Self-funded social science PhD?

[parcelmystery]

I am currently in a social science MA program - thinking of applying for a PhD in 2024. The thesis I'd propose is on an under-researched topic, and the faculty members I've spoken to have been encouraging.

If accepted, I could technically self-fund. I worked for several years, so with a combination of my savings and DP's help, I could probably just about scrape tuition and living costs. It wouldn't be fun, but it would be possible.

However, I've heard really conflicting things about self-funding. Several people I've spoken to have said that self-funding is perfectly fine, no one cares, it's only in STEM that you're expected to get a full ride. Others seem to think that if your PhD is not externally funded it's not worth anything, and you might as well not do it. I've spoken to a mix of people but there doesn't seem to be any consensus.

Context is very tight PhD funding for the department I'm applying to - only a handful of scholarships are available, and some have pulled out for 2023 (who knows what will happen in 2024). I will apply, but I'm not counting on it. I would also apply for a TA role - does that change things?

So... self-funding, acceptable or not worth it?

Totally fine. Part of the reason that in STEM you're expected to have funding is that the cost for your PhD is much much higher than in social sciences.

After you finish your PhD, who will care whether it was funded by anyone or not? You'll have a PhD. In the day-to-day basis it won't make a difference either, save that funding can come with certain requirements (which may in fact be opportunities).

I think it's harder to do because you're juggling competing demands. It's important to plan a phd as part of a wider career. Will a long chunk of research help you get where you'd like to go? If you're self funding you can really set up a project that is really tailored. If your career plan is to become an academic make sure you have a plan B option. (I think that's important for any relatively niche career btw).

A self-funded PhD is exactly the same degree as an externally funded one. in fact, in some cases, because you have no direct affiliations, I would venture to suggest it is even more objectively assessed than others, A PhD is a huge commitment. So is funding one. I would say that if you want to do it, go for it! There's nothing to compare with the feeling of achievement at the end of the journey.Once it's done, no-one - absolutely no-one- ever asks or cares who funded it. Additionally, if you are self-funded, you can basically (some caveats) determine your own field of research.

Thank you both. I am increasingly starting to think I want to stay in academia as I am really enjoying the research angle and would also love to teach. But as you say, I need to have a plan B - I used to have a very corporate career and would like to think I’d be able to find my way back in if I had to, but five years is a long time.

As a supervisor (science), I would not want to take on a self-funded PhD student. there is a much higher risk they will drop out and a lower threshold for getting in (i.e. likely to be a weaker student).

However, some supervisors (who really want a student) would love to have a self-funded student because it brings kudos and a useful minion to their research group.

Add up the money carefully - a self-funded PhD might cost you £60,000 in fees / living expenses etc over 3 years. That is an ENORMOUS amount of money to invest in this. Do you really want to spend that much? Only 5% of people who do a PhD end up as a Professor (in science, lower in humanities). yes, you could be in that 5%, but don't bank on it.

So if you really love your research topic and have the money to spend, then you can go for it. But make sure you are making a clear-headed decision.

Also, while the PhD degree at the end is the same, if you have got a funded PhD, you have an extra line on your CV saying "I was awarded competitive external funding" which will help with your next stage of job applications etc.

Academia is a shell game. No jobs, no money, no security, endless pressure and criticism. The odds that you will become a successful academic in the humanities are very, very small. Do you still want to do the PhD if, as is quite likely, you get nowhere in academia and it actively hurts your career prospects outside academia?

Honestly, I wouldn't do it. Not because it is lower calibre, but because of the long term hit you will take on your own earning potential and income in the short to medium term, which you couldn't hope to recoup through an academic salary.

I started out in STEM, moved to social science and while it is incredibly interesting the return on investment is poor. There is funding out there - with flex on the PhD subject - but you need to speak to supervisors, and academics at other universities to see how you might access it. Fellowships, QR funded PhDs through host institutions and grants from a range of organisations all count. Plus increasingly UKRI are setting up calls to fund the researcher, not the research.

Good luck

Yes its important to remember that academics need to show they have supervised students to progress. So potential supervisors are not necessarily thinking in your best interests.

We need to show that we have successfully supervised PhD students to completion. I don't accept self-funded students because there is a much higher likelihood of them not completing.

Thank you to everyone for the thoughtful responses. A lot to think about here, both on a practical and emotional level.

@Thingamebobwotsit I also started out in STEM and feel that I should've just done social science to begin with as it's a much better fit for me. But I also hear what you and others are saying about earning potential.

One of the reasons I got a job out of uni so easily was because my former employer thought I'd be "good with numbers" - which is dumb because anyone could've done that job and I didn't use my degree at all. However I guess that perception of STEM vs. other degrees exists, even if it's often wrong.

Not having the experience of job-hunting with a social science degree (let alone PhD) has probably clouded my judgment on how easy it is to find something. What do people usually end up doing outside of academia? What are the best and worst case scenarios? Hard to say, I know, but in broad strokes?

If it helps contextualise things... the degree I'm currently doing is quite specific, and sends most graduates to posts in government, think tanks, private intelligence agencies, NGOs, broadcasting etc.

One of the reasons I chose this MA is because it seemed like it would be additive to my CV. But if I also did a PhD, would it be a case of one step forward two steps back?

So depends on a lot of things really. But you can have a career in many areas of social science without a PhD. Social research, evaluation, public policy, research funding, charity policy and public affairs (and don't tell anyone but plenty of academics in social sciences also only do it with an MA). I have worked outside true academia for over 15 years and it is perfectly possible to do interesting work, using your skills but you need to think laterally.

