Hi all,
Please can you help? I am trying to gather info on the cost of PhDs per year in Universities internationally, as the president of my uni anounced a 100% increase in fees in 4th year and beyond, bringing the cost to just over 5.000€ per year, and the cost of a 6 year PhD to aprox 30.000€ instead of 22.500€. As most of the PhD students in my Uni are self-funded, (only one girl in my subject has funding, out of 10 of us) that is a considerable cost, esp considering it is before we spend on books not available in the library, travelling for conferences etc (and for me personally most of the books I need arent in the library)
Here is a break down of our old and new pricing structure:

Year 1 5.200€ Year 1 5.200€
year 2 5.200€ year 2 5.200€
year 3 5.200€ year 3 5.200€
year 4 2.600€ year 4 2.600€

total for average 4 year phd under old system is 18.200€
total for average 4 year phd under new system is 20.800€

if for any reason (pregancy/marraige/illness/mental block/general life just slowing the process down) your PhD continues into the quite accepted 5-6 year bracket, the difference gets greater:

year 5 2.600€ year 5 5.200€
year 6 2.600€ year 6 5.200€

5 year PhD old system 20.800€ 5 year PhD new system 26.000€
6 year PhD old system 23.400€ 6 year PhD new system 31.200€

this is at todays price, which of course is only going to increase over the next few years, and covers tuition and services (such as a cut in library opening hours, departments loosing staff due to retirment who are not being replaced due to a recruitment embargo, and a ban on buying new books for the forseeable future!)

The reason for this increase? Seemingly it is to bring us inline with international practice? So can you all please help, as we are detirmined to oppose these increases, by telling me how much does yours cost? is there a reduction in years 4 and beyond, or does it stay the same? if the prices are similar is this becase there is funding available?

Thank you all so much!

Hey Aviator, re the 90% of faculty without PhDs, you need to check how old they are, and their academic or working history. Many Proffs close to retirement do not have PhD qualifications due to life just being damn different way back when (my Dad got work as a journalist but has no degree, retired this year after a distinguished career, and one of the most respected Proffs in my department has masters level only, but he retires in December) Now days, depending of course on your area, even a PhD may not be enough and many go on to do Post-Doc work in order to secure a job teaching. Im obviously not trying to put you off (I myself want to teach, and keep going despite the doom and gloom) just trying to warn you not to hope for shortcuts, in my experience the do not work!
Having said that, I know that in Humanities you can go BA to MLitt (usually a 2 year course with thesis which is kinda like half way between an MA and PhD) which can often be turned into a PhD depending on the strength of the research, or you could do a Masters-by-research as opposed to a Taught Masters, which could also potentially be turned into a PhD. Worth considering.
My main advice, start getting in touch with potential supervisors, proffs working in your field of interest. If you are trying to go from distance you need to get a supervisor who is willing to work via email (some like to have weekly or fortnightly meetings even if there is little to say, others are happy with once a month or 3, so long as there is email contact), find out if your project is relevant and /or suitable for PhD study, calculate the costs, etc.
Be sure that you have the determination, and dont isolate yourself too much, try and find a Uni where you can be present albeit randomly, and one which will keep you involved in Conferences and other aspects of Uni life, essential if you are not ever present on campus!
Good Luck!
:-)

I am sorry that things seem so tough at the moment, but they will get better, once you take time for yourself as advised! concentrate on you, make decisions for yourself, thinking of you and your future, not someone else.
re the phd, if you have been thinking about doing one for so long then it sounds like you really want it, and if you were willing to attempt a masters in a new language and didnt drop out despite the difficulties during the course you must have the determination needed for a phd! go for it!!
re references, i dont think there is a limit to the number of references they will write, my supervisor has been writing me references for years (she taught me at undergrad level also)
anyway, dont doubt yourself, remember that things external to your studies will always effect you (working full-time, new language, relationship problems are very good examples!)
My own MA result was not what I had hoped it would be, or according to the feedback what I am capable of, due to an illness in the family which took its toll right as I was writing the thesis up. For at least a year I beat my self up about my 'poor' mark (to the point that I have not been able to bring myself to re-read the thesis since) however it has made me all the more detirmined to proove to myself that I can do better. Try an take this attitude.
You are not, and nor should you try to be, superhuman.
good luck!

