Tech IndustryOct 29, 2019
Ciscogreedyengr

Balance academia while working in the industry

The more I spend time in working in the industry, the more I also want to be part of academia. I don't know why I am shifting to this parallel, however, there seems to be a growing interest in me to do PhD, and further more. I don't necessarily have a roadmap, or career path that I'm looking for in academia but the interest seems to be just pure passion. So, my question to the blind members is how practically possible is balancing the two? And has anyone successfully managed to do both? I'm inclined to do research towards management side (organisation, technology, policy, operations, entrepreneurship). Don't know whether this even exists?

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Salesforce Salesbury Oct 29, 2019

A part-time PhD is extremely difficult. It adds a lot of unnecessary difficulty to what is already a very difficult endeavor with a high rate of failure. For this reason you probably shouldn't try to do this. Completing a PhD means (almost by definition) that you become one of the ~10 - 100 most knowledgeable people in the world for a relatively small specialization of a very complicated topic. Most people who try to get a PhD never complete it. The time dedication required to get to the point of doing original research in a nontrivial field of study is astronomical. More practically speaking (and partly because of what I've outlined), you probably won't find a reputable program in your desired field offering a part time PhD. Part time Master's are common, but even part time thesis Master's are not. I don't personally think it's worth getting a PhD from a department outside the top 100 or so (preferably top 20) and I don't know of any that offer a part time program.

Cisco greedyengr OP Oct 29, 2019

Gotcha..

Salesforce Salesbury Oct 29, 2019

Rereading what I wrote, I can see it probably comes across as very harsh. I don't want to crush your dreams here. Weigh it honestly. I completed a math PhD and the advice I was given was basically, "Is the prospect of *not* studying this subject painful for you? Can you happily sit down and study this subject for eight hours a day? Are you comfortable with your identity revolving around this subject? Do you want it to be your life?" A PhD is rather extreme specialization. It's a very poor career move - for both academia and industry! - in *most* cases. This is because academia is hyper-competitive, you lose four - six prime earning years of income (assuming it's full time) and most people don't finish. If you honestly love studying something enough that you want to seriously do a PhD in it, you shouldn't be asking if it's feasible to do it part time. You should go all in, and start figuring out how to put the rest of your life on hold and live on far less income so you can make this your life for the next half decade. I don't regret mine, but I know a lot of people who do, and I want you to go in with clear eyes. In particular, embarking on a part time PhD program strikes me as fatally unrealistic.

Humatics dirtstyle Oct 29, 2019

I finished my PhD at Stanford while working in industry. I know others who did the same. Stanford has a degree area in the management research side of things. I forget what the department is called, but it exists.

Humatics dirtstyle Oct 29, 2019

I should mention that I was working only part-time and my job was very flexible and supportive. In addition to this, my PI was also understanding.

Salesforce Salesbury Oct 29, 2019

What was the application process like?

UCHealth kgqY66 Oct 29, 2019

I’d recommend looking at PhD’s in organizational management/leadership. You’ll be able to find all of the attributes you’re interested in organization, technology, policy, operations, entrepreneurship with different course loads. Generally, PhD’s have more flexibility on what you’re studying (so long as you find an advisor to support the idea). I would expect for it to be very hard to start a PhD program while you’re working, and you would likely get less out of it- but I would encourage you to call a school (a program admissions rep) to answer all of your questions.

Cisco greedyengr OP Oct 29, 2019

Thanks for suggesting organizational management/leadership, I would definitely take a look at it.