Hi Folks, this is my first post so be gentle. I completed an undergraduate degree at Southampton University in which I gained a 2:1, and I am now studying part-time (2 days a week for two years) at King's College London to get my MSc. Two months ago I accepted a job (on the other 3 days) with good career prospects that I obviously don't want to give up, however, I am keen to continue onto a PhD which is something I've wanted to do for a number of years. Any thoughts? Or advice on part-time PhD study? Any comments will be gratefully received.

You want to wait til SixKitten comes on here to post, she's doing a PT PhD and will able to help you more

Welcome anyway

Hi

I think you should contact Birkbeck College ( University of London), as they specialise in part time undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

My science department has 11 part time PhD students. I really recommend Birkbeck as they will cater for your needs in a great way.

Thanks for your friendly replies. Just to elaborate a little, my MSc is in Environmental Health and I'm currently working in the local council's environmental health department. Luckily this tents to be 9-5 but is a bit flexible with a night rota and will hopefully mean that I will have time to work on a PhD in the evenings and weekends. Although I'm not sure how many hours a week is expected to be devoted to a part-time PhD?

As long as your paid work can be confined to set hours & days, so that it won't swamp your Phd research-time, it sounds like a great idea.. (I do know someone who's now in the 6th year of his part time Phd (with no end in sight) because the kind of paid (legal) work he's involved in tends to take over his life, so be careful!)

Hi jsh203

We have 2 lecturers who specialise in Enviromental Health at Birkbeck. I recommend you check out Birkbeck's website www.bbk.ac.uk

Alternatively you could try the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Thanks Jenny that sounds promising. I will search the website and try and find their email addresses.

Hi Jsh203,
2 days a week for 2 years... only pairs of Fridays and Saturdays or each day of the week ?

So for a pt Phd, it means you have to fund yourself?

I would like to refer you to the thread "depressed newbie", just a bit further down. I think it summarises the Part-time experience quite well.

The MSc is 2 days a week which are Tuesday and Thursdays at the moment, and it sticks to those days over the two years. Hope that helps.

Also I can't seem to find that 'depressed newbie' post you refered to.....

At my uni. being registered part time means you commit to a minimum of 20 hours work a week - half of what's expected when you're registered full time (40 hours min.)

Sorry I'm late - hope I can still help. I'm a PT PhD student (and did my MSc FT whilst working PT). PT studying and working is very very tough and there is no where near the support there should be, but it is far from impossible. If you have been working as well as studying then you already now what it feel like. A PhD is different - the lack of deadlines makes it easier to avoid PhD work and to use your job as an excuse - but if you stay disciplined then there's no reason you won't be finished quickly. My husband worked FT and finished in 4.5 years (a lot of FT students can take 4 years) because he set up strict rules about getting stuff done.

PS What are you studying?