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Is there a way to get PhD in Mathematics for a working individual, without leaving the job? Suppose, I have a solid dedication, can allocate time for studying

Is there a way to get PhD in Mathematics for a working individual, without leaving the job? Suppose, I have a solid dedication, can allocate time for studying at home (20-30 hrs / week), have passion and brains for research. 1. Are there any universities that support distance PhD in Pure Maths? Also, I can visit a university regularly (a few times a year). 2. Or is there a way to do research somehow independently from a university (for my maths I do not need Hadron Collider), but have a mentor, reviewer (I can pay for their service)? Or work collaboratively within a group? Can such research, if it is on the level of PhD, allow some institution (Cambridge?) give me a PhD degree, as a rule not an exceptional case?

pacbard 7y ago
There is much more to a PhD than research output. The unwritten curriculum of a PhD program is to introduce the student to the field of research through apprenticeship. For example, you hear people talk more about who your dissertation advisor was than what your dissertation was about. Writing a dissertation requires more than just "brains". It's about building relationships with professors that serve on the committee, learning how to manage feedback, and navigate the other aspects of academic life. If publications is all it matters, universities would just give out degrees based on published papers alone but few institutions do (at least in the US. I don't know how it works in the EU). As you point out, sometimes enrolling in a PhD gives you access to a well-equipped lab that is necessary to do the work. Most research in the physical sciences requires that kind of set up. I am in the social sciences so it's not a lab science. I could have written the papers I am writing in my garage but I don't think that the experience would have been the same as being a PhD student. By the way, at least in the US, there are a lot of research staff that works on research projects and publishes without having completed a PhD program. They probably have more knowledge than some PhD in the same field.
j7ake 7y ago
In general academia is competitive and productivity matters. You are evaluated relative to other academics at similar stages of their career. Finding a good mentor will be tough if you cannot commit full time. Advisors basically have to decide which students Will have their limited time for mentoring. So you’re competing with full time students who often have no family and willing to work every waking hour of their life. I think going part time route will depend on how much more productive you think you can be compared to other PhD students.
stared 7y ago
And what is your motivation? If you want to learn mathematics, you don't need to have PhD. If you want to go through the academic career line, you need to dedicate much more than part-time-job equivalent.
- playing_colours 7y ago
  1. I want to work in industry in research departments and deep tech products. For most positions, having deep knowledge will not be enough and PhD grade is expected: to pass the filter. 2. I want to explore some topics in depth, contribute, and get regular feedback, mentorship - basically, have an advisor. I do not want to stay in university, fight for places there, I do not need grants - I want accredited expertise that can open some doors. It seems like there are quite a lot of people in similar situations, and despite all the progress in online education, increasing academic requirements from many employees, requirements for life long learning our advanced education system cannot support different paths to accredited degrees and research.
  - ska 7y ago
    Something you are missing in (2) is the collaboration & work with peers, as well as baseline coursework (although that varies from country to country and program to program), and some of the other communication parts. A handwavy version of the scope would be 1) core coursework, which makes sure everyone has the same basic competence across a range of topics deemed important 2) comprehensive exams (but vary wildly by program) - the intent here is to set a bar everyone must pass to demonstrate the competence in (1) 3) seminars/journal review groups, etc.: group activities typically which are far less formally structure than (1), but allow students to be pushed technically by a prof and each other, and expand their understanding of current work 4) semi-formal presentations (usually within your group) and more formal presentations (e.g. conferences) - you have to learn how to communicate effectively with your peers and demonstrate it 5) Advisor: one person to guide and mentor you over the course of your study, and help tailor focus and remedial study as needed. Should help you refine your thesis topics etc. 6) Committee members: A group with broader experience than just your advisor, who will periodically review your research plan and progress. May be involved in setting your comprehensives. Will definitely review your thesis and will manage your defense. 7) external examiner : this is a check-and-balance thing, so a department doesn't drink their own cool aid too much. Should be an arms length expert in your field, who will review your thesis and can spike the whole defense if it isn't up to snuff. So things that list are difficult to reproduce in your requested scenario: a) ongoing collaborative work with peers through baseline courses and paper reviews, editing each others stuff, etc. b) non-formal interactions with committee members although if you can commit to regular campus visits you can probably do that. If I were in a position to consider supervising a "remote Ph.D." student like you suggest, I'd be concerned mostly on how to get them really ready for comps, and how to get them the kind of interaction and face time in a group to achieve demonstrate competence outside of a formal exam. The actual thesis part would be more manageable. I'm not saying it couldn't be done. In fact it's not uncommon for someone to go "remote" once they have finished their comprehensives; in some fields this is known as ABD (all but dissertation). At this point you've put about 2 years in and mostly focusing on your own research. It's worth nothing that leaving at this point is also a very common way that people just never finish. It sounds a bit like you envision doing this ABD part, really, but as noted above that's only half of a PhD program, or less than half. Basically the thesis part is a way to hand hold you through the process of writing up independent research and demonstration you can do it properly and on your own. In recent years their has been a move in some disciplines towards paper-based thesis, actually, which I think is weaker but is a response to the demand for publication numbers.
pxhb 7y ago
In my opinion no to both question (at least for US universities). It is not too uncommon however to have some alternative arrangement once you are well into your PhD, however. For example, some students will consult part time while doing a PhD, or spend the time writing the thesis in a different country.