I would never discourage anyone from doing a PhD (I loved mine) but get it funded.

Sorry just read your second response. Sounds like a great MA. Depending on your age/commitments I would (personally) look for a job and re-evaluate in a few years time with some experience under your belt. Plenty of my staff have gone back to do PhDs at a later date. My friend even did this at 55 and is enjoying a completely new career post mortgage and kids.

Doing my PhD (humanities) was the best experience of my life, but that was because it was funded. Doing it unfunded can be really really hard (I worked a bit alongside mine even with funding) and with such uncertain job prospects at the end I wouldn't have done it.

When I'm recruiting lecturers I wouldn't think less of someone for being unfunded necessarily so it's about whether you're happy to fund yourself on the basis that it might not lead to a job.

How do you manage not to accept self-funded students? In the past I have made offers to applicants, who have said they won’t be able to come if they don’t get ESRC or similar funding, only to have them turn up on day 1 anyway because they decided to self-fund. One year 3 of them did this!

We are officially not allowed to tell students that we will not accept them if they self fund. However, I always say to applicants that I do not recommend self-funding and make it clear that the PhD work does not have the flexibility to hold down a part time job alongside etc. And if a student does not have a reasonable prospect of getting funding, then I can make sure they don't get an offer.

The academic job market is brutal and I wouldn't encourage anyone to self fund a PhD unless they were already well established in their career and or could take the financial hit with little impact. Funding is very competitive but that doesn't mean you won't be successful. I would at least try and go for ESRC funding. There are more benefits to the funding than just the money (and it amounts to a huge amount of money as a previous poster said around £60,000) but it also comes with access to additional pots of money to support training and research and some internship opportunities only open to UKRI funded students. Being paid to undertake doctoral research is a huge privilege and can be really enjoyable as well as a long slog at times. Funding means you are not continually scrambling for small grants here and there to support you which ultimately take you away from your research.

I received funding for a social science PhD would have never done it unfunded. If you really want to do a PhD just for the sake of it and don't care about what comes after, then I can see a reason for self-funding, but otherwise no. The cost is too high and the chance of getting an academic job too low. Most of my social science PhD colleagues have ended up working in research roles in the civil service, starting at £25-35k. However, there are plenty working there without PhD. Academia aside, there are very few jobs where a social science PhD is essential.

I'm in the humanities and the majority of PhDs are self-funded. So I don't think there is a stigma at all.

But as others have said, think very carefully about doing a PhD if your motivation is to stay in academia. The job market is very tough, there are far fewer lectureships/research posts than candidates (not unusual to have 100+ applicants in my area), many are not permanent, and you will always have to move to where the work is. Is that something that your DP would be up for? If DC are on the cards, also think about whether you want to be negotiating the job market/commuting with small kids. And whether you want to sacrifice 4 years to the PhD when you could be earning/saving/working your way up the career ladder.

Just want to add in here that I had part funding (tuition only) for my PhD in Social Sciences. I worked throughout to support myself, so it did take longer as was only able to do it part-time. It was hard work, and got harder as it went along (the final write-up was a killer, even though I'd done the whole thing using advanced WORD techniques). It didn't progress my career. I was in my 50s. I didn't even get a pay rise. IT WAS STILL WORTH IT! As I said an earlier post, the sense of personal achievement was terrific. Not everyone does a PhD for money or career reasons (not criticising you if you do, just sayin') - we each have our own motivators. And to those out there who sneer and criticise when you use your well-earned title - believe me, there are more of them than you would think - I say YAH BOO SUCKS TO YOU! signing off as Dr. Rollerskates.

I would advise that you do it only if you're ok with giving up four years of your life and potentially £60,000 or more (counting lost earnings etc.) in exchange for personal satisfaction. And I do think there are circumstances in which the tradeoff is perfectly valid. I myself did a partly funded (fees only) PhD in the Humanities after thinking a lot about it and concluding that I was in a position where I could afford to delay my entry into the non-academic job market (should academia not pan out for me) for 3-4 years in exchange for being able to immerse myself into doing research, which I think is the thing that I enjoy the most in the world and I'm better at. It depends on a lot of things, such as your age, whether you have a family or plan to have one, your likelihood and willingness to start or re-start a career elsewhere should you not get an academic job, whether you can keep working in some capacity during your PhD to minimize lost earnings, etc.

@BigGreen is absolutely right though, in my experience colleagues who encourage students to do a PhD (I never do so out of the blue, although I will ask questions and provide support if a student approaches me wanting to do a PhD) aren't necessarily thinking that the student will be able to go on to an academic career. Partly because this is very difficult to guess but also partly because academics tend to be thinking about their best interests, and not the students', in these situations.

I sort of self funded my PhD in social sciences...I had some money from an industry I was involved in (not a well known academic grant or an established knowledge exchange program or anything just a very kind boss really!) And I worked for the rest. It was worth it firstly because I loved it. A top uni for my subject and an ace, enthusiastic supervisor. That makes all the difference. Then I got a postdoc at that uni and now moving for a 4 year early career award at a different uni. Nobody seems to care exactly how you PhD was funded, but it helps for jobs to show you can attract money...I did that elsewhere, through applying for research grants, networking grants etc.

I would addi had NO IDEA how competitive the job market was after PhD and how little job security in early career etc, I just presumed PhD was the first rung on a climbable ladder...that is not the case! It is such a bottle neck at every point and very hard to raise a family on most of the short term postdoc positions. I've been really lucky with 2x 4year gigs (both my own projects) and hoping il make tenure after that.

I self funded mine. I did it part time while also teaching in a school. Was worth every penny.