Is a part-time PhD feasible?
Is a part-time PhD feasible?
(OP)
Hey everyone
I'm a 3rd year fully-funded PhD student and I obtained my MS degree last year (along the way of the PhD). I am considering leaving the department due to outside pressure. However, I want a PhD even though it is not necessarily useful to industry.
I'm considering a new plan: To begin working, and get a PhD part-time at a "lower" less demanding university. Is this feasible? By the way, I'm in Aerospace Engineering and would like to obtain a doctorate in a computational field ("engineering mechanics", "Computational mechanics", "applied math", etc). I have a few questions on this plan
1) Is a part-time PhD an irresponsible endeavor? A dissertation could constrain my ability to reach deliverables on my actual job at the same pace as my colleagues. Note that I plan on going to a lower, more flexible university (not a Cambridge or MIT)
2) Is there anyway I could convince my employer to help pay for it? I'm sure I would initially need to self-fund the PhD (by taking a mere 1-2 courses a year), but after slowly establishing myself maybe I could convince them?
3) Do you know anyone who has done a part-time PhD while working full-time as an engineer? Is it feasible?
4) Is a PhD at a low-ranked university a poor choice? Currently I'm at a top-ranked school - but I could not do a part time PhD here (I would loose funding and my advisor would loose any interest in me). I noticed a lot of high profile CTOs have PhD's/MS's at low-ranked schools.
Basically, I want a PhD. I find the courses enjoyable, and I've never struggled with the curriculum. However, I'm aware that a PhD is not the most practical endeavor in the engineering world.
Thanks for any input!
I'm a 3rd year fully-funded PhD student and I obtained my MS degree last year (along the way of the PhD). I am considering leaving the department due to outside pressure. However, I want a PhD even though it is not necessarily useful to industry.
I'm considering a new plan: To begin working, and get a PhD part-time at a "lower" less demanding university. Is this feasible? By the way, I'm in Aerospace Engineering and would like to obtain a doctorate in a computational field ("engineering mechanics", "Computational mechanics", "applied math", etc). I have a few questions on this plan
1) Is a part-time PhD an irresponsible endeavor? A dissertation could constrain my ability to reach deliverables on my actual job at the same pace as my colleagues. Note that I plan on going to a lower, more flexible university (not a Cambridge or MIT)
2) Is there anyway I could convince my employer to help pay for it? I'm sure I would initially need to self-fund the PhD (by taking a mere 1-2 courses a year), but after slowly establishing myself maybe I could convince them?
3) Do you know anyone who has done a part-time PhD while working full-time as an engineer? Is it feasible?
4) Is a PhD at a low-ranked university a poor choice? Currently I'm at a top-ranked school - but I could not do a part time PhD here (I would loose funding and my advisor would loose any interest in me). I noticed a lot of high profile CTOs have PhD's/MS's at low-ranked schools.
Basically, I want a PhD. I find the courses enjoyable, and I've never struggled with the curriculum. However, I'm aware that a PhD is not the most practical endeavor in the engineering world.
Thanks for any input!





RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
Cheers
Greg Locock
New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
It's full time if you want it sooner.
Chris, CSWA
SolidWorks '15
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
If you can find a part-time PhD program...go for it.
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
The company provided them work on low-visibility or low-priority or low-probability projects. Some of those projects happened to be mine. I could extract an occasional hour or two from those candidates, but I could not rely on them for any sort of extended effort. Their attention was focused mostly on their studies, as it should have been.
I don't think it's possible to study with the intensity that a PhD or MD deserves, and also hold a full time job, unless the job is, ahem, not really full time.
My then employer was fine with that. I should note that none of those supported candidates were new employees, and most left for new horizons soon after achieving their goal.
Given the time you've already invested, I'd suggest continuing your studies, instead of interrupting them for what could turn out to be ten years.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
TTFN

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Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!
There is a homework forum hosted by engineering.com: http://www.engineering.com/AskForum/aff/32.aspx
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
If you plan to transfer to another program you better have a good idea of where that is going to be before you give your advisor the bad news. They may not accept all of your coursework credits (or any of them) for transfer. You may actually set yourself back quite a bit by going to another program at a different university. And it sounds like you have a free ride where you are now.
Why are you considering doing this? What is the outside influence that is creating this issue for you?
Maui
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
That said, it is not unusual for a candidate to combine the thesis with a project from the employer, especially if the employer has a funding relationship with the university. That way one can knock off two birds with one stone.
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
Cheers
Greg Locock
New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
Some of my profs were paid to get their Ph.D.'s but their jobs were really along the lines of their dissertations and full time was not expected of them. They had worked for those companies long enough to prove themselves intellectually. They stayed long after the Ph.D., too. They couldn't have gotten the doctorate any other way and they were grateful.
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?
RE: Is a part-time PhD feasible?