Thanks guys,
we are organising an info meeting for the entire postgraduate community in the uni next week and would really like to oppose this increase. so far we have received confirmation that the increase will not be brought in for 4th years in sep 2010, due to an internet campaign (anyone who would like to support us please do) which is a really great start, but not enough. we want to pressure the uni to justify the increase, esp as the library no longer opens on Sundays, (my own personal prime studying time as it is void of undergrads), and that the resources for specialised work is limited, (I personally order most of my books online from Italy at exceptional cost, because I am not working on any of the authors taught in undergrad courses!)
However to do so we need to find out if the fees increase is inline with 'international practice' (anyone know of a way I could get a list of postgrad fees across the international academic scene?) and if it is a breach of contract that they are even reducing services having already received the fees this year (as suggested by my mother, ever the trade unionist!!) let alone increasing them for reduced services? so to that affect, anyone studying contract law who might be able to give any advice?

======= Date Modified 23 Feb 2010 13:43:25 =======
hi there TJ! some food for thought:

as the others said you have to love your topic and really want to do it! my aunt once replied to the question 'when's child no 2 gonna come along' with 'already in the writing up stages' and its true the project at times feels like your baby, you learn to love and hate it all at the same time, defend it against all criticism, even if you know its constructive (obviously not with the supervisor) talk about it with that same light in your eyes that other people talk about their partners and children (and I am both engaged and have a child so I know this, Ive been told I do it all the time, same expression of love and enthusiasm for all 3, only on a different level obviously!!!) In a way you are giving up your life for this work, it can be very tough going, isolating and lonely, rewarding and wonderful all at the same time, so long as you are passionate. if you are not passionate dont do it, but make sure you are sure that its not just nerves, because I nearly didnt start mine for fear of all of the above and would have regretted it bitterly in the long run.
take time to think, discuss your fears and feelings with your supervisor, it sounds like you have a very good relationship with her - I came up through the ranks per se in my uni and my supervisor has known me since my first year undergrad so I was in a very similar situ, and I know she appreciated my honesty when I told her I wasnt sure about it, and it was her advice that made me stay, as I was torn between a postgrad in teaching and a phd.
so this is what she said:
if its something you want to do you will know deep down inside. look forward ten years, where do you see yourself, if money fears and jog security fears and staying power fears etc were taken away? teaching in a school or uni?
my reply: in an ideal world, i want to be a professor.
her reply: you have just answered your own question. now you just need to decide if your topic is one you want to do or one you think will be a 'good' one to to... you need to want to do it. and if you want to do a phd but never do it, it will haunt you forever, like an unfinished manuscript in the sock drawer that you see everyday and regret abandoning, but fear returning to all the more as time passes!
take time and think!
good luck and let us know how you get on! :-)

ps, it isnt always rosy in the garden, im just having a particularly good day today, i do often hate my subject and wonder why i signed my life away for so many years to this phd, but that generally passes!

