PhD’s: Do you have one? Would you consider doing one? ?

I'd love to do a PhD. I know my topic and have a friend who has offered to be my supervisor. I'm not sure I'm ever going to get the time though, since I'm going to have to work more or less full-time up to state retirement age.

My neighbour (about my age) is studying and I'm jealous.

It's quite possible to do a PhD while still working. I planned it all out meticulously. I do love a GANTT chart!

I did think about it once and had an interview at Essex but decided it was too expensive at that time. SIL has a doctorate in intestinal worms! We do call him Dr Jon to tease him. He teaches medical students biochemistry now.

I did a doctorate part-time while also working and as a single parent. It took seven years in total. My research still gets quoted in books and academic papers 16 years on. I got a nice job as a result of being ‘Dr’ even though I was otherwise under-qualified for the role. I don’t much like any titles, but once in a while it’s useful to insist on it, usually when I’m being talked down to by someone less qualified.

Unlike other titles (prince/princess/lord) Dr is something you achieved by your own efforts rather than inheriting it from your parents at no credit to yourself. Thats how I see it.

I once did once use my title to put a cf neighbour in her place. She asked me my first and second name, but made no attempt to tell me hers. Eventually she asked "Is that Miss or Mrs?"

"Well before I tell you any more about myself suppose you have the courtesy to tell me your name!"

No reply.

"Well its neither. Its Dr. My first name is for my close friends and family. You may call me Dr Biglouis"

I subsequently looked up her name (and a great deal of other information besides) on the land registry.

> At one point one of the directors, a jumped up little man, insisted he should always be addressed as Dr Smith and this was greeted with derision by most of the staff, including other directors, because with so many PhDs about in that part of the industry nobody used their honorific or were bothered about it..

As a director surely he should be addressed formally. His size and the qualifications of other people are irrelevant to that.

When a business has the people in charge not addressed formally it may well lead to problems.

Stardreamer No, we did not address people in senior posts formally. The ethos where I worked was for first names to be used at every level.

I can think of no reason why not addressing people formally should lead to problems. Senior staff gain the respect of their staff by the way they do their work, regardless of what they are called.

Wherever I have worked, even in the most formal of offices, there were senior people who were held in contempt, by their juniors because they were either incompetent and/or behaved badly to their subordinates.

This particular man would have been held in disrespect, whatever we called him, Dr Smith, Peter or even Oi, you.

Doctorates and higher degrees are very variable, depending where and when they are done. I don’t have a PhD, but the London University MA I gained in the early 1960s was easily the equivalent of many PhDs. It involved two years of original research, no lectures, but discussions with my supervisor from time to time. My thesis was two volumes of original work on medieval English. It was the happiest time of my life, because I was so free to do the work in my own time. No timetables!

I feel vaguely resentful that the degree of MA now can now be just a one year taught course. So different!

I've often toyed with the notion but lack the funds and the staying power to see it through. I'm a person of huge ideas and whims but I can fizzle quickly. Would quite like another earned title to go with the one I've got - another one where people frequently assume I must be a man.

It's often not on any drop down list, so then I opt for Miss, which is the truth. Not that that's always there either.

I have one, never mention it to anyone. I work in a shop, does not improve my shelf filling abilities.

Masters degrees still require a substantial piece of original research.

I understand the reason taught master's degrees were developed because too many of those signing up for masters degrees never completed them and univesities were under pressure to up their success rate with more completed degrees. the same applied to PhD's. Very few master's students had funding. DH did his based on research he did at work, but it still took him about 5 years.

The academic world has also changed. Far more people get degrees, the job market is more competitive, especially the academic market. In the mid 1960s I knew people who went straight from a good first degree to an academic post and the number of people with second degrees were very very few Now it is virtually impossible to get an academic post without a PhD. Some departments now have as many second degree students as first degree and they are big income earners for departments.

There was also a viva with an external examiner.

I had two scholarships to cover living costs. One was £500 a year, which I could just about live on then. The other was just for prestige. It was £7 a year - presumably endowed when £7 was a significant amount.

StarDreamer That's useful information re PhD by published work. Thank you. Just got to whittle down my favourite subjects now .

And thumbs up to your DH Oldbat1. That's some achievement. My mind went to wool when I underwent chemo (years ago now).

I’ve thought of an MA, but never did anything about it.

A niece of mine recently finished her (funded) PhD - although she found it interesting, she was heartily glad to see the back of it and has not been tempted to remain in academe.

A nephew of dh, OTOH, has I think very much enjoyed his - also funded and just about finished - but he’s a born academic who will almost certainly continue in the field of scientific research.

My PhD is University of London. It’s a shame that now almost all the London college award their own degrees and it’s only the smallest colleges, Birkbeck, and the specialist institutes, and distance learning, that still award University of London degrees.

I have found this thread very interesting.
The people I know with PhD’s have done them straight from university with sponsorship.
Out of interest approximately how much money are we talking about to achieve one in later life which seems to average 4/5 years whilst working or in retirement?

DS did his straight from university, ut without sponsorship. He paid fees to do his MA an dthe university were so impressed by his work they waived the fees for his PhD. Fortunately the best place for him to do his PhD was our local univerity - and we lived in the university area, so we provided free board and lodging and he worked in Tesco 15 hours a week for private expenditure and study related expenses.

Like many people I studied for a master's degree when I retired. The PhD students included one man in his 70s and DS tells me it is not unusual to have retired or mid-career people doing PhDs.

Yes and it paid off for me in career terms and income. In a world where first degrees are fairly commonplace I think it helps one stand out though the subject area and which university awarded it are also differentiating factors imho. I did a Master's in later life for fun in an entirely unrelated subject.

Having seen friends complete (& in some cases, give up on) their PhD studies, I don't think I'd go there. IMO you have you be 100% committed to, & interested in, your subject, for years. Unless somehow one is having an "easy ride" to a PhD, it takes terrific hard work and sheer determination. For me, life's too short!

Funny you should ask that Fanny, I was just thinking of it yesterday. After billions of years as a social worker I formally retire in August. I have the 1st degree & an MA in social work & I studied history of mental health/welfare. I've done less & kids left home etc a few years now & get bored silly, so I thought I'd work as a room guide (voluntary) at Kelmscott manor, Wm. Morris' cotswold home. so I went for an interview yesterday & we had a talk from the curator & I loved it. There's a history group & I can do some research & it revived a long held aspiration to do a PhD. Anyway, I know little about doing it, but how much does it cost & what are the details? I'm also writing fiction about social work, because I want people to know they're not the big ogres you read about in the Daily Mail & similar, I'd love to know more about doing it in yr mid-60's though

FannyCornforth

Margi sorry, the book reference was meant in the sense that you think you ‘have it in you’; but do have the necessary discipline or passion.
But, I do think that in my case (if it ever becomes a case) , it probably would be a bit like writing a book

I've written 21 books (so far) and I don't think years of academic study would be anything like it!

No and No! But we’ll done to the people that have

Well

When I did the annual fees were more or less nominal. So it was really the living expenses that mattered. I lodged with a retired widow in London while I was doing it, she rented out two of her bedrooms to students.

Spabby you sound like a woman after my own heart, in more ways than one! Good luck with whatever you chose to do

Paperbackwriter can you expand please?
Do you mean that writing 21 books is easier than doing a PhD? Or vice versa?
Have they been best sellers? What genre? (sorry, nosy!)