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

I am writing a book. It is based around my life on the river.... It is for my younger grandchildren.

I wrote a book for teachers about 5 years ago and I am nearly finished a follow up second book. All manner of life experiences have got in the way of the second book including the pandemic. I did it because folk asked me to share my knowledge, skills and understanding. You don’t do it for the money or prestige.

I've written several books, and am just signing up to do an MA next year - not in the area I write in! I don't want to do research so won't do a PHd, but could see the attraction of a couple of taught Masters...

The publication route is normally a higher doctorate rather than PhD and is for someone already with a distinguished record of publication.

One of my professors had a D.Litt that was by publication (not an honoury degree)

If you are researching a church topic you can do. Lambeth degree PhD awarded by the Archbishop of Canterbury!

No I do not have a PhD but do have an MSc but not a first degree, having left school with just 2 CSE (scraped passes). For just under a year, I undertook a pre-MPhil which, had I completed, would eventually have led to a PhD, but unfortunately it was related to having a ‘class’ of student experimentees and the job which offered those, was outsourced and I was made redundant. So then I had to work for a living for a change (academia is a diddle apart from the damned internal politics).

Too late now but I still wish … and if I had the money I would love to … but in a completely unrelated area of study.

annsixty DH fees were £5000 a year for three years I’m sure some PhDs are less expensive and some will cost more.

spabby full time it’s £4,600 pa for the 2022-23 academic year, half that for part-time. That’s for history at both York and the OU, so I imagine others are similar.

The process isn’t any different for older people - think about the topics/themes you want to research; think where you want to study, bearing in mind that distance learning is now common; and then check if those places have potential supervisors - all their research interests will be on the Uni’s website. It’s worth discussing your ideas with those who seem a good fit before making a formal application.

All the university’s have ‘how to guides’.

I started a DPhil after my first degree, in my mid-30s, but didn’t complete it. I’ve done two Masters degrees since then, one overseas, and am now going through the process of deciding where, and with whom, to start a new PhD next year.

Oh good grief. Universities, not university’s.

And York is a three year programme, with one year writing up allowed, the fee for which is about £500.

I did my MA in my 40s (3yrs p-t while working f-t, sole support for 2 children), and was accepted for doctorate. I didn't take it up as the uni had insufficient expertise in that field. Once my kids had left home and I'd moved (my late 50s), I started again working f-t, 5+yrs p-t. My inspirational professor left after 2 years and I started flagging. Work was a nightmare, and I deferred. By the time the govt allowed me to retire, no way did I have the physical and mental capabilities to go back to uni. I am so impressed with those who start this in their 60s, and finish.

Septimia

DH and I both started PhDs in our 50s. We worked part-time at the university to help fund them, but finances were very tight for a while.

We studied a subject that is a hobby of ours and finished in time to retire!! We still use our knowledge and expertise (?) with local groups.

It was very enjoyable learning new things and mixing with other postgrads of all ages.

However.....many family and friends have forgotten, or failed to register, that we should be addressed as 'Dr' .....

So family and friends are currently calling you Mr and Mrs Septimia??? What a strange to do.

I’ve got a BA (Hons) degree and an MA. I started a PhD some years ago but I was working full-time in a stressful job at the time and gave up the studying for the sake of my sanity. I doubt I’ll apply to do a PhD again; at 64 there are other ways I want to spend my time and money.

My MA has made a big difference to the opportunities I've had. It's opened many doors that I know would have been closed to me otherwise.

A PhD would be a vanity project for me at my current stage of life. But is that any different than women having weekly beauty treatments into their 70s and 80s? We all get to pick what we value most.

I was foolish when I did my MA. I should have tried to develop it into an academic text for publication. It was a hot topic at the time and there wasn't a lot published about it at the time. Missed that chance.

It’s not so much a vanity project, as I think it’ll be fun. I may well be deluded, but there’s only one way to find out.

I absolutely loved doing my PhD. The topic was a great interest of mine and I really enjoyed learning new ways of thinking about things as I worked to define my methodology. Once I'd sort of worked out the structure it was a matter of completing the various sections and interrelating it all. I did interviews for thematic analysis and learned a lot of technical stuff in order to do that. The data as it emerged was absolutely absorbing. I know it sounds odd but I really enjoyed the process and the rigour involved. I even (quite) enjoyed the Viva!

I have a friend whose husband has many Phds I , now a Professor and I can never recall him being addressed as Dr. other than when on a formal platform. My friend and his family would cringe at hearing him being referred to in that manner.

The average Ph.D is between 80,000 and 100,000 words. Mine was 150,000. That is not a "vanity" project but a tough intellectual exercise and not to be entered into lightly. I was in my late 40s when I did mine. Like most intellectual tasks it is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration to the extent of the self discipline and administrative qualities required.

There is no reason why a person cannot do one in retirement or simply because they enjoy researching a subject.

My nephew recently asked me if I thought I could still do a doctoral thesis because I sometimes "forget" the word I want to use. No - its not early dementia - just age related recall where I can think of other (similar) words or explain exactly what I mean.

Yes - I could still write a 150,000 word thesis but I would now have to rely much more upon notes and less upon memory.

Why on earth would anybody cringe at being addressed as Dr?

I don't use my title any more but when I worked in academia, everyone was referred to as Dr. if they had a PhD.

You've earnt it, and if you want to, use it.

I don't know anybody with "many PhDs".

I have a masters and considered a PHD but sadly my time is so limited I cant see how I could do it

Our DD had no idea what she wanted to do after completing her degree in French an Spanish so went off to work in Paris for a year doing translation work. She realised that she was missing academia so decided to do an MA followed by a PhD. She had got a 1st so that helped secure funding. She enjoyed her PhD, and is now a university lecturer, but finds her job stressful at times because of funding etc. She's now doing counselling training part time and planning a career change. I know she was young but she did enjoy doing her PhD. I have a friend who is doing one as a mature student and enjoying the process. Think I'd find doing a GCSE beyond me these days !

I went straight from a 1st degree to a masters but my research proposal was rubbish and I didnt get initially funding. I was burned out in my determination to get a 1st. That was in mid 1980s when a first really counted for something.

My supervisor advised me to self fund and sign on for a PT masters which was not too expensive. I think I paid about £250. He got me some tutoring work at the uni and I got some hours teaching word processing and office skills at a local college. I became interested in how people learn to use computers and spent the year gathering data and putting together a good research proposal. The uni then awarded me 3 years funding to complete the MA and begin a Ph.D. I later gots state funding to complete the doctorate .

Getting funding at that time (late 1980s /1990s) was very political and it was often a question of having the right research proposal at the right time. Mine were related to computing and the internet - which were hot emerging topics.

Now as other posters have mentioned, funding is sooo much more difficult to get unless you are STEM. Most older candidates self fund for the love of it.

You obviously don’t expect people to call you Dr Surname rather than just use your forename.
It’s just a case of if someone was going to address you by your surname anyway, or on official documents, you can use Dr Surname rather than Ms, Mrs or Miss Surname, if you want to.

Thanks for that FannyCornforth, I was thinking just the same of you! Nice to 'meet' you

My daughter is doing a masters at the moment and has distinctions across the board so far. I think that money will mean that a PhD is probably out of the question even though she would be more than capable of it. My niece was given funding for her PhD, which she has just finished. I will have to remember to address birthday cards etc with Doctor. As for me, I have never wanted to study further than my BA, so that is the level I shall remain at for the rest of my life. I quite fancy studying for an Open University degree when I retire in a subject totally unrelated to music - Linguistics with relationship to English.