Does anyone out there know if it is possible to stop a Phd and then re-start it six months to a year later somewhere else without having to start again? Or if their is anywhere I can find out about this? Thanks folks.

Normally, students only swap universities if their supervisors move, and quite often you can't even move when that happens.

Unless you have a very good reason eg. the supervisor moving or research unit moving, I don't think it's possible. You'd have to check with the university you are thinking of moving to.

Miss Spacey - A supervisor from another university has expreseed an interest in supervising me and has told me I should be able to go in as a part-time second year. None of the other supervisors I've contacted saw that as a problem either. I'm self funded and am pretty sure swapping unis for me in this situation is not a great issue.

The matter I am concerned about is wether or not I can leave a year or so between leaving my current uni and taking up the new place.

p.s. thanks for your reply anyway Miss Spacey!!

Why don't you ask your potential new supervisor to see what they say? They're likely to be the best person to advise on what's possible, since they're encouraging the move in the first place. It would definitely be difficult if you were funded - potentially even impossible - but if you're self-funded it's a different scenario.

Maybe I'm being dense here but I don't see what the problem about starting again is anyway. If you're part-time and had so much trouble in your first year as you've said then you've probably not got that much done beyond a lit review, which you can obviously reuse and presumably if your new supervisor is happy with the way it was done any data you collected. So why are you trying to get a 1st year p/t elsewhere recognised - I just can't see you saving any time or money really because a PhD is done when it's done (normally a bit beyond the ideal time limit) - is it to avoid training courses or what? It's just that I think this might be a major faff administratively that wouldn't really bring you any benefits.

Thanks for your comments folks, brilliant as usual!! I know what you mean about just stopping and starting again and about PhDs usually running over so maybe yeah, just starting again as a first year wouldn't be a problem. I suppose I was worried about the whole thing taking an extra year re: getting work, and about the expense of paying for it. I guess also I could go full time for a year if I needed to. Just worry I suppose, stress etc. Your comments have helped pull me back down to earth.

Hi Eska,
You could approach your PGRT or speak to someone in Research Degrees Office to suspend your PhD till the new supervisor comes on board.