Eager beaver: Dissertation off-site?

[hip2btriangle]

If this is something that has already been discussed on here, apologies -- a redirect link would be appreciated:

Does anyone ever spend their dissertation years (after first 1-2 years of coursework) off-campus? I'm talking like in a different city. I think I've read somewhere that this is generally discouraged, but I wonder if and when it happens.

Like, say you're studying a certain culture that only exists in a major metropolis across the state, but your university is in uber suburbia and not really a good place to study what you want to study. Or, say you just would rather live in a different place when you write your dissertation. Does it really depend on the department? Could you lose/get more funding? Is there a rule of thumb to follow about this stuff?

[Anonposter84]

Yes absolutely. Id even say the majority of folks in my program do their dissertation offsite (usually in one of the cities within 3hrs drive...sometimes around the world). Once you are ABD, nothing is technically keeping you there (unless your school requires TAship to keep funding at that point in your studies, i suppose)

[Tritonetelephone]

I know people that have done the data-collection phase of their dissertation off-site, which is very reasonable. But I don't know about staying there for longer than that.

[slothy]

While I was doing an "Erasmus" semester in Europe (i.e. study abroad where 90% of the students were being paid to be there and sing Kumbaya aren't we all a big happy European family... don't get me started on the EU) I met an American soc ABD (despite being a poli sci department) who was doing the standard master's level study abroad courses because she had been advised that she would have to have a substantive experience in her country of study beyond data collection if she was to be taken seriously in the job market, and it makes sense. If there is a particular geographic dimension to your dissertation, you should have at least six months of day to day living experience there if you want to be any sort of authority on your subject, even if most of your data is archival. And I think this doesn't just apply to foreign countries - if your topic is specific to, say, Indian reservations or New York City you should have some experience living there. Just my two cents.

[ewurgler]

I also know an ABD in the social sciences who has spent all but the summers in other places--her country/area of study (Jordan and the middle east), as well as just completing the rest of her diss in Norcal so that she can be with her husband.

I think as long as your funding package allows you to work remotely or you have a fellowship, they don't care where you are.

My boyfriend is ABD in Comm at ucsd and will be moving with me where ever I end up to finish his diss.

I think as long as you work it out with advisors and such, no one really cares. From those I know who are ABD, they are hardly on campus anymore even if they are still in town.

[nyghtfalls]

SWEET! Fiji here I come.