A part-time Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a type of PhD program. When a person pursues a part-time PhD, he pursues this advanced degree on a part–time basis rather than working full time to earn this credential. Typically, a person who pursues a part-time PhD completes the same courses and is held to the same educational requirements as full-time students in the same PhD program. The major difference is the part-time PhD student has a longer period of time in which to earn his degree. In many cases, full-time PhD students are able to earn degrees in three to five years; part-time-students, on the other hand, may need up to 10 years to earn their degrees.
In most cases, completing a PhD program requires a high level of commitment to learning, required coursework, research, and self-study. Additionally, PhD candidates must spend a good deal of time preparing dissertations. In many cases, schools expect those seeking PhDs to commit to their studies on a full-time basis. Other schools, however, accommodate students with work and family commitments that make full-time study difficult or impossible. Some also offer online classes, which may help students fit learning into their schedules or allow students to apply job experience toward earning their degrees.
While there are some schools that offer part-time PhD programs, they may be a bit harder to find than full-time programs. In some cases, financial aid opportunities are more limited for a person who is enrolled part time than they are for someone who is attending full time. As is the case with most accredited PhD programs, prospective students will usually need a bachelor's degree to gain admittance to a part-time PhD program, and many schools also require applicants to hold master's degrees. Additionally, some part-time PhD programs require prospective students to have work experience as a condition of admittance.
It is worth noting that some educators warn potential students against pursuing PhDs on a part-time basis and working at the same time. They assert that the amount of work and dedication required to pursue a PhD makes working a full-time job too difficult. In fact, many even assert that part-time work makes pursuing a PhD hard. Some students are able to successfully keep up with part-time PhD programs and work or handle other commitments, however. Additionally, some part-time PhD students pursue this path because they see value in graduating with work experience already in hand.
