Going back to get a PhD after 20+ years of industry experience?

[huachingni]

Hi everyone,

 

I was wondering if it's still possible for me to go back to school and get a PhD. I graduated from a public university with my bachelor's in biochem many years ago, and I've amassed 20+ years of industry experience as well as several years working in an academic lab. I enjoy the work I do, and I love performing research. I feel as though I've hit a sort of "glass ceiling" as far as job opportunities go, though.

 

Is it at all feasible for me to get a PhD at this point in my life?

 

Thanks,

 

Hua-Ching Ni

[DrRocket]

Hi everyone,

 

I was wondering if it's still possible for me to go back to school and get a PhD. I graduated from a public university with my bachelor's in biochem many years ago, and I've amassed 20+ years of industry experience as well as several years working in an academic lab. I enjoy the work I do, and I love performing research. I feel as though I've hit a sort of "glass ceiling" as far as job opportunities go, though.

 

Is it at all feasible for me to get a PhD at this point in my life?

 

Thanks,

 

Hua-Ching Ni

 

I have seen it done, and done well. But it takes someone with an exceptional attitude and dedication to do it.

 

If your motivation is a deep interest in your field then you have a good chance If your objective is simply career advancement, then probably not.

Edited May 23, 2011 by DrRocket

[huachingni]

My motivation is first and foremost great personal interest in my field.

[CharonY]

So your age is close to 40? Getting a PhD is basically not a problem per se. Especially with work experience it could be easier for you then for younger people. Chances for an academic career are most likely (depending on precise situation) not very beneficial. Same could go for industrial career if you do the PhD full-time.

[DrRocket]

My motivation is first and foremost great personal interest in my field.

 

 

Then go for it. But recognize that a good PhD from a reputable school is a full-time undertaking. I have seen it done part time, but was underwhelmed by what I perceived as the quality.

 

I have seen really good work done by a PhD candidate nearing 60, so age by itself is not a big issue in my view.

[Marat]

The ultimate point of life is to be doing what gives you the greatest sense of interest and purpose at each moment. Do that and either the rest will take care of itself, or it won't matter. Too many people use their lives instrumentally, foolishly expecting that they will be happy by spending their whole lives doing what they hate in order to become rich or famous, when in fact the value of life depends on how enjoyable each moment is. If you want to think, explore, and indulge your curiosity, then you have to take the academic route, even if the price is being banished to Siberia.

[CaptainPanic]

Go for it!

It is probably very useful to have all that experience, and I'm sure that the universities don't mind to have an experienced person working for them. Your age certainly is not a problem... there is no such thing as an age limit for a PhD student.

 

But please make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into (sounds sarcastic, but I'm serious)...

If you come from industry, you're used to getting stuff done fast, and to be very concrete.

Universities do not work like companies/industry. Everything goes a little slower, and they have an impressive bureaucracy. The facilitating departments will not facilitate anything. Instead, they have a monopoly, and you must do things their way.

The universities that I know work more like many little kingdoms combined into 1 university, rather than 1 university operating with a single goal in mind.

 

I'm sure you have the motivation to work hard on some fields that you think are interesting... But (without trying to discourage you), you must realize that the work-environment will also change completely.

[CharonY]

There are decent part-time PhDs. Usually in the applied field, in conjunction with a company funded-project. Part of it was to improve a certain thing, and another part was to provide the guy in charge (very capable chap btw.) the possibility to get his PhD. Of course time management is highly important there, but with sufficient industry experience one should have learned that, anyway.