how to leave a phd

Thinking about quitting your PhD? Maybe that’s the right decision

Sometimes not completing a PhD is the rational choice, and having open conversations around it helps stop people feeling isolated and uncertain, says Katherine Firth

Katherine Firth

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Sometimes quitting your PhD and leaving academia can be the most rational move for students

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We know that 30 to 50 per cent of PhD candidates don’t complete globally. Countries such as the UK and Australia, where about a quarter of students don’t finish their PhD, actually congratulate themselves on their efficient completions. While my day job involves trying to help more people finish on time, I also know that choosing to stop can sometimes be the right decision.

People stop their PhD for a variety of reasons, including to pursue job opportunities, to focus on external life priorities or simply because they lose interest. Over the past two years, there have been even more disruptions than usual: researchers haven’t been able to travel or do fieldwork; they have had to give up in-person conferences and avoid busy labs and libraries; they got sick or the pandemic exacerbated existing health conditions; or their priorities changed.

Supervisors, candidates and universities need to be more open to having conversations about quitting. Why do candidates choose to quit, how many people do so and what happens to them afterwards? It’s almost impossible to get detailed, accurate data about completion rates. People who quit leave the university and, therefore, we often don’t see what they do next. If we don’t talk openly about stopping, people who are considering it feel isolated and uncertain. But it isn’t rare, and supervisors are in a privileged position to recognise the signs early – and then, as appropriate, support their candidates as they successfully navigate away from the PhD.

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Academics don’t always like to acknowledge it, but your health, family, career and community are more important than any scholarly accolade. People generally think about quitting for reasons including family responsibilities, mental health or their financial situation. Or they choose to leave because other opportunities come up. These can be rational, practical choices with sensible long-term outcomes.

After all, graduating with a doctorate is not the only pathway towards contributing to knowledge, discovering new information or being recognised as an expert. That incomplete doctorate might be suitable for a patent or to spin out into an industry application. Perhaps it makes sense to publish your findings in an academic article – or a public-facing book. Similarly, the skills that candidates have already developed in pursuing their research might be an asset in their job beyond academia.

It’s important for candidates to know that not finishing a PhD doesn’t make you a failure, and it doesn’t mean you’ll never have the opportunity to do a research degree in the future. Sometimes, now is not the right time or you’re not in the right field. You wouldn’t be the first person to return to academia after a decade in industry, or when your circumstances changed, or when your research project was safe to pursue again. The past two years have been particularly challenging for researchers who had to totally change their planned research projects. When it is just not possible to pursue the PhD you signed up for, it can be a valid decision to do something else instead.

However, I wouldn’t want to suggest that the only two options are gritting your teeth or leaving. Universities increasingly have opportunities for flexibility or support, which candidates should explore. Some adjustments are quite common if you ask around. It’s often possible to press pause on your candidature, take a leave of absence or change to part-time study. Work with the equity team or researcher development team to improve accessibility or get support. It might also be helpful to negotiate changes in the supervision team – realigning it to better support your methods, specialisation or preferences.

There are more drastic options, too. It’s possible to convert your PhD to a master’s by research. Candidates might even explore taking their project to another faculty, another university or another country where it fits better. Leaving your current situation might mean losing out on your funding or burning bridges or hurting feelings. It tends to require a lot of extra time, effort and work. It’s an extreme option, but if you’re already thinking about leaving, you are already considering radical action.

I recently wrote a book with Liam Connell and Peta Freestone, Your PhD Survival Guide , based on Thesis Boot Camp , our award-winning programme for helping get people over the thesis finish line. In our experience working with thousands of doctoral candidates around the world, having non-judgemental conversations about quitting frees people from having to pretend that everything is fine.

Supervisors, peers and mentors can also help identify what changes are possible to make or support candidates to weigh up their options and make a considered decision about whether to carry on or put down the doctorate, for now or for good, and pursue other priorities. PhD researchers are smart, resilient, persistent problem-solvers, and they contribute in so many ways to our world, whether or not they gain the title “doctor”.

Katherine Firth is lecturer in research education and development at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, and a founding member of the Thesis Boot Camp team. Her most recent book on doctoral success is Your PhD Survival Guide: Planning, Writing and Succeeding in your Final Year with Liam Connell and Peta Freestone.

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When should you quit your PhD? Advice for students

Deciding whether you should finish your PhD or leave academia altogether is a very tough decision to make. It shouldn’t be taken lightly, and many PhD students want to quit their PhD at many points throughout the process. I know that I wanted to quit my PhD in the second year but I’m pleased that I stuck it out.

Quitting your PhD may make sense if you have a complete breakdown of your supervisor relationship, you are working with a poorly designed project, mental health issues are getting in the way, or you simply do not want to continue in academia after your first year.

The constant presence of failure and criticism throughout a PhD can make PhD candidates feel like they will never be smart enough and can cause feelings of being an imposter.

