PHD Questions

V480

I just finished a Masters in Modern Irish History and received a High 2.1. Prior to that I completed a BA in Humanities and graduated with another High 2.1.

A few people have suggested to me to consider a phd and, although I origanally balked at the idea, I am now seriously considering it.

I was wondering though if there was anybody on here who is currently doing or has already completed a phd if they could offer their opinions /advice? I'd particularly interested to hear from anybody who may have studied in the area of Humanities or History.

What are the first steps one should take when applying for a phd? What does the proposal normally consist of? What are the funding options like?

I have been refused a grant in each of the last five years I have been studying which means that I have a mountain of debt that I am struggling to pay back. For this reason I would be concerned that I would be unable to obtain funding. Is it true that I have to be out of education for 2 years before I would be considered eligable for a grant as an independent mature student?

I have a million other things I would like to ask but if I could get a response to one or two of those queries I would be very grateful.

eimearjane

Hi V480,

First of all congrats on getting excellent results in your MA. Well done.

With regard to a PhD, I suggest you think long and hard about it before committing to it.

I'm currently a third year PhD student in humanities - without funding - it's tough. When I started there was a lot of funding in my area (all my supervisor's students have had funding). However, funding was cut dramatically the year I started, so apart from the IRCHSS there has been no other opportunity for me to find funding. I applied for the first time last December (to IRCHSS) - I had some family issues the previous year and couldn't apply. I got my feedback a few months ago to say that my project was worthy of funding but they had 'budgetary constraints' and couldn't award it (top 15% awarded, I was in the 16-18% category).

In the last year I've been lucky to get a job on several funded projects so I have been getting money that way - it eats time from my own research but it pays the bills. You can also get tutorial work and other work in your department too so look into that.

Saying all of that, it's a good life and it's a privilege to do something you actually want to - not many people are afforded such opportunities. And it's a relatively short period in the grand scheme of things. So if it's something you want to do then go for it. Just don't expect to finish up in four years with a nice job with a good wage waiting for you at the end!

With regard to the application process - it differs from Department to Department I think. What you should do is identify a potential supervisor and contact them with an idea / to set up a meeting and take it from there. They should be best placed to advise you where to go from there. If possible I would contact a couple of supervisors - I have heard some horror stories about bad supervisors (luckily mine is excellent - can't complain) but just to keep all options open you should contact more than one.

Sorry for the muddled response - typing as I think is probably not the best way to construct an answer for you ;-)

Anyway, best of luck and anymore questions feel free to ask ;-)

V480

Hi Eimearjane,

Thanks very much for your reply. It was very informative and well written, despite what you make think!

Could you tell me how long your own proposal was? Are the IRCHSS the only ones who offer funding? Have you managed to gain any tutorial work since you started your phd?

Thanks again,

David

eimearjane

My own proposal was about two pages to be honest. I didn't really know what my research was going to be about at that stage, it was more like an expression of interest. My question was formulated after about one semester (I took some classes for the first year).

I don't think PhD students are ever refused on the basis of their proposal. I think your academic record is taken into account (as well as your level of interest and reasons for doing a PhD etc. etc.).

Well I'm not sure about funding for history. I know some guys who are doing history and have specialised funding sources based on their area of research (grants from archives, scholarships which have a couple of thousand euro a year etc) but these are in their final year - so unfortunately may have been scrapped in the last year or so. I can check it out for you and let you know more later.

Re- tutorial work - I didn't give tutorials for the simple reason that there are no undergrad courses in what I am researching. I have given lectures (occasional lecturer) for the past two years which has great money and great for the CV but is not regular enough to benefit money-wise. Also, preparing a lecture (especially for a newbie) is a hell of a lot of work (checking refs etc especially in case they all f- the exam up!). If anything it helped me come to the conclusion that I'm not a teacher and want to steer clear of academia at all costs ;-)

Hope that helps, but again, I'd try to contact a supervisor first. And if you're happy with someone then I'd try to get in contact with his / her PhD students - ask can you meet for a coffee to talk about their topics. 1) they will be excellent at providing details of the (endless) administrative loops you will have to jump through, 2) they can give you an idea of how your supervisor will work with you (on your back vs no help at all), 3) be able to give feedback about your own work and finally and most importantly - be able to go for a well earned coffee break / good chat / pint and know exactly how you're feeling - which your non-PhD / eternal student friends won't and probably won't try to either :-( So it's really important to build a network (however informal) from early on.

