PhD's

There are two sets of costs to think about.

First is the fees - several thousand per year typically.

Second are the living costs.

So most people who do a PhD are "funded" meaning their fees are paid and they receive a bursary, usually tax free, to cover living costs. PhD bursaries can be funded by research councils, universities themselves, charities, or employers rarely.

Some people will self-fund i.e. pay the fees themselves. You have to have money to do this. If you are very rich you might pay your own living costs as well. BUt more common is to do the PhD part-time and work the rest of the time to cover living costs.

Any questions do ask.

Thanks hav you done a PhD yourself?

Yes, I've done a PhD and am now a university lecturer.

I also owned my house during my PhD so have first hand experience of the living costs issue.

I'm totally clueless about how PhD's work particularly funding. One thing in particular is I know you get funding for the PhD that's fine but... what about day to day living? By the time people are doing their PhD's they're usually at the stage where they want to gain more independence, maybe they have a family, kids how is this aspect ever affordable? I don't get it...

Nice what are you a lecturer in and how old are you now?

Funding the fees of the PhD aside around how much did you have to live on during your studies per week/month/year?

Psychology. I'm in my thirties now.

My living stipend was £12000 tax free per year iirc and my fees were covered by my studentship. My wife also worked full time so our net income was basically similar to many working couples.

I didn't live like a student at that time. We owned our house and car, for example. Some PhD students did live in postgrad student accommodation, many others in their own rented flats or private house shares, and others in mortgaged properties like me.

Ah right your wife must have had a decent job or you must be quite wealthy anyway?

How old were you when you started the PhD and how long did it take you to complete?

Sorry all interesting to me *question question question*

No worries, ask away. I was 25 when I started my PhD. I did it in 3 and a bit years. I had worked for years before so we got a mortgage when we were both earning. PhD stipend doesn't count in the Building Society's eyes!

Our income was the equivalent of say £40-50k, so like many working couples in their twenties I think.

What had you been working as before you started your PhD and what did you get in your undergraduate and what masters did you do? What type of psychology do you specialise in?

Isn't that right ChaoticButterfly? ...

They were 25... Hardly time to settle down time in todays turbulent times.

average age of a PhD graduate is 33/34 PhD's on average take 3/4 years do the maths

Yes! I'm still young.

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