Hello,

I am very interested to do a PhD study and I am working now in the industry field but I am willing to do a part-time PhD in the UK. My question is: If I conducted a part-time PhD successfully, will the part-time statement be mentioned in the certificate or the final certificate will be same like full-time PhD, so no one could recognize if it was full or part time PhD study?

With best regards

In terms of the qualification- a PhD is a PhD- and your degree certificate will not mention that it was part-time. It will simply state that on such and such a date, you were awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy-it may also specify the area but I am not sure if they all do. I think mine will say Doctor of Philosophy (Education) for example. (That is when i do actually get it!)

When it appears on your resume or CV you may include the dates, and this is where it would be apparent that you were a part-time candidate. However, you don't necessarily have to include the start and finish dates-it would depend on how you were organising your CV-or whether you wanted to highlight the years you spent on this course of study.

I've found a part-time PhD is a bit of 'different animal' to the full-time version. Not in term's of final knowledge or learning-just in the way you learn and the rate at which you learn it. The experience of the part-timer can be qualitatively different to that of a full-timer. An example being, I find it hard to really get in and contribute to the life of the faculty, as a part-timer. I know if I were a full time candidate, I would be much more involved in aspects of the faculty life and goings on.

However, I console myself with the fact that I do become very involved in my professional working life and I use the knowledge gained in my doctoral studies to extend my professional knowledge and expertise. At a recent seminar, when I was bemoaning the fact that my degree was only part-time, several of the academics present pointed out that in my faculty, the part-time PhD student was the norm-and this was often the case in faculties that prepared students for professional life (education, technology, nursing and medicine and similar).

Hi, I read your post as if you're hoping you could almost hide the fact that your PhD was part time. I'd say the opposite, actually. I have done mine full time, but I think if you've combined it with working, even on a part time basis, that's an immense achievement and you should be proud, and open of that. Good luck!

Thank you for your replies. Yes it would be very challenging but in my opinion the way worth it for it. I think at the end if someone needs some years he can switch from part-time to full-time easily or would be that fixed once the PhD is initiated?

Best regards