| I left a Ph.D. program to take a well-paid job. :-) (Well actually it was to go back to freelance development.) Things to consider: - Do you have a wife or children to support? Will you get married or have children partway through your program? How will you pay for health insurance for them? - Can you live on the grant amount? My Ph.D. stipend was about $21k a year. Fine for a bachelor, tough for a family. - Do you "have something to say"? If you just want to learn more about the field, you might want to consider a part-time masters instead. A Ph.D. is for people who want to push forward the state of the art. - What is your end game? Once you complete the Ph.D., do you want to enter academia? Consider that tenure-track positions are increasingly scarce, and adjunct/part-time faculty positions might not pay much more than your grant. - How good is the program? Some advice I got was if you can't get into a top-10 program, it's not worth going. Also if they aren't paying you to be there, don't go. (This was for humanities though, and you do say you have a grant.) You should see how the people who just finished their degree have done on the job market. - How old will you be when you finish? I started my program late, and when I realized I'd be starting the tenure-seeking game in my late thirties, I really had to reconsider. - Can you go back? If you change your mind, how hard would it be to return to a position like your current job? (In my case I was interrupting a programming career to get a Ph.D. in Greek & Latin literature, so maybe your degree would have more value to your old career if you want to go back.) I don't regret starting my program, but I also don't regret leaving after three years with just the masters. Best of luck to you! |