pacbard 7y ago

There is much more to a PhD than research output. The unwritten curriculum of a PhD program is to introduce the student to the field of research through apprenticeship. For example, you hear people talk more about who your dissertation advisor was than what your dissertation was about. Writing a dissertation requires more than just "brains". It's about building relationships with professors that serve on the committee, learning how to manage feedback, and navigate the other aspects of academic life. If publications is all it matters, universities would just give out degrees based on published papers alone but few institutions do (at least in the US. I don't know how it works in the EU). As you point out, sometimes enrolling in a PhD gives you access to a well-equipped lab that is necessary to do the work. Most research in the physical sciences requires that kind of set up. I am in the social sciences so it's not a lab science. I could have written the papers I am writing in my garage but I don't think that the experience would have been the same as being a PhD student. By the way, at least in the US, there are a lot of research staff that works on research projects and publishes without having completed a PhD program. They probably have more knowledge than some PhD in the same field.

j7ake 7y ago

In general academia is competitive and productivity matters. You are evaluated relative to other academics at similar stages of their career. Finding a good mentor will be tough if you cannot commit full time. Advisors basically have to decide which students Will have their limited time for mentoring. So you’re competing with full time students who often have no family and willing to work every waking hour of their life. I think going part time route will depend on how much more productive you think you can be compared to other PhD students.

stared 7y ago

And what is your motivation? If you want to learn mathematics, you don't need to have PhD. If you want to go through the academic career line, you need to dedicate much more than part-time-job equivalent.

playing_colours 7y ago
1. I want to work in industry in research departments and deep tech products. For most positions, having deep knowledge will not be enough and PhD grade is expected: to pass the filter. 2. I want to explore some topics in depth, contribute, and get regular feedback, mentorship - basically, have an advisor. I do not want to stay in university, fight for places there, I do not need grants - I want accredited expertise that can open some doors. It seems like there are quite a lot of people in similar situations, and despite all the progress in online education, increasing academic requirements from many employees, requirements for life long learning our advanced education system cannot support different paths to accredited degrees and research.
- ska 7y ago
  Something you are missing in (2) is the collaboration & work with peers, as well as baseline coursework (although that varies from country to country and program to program), and some of the other communication parts. A handwavy version of the scope would be 1) core coursework, which makes sure everyone has the same basic competence across a range of topics deemed important 2) comprehensive exams (but vary wildly by program) - the intent here is to set a bar everyone must pass to demonstrate the competence in (1) 3) seminars/journal review groups, etc.: group activities typically which are far less formally structure than (1), but allow students to be pushed technically by a prof and each other, and expand their understanding of current work 4) semi-formal presentations (usually within your group) and more formal presentations (e.g. conferences) - you have to learn how to communicate effectively with your peers and demonstrate it 5) Advisor: one person to guide and mentor you over the course of your study, and help tailor focus and remedial study as needed. Should help you refine your thesis topics etc. 6) Committee members: A group with broader experience than just your advisor, who will periodically review your research plan and progress. May be involved in setting your comprehensives. Will definitely review your thesis and will manage your defense. 7) external examiner : this is a check-and-balance thing, so a department doesn't drink their own cool aid too much. Should be an arms length expert in your field, who will review your thesis and can spike the whole defense if it isn't up to snuff. So things that list are difficult to reproduce in your requested scenario: a) ongoing collaborative work with peers through baseline courses and paper reviews, editing each others stuff, etc. b) non-formal interactions with committee members although if you can commit to regular campus visits you can probably do that. If I were in a position to consider supervising a "remote Ph.D." student like you suggest, I'd be concerned mostly on how to get them really ready for comps, and how to get them the kind of interaction and face time in a group to achieve demonstrate competence outside of a formal exam. The actual thesis part would be more manageable. I'm not saying it couldn't be done. In fact it's not uncommon for someone to go "remote" once they have finished their comprehensives; in some fields this is known as ABD (all but dissertation). At this point you've put about 2 years in and mostly focusing on your own research. It's worth nothing that leaving at this point is also a very common way that people just never finish. It sounds a bit like you envision doing this ABD part, really, but as noted above that's only half of a PhD program, or less than half. Basically the thesis part is a way to hand hold you through the process of writing up independent research and demonstration you can do it properly and on your own. In recent years their has been a move in some disciplines towards paper-based thesis, actually, which I think is weaker but is a response to the demand for publication numbers.

pxhb 7y ago

In my opinion no to both question (at least for US universities). It is not too uncommon however to have some alternative arrangement once you are well into your PhD, however. For example, some students will consult part time while doing a PhD, or spend the time writing the thesis in a different country.