Good luck and keep us posted!

sg_1000

Hello all,
Does anyone know what the story is with working if you are a IRCHSS funded PhD student? I am funded and although very lucky and happy to have it I'm still finding it very difficult to survive financially. I know the conditions say you can only carry out work related to your PhD and it's limited to 3 hours a week but do people in practice get part time work to survive and if so is this a problem with the IRCHSS?

LilMsss

I'm in the first year of my PhD, but am working full-time - not ideal but I have to go where the work is. I'll go full-time if and when the opportunity arises, but for now, I can only commit to part-time.

A PhD is a huge commitment, and you need to make sure you choose a topic you are passionate about and -- and this is the important part -- that is of sufficient depth to sustain a three to five year study. It also should be a contribution of original research, so a subject, or angle on an existing subject that hasn't been done before. My background is media, and like you, I had a good BA and MA behind me before I applied.

I initially applied to do a PhD three years ago in film, but couldn't get anyone to agree to supervise me. Looking back, while a very interesting topic, it isn't one that is sustainable for a PhD level study, more of a research masters at best, and not really original enough to warrant much excitement about the project (from others, not me!).

I ended up applying for a scholarship in 2009 and drafted a multidisciplinary proposal to maximise my chances of being successful ... didn't get the funding, but my prospective supervisor liked my project so much that he asked me to take it up anyway. I'm self-funding at the moment, but that may change. I'm a teacher with a background in media, and am doing my PhD on Media Education. It's a topic and direction that makes perfect sense to me now, but not one I honestly would have come up with had I not been trying to fit my proposal around a particular research strand.

Sorry for the long post, but hope it was informative. Some pointers for the proposal, since I've done two at this stage!

PhD PROPOSAL TIPS:

- Aim for 2-3 pages.

- Proofread:
There should be no spelling mistakes and make sure the layout is presentable - treat it like an essay, double-spaced etc so they can add notes.

- Provisional Title:
Have a provisional title, even if it doesn't resemble what the project may develop into.

- Introduction:
Include an introduction of your topic.

- Research Question/Objective:
Set out a research question, or set of questions:

* What is the point of your research?
* What questions do you hope to answer?

- Outline some of the main writers that you intend on using in your work. Mention what they have written and relate it to your own work.

- Methodology:
Once you know what you want to achieve, explain how you plan to achieve it? This usually refers to experiments, fieldwork, focus groups etc. Brief outline.

- Timeframe:
Give a timeframe on how you think the research will progress: E.g. Year 1: Lit. Review, Year 2: Pilot questionnaires etc.

- Resources:
Outline what resources you will use: Libraries, journals etc.
- Include a provisional bibliography or books, websites etc. you have read.

- CV:
- Optional, but include a CV to let them know what you're doing now, and maybe indicate your academic background.

Lot's of info there, but hope it helps!!!

Blut2

Very interesting topic, the replies from current PhD students have been very informative I have to say.

Im in a similar situation to the OP, I completed an undergrad and a masters in the humanities with high 2.1s and am now considering going back for a PhD. My biggest worry however, given the reports I'm hearing of the drying up of funding as of late, is being in my late 20s in 3rd or 4th year of the PhD and still being unfunded while most of my non-academic friends are starting to move up the career ladder. I've two main related questions:

Between invigilation, tutorials, correcting papers/exams (and any other sort of college related employment) what sort of yearly income are you guys finding yourselves on, if you dont mind me asking?

And fairly related to that - how many hours a week would most of you be spending working on your research? Would it be possible to maintain a part time job to supplement income without falling behind deadlines?

sandee

sg_1000 wrote: »

Hello all,
Does anyone know what the story is with working if you are a IRCHSS funded PhD student? I am funded and although very lucky and happy to have it I'm still finding it very difficult to survive financially. I know the conditions say you can only carry out work related to your PhD and it's limited to 3 hours a week but do people in practice get part time work to survive and if so is this a problem with the IRCHSS?

Hi sg_1000

I am also an IRCHSS scholar and without sounding ungrateful I am finding it v.difficult to get by on the funding, I know alot of people are doing their phds without any financial help whatsoever and fair play to them I dont know how they do it. Re. working I am not sure really about this other than the three hour a week rule, however cash-in-hand jobs on the side should not really interfere after all we all have our 'free time' to use as we wish. Although I personally would be nervous about jeopardizing the scholarship since it was so difficult to get in the first place, so I wouldn't recommend working since it is a term of the scholarship... and as stated in the terms and conditions they reserve the right to ask for money given to us already to be given back! I have started to do some serious budgeting since xmas because I have run out of Octobers installment paying back loans ICK!!
Good luck with your research
:-)

nyarlothothep

What are the job prospects after completion if you're willing to move anywhere in the world bar authoritarian states like China or basket case countries?

