What am I in for? PhD (Social sciences)

[somm13]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for some inside information. I've been accepted to two Canadian PhD programs in social science fields and I am trying to decide whether to take the leap. What I really want to know, in a nutshell, is what my life will look like for the next 4 years. I'm unattached, no kids, dog-parent only.  I have scoured the blogusphere to figure out exactly what it looks like on a day-to-day basis as a full time doc student and here is what (I think) I have come up with so far:

Year 1: Course work (in my case 3-4 courses) which appear to be in the evening and based on a combination of regular graduate-level classes focused on research methods, and current topics in the field with some research papers for evaluation. Meanwhile, prepare my proposal and convince my supervisor that I am read to start independent research on my topic of choice.  Hopefully, I get the Ok. 

- How much employment work (i.e. to make money outside of school) is feasible during this first year? I've heard that people start looking for academic jobs after first year and, if they are very lucky, can continue PhD work while teaching/working at another university. 

Year 2-3: Read & write. Read research related to my dissertation. Write some chapters, maybe publish some articles relating to those chapters. Come up wth a list of 30-40 articles on which to be tested for my "comprehensive exam" (no idea what that looks like btw... I'm guessing essay questions involving critical analysis...).  

Year 4: Finish dissertation, defend in front of a committee who quiz me on the research and poke holes, then revise and resubmit (do you have to re-defend?). 

Does this outline sound close? 

I've also heard that there may be an expectation to work for your supervisor on their research. I am I under a misconception that I will spend my time working on my own project?  I'm not talking about applying for research assistantships or teaching here... just straight up bare-bones doctoral studies.

I'm feeling pretty naive about what to expect so I'm trying to educate myself before I make any big, life changing decisions. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks for your help!

[GradSchoolTruther]

 Have not heard of a PhD program king requiring 3-4 courses. Coursework for most fields is at least two years. You won't be competitive for academic jobs (except teaching as an adjunct) until you're at least ABD in years 3 and 4. Plan on at least 5 years from start to finish.

As for the dissertation, you will have to revise and revise until your committee is comfortable with you defending. You don't want to have to redefend a dissertation, as that would be a career killer in terms of getting good recommendation letters. You will also want an assistantship or fellowship instead of needing to work an outside job.

[rising_star]

That doesn't sound like the social science PhDs I'm familiar with. You don't have TAing or teaching in there, so I'm assuming you have some sort of fellowship which covers your funding. If not, then you'll need to calculate in time for 10-20 hours per week of work during the academic year.

In terms of comprehensive exams, 30-40 articles is WAY less than I'm accustomed to hearing about. I had that many for each area of my exams, and there were four areas in total. In other words, there were over 100 articles and books I read for my comps, some of which I'd read during coursework but many of which I read on my own separately. 

In terms of the dissertation, it all depends on what your field is, what type of data you need to collect, and your access to those data. If you're doing human subjects research where you need to collect primary data, the entire process takes longer than if you're using secondary data or data someone else has already collected. In my case, my research required trips to the field, which meant applying for and waiting to receive the funding needed to actually take those trips. Four year PhDs only happened for those who came in with a master's in the field or a very related field.

[sierra918]

I agree with both posters above. I'm aiming for 4-5 years, but I also have a Masters in the same discipline, and I will be transferring in some coursework. It doesn't mean it can't be done, but your timeline isn't accurate. I would talk to your programs or look on their websites for course requirements and other expectations.