Changing topics in a PhD program

Interested in doing a PhD in anthropology. I would like to know in case I change the topic or even the potential supervisor after getting in, would it be troublesome?.
Thanks

Reply 1

The_Lonely_Goatherd

I guess it would depend on how quickly you do these changes, and what funding stipulations you have? Ideally you'd go in with a topic and supervisor and stick to those throughout the whole course. I do know of someone who was AHRC-funded (I'm a music student) and she changed both her entire topic/proposal and supervisor about a month into her PhD :yes:

I don't think it's that common though, or easily done once you've 'settled' into the PhD :nah:

Reply 2

gjd800

Depends how wholesale the change is. The details of mine changed a few times, though the overall thrust remained the same. I had mates that changed supervisors like a year in and it was minimal fuss. You need to speak to your department, really.

Reply 3

Keele Rep

Official Rep

As others have said, it really depends upon the extent of the changes you want to make and the stipulations of any funding you've been granted.

Most PhDs change a little between proposal and completion: it's the nature of research! My own PhD (in English Literature) has slightly changed focus in certain chapters as new texts have come to light and new research questions have developed out of those texts. My over-arching research question and topic/period of study has not, however, changed substantially as a result of this.

Changing supervisors is also not impossible but its not ideal.

By the end of the first year of your PhD, you'll want to have developed a really good relationship with your supervisor so that they know you and your work really well. To lose that relationship at any point in your PhD - and to have to start over with a new supervisor - is, therefore, a lot of additional work for both student and supervisory team.

That said, changes do happen. A friend of mine changed PhD supervisors in their second year as their initial supervisor changed job roles, whilst another colleague bought an additional supervisor on board (to provide specialist expertise) a few months after beginning her PhD programme.

Hope that helps!

Amy :smile:

Reply 4

YueZhong

Original post by Ling Dai

Interested in doing a PhD in anthropology. I would like to know in case I change the topic or even the potential supervisor after getting in, would it be troublesome?.
Thanks

Hi Ling,
I have the same concern! How is your PhD going? Did you successfully change your topic/supervisor?