Age to study phd

[MrsChuckBass]

Hi everyone
I haven't posted in academics before so hope I'm in the right place!
I'm studying a masters part time, I will be 35 by the time I've finished. I'm really keen to study a phd once my masters is complete but I'm worried I'll be too old? A few people in my work place (Healthcare) have raised eyebrows and said I should have started younger.
Any input appreciated please!

I'm 35 and have just registered to do mine part time. It's part of my contract, but no one has raised an eyebrow. I think my supervisor was a similar age.

Surely one of the things successful PhD study requires is independence of thought?

it can be done, but think carefully about why you want the PhD. It is not the same as just doing a longer MSc.

Do you want a PhD as a stepping stone towards a career in academia? If so, look carefully at the opportunities in your field & your area, because 90% of people who start a PhD don't go on to an academic job.

Or do you want a PhD just because you are interested in the topic, which is great but you need to be sure that it is a good use of the time & money it will cost you.

I would be doing it as something I enjoy more than anything else really.

I started mine at 34, graduated at 37. But we recently had a PhD awarded to a 70 year old. Apparently he was an incredible student and got it done within 2 years while also working part-time (university regulations had to be suspended to allow him to graduate). I guess he didn't have time to waste!

I agree with @parietal

You need to think about how you will approach your PhD and what you want out of it.

You say that you'd just be doing it as something you enjoy but a PhD is very different from a taught course as you're required to generate new knowledge which, yes, means a deep immersion in the literature and field (which is fascinating) but also critical reflections to identify a gap which you will fill through your research. Would you enjoy that?

Also, what would you want or be willing to do during a PhD? I want PhD students that I can write with, that I can present at conferences with, and hopefully collaborate with in the future. Would you be up for stuff like that?
What about teaching?

I don't think 35 is too old at all by the way. There's absolutely no age limit.

I honestly don’t see why your workmates’ opinions should have any bearing on your decision OP. You say you want to do it out of interest in the subject - and presumably you won’t be dependent on your present colleagues for a job at the end of it. (And anyway their raised eyebrows are probably a combination of awe and envy ...)

Some of the cleverest people I know have completed PhDs in their 40s / 50s / 60s. How can there be an age limit on thought?

I have a PhD student who has just submitted her thesis and is in her 70s. Age is not an issue at all.

My great-aunt was 69yo when she finished her PhD, IIRC.
That was ... 1976?
Then she taught for 10 yrs before retirement.

Of you want to, do it! To be honest I think it is probably easier to handle the mental stresses of the second year with a few more years of life experience under your belt. Most PhDs in my field were mid 20s on graduation but I know several who have come to it in their 30s and done very well. It is not the "norm" to begin in your 30s but I would certainly not say it is a disadvantage.

I'm in healthcare and there are lots of us in our 40s doing PhDs! Age isn't a problem but it is a lot of work and stressful especially with a family and I am envious of my younger colleagues who can just give up an evening or weekend when deadlines are approaching!

I’m in my 4th year of a funded PhD in a different discipline from my earlier career. I’m 54. It’s been great in so many ways, but also challenging - but I think easier than it would have been when my children were younger. If you are resilient and really keen, do it!