I've been given a firm offer to start a PhD at my alma mater on a topic of great interest to me, which the school is also world renowned for their work within. This offer is likely to have a scholarship attached, covering all my fees and also offering a reasonable level of maintenance. The perfect opportunity, except...

I am also following the route to becoming a barrister (legal advocate), and am having enough success to be confident enough to apply to take the Bar exam. This must be done within 5 years from completion of your undergraduate law degree, and cannot be taken after this deadline.

This leaves me with a dillema. If I take the PhD, I will start this summer (2015) and complete in July 2018. This would mean a start date for the Bar exams of September 2018, but unfortunately this is 2 months past the deadline. However, even if I don't start the PhD, I cannot begin the Bar exams until September 2016 and completing in July m2017, leaving me a whole year free.

I am wondering about the possibility of somehow still doing both, but obviously cannot defer my start for 2 years. I therefore wonder whether it is possible to suspend my PhD for a year part way through in order to take the Bar exams (would this mean losing the scholarship funding?). It seems my only other option is to reject the PhD in order to take the Bar exam. Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks Ian. You are correct that the bar exam is the priority, and if no workaround can be arranged I will certainly be taking the bar exam and ditching the PhD offer. I was just wondering if there may be a possibility to take a 'year out' during the PhD, allowing me to complete the bar exam in time. Maybe I'm being too abitious!

Or, start the PhD (at least you will be paid for a year if nothing else) and then hope you can suspend your studies for the bar exam / go part time. If not, you will have only lost a year, but bear in mind it might be difficult to get another PhD in the future.

Start the PhD, it's crazy to be out of work/study while you wait for the next chance to sit the bar exam. Work it so you can take a time off to study for the exam and depending on results then decide what to do next.

I would certainly have to either suspend my PhD for a year or quit, as the Bar exam (BPTC) is an intense, full-time, year long qualification. I'm worried that quitting a PhD after a year, even with good reason, will look like poor commitment and damage my opportunities in the future.

Is the possibility of suspending my research something I could ask the University about in advance, to make my intentions clear?

I have a firm offer, so I'm not sure they could refuse to accept me at this point. They could refuse to allow me to suspend studies, meaning I would have to quit the PhD.

In terms of getting in touch with them unofficially, I'm not sure who I could contact in this way. The research is officially offered by the Business school, but will be done in colaboration with the Law School and two research institutions attached to the University, with the funding coming through one of those research institutions. I suppose I could raise the question with a lecturer I know, but she is only a general member of staff at the Law School and not in any way linked to my research...

Maybe just see if you can look around on the website and access the student handbook or something as it should be mentioned in there.

The policy will be for the whole university/department, but it will implemented on a case by case basis.