4 ms·

I started my PhD in software engineering at 51 after decades of work in IT. The point is that if you value money over knowledge and unique experiences, then by

I started my PhD in software engineering at 51 after decades of work in IT. The point is that if you value money over knowledge and unique experiences, then by all means keep doing what you love the most. Some of use are prepared to build up our savings and then live frugally on less than ramen noodles stipend whist pursuing making a tiny dent in the universe of knowledge in a specialized field. At my university there were dozens of mature age PhD students doing research in a broad spectrum of fields. None of whom I met were rich in materialistic terms.

NonEUCitizen 5y ago
Which university is this (that seems open to mature age students)?
- R0b0t1 5y ago
  And as a follow up to this, are there any that are open to nontraditional students with an interest in research? Stopping everything you are doing for a minimum of 4 years is a complete nonstarter for the majority of working people, some of which would be great at research.
- 019341097 5y ago
  I'm a mature student returning this year. I'd say a lot of universities in Ontario are very open to mature students, and they've really made the process easy. I can't speak to other places, but I've been very pleasantly surprised.
- Shorel 5y ago
  Which aren't?
- GianFabien 5y ago
  In Australia, all Group 8 universities (most are in the World Top 100 rankings) will accept mature age students. It's not your age, it is your research proposal that earns a place. Typically you need a prior research Masters in a related field and bring a substantial amount of industry experience and connections. Universities are encouraged to increase their collaborations with industry. In order to prepare a successful proposal you need to read 20-100 recent papers in the field and cite at least 10 of them. Going to conferences is good for social networking, but you will only get a briefest summary of the research being conducted. The purpose of a presentation at a conference is to raise sufficient interest for some of the attendees to read the presenter's paper(s).
- Beldin 5y ago
  The Open University of the Netherlands is, generally speaking, open to the idea of part-time mature PhD students who have a regular job and pursue the PhD 1-2 days a week. We also have regular full-time positions (when the funding deities have smiled upon us); the latter are funded, the former typically not.
- 2143 5y ago
  Where I studied in USA there where plenty of mature people in my class. This one gentleman had the benefit of hindsight; he had tinkered with early computers, and had seen its evolution. (This was with regards to Bachelor's and Master's degree, though I don't see why they wouldn't accept mature people to PhD programs).

NonEUCitizen 5y ago

Which university is this (that seems open to mature age students)?

R0b0t1 5y ago
And as a follow up to this, are there any that are open to nontraditional students with an interest in research? Stopping everything you are doing for a minimum of 4 years is a complete nonstarter for the majority of working people, some of which would be great at research.
019341097 5y ago
I'm a mature student returning this year. I'd say a lot of universities in Ontario are very open to mature students, and they've really made the process easy. I can't speak to other places, but I've been very pleasantly surprised.
Shorel 5y ago
Which aren't?
GianFabien 5y ago
In Australia, all Group 8 universities (most are in the World Top 100 rankings) will accept mature age students. It's not your age, it is your research proposal that earns a place. Typically you need a prior research Masters in a related field and bring a substantial amount of industry experience and connections. Universities are encouraged to increase their collaborations with industry. In order to prepare a successful proposal you need to read 20-100 recent papers in the field and cite at least 10 of them. Going to conferences is good for social networking, but you will only get a briefest summary of the research being conducted. The purpose of a presentation at a conference is to raise sufficient interest for some of the attendees to read the presenter's paper(s).
Beldin 5y ago
The Open University of the Netherlands is, generally speaking, open to the idea of part-time mature PhD students who have a regular job and pursue the PhD 1-2 days a week. We also have regular full-time positions (when the funding deities have smiled upon us); the latter are funded, the former typically not.
2143 5y ago
Where I studied in USA there where plenty of mature people in my class. This one gentleman had the benefit of hindsight; he had tinkered with early computers, and had seen its evolution. (This was with regards to Bachelor's and Master's degree, though I don't see why they wouldn't accept mature people to PhD programs).