Changing universities during a PhD?

[oxcat1]

Does anybody know if this is possible? I am 4 years in, and likely to submit in around 4-8 months. However, my old supervisor retired at the end of January, and I was given a new one. She has been away for 4 months now, and it looks permanent so the university is trying to find me another new one, but there is nobody really suitable in the department.

On top of this, 2 years ago we moved house, so that I am now studying 3 hours away from where we live. This means I need to arrange time to go and spend a couple of days up there every few weeks, and this really isn't that easy.

Does anybody know whether it is possible to change universities during a PhD? Obviously I don't want to have to go through the 9 term period of registration again.

Help!

Do you have anyone in mind for a new supervisor? I think it would be difficult to do what you are planning.

How much do you need a supervisor now, so close to completion?

I also moved house towards the end of my PhD, and studied at a different uni, but purely as a convenient desk / library / computer access and a foot-in-the-door of a new department: I just got an honorary contract. I stayed with my old supervisors. And stayed registered at my old uni, which I think is likely to be the tricky bit to change. Could you do something like that?

Oh, I do know someone who had to change unis in year 2 of her PhD cos her supervisor moved to a different uni and the person wanted to remain with the same supervisor... I don't know what admin hurdles she had to jump though.

Well, I transferred universities at the end of the first year of my PhD, but was following my supervisor, who changed jobs. She recommended me to the new university and I just filled in registration forms and carried on.

Perhaps you could track down someone else in your field, and approach them to see if they could take you on - you've nearly finished your thesis, so it wouldn't be a big commitment to a new supervisor, and all universities like receiving fees... As you already have to travel to your current university, location could be of secondary importance - loads can be done by email or phone (unless you need access to a lab, specialist equipment, etc). Also, is there a university near you (even without a potential supervisor) with which you could make library access arrangements? (Don't know if this is actually possible.)

Could you talk to your current head of department to see if they can help with a transfer? It's not fair that you've been assigned a supervisor who's now absent, so they should be really proactive in assisting you.

Good luck, and well done on getting through the PhD! (I had to put mine on ice in the end - changes of circumstancs meant it was no longer practical to carry on, but I still hope I might finish it one day.)

Sorry for long post.

Whenever i have changed jobs or even gone on maternity leave i have carried on supervising my current crop of PhD students to avoid leaving people in the lurch like this

Your department has a responsibility to ensure that you get adequate supervision and being cynical given completion targets etc they will be very very keen on bending over backwards to ensure you submit within the 5th year. I would therefore talk to the lecturer in charge or research students and/or the HoD and apply a bit of pressure

My first supervisor retired, and I did contact him when my new supervisor was sick initially to see if he would take me over once again just to finish me off, but he wasn't prepared to do so.

I agree that the location of the university is in one way immaterial, but combined me with this new problem I just thought it might be worth looking into. I'm doing English, so no specialist equipment required.

In theory there shouldn't be much left, but actually much of the work that the first supervisor considered finished, the second one wanted to look at again, and I'm sure that the same thing will happen with somebody new, which is part of the reason my heart sinks at the idea. The university has given me some names of people in the department to try, but none are really working in the right area. I do know of people at universities only an hour away from me who are working in exactly the same field, but I don't know if it would be feasible to transfer. I'm not paying fees anymore as I'm in my writing-up year (supposedly) so I don't know why a department might be willing to take me on.

Grrr. It's nobody's fault, but I'm getting so down about it all at hte moment.

If you are at the writing up stage, then it is not essential that you have someone in your area (although they should be sympathetic to your approach). In some ways it is better to have someone a bit left field as they can give you a useful fresh perspective on it. The danger of having an insider is that sloppy arguements can bypassed as the reader does not need convincing.

I would chose a couple of candidates from the list you were given and then send a summary (two or three pages at the most) of your main arguments to whoever deals with graduate students in your dept together with your choice of suggested supervisors.

Good luck and remember it is only a PhD, the crucual thing is convince the examiners that there are some interesting and orginal ideas there + a possible important book. It does not have to be perfect

Thank you witchandchips. The department has only suggested 2 possible supervisors, and one has already said no as he will be going on research leave himself at Easter. I have contacted the other one and I shall have to see what she says.

It doesn't look as though transferring is really an option at this stage, and surely the department I'm currently with has some responsibility to find me somebody suitable, even if this new possibility can't help?

I think part of the problem is that I've lost interest in the subject myself, but that is really only because my research is currently going badly, and that, combined with all these other little niggles, is making it some impossible to finish at the moment.

Please see either the person in charge of graduate students or your HoD. It is actually up to them to put pressure on people to take them on, you should not have to do it.

please also do the outline of your research it will do your confidence no end of good as you actually realise that what you have done in total is really quite interesting even though the nitty gritty is getting you donw

I did contact the Graduate Chair but he says that he is too busy at the moment to meet with me, although I did speak to him earlier today on the phone. Because my supervisor is off sick, the only person who has been really helpful is the Graduate Secretary, and she's been great, but I think because I'm not physically there, I keep falling to the bottom of everybody's 'To Do' list!

I certainly will do the outline too, if only to remind myself what I've done, as you say. Thanks again.

This is just not good enough (your graduate chair being too busy to meet with you). you have had no supervision for 4 months, email him that this matter is urgent (and cc the HoD) mention also that you will have to inform the Dean of Graduate School or whoever takes that role in the faculty or the uni as a whole)

He also said that he'd been trying to call me but no response. The thing is, neither my mobile nor my home phone show any missed calls, and nor have there been any answerphone messages. It's soooooo frustrating!!

I'm getting quite tempted to drive up there on Monday to try and get this thing sorted out. When I talk to unconnected people (like you, although I realise 'talk' is not quite right here!), I get all fired up and determined to do something about it, but then when I talk to people in the department (well, actually only the Graduate Chair), they just keep going on about how it is a random series of co-incidences, nobody's fault etc etc. I do understand that, but neither is it my fault really.

Well, fingers crossed this lady gets back to me soon and says that she'll be prepared to take me on. If she can't, I've worked my way through the list (of 2) provided by the department, and things are getting desperate. My current deadline is December, and so I desperately need to apply for an extension because I have no supervisor. Amusingly enough, I can't apply for the extension until I have a supervisor as they need to sign off all the paperwork! I've done all my bits, but it's just going round and round in circles now.

Right. I have a plan of action now, both for my own work, and for the department. Thanks!