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Taking a year out during PhD

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  • 03-04-2011 5:00pm
    #1
    digiology
    Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    I'm hoping to get a scholarship for a PhD in Australia (or wherever else one is on offer) starting next year. I wonder if its generally ok to take a year out during my studies? This wouldn't be for any medical reasons, it would simply suit another project I have going alongside.
    Obviously I'd expect my scholarship (my income!) to stop during that year. I was thinking, two years in, right before the final push.

    I suspect this is ok with the university in general (must check that), but I would imagine the scholarship could have some additional constraints.

    This is not something I'd want to bring up when I apply. I'm wondering if anyone else has done this.
    Tagged:


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    #2
    djpbarry
    Registered Users Posts: 13,104 ✭✭✭✭djpbarry


    digiology wrote: »
    I wonder if its generally ok to take a year out during my studies?
    ...
    I suspect this is ok with the university in general (must check that), but I would imagine the scholarship could have some additional constraints.

    This is not something I'd want to bring up when I apply. I'm wondering if anyone else has done this.
    I would say it’s quite unusual and I certainly wouldn’t be assuming that the university/institute where you’re conducting your research will be ok with it. I can say with almost 100% certainty that the institute where I’m based would not be ok with it.

    You might want to consider being honest up front about it – I don’t think your supervisor’s going to be too impressed when you tell him/her, just after being hired, that you need a year off!


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    #3
    convert
    Registered Users Posts: 9,338 ✭✭✭convert


    It may be difficult for students with funding to take a year out during their PhD, not least owing to time constraints within which the project upon which they're working must be completed.

    If you just want to be able to take a year out for 'no real reason', then I'm not sure that your supervisor and/or the other academics working on the project would be very impressed that you'd turn up saying you simply want to take a year out.

    Students without funding generally would find it easier to take time out during their thesis, but those I know who have done so have taken time off due to genuine extenuating circumstances (family illness, bereavement, student illness, etc.).


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