I have a firm offer, so I'm not sure they could refuse to accept me at this point. They could refuse to allow me to suspend studies, meaning I would have to quit the PhD.

In terms of getting in touch with them unofficially, I'm not sure who I could contact in this way. The research is officially offered by the Business school, but will be done in colaboration with the Law School and two research institutions attached to the University, with the funding coming through one of those research institutions. I suppose I could raise the question with a lecturer I know, but she is only a general member of staff at the Law School and not in any way linked to my research...

I would certainly have to either suspend my PhD for a year or quit, as the Bar exam (BPTC) is an intense, full-time, year long qualification. I'm worried that quitting a PhD after a year, even with good reason, will look like poor commitment and damage my opportunities in the future.

Is the possibility of suspending my research something I could ask the University about in advance, to make my intentions clear?

I agree with Caro. 2-4 weeks is a fairly standard timescale for hearing confirmation of a place on a PhD programme as the decision cannot be taken by your supervisor / interviewer alone, and must go through the bureaucracy (faculty, HR etc.). This is particularly so if the PhD has funding attached, or if the school will need to apply for work/study visas on your behalf.

As Caro suggested, give it a couple of weeks and then send a polite email to see how things are coming on. Ask for an expected timescale for hearing back.

Good luck!

Thanks Ian. You are correct that the bar exam is the priority, and if no workaround can be arranged I will certainly be taking the bar exam and ditching the PhD offer. I was just wondering if there may be a possibility to take a 'year out' during the PhD, allowing me to complete the bar exam in time. Maybe I'm being too abitious!

I've been given a firm offer to start a PhD at my alma mater on a topic of great interest to me, which the school is also world renowned for their work within. This offer is likely to have a scholarship attached, covering all my fees and also offering a reasonable level of maintenance. The perfect opportunity, except...

I am also following the route to becoming a barrister (legal advocate), and am having enough success to be confident enough to apply to take the Bar exam. This must be done within 5 years from completion of your undergraduate law degree, and cannot be taken after this deadline.

This leaves me with a dillema. If I take the PhD, I will start this summer (2015) and complete in July 2018. This would mean a start date for the Bar exams of September 2018, but unfortunately this is 2 months past the deadline. However, even if I don't start the PhD, I cannot begin the Bar exams until September 2016 and completing in July m2017, leaving me a whole year free.

I am wondering about the possibility of somehow still doing both, but obviously cannot defer my start for 2 years. I therefore wonder whether it is possible to suspend my PhD for a year part way through in order to take the Bar exams (would this mean losing the scholarship funding?). It seems my only other option is to reject the PhD in order to take the Bar exam. Anyone have any thoughts?