What is this new route PhD and is there funding available for them similar to the ones that the normal PhD has?

The NewRoutePhD™ scheme is a four year PhD, which includes taught elements and professional training alongside the research project. NewRoutePhD™ fees are in the region of £8,000 per year for Arts and Social Sciences and £10,000 for lab-based subjects. Students may be eligible for financial assistance and should contact the local British Council office for further information. NewRoutePhD™ scholarships are being offered at a number of Participating Universities - please contact individual Universities for full details. UK students can obtain information on research council studentships from Participating Universities. You can get more information on the New Route PhD scheme from the web site.

What is the difference between NewRoute PhD and the normal one?

The usual length of a PhD in the UK is three years and there will be little or no formal taught element.

Hi. I've heard that NewRoute PhD gives you "teaching assistant", if you can use this opportunity and also, NewRoute takes four years. So, does the normal one contain "teaching assistant" like this? The difference between both of them is about time and assistant, that's all?

It may be that some New Route PhD schemes allow you to work as a teaching assistant, but many will not. The same is true of traditional PhDs. The difference between a NewRoutePhD™ and a traditional one is that the NewRoutePhD™ scheme is a four year PhD, which includes taught elements and professional training alongside the research project. The traditional PhD is a minimum of three years with little or no taught element or formal professional training.

Since you have very little knowledge about that field, what makes you think you will even be allowed to study for a standard PhD???

You need to be sufficiently qualified in a relevent field before you just wake up one day and decide to study a PhD in that field.

If you are new to your subject area then a NewRoutePhD™ will probably provide the better route as they usually allow you to spend time in a number of research groups before selecting your research project.

However, it is quite strange to do a PhD in something you know little about. What is your academic background?

I am doing a traditional PhD. I did information systems engineering and now I am doing a multi-disciplinary doctorate which means I have to learn a lot of social psychology and computer graphics. The field was new to me. It wasn't something I knew about in my first degree and I did not do an MSc beforehand either. I don't think that you need to do a PhD in a related area and I don't think that all PhDs requires you to do a first degree which prepares you for it.

Almost all work involved after graduation whether in industry or academia, requires you do a lot of research and background reading. Also I have seen a lot of PhD students who did a MSc in a related area and then take 6-7 years to do it (some still working on it).

It just means you need to get the right place and supervisor.