hey maria,
I was in a similar situation last term, when a few of my first year students complained at student council with the head of subject about my approach to tutorials. They felt that the fact that I was dividing them up into groups to do a close analysis of the text and then discuss was not helpful and that they were not gaining any further information (they were basically saying that I was a crap tutor although not in so many words) Fortunately I have been tutoring for nearly 4 years and have also covered sabbatical leave of one of the longest standing professors in the department who specifically asked that I cover her leave, correcting and lecturing and setting exam questions etc. (and have received very positive feedback in the past) so the department were supportive, knowing that students in the run up to exams can be picky and try and find any excuse to appeal a fail. They know that if they lodge a complaint in advance of the exam there is greater grounds for appeal afterward as they can claim (in this case) my 'poor' tutoring.
It didnt work, however, as the other students at student council responded straight away that they felt the close reading of the text was more helpful than a mini-lecture would have been and actually said to the first students (in front of the head of subject) that perhaps if they had involved themselves more in the class and discussion they would have gained more from the classes.
All this was reported back to me by the module coordinator and head of subject, not in an accusatory way but more of a warning that the students may try to pursue the matter if they didnt do well. I never heard anything else about it, and some students dropped out after xmas. (no way of knowing but I cant help wondering if there is a link).
Anyway, what the experience taught me is that the department will usually have your back, esp if they can see that the student is not a very diligent one, that they will take into consideration the relationship with other students and past record of teaching etc. They are probably following protocol, so while he should take it seriously, he should hopefully rest assured that the department will support him in the long run, esp if he has a strong track record to lean on!
I agree that he should compile as much 'evidence' of good support to back up his defense and that he should perhaps also see can he ask other students to act as a character reference?
Good luck and keep us posted on the outcome!
dee

400 words?? well done! I am in the same boat, started in September, have reems of notes and no real writing done, although I have a deadline for next Sat for a conference paper which is still in note form! I actually decided to submit conference papers cause they will force me to work (assuming I get accpeted!) another thing is not checking your email before lunch, I loose the whole day if I check my email in the morning!
My contract is up in March (19th let the coundown begin) and I plan to catch up on all of the time not spent studying then, tall order I know, but I find that I always seem to get into the phd and then work gets in the way! And I have a ten year old daughter so weekends are out! One of the main things I find helps me when I loose the will to live (ie think my project is the most useless idea ever or that I am incapable of writing coherent scentences) is re-reading the PhD proposal, which if I do say so is well written and gives me a buzz so I get back to it.... think I might go and read i now actually as I have done sweet F all today!!!!

Hi there, I know I am replying 2 years after you put up this post, but I am new (just joined today) and came accross your post as I am studying Italian film and lit and searched Italian as a keyword... was wondering if you ever went on to PhD abroad?
I know that there are many opportunities in the UK and Ireland, some funded, most not! You should probably contact the Universities individually if you are still considering persuing your studies abroad.
In bocca al lupo!
dee

======= Date Modified 23 01 2010 14:01:28 =======
Hi all, new to the site and was hoping to get some advice regarding an increase in PhD fees recently anounced by my University.

In October last year all PhD students recieved an email stating that there would be a 100% increase in PhD for 4th year and beyond from September 2010. Currently we are paying 5200€, plus services fees, (it rounds off just under 6000€) per year for years 1-3 and in 4th year and beyond we pay half. These fees are supossed to cover tuition and services (such as library services, though hours have been cut this year and there will be no new books bought for the forseeable future, there is a recruitment freeze so as staff retire they are not being replaced) the post-grad community here feel that the fees being increased right when services and tuition is being cut is completely unjust, not to mention that current PhD students have embarked upon their research expecting to pay one figure are now being told that we will pay much more. (incidently non EU students pay almost twice these figures)

The president of the college has stated that these increases are designed to bring us into line with international PhD practices and I was just wondering if this is indeed the case? Most of the professors here agree that a PhD usually takes no less than 4 years, and that anything after that is only mildly supervised, thus the tuition end of the increase doesnt count. Furthermore, the library resources for specialised subjects are very poor, so the argument that we are paying for services is also quite weak in many ways.

I have heard that in the UK after year 3 or 4 there is a writing up fee of approx 500£ and know of one or two PhDs available for 13000£ total, which if true would severly undermine the president's statement.

I was just wondering what the average cost internationally actually is, in years 1-3 and beyond? Is there a decrease in costs per year as you advance past the accepted norm of 3-4 years? What funding is available in your Uni for resources (books, journals, talks, conferences etc?) and indeed for students undertaking research?

Please let me know!
Thanks and continuing luck in all of your research projects!
dee :-)

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http://www.petitiononline.com/UCD2010/petition.html

thanks again!