jackhw

After having conversations with several accomplished social science academics (several of whom graduated from leading Sociology PhD. programs) and having conversated with my employer who would give me some leeway/time-off, I've concluded it wouldn't be completely out of the question to be accepted into a PhD. program and while working full-time. I'm wondering if anyone who was accepted to a Sociology PhD. program in recent years is also working alongside their course and research load? I'm not naive and know it sounds very ambitions and that is why I'm nervous. I want to go straight into graduate school without sacrificing the experience time because I do not want to be funneled into academia right away. Because my area of interest would be crime/deviance and family & life course development, the majority of masters programs I've found are not worth the relocation and they tend to be a cash cow if I'm eventually going to get my PhD. anyway. I'm an undergrad set to graduate in May, start a law enforcement career with a highly credible department in August, and apply with the support of my agency to a PhD. program of a local university that happens to be a direct research interest match for Fall 2016 (seems to have fallen into place too conveniently). I would be given time off of shift work to make the quick drive over to classes when they overlap and reassigned to desk work where I could primarily work on my research after passing the masters mark. My current academic accomplishments, research and field experience, and projected GRE scores after taking a Kaplan practice test exceed the average accepted student background for the program. I often feel as though I'm crazy for thinking this is could be possible, yet no one has definitively told me it would be an unmanageable stretch. Thoughts? Thanks for your time and look forward to hearing your suggestions and/or backgrounds.