Ostrom

Pretty good, as is usually the case. Our department had five completed viva's last year and all are now working in various jobs.

The problem (see current discussion in the researcher forum) is that most of the negtivity surrounding job prospects assumes an academic position is the desired outcome, which is completely untrue. One of our five went into third level teaching, but the rate of jobs to graduates is such that only around 20% end up in academic postings.

I've had friends from various other science departments complete recently also and all are currently employed

EoghanRua

LilMsss wrote: »

I'm in the first year of my PhD, but am working full-time - not ideal but I have to go where the work is. I'll go full-time if and when the opportunity arises, but for now, I can only commit to part-time.

Can I ask you something that I have always found very difficult to have answered?

What is the practical difference between a full-time and a part-time PhD? For example when you say "I can only commit to part-time" what are the implication of going full-time? Do you have to commit to the University regarding various activites e.g. tutoring etc?

And how is proposed time for completion agreed/decided?

Passenger

Hi,

Just a couple queries re: identifying a potential supervisor and I would appreciate any feedback.

How exactly do I find somebody who would be willing to supervise my research?

Do I just contact random universities and ask them to nominate somebody in the faculty who may have an interest in that particular field?

It's just that I have a particular area that I would like to pursue with a PhD and just need some advice on the next step in the process. I think once I know there is somebody out there willing to supervise my research then I can begin applications, etc.

Thanks for any advice.

theredletter

Finding a potential supervisor isn't as difficult as it sounds, but you have to be careful choosing. I found it easier finding a supervisor in the insitution I was already affiliated with because you have less to prove to them as the know you already.

If you go to all of the universities' websites and look up the staff of the department you are hoping to work with, you can look through staff profiles with their research interests. Look for a match and then contact that staff member. The lecturer would then want to set up a meeting with you to go through your ideas. I know some PhD students can be very particular about this meeting and practice what they want to say etc. If you have a rough idea of the area you want to investigate you should be able to have a very normal chat with the lecturer about very mundane things (research spaces available, tuition fees, possibility of tutoring) and very important things (library collection, labs, funding etc.)

If you're doing a masters at the moment you could ask your current supervisor if he/she knows anyone that would be suited to your area.

graduate

How exactly do I find somebody who would be willing to supervise my research?

You survey the literature in your field of interest and identify people who are publishing in that area.

Do I just contact random universities and ask them to nominate somebody in the faculty who may have an interest in that particular field?

Absolutely not. Why on earth would you want to go to a random university? You want to go to one where key work is taking place in your area of interest. Contacting random universities without any idea of what they do would amount to spam.

If you are going to do a PhD then you need real interest in the subject and if you have that level of interest then it shouldn't be too hard to research were the relevant work takes place and who does it.

theredletter

graduate wrote: »

You survey the literature in your field of interest and identify people who are publishing in that area.


Absolutely not. Why on earth would you want to go to a random university? You want to go to one where key work is taking place in your area of interest. Contacting random universities without any idea of what they do would amount to spam.

If you are going to do a PhD then you need real interest in the subject and if you have that level of interest then it shouldn't be too hard to research were the relevant work takes place and who does it.

To clarify, I think that he/she was wondering if she needed to contact the university first (probably through an administrator or admissions) before contacting potential supervisors. I don't think the poster wants to go to a 'random university'. It can be very difficult finding appropriate supervisors. (S)he may want to pursue research in an area that is very underdeveloped (like my own area) and is looking for pointers.

No need to be patronizing.

graduate

No need to be patronizing.

I may sound patronizing. However, someone proposing to do a PhD should be capable of posting a clear and concise question on the matter.

theredletter

graduate wrote: »

I may sound patronizing. However, someone proposing to do a PhD should be capable of posting a clear and concise question on the matter.

I wouldn't agree. The poster made it clear what information they were looking for, I wouldn't say their question was at all complex, unclear or confusing. Posting a question on a message board isn't exactly writing up your final chapter and bears no representation of the poster's research capabilities. Other PhD students should be comfortable enough in their own abilities rather than trying to catch other potential candidates out of pursuing their ambitions.

And yes, a fool with a student card and a JSTOR account can get a PhD these days, maybe, but we shouldn't be actively deterring other people from trying.