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

DDiL is doing the PhD/working/children thing at the moment. She has had to extend the period it takes her to complete her PhD as in current economic circumstances, working as close to full time as possible is essential. The plus is that, even though her PhD is not complete, it has got her her quite unique job.

Drina01 - can you transfer what you have done to another university or at last resort accept a "lesser" degree?
PhDs are generally in "parts" so you ought to be able to negotiate this I would have thought.

Just an idea.

Drina01

I did my degree late in life at 40 then a masters a few years later. It’s kept me in work - still working at 69. However in 2008 ish I started a Doctorate part time self funded as work wasn’t interested. I did 5 years - it wasn’t easy when work wasn’t interested and tbh I felt that the Uni I did it with was only interested in the fees. I put it on hold due to illness for a few years and tried to resurrect it a while ago. The Uni said none of the modules I did towards it were transferable and I would have to start again. Needless to say I lost the will to live. !

My timeline and experience match yours, except that once I retired I realised that I wouldn't be able to complete. The original spec had said that if you drop out after 2 or more years, you can claim a master's. Obviously you needed a master's to get on the course. I claimed it because I'd paid my own fees and...
The certificate is still upstairs, still in its envelope, still unopened.

I did look into it, as I got a poor degree, because of personal circumstances. But here in Oxford (my nearest university) it would cost £4-5K per annum just to be affiliated to a college, let alone tuition fees, so I just can't. (But I do have over 120 books published so not quite a hopeless case).

GrammarGrandma

I did look into it, as I got a poor degree, because of personal circumstances. But here in Oxford (my nearest university) it would cost £4-5K per annum just to be affiliated to a college, let alone tuition fees, so I just can't. (But I do have over 120 books published so not quite a hopeless case).

If someone has not got a first or upper second class honours degree but has a degree and some experience some universities may offer a Master of Philosophy only registration, so no possibility of transferring to a PhD registration.

However, once the Master of Philosophy degree has been obtained the person is eligible for a PhD registration.

Please remember that there is also Oxford Brookes University, which was once Oxford Polytechnic.