Hi I need advice regarding PHD. I am thinking to take up a position of research assistant but was wondering if I could get a PHD out of it as well. its a 3 year contract. The university does say you can register for PHD as a member of staff. I wanted to know is any of you guys have got PHD through research assistant route. would be really grateful for your replies.
thanks

Hi another thing is that i have another offer from a company but im not sure weatehr i shud take that or shall i go for research assistant job..ive been reading alot of messages and ppl say phd dont help if u intend to go back to industry...i just wanted your views on it coz im very confused as to what shall i do..the company is a consultancy and a very good one too...but im not sure what shall i do..plz help

Hi Yo,

Technically you can, but only if your Ph. D. would be very similar to the research that you have been employed to do. I am in a similar situation; I am employed to do method development and sample analysis, but will be (hopefully) getting a Ph. D. by looking into the samples in much more depth than the quality control stuff that I'm paid to do, and by doing my own additional projects in quiet times (and at weekends).

If you want to study something different to your day-job, them you may have time for a Masters in 3 years.

hi thanx for ur reply..i mean yeah salary is good as well and the project has another RA working with me along with a PHD student so there is already a studen whos getting a PHD out of so I hope I could too..

Another thing is this a better route to getting a PHD because I feel even worst comes worst I dont get a PHD, will this 3 year RA experience count as good work experience and maybe go back to industry. Please ur advice would reall help

Not sure about your last question. I'm following the GI Jane approach: "Faliure is not an option"

If you do go back to industry without a Ph. D. then I'd just keep quiet about it and tell them it was a research assistant position with no postgrad study involved. Yes, it should be viewed favorably, work experience is always strongly welcomed in any lab.

Failure, I should say (not faliure)

People employed as RAs usually register as PhD students too, and the work they do as an RA can form the basis of their PhD. However there can be disadvantages to doing a PhD as an RA, rather than being a 100% PhD student.

1. As an RA, you have contracted hours, whereas as a PhD student you manage your own time
2 - you are more accountable to your sponsors - they might expect a particular outcome that may conflict with what you find and ask you to manipulate your work
3 - Even if you are registered as a PhD student, you still pay income tax on your RA wage
4 - A 100% PhD route gives you more ownership of your work and can take it in the direction you want. An RA route might not give you that flexibility.

I am sure there are RAs out there who can argue advantages too, I worked as as RA while writing up my own PhD, and found that there was a marked difference in how research is conducted between the 2 contexts.

Hope this helps, Good luck