Hello, Any Part Time Phd Student out there?.. I am now planning starting a Phd as a part time student. I have tried to get a studentship but it is all clear that i cannot get one because of my colour despite I have been told a number of times without interview" Although your application is very strong, you have been unsuccessful" e t c, Do people doing Phd Part time really finish it? any Advice?

Hi Tony3433. If you want to do a PhD part time then go for it, if you want to finish it you will. There are many people who start a PhD part time and finish it, and while life tends to get in the way more often with a part-time PhD, it's only you who can make yourself finish it. Although I would say regarding your funding, it's unlikely it's due to your colour, I know in my office at least (sciences) there are a whole range of nationalities, including, african, indian, chinese, japanese, american and european people. I would suggest you contact people you have applied to and see if they can give you some constructive criticism about your applications and good luck.

======= Date Modified 21 Apr 2010 10:18:12 =======
Tony, it all depends in my view. I have seen people with $hitty thesises and work got successful and really intellectual ones failing. A wise man once quoted 'talent cannot be stopped its like a plant seed who has to emerge even feet deep buried under a rock'. We all know that racism exists in all societies and even some equal opportunity forms were being used to screen people out, but again its the talent thing its like Boyle who competed in xfactor and glory come to her despite being relinquished and abandoned. Some charmers do get their PhD aswell on that basis but again they will regret and ashamed every day when someone a student comes to em asking a question which they don't know about....? referring to my current adviser.

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======= Date Modified 21 Apr 2010 10:41:35 =======
Thanks you all for your response. I decided to add more information so you can see why i think i have been discriminated. I have a 2.1 in Enginneering, I also have 2 masters degree,infact, I am currently on my third one and all in Engineering.

My first application-- I applied for an advertised studentship to a scottish University- suddently, I got a letter from them after 2weeks saying---Sorry, there is no one to supervise your proposed topic". I quickly replied them and told them that I didnt propose a topic but only responded to an advertised studentship--Till today they ignored me and didnt reply me.

Second Application,-- I applied for an studentships advertised to take 25 students- after , a week, they asked for my British passport., i quickly send it to them. after three weeks, i got an email---- "Sorry although your application is very strong, competion was high and you have been unsuccessful". I am black and in late 30s.

Tony, I understand that you're frustrated, but being turned down for two phds doesn't mean you're being discriminated against! Unfortunately, it just means that they had someone better in mind. You sound very well qualified but competition is really tough these days, a lot of people out there have masters, 1sts, and work experience to boot. I applied for at least half a dozen phds and had only two offers, I'm white, female and British. If you want a studentship then rally yourself and keep applying, you'll get there in the end.

As for part-time, it has disadvantages but plenty of people do it, it's a good option if you want to keep working.

======= Date Modified 21 Apr 2010 11:09:14 =======
Hi Tony, I can see why you think racism could be at play here. However, you may take heart in knowing that we get many, many PhD applicants on here who have had similarly vague and confusing responses and experiences, it seems to be a pretty common way of dealing with unsuccessful applicants, so what you have experienced may just be regular academic twaddliness. Although it does seem very odd that one place asked for you passport before interview, I've never heard of that, but maybe others have.

Whatever their reasons are for not choosing you, keep going, keep pushing and you will get there, that's the most important thing with a PhD and academia anyhow: endurance and blind, determined, grit. If you are in the sciences, there are more studentships available, so perhaps you could get anothother academic to look over your application and give you some advice on how to imporve it.


I am a part-time PhD student and I teach, full-time equivalent hours, during term time, and it is hard to fit the PhD in, but I do it, because I love my research and I want the PhD and publications. So you can do it part-time, it just takes grim determination, but then so does PhDing full-time - according to posts on here, the isolation can be demoralising.


Oh and also: As has been discussed recently on this forum, these posts are often allocated before they are even advertised, to a favourite student alrerady know tot he supervisor. I've seen it happen in my teaching departments, and with various posts I've rubbish excuses could be down to having no better reason than that they already have someone. I second the suggestion to get in touch with academics you already know, particularly ones you who you know like you, for this reason.

I don't want to believe that you weren't successful because of your colour.... I guess there was some other reason (like an internal applicant or something else)....
I am female, not British and I had no problems in finding a PhD.
As far as your question, I am PT and I work FT in my country. It is difficult, but it is doable. I work 7 hours every day and 4-5 more on my PhD.
I am in my second year and I have finished my litterature review (well a first draft of it), my research and my first analysis.
If you want it...you can do it!

re the passport. It's the new immigration rules. I'm white British with a British sounding name and I've had to send a copy of my passport with my application or take it to interview for every job I've applied for this year. Universities are protecting themselves because if they employ anyone without the right to work in the UK, then they risk losing their ability to sponsor Tier 4 visas, which basically means no international students or staff any more.
Honestly too because of the recession so many people are trying for funded PhDs that only being rejected from two is nothing. Particularly if the one with 25 places was for all subjects in a faculty, it means in reality there was probably one place allocated to your subject area and lots of people chasing it. THose adverts can be quite misleading.

Also Tony just a thought but have you asked your current tutors for advice? Maybe someone could look over your application and give you some tips?

I don't think it has anything to do with the colour of your skin so try not to focus on that.  I've been declined PhD places and been told I have a very strong application, one of my supervisors is very suprised that I've been rejected from some places. I could blame it on being female but I know that isn't the reason.

So my advice is like others, ask current supervisors/advisors for advice and keep applying for funded, but also figure out how you would deal with part-time just in case nothing comes up.

Good luck with it all!

======= Date Modified 22 Apr 2010 19:57:55 =======
Tony: Man I wont recommend self funded part time PhD. Part time is like full time in the sense that despite you have to submit thesis after 5-6 years but your mind will be pre-occupied most of the times and will affect your job and family life.
Instead, I would do Mres if you can still change Msc to or if you do not mind a suggestion.
**********************Spend that money getting Plumber's with Gas/Electricians Qualifications******************
A m8 of mine earns like 125K in London and entered into Plumbing only 3-4 years ago. Be your own Boss and Kick Racism right in the Butt...;-)

Hey Tony3433, I just want to re-iterate what others have already said really. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that racism/discrimination is to blame for your lack of success so far in applying for PhDs. There are people from all over the world studying for PhDs in my department- probably more students from overseas than from the UK...I know it's really tempting to try to find something to account for being rejected but I think it's unlikely that your colour is the reason. I have had severe mental health problems in the past and I was worried that I might be discriminated against on that basis when I was trying to get a PhD sorted (a while ago I was told that having a mental health record and diagnosis such as my own was worse than having a spell in prison on your record!), yet I received several offers of funding in the end for a project that I designed myself (with the help of my supervisor). If you are good at what you do and you have potential then if you keep trying I believe you will get there in the end. So keep trying! It is so competitive to get onto these funded projects- there are probably dozens (if not more) of applicants for every advertised PhD and they will probably short-list and interview maybe 5 or 6 applicants. That means that dozens get turned away with a very standard letter of rejection like you have received, without any details regarding why you have been unsuccessful. So just keep going and you will get there in the end- most people have to make a number of applications before they finally get a PhD. The other thing is, a lot of studentships get awarded through departmental funding, and often go to people who are already at the university and are known to their potential supervisor. Would it not be possible to try to obtain funding at a university where you have completed one of your masters degrees? Also bear in mind that you don't have to apply for advertised PhDs- it is quite possible to work with a prospective supervisor to design your own PhD project and then apply for funding for that project from a research council. It might be worth thinking about. Best of luck with it, KB