a pain. My brain works faster than my fingers!

Funding is not an issue, as I said it is just my normal work re badged. And therefore thinking about it, it will really be full time. I have full access to lab at work + a US company is looking to tag along with my research so full use of the computer modelling facilities. And for the times I need to use Leeds, as before, the results will benefits my company away. so nothing new. I do not expect to be paying anything! We also get book /laptop money each year. So all in all a very good company I work for

I will off course do some in my own time, but plenty of scope in works time + get extra time off for study etc.

My work is not possible to take home! So I do not think major disruption, even with new baby only a matter of days away!

Nic you are quite correct, as I felt "targeted" as they knew quite a lot about me in advance.

Nic you have pm

Sugerbush, working with other people State side, yes I have noticed the PhD after the name, but in the Uk, Dr can be in may htings not just medical.

I would rather not say directly what my work is (some of you do know) but it is a very good subject area unlike many new degrees.

Thanks

 

[Nic Rhodes]

just like to say PhDs are the proper Doctors, not these medic types (ducks from things being thrown by GP wife....)

 

[Queens59]

Only time in my life I have been head-hunted!!

 

[drstitson]

not sure where people are doing 4 year full time PhDs?

proper Universities do them over 3 years. and that is what funding and fees cover. many take extra year to write up courtesy of DWP.

Go for it - sounds like it'll basically be getting academic recognition for work done for your day job - only hard slog will be writing up.

DOI: Done both full-time (Cambridge) and part-time (Bologna) PhDs.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Go for it - sounds like it'll basically be getting academic recognition for work done for your day job - only hard slog will be writing up.

Thats basicaly it in a nut shell.



There are quite a few offering 4 year PhD, EngD was one offered to me, but required nearly 1 year of full time lectures...which I though a PhD had nothing to do with???

They did come back to me and said becuase of my work they could skip that part

Is it due to the dumbing down of recent Degree courses so they have to extend the PhD to 4 years?

Most students I have had recently...(I will rephrase that), Most students I have mentored recently, have been "forced" onto the 4 years Master course as the BSc is classed as worthless

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Many EngD are 4 years as standard as there is the significant taught content. PhDs are funded for 3.5 yrs by Engineering research council as routine nowdays (and have been for a long while now), but 4 years is nearer to the mark for all Engineering PhDs. Engineers just work harder

 

[pbh4]

Many EngD are 4 years as standard as there is the significant taught content. PhDs are funded for 3.5 yrs by Engineering research council as routine nowdays (and have been for a long while now), but 4 years is nearer to the mark for all Engineering PhDs. Engineers just work harder

I agree with Nic. In the physical sciences 3.5 to 4 years is the standard and my students are funded for 3.5 years. When I did my own PhD 20 odd years ago it still took typically 4 years but we were only funded for 3.

Paul

 

[Mint Bee]

Back to the original question, I'd say quiet a few students do thier PhD studies part time for the first 12 to 18 month, then have to play catch up

As your coming from an company back ground you will have a huge advantages in terms of research skills and core knowledge over a newly degree level qualified student. I had a CASE award for mine for which I was required to write detailed reports every 6 months. These were invaluable when it came to the final write up as a big chunk was already completed.

It worth getting some info from your company regarding whether they would let you continue if the company changed research direction or even worse, made redundencies. It has happened... Confidentiallity and publication can also be an issue although not insummountable

Good luck, and remeber the student dicount card is worth its weight in gold, although I don't know of any beekeeping suppliers you can use it at.

Tim

 

[greatbritishhoney]

It worth getting some info from your company regarding whether they would let you continue if the company changed research direction or even worse, made redundencies. It has happened... Confidentiallity and publication can also be an issue although not insummountable

Tim

Also whether there is a 'golden handcuff' policy - i.e - you have to pay back your fees if you decide to leave the company within a specified period.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

write detailed reports every 6 months.

As this will be projects/research required for ongoing work related projects, they will be expecting results as they happen.

So really back to my original question, this will not be a part time PhD, but as said above simply academic recognition for work already done.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

It worth getting some info from your company regarding whether they would let you continue if the company changed research direction or even worse, made redundencies. It has happened... Confidentiallity and publication can also be an issue although not insummountable

Good luck, and remeber the student dicount card is worth its weight in gold, although I don't know of any beekeeping suppliers you can use it at.

Tim

Also whether there is a 'golden handcuff' policy - i.e - you have to pay back your fees if you decide to leave the company within a specified period.

I think the above points are very valid, and need to be remembered. the projects I am working on will stretch to 2016 and beyond anyway regardless of the PhD...its just the legality of changes been imposed on the company.

The company focus is very much set to these data as well.

I realy do not plan on leaving, and the PhD is quite a good commitment by both parties so good news in a away.

Forgot about the student union card, great discounts to be had.