Hi, I wondered if its possible to do a PhD part time in 4 to 5 years? I would be able to study 30 hours a week on the PhD instead of 40-50 hrs in the case of a fulltime student. The part time fees would make it more affordable. The PhD would be related to my 5 years recent employment experience and the taught masters I'm currently doing (I also have a related BA). I'm lucky enough to have a smallish mortgage on my flat and if I have a lodger living with me the rent would pay the mortgage and most of the utility bills. Meaning I would only need to find one days employment a week to have enough money to live on. Any thoughts please?

Hello Helebon,

Yes that sounds do-able to me, so long as you have your PhD well set up.
By this I mean that you need to be sure of your subject choice - that it's right for you and is viable. Also, and perhaps most importantly, you need a good supervisor, this can make or break your project and your schedule. I've seen enough of PhD processes (including my own early stages) to know that a bad supervisor can drag your work out for years longer than need be. It can also spanner it completely...

One of the great things about self funding is that you get more choice about your supervisor. So my advice is to exercise that right. Do some research and find out who is the best person for your topic and for the contacts you will need when you finish. Find out what their track record is in terms of past PhD students, are they proud of the achievements of their students? You can do this by checking their profile and speaking to current students - but you will have read between the lines, because PhD'ing is a highly political process.

I would think it is very possible. To be honest, you are not exactly part-time-if you complete at least 30 hours on PhD and only have one full time day's work a week. It would be more acurate to say you were doing three-quarter time-and I'll bet that many full timer's are on a similar time frame and work load.

My daughter is doing a full time PhD in History and she works one day a week and is allowed to on a full scholarship and stipend (it is written into the conditions). She would probably average around 36-38 hours on her PhD, give or take a few hours here and there.

Definitely doable in term's of time and workload. Good luck and Eska's advice about supervisor (including the dragging out of it) is invaluable. Can be so true. :)

Thanks very much Pjlu and Eska! I would hope to finish the PhD in 4 years. The uni I would apply to has a minimum 4 years registration for a part time PhD. The fees are 50% for part timers so it works out cheaper than 3 years at full time fees. The only issue would be if I am registered a part time student I would be liable for council tax (as part time students are not exempt). All the best :)

you can do this, I am working 7 days a week :) (but work is flexible) and a part time phd, I still get time for my studies, and have 2 year old son :) its my 3rd year and I am aiming to complete in three and half years, if I can do this, you can definitely do this, best of luck.