Can You Do a PhD While Working?

Yes, it’s possible to work while you complete your PhD. Working part time is fairly common, typically no more than 16 hours a week. Working full time and studying your PhD part time is also an option, but you can’t work full time while receiving a PhD stipend. Regardless of your choice, careful time management is essential to succeed.

Working while studying your PhD is a tale as old as time…or, at least, a tale as old as PhDs, which may be slightly younger than time. Both full-time and part-time work can be excellent choices for providing extra funding, learning industry skills, and broadening your horizons.

I’m going to be real with you, though—this is a difficult balance to strike. In this guide, I’ll take you through part time vs full time, some pros and cons to keep in mind, and tips to help you keep on top of things. You may also want a drink of something tasty and/or caffeinated, but hey, I’m not your boss.

If you need just a little extra funding to cover your fees and costs, working part time during a full-time PhD is a great option. You might want to consider contract work and/or permanent roles depending on your requirements.

Contract work

Contract work with your university is a common choice for part-time work. You might take on a teaching opportunity, where you’ll take part in training, seminar time, prep work and marking. You’ll often have the choice of how many seminar groups to take on, too, so it may be easier to fit around your research.

Aside from teaching, you might also see assistance roles available, typically involving tasks like research assistance and data entry for outreach programmes. Recruitment emails are often sent around departments, so make sure to keep your eyes glued to your email client (figuratively speaking, of course).

In any case, if you’re hoping to work in academia, both teaching and assistance roles are excellent ways of building your CV while making some extra money. They certainly aren’t the only choices, though.

Permanent roles

Depending on your skill set and career goals, a permanent role in industry could be good idea, both inside and outside the university. You may need to be more careful regarding your hours with a permanent role—if you work more than 16 hours or so per week, you may find yourself lagging behind in your PhD programme. Otherwise, the world is your oyster (or mollusc of choice) regarding what kind of role to go for.

Studying a part-time PhD while working full time

The other side of the coin is also worth considering, especially if you’re already in full-time work when considering your PhD. With a part-time PhD, you can spread the cost over a longer period of time, giving you more flexibility for work and social commitments. Still, there are downsides, too. Maintaining motivation over such a long period can be tricky, and you may not feel as connected to the research community.

If this sounds like it’s up your alley, might I recommend our guide to part-time PhDs? We go over all the essential info over there, including everyone’s favourite topic: funding.

Can you complete a full-time PhD while working full time?

I wouldn’t recommend it. Humans need free time and sleep, and doing a full-time job and a full-time PhD simultaneously is a good way of having very little of both. That won’t be good for your PhD thesis, believe me, setting aside what your boss might think.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, you can’t receive a PhD stipend while working full time. Part-time work is usually fine, but it’s important to read the terms and conditions of your stipend to make sure. Checking with your PhD supervisor is typically a good idea in these situations.

Pros and cons of working during your PhD

Pros

• You’ll have more money for fees, food, rent, and the things that keep you human.
• You can get industry-related work experience (many Research Council studentships even require it!).
• You’re forced to take breaks from your research.
• You’ll stave off the PhD isolation by making some ❀~work friends~❀ (hopefully, anyway).

Cons

• More time working = less time PhD-ing (that's a word, right?).
• Conferences and other academic activities might clash with your work schedule.
• You may feel cut-off from the academic community if you’re working in an industry job (though social media could help).

Tips from the author

#1 Workload management is your friend

PhDs are hard work, and jobs are hard work. Those two facts don't play nicely together, so managing your time effectively will help a ton, believe me.

Aside from setting priorities and general time management, make sure to take breaks. That goes for both the job and the PhD, for what it’s worth. If all you do during your breaks from work is think about your research, and vice versa, that’s not going to be good for your brain. Maybe catch-up on Netflix or read a good book?

Oh, and if things get too much despite your best efforts, it may be time to consider either retiring the job or going from full-time to part-time on your PhD. It’s never an easy thing to consider, but for the sake of both your PhD and your health (very important), sometimes you need to make the hard choices.

#2 Keep your supervisor (and your boss) in the loop

Unless your life is a TV show based on hilarious misunderstandings, there’s no reason not to be on the level with both your supervisor and your boss. Once they know you have other responsibilities and commitments, they’ll be in a better place to support you. Your supervisor will be well-positioned to measure your progress, and your boss may be able to offer more flexibility. Extending holiday to prepare for the viva may be especially useful.

#3 Don’t forget to get involved with the research community

Conferences, seminars and networking events are all excellent ways of building those academic connections, so don’t neglect them! Fitting them around your work and PhD schedule will be a challenge sometimes, but you’ll benefit a lot from keeping your finger on the pulse. Remember, the only ship mightier than a studentship is ❀~friendship~❀…and maybe a battleship.

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