Anyone done a PhD?

Xander_82

Hi. I haven't posted here before.

I am just wondering who here has done a PhD in any area of Psychology? What area did you do it in, how much did it cost you, have you gotten the benefit from it since then?

Thanks!

Valmont

I've just had a funding application turned down but the blighters have been kind enough to let me work for free to complete some projects. That said I'm questioning whether I should apply again:

http://www.economist.com/node/17723223

sambuka41

For psychology it depends on what type of Phd you want to do. Are you looking at the research ones or the clinical ones? In this country it has become very difficult to afford the clinical/ practical phd, without the post grad grants. Trinity's counselling phd is €12,800 a year, its 3 years long (full time). But the clinical phd is the same but you get paid from your placement (the last time I checked, that may have changed with budgets).

Xander_82

sambuka41 wrote: »

For psychology it depends on what type of Phd you want to do. Are you looking at the research ones or the clinical ones? In this country it has become very difficult to afford the clinical/ practical phd, without the post grad grants. Trinity's counselling phd is €12,800 a year, its 3 years long (full time). But the clinical phd is the same but you get paid from your placement (the last time I checked, that may have changed with budgets).

It would be a research PhD I would be looking at. Definitely not clinical.

Velvety

I don't think anyone does a research PhD without funding. You'd have to approach a supervisor in an area you're interested in. They'll know best where funding might be available. Often from IRCHSS or some other funding body.

LilMrsDahamsta

Velvety wrote: »

I don't think anyone does a research PhD without funding.

Where I work, none of us have funding for our PhDs. I had two years of a part-time stipend during which my fieldwork was conducted. I've paid for the last 6 years part-time out of my own pocket. Everyone else - about 6 of us currently - is either using data from another (funded) project or from their practice, but it paying their own fees and working alongside the thesis to fund it. I work with a multidisciplinary group, including psychology, health economics and dentistry, and it's the same for all of us.

LilMrsDahamsta

Xander_82 wrote: »

What area did you do it in, how much did it cost you, have you gotten the benefit from it since then?

Quality of life and an aspect of physical health

In financial terms, about E1,500 a year x 6 years; I had funding to cover the first two years which were about E3,000 each. It also paid for my fieldwork; I have no idea what that cost as it was part of a much larger project.

I'm still trying to finish it. I've been working full-time all along, and now I have a baby as well, so it's difficult to find the time to work on it. I reckon I could get it finished in 6 months of I could work on it full time, but it'll be more like another 2 years at the rate I'm going.

The main benefit was being so bored that I spent too much time on boards and met my husband (no, really; not a joke).

Xander_82

Does it really only cost €3k per annum?

LilMrsDahamsta

Xander_82 wrote: »

Does it really only cost €3k per annum?

Those were the approximate full-time fees in 2004/5 and 2005/6 academic years. It would be nearly €6k a year full-time now in UCC. And like I said, there was funding in place to cover the cost of the fieldwork. I've only had to pay my fees myself. I will also eventually have to cover the cost of submitting the papers from my thesis to various journals, which will be considerable, but I don't mind that because without those publications my thesis is worth a lot less career/cv-wise.

Xander_82

Do you guys think it is worth getting a PhD?

jokettle

I'm doing one right now, technically it's in cognitive neuroscience in the School of Medicine in Trinity and not the School of Psychology, but since there's a behavioural aspect to it (i.e. at least one chapter of my thesis will be on behavioural results) it's still relevant to my psych career!

Mine was fully funded; the HEA pay my fees (5 grand a year) and a stipend which is just a little over minimum wage. It's not subject to tax though

I'll finish up at the end of September, so that'll be 3.5 years working on it. It's had it's pros and cons. Pros include learning an absolute tonne of new skills! Using linux OS, learning about MRI scanning, using several fMRI analysis packages, project management, becoming more proficient with SPSS (after swearing never to use it again after my undergrad :pac:) to name but a few.

Cons include spending every day after data acquisition in front of 2 computer monitors crunching numbers for data analysis. That's a big one. But almost every day I'm looking at something new, and now I know for sure that I'm meant to work in a clinical setting and not research! I've been offered a postdoc research position starting after my contract is up and I'm not taking it, I'm not even slightly interested. I'd rather volunteer as an assistant psych than make good money doing more research.

Any other questions, fire away!