Hi

I am new on here. For many years I have wanted to do a PhD but have not got far as I don't have funds to support myself/pay fees for 3 or 4 years.

I am 51 years of age and getting a PhD would complete my life. I attained an MBA in 1992 and an Honours Degree in Law in 1983. I am not academically brilliant - but I enjoy studying and I think that my many years in industry in a wide variety of roles will stand me in good stead.

The big questions - for someone aged 51 with no money and a mediocre first degree:

1. Am I likely to be accepted for a DBA?
2. Am I likely to secure any funding - enough to cover fees and to live on (I have 2 kids one of whom is special needs and disabled).
3. I see no point applying for a course unless I have funding secured - or is that the wrong way of going about it?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Nige

If I'm honest, I would say approaching a PhD with the idea that it's something you'd like to do just to have done it, is probably a likely method for failure. Embarking on a PhD is a serious, serious challenge, and one should rarely go into it unless there's a topic they're dedicated to, or passionate about, enough to spend years of their life attempting to uncover truly original research. When the going gets tough - and oh boy, does it get tough - sometimes all you have to motivate you is that serious need or thirst to solve the problem or issue you're tackling.

Most people - myself included - go into a PhD straight from another degree where they've been studying or research a related problem or topic area. Of course I'm not saying don't, nor am I saying you'll fail, but it's not going to do you any favours down the line when you have thousands of words to write, data collection to complete, deadlines, reviews, etc, unless you are absolutely dedicated to your research area.

Do you even have one in mind?

Best wishes,

In my institute there is someone around your age and he seems to be in the absolutely right place. I agree with HaloChanter that it is crucial to be very interested in a subject and very dedicated. This is more important than intelligence.

Let me ask you the same question without the 'even'.

I would look for funding and PhD places in the same time, as you need to find the right match with supervisors and research groups. Sometimes it is the same application. You might even get extra funding for your kids, but I am not an expert there.

Hi BigNige,

First of all, I find it really motivating when older people (defined with a very conservative approach) get re-involved in studying. There are many advantages of being a mature student- but I am not going to expand on that.

PhD funding is normally 2 times your rent. I find it really hard to survive on that money and I am not a big spender. I haven't bought any clothes since I started the PhD, or travel or any other "luxury". I am a "picky" eater, which means that I don't survive on bread and serials and canned soups, I make sure I buy good quality fish and meat and fresh fruits and vegetables, and this is basically how I spent my money :) I can imagine that your expenses are far more, and it would be very hard to survive on a stipend. Hopefully, if you have some money put aside it will be easier.

Moreover, these scholarships are very competitive so again, it won't be very easy to secure one (this one regardless of age, not all 25 year old can get funding). I am not the best person to give you advice on how to get funding, I got it because I was lucky, my supervisor supported me, and I had a publication.

How challenging a PhD is, is really subjective. For me it is easier than my previous full-time paid job, because I am left alone in a corner to read papers and write my thoughts. Flexible working hours, I don't have a boss, conference expenses covered, why would I go back to the industry?

Hi bignige, I'm of a similar age to you and also launching myself into doctoral research - whilst most students do go straight from first degree into PhD studies, or after a year or two's work experience, this should not put you off - you bring a wealth of world experience to your research and interpretation of results that the younger students can't match (in business studies). The statement 'complete my life' is a valid point for mature students - one that does motivate when times are hard. As regards funding - forget it - unless you can do a full time PhD on a studentship. For DBA there's no funding unless you have a very generous employer!

Hi BigNige

There are people doing PhDs in their 50's, 60's and probably later. It is do-able. I would not rely on any outside source of finance though - grants are like snow in summer. You will almost certainly have to finance yourself - so a part time PhD is indicated. As a mature student you will have advantages - but you will need to keep on working.
Choice of topic will be essential - it would have to be something you are really, really interested in.

There's a guy I met in London who's retired and done a PhD, and now is a "Visiting Fellow" - his PhD resulted in a monograph which I'm looking forward to reading.

Hi Nige, I would suggest you to look at the Professional Doctorate options, which is a better choice for somebody like you with a good amount of working experience. There are a lot of good programmes in the UK where the practitioner is situated outside the Academia, (i.e. in a working context) with three major stake holders, the Candidate, the University and the Employer. It is surely a better route for you and it is not unusual to find candidate in their 50's. Good luck!

Hi Nige, I am doing a PhD and am just a couple of years short of your age. However, at the time of finishing my Masters thesis I was awarded a 2.1, which meant that while I attracted the fee-free scholarship, I was not eligible at the time for living allowances scholarships. (Well I was eligible to apply but it would have been unlikely to have been granted one at the time given competition from all of those who had a 1).

So I decided to stay in my current work and complete the PhD part-time. I had my children in my early twenties, so they are now well and truly adults-which means that my spare time is actually my own-I don't have the guilt that often comes with managing a family, children, full time work and part-time study (have had it though in the past and always put the study last-family and work were more important priorities back then).

I originally really stressed about my age and the age of completion-but I find that I really don't care too much about this nowadays-my mindset has changed quite a bit and as I already have professional work, I see the doctorate as enhancing my professional status and credibility rather than competing with it.

What can be difficult though, is the constant work. You have to have a combination of grit and staying power-because there are times when even a topic that you are passionate about seems nebulous and boring, or someone else seems to be doing something similar. And sometimes that gritty staying power and determination can get you through, when the topic, the goal at the end and the competing demands from other aspects of your life all seem to conspire against you finishing it.

The other difficulty can be that friends often don't understand why you are doing this. And when you are tired and despairing, their response is luke warm-after all you are doing this to yourself. So the grit and determination have to help you get through this as well.

Finally, I know that I would not want to ever go back to being poor again -if I could help it- so the scholarship choice would not have worked for me at my present age. However, I have other colleagues who are fine with this. Some mature age colleagues have partners who are happy to supplement the scholarship income for a few years, and some without partners are willing to go through a short period of very moderate income for the goal ahead. I admire this but know that for me it would not have worked. But this is a matter of personality, opportunity and context-so I don't think there are any hard and fast rules to follow here. Good luck with your decisions.