Hi all,

I've been reading a lot on the '3 year' thing in PhDs in the Uk. What is the general trend though? do people actually end up submitting in three yrs full time? or does it spill on further? My question in specifcally abt full time students though. How far do other things impact..lets say part time work? Also, in the case of 3 yr phds, do people manage to get publications etc done in that period or do they just write the thesis?
Cheers!

I'm aiming to get mine done in 3 years.. so watch this space lol!! I hope to get some publications submitted by the end of the year too

In my field, most people do their PhDs in 4 to 5 years.

I was told the completion time was 4/5 years by a professor during my induction, I thought "nooo..I'll have it done in the 3"...well that didn't pan out!

I do know some people who have their PhDs finished at the beginning of their write-up period i.e., just over 3 years, and I think it is very possible if a person is savvy enough to pick a relatively straightforward topic to research. Those that do complete within the 3-4 year period generally only have 1 publication or none, and have not done other stuff...eg. research visits/fellowships etc. Ultimately, they are in a better position because they end up with a job quicker (...which means a string of publications isn't necessary).

I have found that 'generally' science students to complete on time more often than non-science subjects.

It took me three years to submit, from my first day as PhD students to the the day I handed it in, exactly the same date three years later. During this time I was also working in an unrelated area. It was tough and took a lot of self-discipline and many long nights, especially during the write-up period in Year 3.

However, I hate to say this, but the student has not as much influence on the completion time as one might think. This is because of reliance on other people (supervisor!!) to read your drafts, to comment on it. On top of that, administrators and bureaucracy might delay the submission. So although it is possible in general, it is also dependent on external, random factors and luck, In my opinion. And that makes me feel quite bitter about the UK PhD System. Hard work is simply not always rewarded. And you need good luck to have a supporting supervisor, which I luckily had. If your supervisor is a lazy arse (some people only find out in Year 2 or later), then you are basically lost. And that's why the system has to change.

In my uni/PhD rules, you have to submit by the end of 4th year or its an automatic fail. Having said that, most of the students here take longer than 3 years to complete. I should mention we are doing lab based PhDs. So the trend is to work until the end of 3rd year in the lab, and then write up (usually unpaid, so a lot of people get part time jobs) in the last year. So really the whole process takes around 4 years. I however am taking a different track. I'm trying to write up as I go along and hope to both submit and publish by the end of my 3rd year.

The only people I know who have finished in 3 years are those who continued a project from a Masters (so in effect have done 4 years and were familiar with the area). I think the fact that NERC for example automatically offers an extra half year of funding is quite telling...

I wouldn't expect many publications within 3 years (especially not published in a prestigious journal - that could take three years to get through the process alone), and a day of teaching or employment is a day you have to add to the end of your PhD...

And its right - you can be the most productive worker, but if your supervisor sits on your chapter draft for 3 months...

In my dept most people submit at around 4 years - some have gone to 5 or even 6 and some have managed to wrap it up in 3 years. I'm writing up and entering my 4th year today. Some projects just take longer than others for various reasons not easily predicted, and yes, some supervisors are more helpful than others. There is intense pressure from uni, faculty and funding bodies to finish in 3 years here and people going more than 4 are not well-regarded.

thanks guys. i'm a lil confused about what a supervisor WOULD want, or even the uni? Would the system itself prefer a 3 yr completion as the post below has said? I know its different in the US, but what about here?

I do think that there is a difference between subject areas.. In science you have more of a direct goal as you get results and then can write them up.. My other half is doing a PhD in law and is finding it hard to nail down exactly what to write about.

My PhD is also a CASE studentship and so my industrial partners are keen on me getting it all finished as soon as possible.. But I am glad as it gives me a deadline to work to which stops me from being a lazy bugger!

In my department, you are given a an extra year. You pay fees (if you weren't already) for that first extra year but they aren't too bad. After that they shoot to well over a grand and go up every month.

To encourage you to submit as near to the 3 years as possible!

Some funding bodies will blacklist a supervisor/dept if students do not submit within a certain period of 3-4 years. That's where a lot of the pressure comes from. Self-funded students are under less pressure.

I'm starting on my fourth year which in my uni is the write-up year where you pay a lesser fee. It's only one year so, it took me 3 years to do all my work and now I'm in full write-up with some analysis left to do. By the end of 2 year, I knew I had to go on the write-up year as things were progressing slowly with data collection. I'm yet to publish either, but hoping tag that along when I do some write-up this year.

I'm starting on my fourth year which in my uni is the write-up year where you pay a lesser fee. It's only one year so, it took me 3 years to do all my work and now I'm in full write-up with some analysis left to do. By the end of 2 year, I knew I had to go on the write-up year as things were progressing slowly with data collection. I'm yet to publish either, but hoping tag that along when I do some write-up this year.

my phd is fully funded by the BBSRC (and a small industrial case award). I was initially offered 3 years of funding, and was told that it would be preferable to finish (and submit) within that 3 years whenever possible. however, a month before i started the BBSRC changed their minds and decided to extend my funding for a 4th year. i have now been told that i am expected to finsih all my work within the 3 years (my phd is lab based) and then use the 4th year to write up and submit.

i have been told that many of the funding bodies are starting to do this, as they tend to find that people who only get 3 years of funding are having to work and write up at the same time during year 4, meaning that they take much longer to submit, and in some extreme cases (usually if the job is very good/well paid!) that sometimes people simply abandon their phd and never submit, which is obviously a complete waste of time for everyone.

i can submit at any time i like within the 4 years, but knowing that i have an extra year to complete if i need it (and i probably will!) is very nice! i don't have the worry of having to get a job and write up at the same time.