Part time??

[HopingforaSWphd]

Hey guys,

I have a great gov't job that I'm afraid to let go but I'd like to try for a PhD. Should I go part-time to a state school or quit my  job for a competitive (Uchicago,ect.) program? I have a strong educational background and should be good either way. It's for my own personal growth/ goal so I'm not super interested in academia.

 

Has anyone gone or considered part time?

 

[chocolatecheesecake]

If you don't want to go into academia, I'd reconsider getting a PhD. There are many ways to get personal growth - you can try a new job, a mid-career executive program, part-time study for a certificate, etc. A PhD is a huge investment in terms of time, energy, and money; you want to make sure you know exactly what you want to do afterwards and how the PhD is going to get you there. Some PhDs head into think tanks and other organizations, but not many. I suggest speaking to current PhD students and program staff/ advisors at social work PhD programs to see if it's right for you. Start with US News and World rankings and branch out from there. 

[WhatAmIDoingNow]

I second Chocolatecheesecake.  What would you get out of a PhD, if not going into academia?  Especially from a competitive school.  You should be fully funded to go back for a PhD, which entails a part-time research and/or  teaching assistant position. The program who funds you is investing their time and money in training you. If you want to do research, look at a PhD.  If you want the letters, then there are other enrichment options, some of which Chocolatecheesecake mentioned. 

 

Also, state schools are highly competitive too. It all depends on the PhD field you want.  UChicago is only ranked #23 in public affairs on that US News, far behind many state schools. 

[Gov2School]

You might want to reach out to the schools you're most interested in and see if they can connect you with current PhD students.  That's the best way to get a sense of the program and whether or not it's worth the considerable time and effort it takes to apply, let alone complete a course of study like that.