4 Year PhD?

[DigDeep(inactive)]

Possible? Recently, I had an offer to a PhD program that had a stipulation attached to accepting the funding package that stuck out to me: "must complete PhD in 4 years". Clearly, I understand degrees are hard work and you really have to take them seriously - especially at the PhD level. And frankly, I'm willing and capable to do so (currently completing masters). However, I read this sentence today and it really struck a chord:

 

"Nationally, the average doctoral completion time in anthropology is eight years. At UC Santa Cruz, it averages seven years". 

 

I'm not planning on going to UC:SC or anything (I was just reading a faculty's profile there), but holy hell 7-8 years? Am I missing something? I plan on doing more research on the topic, but figured I would solicit some advice from my fellow bastions of knowledge. 

 

Also, it's not at the same institution and not associated with my Master's thesis - which I would figure is the only criterion that could make a 4 year PhD even remotely possible. 

[strudelle]

I've been wondering about this as well.  I know people who got their PhD in 4-6 years.  The average time for completion in my program is apparently 5 years.  And I'm just thinking "is that really possible?"

 

I mean it would be wonderful.  But is it possible without brain explosions? 

[AKJen]

A lot of the variability in time to completion (in the US at least) seems to be correlated with funding and subfield.  In my program, archy and bio people tend to get done faster than cultural or linguistic folks.  Some of that is just the nature of fieldwork; cultural/linguistic people tend to be in the field longer and often need to return to their fieldsite throughout the dissertation writing process as their diss develops. Of course, generally archy and bio field work tends to be more expensive and often requires lab space, paying for materials, testing, etc.

 

The other issue seems to be funding related.  It can often be difficult to find funding for multiple trips to the field or dedicated writing periods, though there are options.  If you don't get the wenner-gren or nsf or one of the writing fellowships available, a lot of people end up needing to find work to survive (adjunct, contract stuff, research assistant).  This can give you good work experience, but also takes a lot of time away from your work, which extends your time to degree.

 

Oh!  Also, sometimes people extend their gradate student tenure to be better poised for the job market.  I have a few friends that are mostly finished (or could be finished with a final push) with the diss, but are holding off a bit to bolster their publications, get more teaching experience, tweak their CVs, network, etc.

[geographyrocks]

I was accepted into a 4 year PhD program so I hope it's possible!  lol

 

Although I'm in a different field, I've seen averages of 5 years as well. 

Edited February 20, 2014 by geographyrocks

[mybattleship]

I think 4 years is doable if you've already got an MA and you can cut your coursework down to a year. That leaves you a year for additional coursework, a year for comps and dissertation prospectus, a year for field work and a year to write up. Not top crazy.

I hope to be on the four year track myself, but I'll be in Geography.

[DigDeep(inactive)]

The offer is at a Canadian uni. Does that make a difference? I suppose I'm assuming it's the same as American universities; but this assumption is unjustified. 

[anthropologygeek]

To calm some fears, I'm in an American university and its my fourth year and I am graduated at the end of this academic year which means four years is very possible and I'm living fact of it

[sarab]

From what I've heard and read, people finish in 6-8 years, so it's definitely a long commitment. Also, universities out of the states usually require less coursework and go faster into fieldwork and writing portion of the PhD, so in that sense, it is possible to do it in a shorter amount of time.

 

And llike mybattleship said, you can use your MA research as the ground work for yout PhD, so that could also shorten it.

[gradcat]

Anthrogeek, would you mind sharing your topic of research?  You could PM me if you like.  I am striking out on my applications and I think it's because I am coming from a different academic background and have not framed my research well.  I'd love to hear about research that carries a student through to a PhD.   

[anthroflea]

I don't know much about Canada, but an MA is a prerequisite for the PhD in many countries and you end up doing very little course work in the PhD. I also know that people tend to get through the PhD faster in some European programs because they are admitted to work on a very specific research topic. There are some pros and some cons to that, but that would be a discussion for another thread:) I don't know whether any of this is true for Canada though. 

[Kleene]

Mind you that PhDs in the UK usually take 3 years. That's after the MS, without any coursework. In continental Europe 4 or 5 years is quite common, I believe.

[anthropologygeek]

Wanted to I applied and attended my university for a specific project. So I knew day one what I was doing so this has helped me finish on time. At my current uni, they only fund phd students four years and that's it. After four years you must find your own funding or finish. Alot of cultures don't finish but by the end of the third years they are generally off doing their research on fellowships. And then you have to actor in about 50 percent of your cohort will drop out which belief it or not is actually real since so far 3 of the 7 people in my cohort has dropped out and 1 is thinking about it.

[fishjg]

Especially with increasing language requirements, people are taking a lot longer to finish their degrees. U Michigan had a similar statement about the average length of time for a PhD being 8 years. 

[anthropologygeek]

I do know MSU it takes 8-12 years with 10 being the average

[DigDeep(inactive)]

Especially with increasing language requirements, people are taking a lot longer to finish their degrees. U Michigan had a similar statement about the average length of time for a PhD being 8 years. 

 

Yeah. BU Has a two language clause. As in, two other languages than your native tongue must be completed before you finish PhD. I'm looking at it more of an opportunity than an obstacle, however.