Can only do 1 more year - how to break this to my advisor?

[MrSoap]

During a recent "conversation" with my advisor (i.e. being yelled at because my opinion didn't agree with his), he stated that I will not be finished by next spring ("or any time soon") - which has been the "plan" all along. This presents a serious problem for me, as my financial situation will not allow me to continue to stay in school after April 2015 (13 months from now).  I am now faced with the very real possibility that after 3.5 years (or in April 2015, 4.5 years) of graduate school, full time research and living off Ramen, I very well might be walking away with nothing to show for it.

 

Further complicating things is that my research is being held up by a lack of supplies (only 1 company in world synthesizes the material required) and my advisor, who has starkly refused to allow me to continue - instead he continues to insist that I work on a fundamentally flawed concept (which is related to, but significantly different from my dissertation research).  I've discussed the flaws with this system with him multiple times, and he shows no sign of caring.

 

I'm really at a loss as to how to break this to him without him taking it as some sort of ultimatum.  This is particularly stressful for me given his tendency to react completely unpredictably when given "bad" news - ranging from angry yelling to calm and rational discussion.   

 

Any advice is greatly appreciated.  Just the thought of all the hours of research, course work, studying, TA'ing and everything else, all without obtaining a degree makes me sick to my stomach.   

Edited March 5, 2014 by MrSoap

[asmithe]

Um, you should discuss this with your committee. Leaving with a masters might be a reasonable solution.

[juilletmercredi]

Is there someone else you can talk to first, to devise a strategy to talk to your advisor?  Many a reasonable advisor will try to work with a student who absolutely needs to finish for some reason (no more money, a job offer, etc).  But some advisors are insistent that the dissertation needs to be a magnum opus.  There's also the option of you switching advisors and working with someone else who will help you finish by next spring.  Also, if you know right now that you will need funding for an additional year (2014-2015), then you could always begin to write applications for dissertation fellowships and grants and see if you can win one that will fund you.  I also thought that my funding would run out after my 5th year but I managed to find funding for a 6th year.

Also, you say 4.5 years.  I'm not sure how you are counting (did you begin in the spring?) but if you started in September 2010 or even January 2010 do realize that 4-4.5 academic years is very short for a PhD and the vast majority of people take at least 5 academic years to finish (and very commonly 6), even in the sciences.  In fact, the field with the shortest median time to degree is the physical sciences, and it's 7.9 years.  (Note that that is median, so it's not skewed by the deadwood who stayed in for 14 years!)

First, think about how realistic finishing in the spring is given your interests and your project, if your advisor were to actually okay it.  Have you begun already?  If you haven't already begun, is it realistic for you to plan, execute, and write up a dissertation-sized project in a year?  (Probably not, btw.)  Then think about whether there are other options for you - is there anyone else who would support your research work?  Can you get funded for an additional year?  There are the NSF dissertation grants, for example.

You may want to have a discussion with your director of graduate studies about the problem.  Make sure that you approach them in a calm and cool way.  It may be that your advisor is right about the project he wants you to pursue and that your understanding of it is limited; it may be that he understands that you need to do two related but different projects for a successful dissertation here.  If you already have selected a dissertation committee, talking to another member of the committee is a good option too.