Hi gents, I need some good advice. I am considering doing a 6 year part time PhD at the Open university while working, do you guys think this would work? Here is some background:
I work in Product Management for a fairly large (not quite FTSE 100) engineering company here in the UK. I am very interested in doing a doctorate for both personal and professional reasons. I am currently on course to finish my MSc part time at the Open University so I am familiar with studying part time (although at an easier level).
I know a similar question has been posed here but the circumstances were slightly different: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18247117&page=3
I originally looked into doing the EngD and while there are people doing the qualification at my company, they came on specifically to do that job and are mainly stipended by the EPSRC, so I think it is a harder sell to convince them to create a new programme paying contribution fees of £24,000 (£6,000x4yrs), Uni fees of £16,000 (depends if I can get funding) and pay my salary.
What I instead was thinking of doing was doing a 6 year (part time) PhD in Human Machine Interaction at the Open Uni; looking to improve the HM interaction in industry and looking at the impact it has on inustry. The top-level thesis would be my own, but the research projects would be relevant to my company's business. I would hope to integrate this into my role by researching topics agreed by myself and the company and commercializing those that work in industry, and extending the products in my product line. I have discussed this with the uni and they believe if structured correctly it is achievable, I have also started talking to the company about doing it. The cost of the PhD is also reduced to £12,000 for the whole course (for either myself or company to pay).
What do you guys think? Is it feasible? Any advice you can give me? Things I haven't considered?
I work in Product Management for a fairly large (not quite FTSE 100) engineering company here in the UK. I am very interested in doing a doctorate for both personal and professional reasons. I am currently on course to finish my MSc part time at the Open University so I am familiar with studying part time (although at an easier level).
I know a similar question has been posed here but the circumstances were slightly different: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18247117&page=3
I originally looked into doing the EngD and while there are people doing the qualification at my company, they came on specifically to do that job and are mainly stipended by the EPSRC, so I think it is a harder sell to convince them to create a new programme paying contribution fees of £24,000 (£6,000x4yrs), Uni fees of £16,000 (depends if I can get funding) and pay my salary.
What I instead was thinking of doing was doing a 6 year (part time) PhD in Human Machine Interaction at the Open Uni; looking to improve the HM interaction in industry and looking at the impact it has on inustry. The top-level thesis would be my own, but the research projects would be relevant to my company's business. I would hope to integrate this into my role by researching topics agreed by myself and the company and commercializing those that work in industry, and extending the products in my product line. I have discussed this with the uni and they believe if structured correctly it is achievable, I have also started talking to the company about doing it. The cost of the PhD is also reduced to £12,000 for the whole course (for either myself or company to pay).
What do you guys think? Is it feasible? Any advice you can give me? Things I haven't considered?
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