adamgram

Thanks for the response. I'm going for my Masters in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on fluids and heat transfer. I've just started (2 classes in, 8 to go) so I plan on inquiring with my department directly once I'm a little further along.

That is correct, I do not. That is why I am posting. Like I said earlier, I would be interested in doing research and I'm not trying to get out of it. My question is whether it is possible to do the research required of a PhD program without working in a lab full time. I don't really know what Engineering research is all about. I know some people with who have their PhD in a hard science and it sounds like when they were in school it was beyond a full time job but also included teaching and working for their advisers. That was the "job" part that they did to avoid paying tuition and for additional money. What I want to do is pay my own tuition and work full time outside of academia instead of doing the TA / research assistant thing. I would still do my own research, assuming it could be done on a part-time basis. I might take classes one semester and then do research the next, or something along those lines. This would require some flexibility from my adviser, so I guess my question is whether or not there are programs that offer this kind of flexibility.

How does she handle the research requirements of the PhD program? Does she do work in a lab on campus in the evenings? Also, do you know anyone who does or has done this with Engineering?

Is it possible to get your PhD in Engineering while working full time outside of academia? I work in consulting engineering and am working on my Master's degree through night classes. I still have two years left to finish the MS degree, but I'm curious as to what my options will be in a few years. I'm already accustomed to doing both school and work at the same time, so I would be interested in continuing on for my PhD if it could be done through night classes the same way the MS program is. Is this possible? My understanding is that when you get your PhD it is generally full time alongside a research job with pretty crappy pay. It is also, however, my understanding that this research is an important part of the PhD program so unlike the Master's program there is normally not a "take classes only" option for the PhD. I'd be interested in doing some research, but I don't really want to trade my good-paying job for a low-paying full time research assistant position. My long term plan would be to continue working in consulting after getting my PhD for a few years, and then take a teaching job at a university. I would expect the PhD to take a long time doing it this way, so it would kind of be like planning ahead for an eventual change in careers from consulting, which is a good job for a young professional, to academia, which is a good place to work up to retirement age.