How Long Does It Take To Get A PhD?
The Steps To Getting A PhD And How Long It Takes
You might choose to get a PhD degree if you have a serious interest in a particular field and have a strong academic discipline. Getting a PhD is time-consuming and expensive. Many students start down the path of their PhD only to quit partway through when they realize what getting a PhD truly entails.
On average, students who earned a PhD in the United States in 2017 said that it took them around 5.8 years. It takes a little longer to get a PhD in the humanities and the arts. In these fields, you can expect it to take around 7.1 years.
Before getting their PhD, many students have already received their master’s degree. This means they went through grad school pursuing their masters and then invested additional years in getting their doctorate.
The PhD and the Academic Dissertation
If you make it through grad school, you still have to write and defend your academic dissertation. This is no simple task. The dissertation has to get approved by the dissertation committee. This part of getting the PhD is so challenging that many students drop out of their program after having done the bulk of the work but not yet completing the dissertation component. Less than 60 percent of people who start down the path of getting their PhD finish. The academic dissertation is a major reason they stop.
Factors That Can Influence the Time Needed to Get a PhD
There are several factors that can influence the time needed to get a PhD. One factor is the support you get from your academic advisor. If your academic advisor is accessible, reaches out to you, and wants to help, you may complete your PhD program more quickly.
Funding
Gaining a PhD is expensive. On average, the cost of a PhD program is $30,000 per year. Over the course of eight years, you could spend almost $250,000. When the funding needed to complete a PhD runs out, students will need to find paid work. This means they have less time to focus on their doctorate and writing their dissertation.
Academic Requirements
For example, some PhD programs require candidates to have a paper published in a peer-reviewed and first-rate academic journal. Realistically, this could take a couple of years.
Jobs Available Post-PhD
When you get your PhD, you will probably find a job in academia. It will be related to your field of study, be it as a researcher or professor. The more specialized your PhD is, the fewer job opportunities you find that require your PhD.
If you are not looking to pursue an academic career or if you are not interested in pursuing a career in research, use some time while getting your PhD to get out in the field. Show that you traveled and have hands on experience in the field you are pursuing.
Conclusion
Getting a PhD requires organization, focus, and time management. You will need these skills at a level that most people will never need. However, if you are a person who loves what they are learning and loves to learn, getting a PhD might be right for you.