A doctorate can be expensive. There may be expenses and you will need to be able to survive, so also consider rent, food and utility bills. Depending on where you live and where you plan to study, you may be able to get a scholarship or stipend to cover the costs.
If you plan to work on the side, please note that this may not be possible. PhD work is often more than a full-time job, which leaves you with little wiggle room. That said, there may be options for paid work as part of your PhD, such as a teaching assistant (remember those people who were helpful during your hands-on lab? They were probably PhD students!).
And just to clarify: what is a degree?
When you complete a degree course at a university, the qualification you gain is the postgraduate qualification for that degree (formerly a degree or diploma).
The general rule is that it takes four years to complete a bachelor’s degree, but this period can be extended depending on the type of program chosen. If you manage to reach this level, you must present a dissertation attesting to the obtaining of the diploma. In theory, after completing the stipulated period, the person becomes eligible to enter the professional world. It is a step before studying for masters and doctorates.
The time required
The time required to do a doctorate or a master’s is different. Doctorates unsurprisingly take much longer, usually between 3 and 7 years. Masters usually last only 1 to 2 years.
Masters usually last 2 years, although there are also one-year masters, mainly in the UK.
What is a doctorate?
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest academic degree that can be awarded and is the third and final cycle in the advancement of higher education.
The doctorate is obtained on the basis of significant, independent and innovative work (Dissertation) which provides new information on a specific research topic.
Doctorate:
After obtaining a master’s degree, the next step is a doctorate, which involves work and research in an institution. PhD is short for “Doctor of Philosophy”. It is the highest university degree a person can obtain. Therefore, it is a hobby that requires a lot of study and research.
You might be thinking, “Do you need a Masters to get a PhD?”