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Offline satyajittillu

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phd while working
« on: May 09, 2010, 02:37:49 AM »
Am working in pharma industry, india and want to do PHD can anybody help me out

Offline bstanley

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Re: phd while working
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2010, 10:47:02 AM »
Do you have any idea where you want to do your PhD? Do you plan to keep your job while doing it? Tell us more so we can provide more information.

Offline satyajittillu

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Re: phd while working
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2010, 07:36:05 AM »
Do you have any idea where you want to do your PhD? Do you plan to keep your job while doing it? Tell us more so we can provide more information.
I want to do PHD in india I am working in peptide manufacturing company on senior position.  I have worked on various peptides synthesis and purification.  I am handling R&D as well as production unit of solid phase synthesis divisioin.  If it is not possible in india I am ready to do it outside also.  Please provide me more information

Offline Doc Oc

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Re: phd while working
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2010, 08:22:17 AM »
From the title of the post I am guessing that you don't want to quit working while you get your Ph.D, is that correct?  If so, I don't know any Ph.D programs that allow that, certainly not in the US.

Offline OC pro

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Re: phd while working
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2010, 12:31:26 PM »
A practical thesis (including laboratory work) can of course be excluded. I can only think of computer modelling experiments which may be done from your home via internet. But overall it will be very difficult to pursue Ph.D. whilst working.

Offline orgopete

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Re: phd while working
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2010, 12:55:14 PM »
While I cannot speak for India, I can say that I have seen different people succeed at getting their PhD's while maintaining some connections to their employers. However, at best, I suggest these are individual cases and examples. One cannot generalize.

These are some of the factors:
How much does your company like you? (How far will they go to avoid losing you?)
How successful is your company? (Do they have sufficient profitability to help you?)
How flexible is your management? (Can they bend the rules for you? Are they fearful of similar requests?)
Do you have a local university that is willing to accept you? (That usually means, the university, the department, and a professor.)
What obligations does the university have in this? (Are you simply a paying student, are they paying you and how much, or do they have money or an agreement with your company?)
Sometimes, a university and a company agree to allow aspects of current research to apply to a thesis. Is this possible? (Probably the least likely scenario, but not unknown.)
Does your company and the university believe you have the tenacity to do it? (The most general scenario is going to be like working two full time jobs, each of which is challenging on its own. Some companies have given sabbatical leaves of months or a year or more at reduced salary. That can make it easier, but only of limited duration. The more common is tuition reimbursement.)
What is the manpower situation in your company? (Can they afford a reduction in productivity from you?)

I think the most practical examples is taking courses while working, and getting a tuition reimbursement. You may be able to do some research in a part-time manner also. Then, a full time grad student stint of months or years.

If any grad students are reading this, I am sure they are thinking, "Why don't you just quit and go to grad school, it will be a lot easier?" Et tu?

Author of a multi-tiered example based workbook for learning organic chemistry mechanisms.

Offline Doc Oc

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Re: phd while working
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2010, 01:19:49 PM »
I did my Ph.D at a US institution and I was required to sign an agreement that I would not hold another job besides one that was approved by the university (aka; TA'ing).  As far as I know, US Ph.D programs in chemistry are all the same in this respect, you are required to be a full-time student and you agree not to have another job.  I can't speak for other countries though.

I can safely say that it would have been impossible for me to finish a Ph.D in a reasonable amount of time and simultaneously work full-time.  One or the other has to give, which is probably why Ph.D programs expect you to commit full-time to them.

With regards to taking classes and then going back to school, I've known several people that have gotten Master's degrees in chemistry and when they started Ph.D programs they started right back at the beginning.  A Master's degree did not advance them straight to the last 2 or 3 years of training.  This has happened at multiple institutions, so don't count on being able to take classes at night while working and then just finish the last couple years of grad school full-time.

Offline orgopete

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Re: phd while working
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2010, 02:10:07 AM »
Clearly, J-bone shows a job would not have been possible.

Here are some links that may indicate more options may be available than as a simple full time grad student.

http://chemistry.rutgers.edu/grad/graduate-prog
http://www.shu.edu/academics/artsci/phd-chemistry/curriculum.cfm
http://www.shu.edu/academics/artsci/chemistry/associated-programs.cfm
Author of a multi-tiered example based workbook for learning organic chemistry mechanisms.

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