PhD admission deferral

[supergirl1]

Hi community,

I have been admitted in my dream school for an Economics PhD in Europe. Immediately after I applied this year, I got a job offer from the IMF, which, given the uncertainty around admissions, I readily took up. I like working here but without a PhD, there is a glass ceiling so I definitely want to get a PhD still and am very happy with this particular school. I wanted to defer admission for a year and gain some exposure in my new job before moving on to a PhD next year. How likely is it to be granted, given the circumstances?

Any suggestions or advice is welcome.

[PokePsych]

Depends on the school; but most PhDs in Europe are like a job and funding is tied to a specific project. Money usually needs to be used within a certain time frame. Again - this varies per school, but I know this seems to be the case in most circumstances. It would pretty much depend on how the funding streams work in this case. If it is university-based funding - then you may have a shot, especially if this money is available every year. However, they may also just ask you to reapply next year rather than keeping a spot free for you. If it is grant-based money - then unlikely - as this would mean the supervisor postponing that project you're hired for which they are usually not willing to do. 

I know in my field (Psych) you generally can't defer admission due to the funding always being tied to a project and most profs would not want to wait longer than maybe a few months if really really needed and they absolutely love you - but it is highly uncommon.