This article will go through everything you need to know about when you should quit your PhD and help you make one of the toughest decisions that any PhD can make.

It is important to note that people who quit are not failures.

There is a narrative in academia that can cause people to feel really anxious about quitting. However, failing to quit when it is the best decision for you is much more of a failing.

I talk about this more in my YouTube video below.

Read more to find out the insider secrets to quitting your PhD.

When should a PhD student quit?

There is no one size fits all answer to when a PhD student should quit.

However, there are some general guidelines that may be helpful in deciding whether or not to quit a PhD program.

If you are facing significant personal or health problems that are impacting your ability to complete your studies, it may be time to consider quitting.

Additionally, if a student feels they are not making progress and are not enjoying the program, it may be time to reassess their goals and consider whether or not continuing with the PhD is the right decision.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to quit a PhD program should be made after careful consideration of all factors involved.

But you are not alone in this decision!

Here are some other people who have quit their PhD and are talking about on YouTube that you may find interesting to watch:

Here are some important aspects that you can consider if you are considering giving up your PhD.

After your first year

Before you decide to quit your PhD, you should at least see if it isn’t poor for you. Spend at least six months in your doctorate before asking yourself whether academia is the right career choice for you.

Having tried a PhD and realising that it is not for you is certainly not a failure.

The first year will show you pretty much all of the important aspects of having a career in academia. Therefore, you can base your decision on how much you have really enjoyed your first year and whether or not it is something that you want to continue for another two – five years.

Breakdown of the supervisor relationship

Your PhD will be heavily dictated by your academic supervisor.

It’s important that you maintain a healthy supervisor relationship. However, sometimes that is easier said than done.

If your PhD supervisor relationship has completely broken down and is toxic, I would recommend looking for an alternative supervisor or leaving the project altogether and looking for other opportunities in academia and outside of academia elsewhere.

I highly recommend that you have a co-supervisor during your PhD so that if one of the supervisor relationships breaks down you always have a backup.

The project is poorly designed

Sometimes the best plans can go badly.

It is worth quitting your PhD if you have got nowhere with your research after two years. Sometimes research does not reward you for hard work and it can be a very frustrating time.

Look at the progress of your research and focus on stuff that is working. Ultimately, at the end of your PhD you are expected to write up a dissertation or a number of peer-reviewed papers to show that you have contributed enough novel work to be admitted into your doctorate.

If you are unable to satisfy this, you will simply fail to obtain your PhD.

A good project is one that is relatively flexible and can pivot to other areas if one section of the plan is not working.

Mental health issues

Mental health issues are also another reason why you should consider quitting your PhD or, at least putting it on hold.

Your PhD is only as good as your mental health. You will be the one responsible for pushing the project forward when things are going badly and this takes a fair amount of resilience and persistence.

Resilience and persistence are at their best when your mental health is too.

Financial issues

Many people want to quit their PhD due to financial stress.

Earning a student stipend for multiple years can be a very stressful and miserable time for those who have got expenses and debts. Some people get a job alongside their PhD but this is not realistic for most.

Quitting your PhD in saving up money in a job may help you return to academia with a financial safety net that can make your PhD much less stressful.

The best way to quit your PhD

There is no one best way to quit your PhD as every situation is unique, and you will need to find an approach that works best for you.

However, there are some general tips that may be helpful.

First, it is important to have a clear plan and reason for leaving your PhD program. This will make it easier to stay focused and motivated as you go through the process of quitting.

Second, try to give yourself plenty of time to make the transition. This includes both mentally and emotionally preparing for the change, as well as taking care of any practical details like finding a new place to live or transferring your health insurance and all of the boring admin stuff that may occur.

Finally, be sure to reach out for support from family and friends during this time. Quitting a PhD can be a difficult and stressful experience but having a strong support network can make it much easier.

Here are some steps you can take to ease the transition.

Take some time off – Pause your studies

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to take a break.

Step away from your research and give yourself some time to relax. You may be able to give yourself up to a year off from your research. I have spoken with PhD students have done this and they are able to re-enter their PhD with much more focus and motivation.

Try to come back to your research with fresh eyes and a clear mind.

Leave your PhD amicably

If you decide to leave your PhD program, it is important to do so amicably.

This means that you should try to maintain a good relationship with your advisor and committee members. You should also let them know about your decision as soon as possible. A committee member may be able to help you find a new advisor.

Finally, it is also a good idea to write a letter of resignation. This will help you to state your intentions in a professional manner and it will also give your supervisor time to adjust or find a replacement PhD student for the project.

A letter of resignation can be an extremely difficult thing to write. However, it is important that you take the time to write one so that your supervisor and the University know that you are leaving.

What are your next career plans?

Before leaving your PhD you need to ask yourself what is next for your career.

What excites you? What job would you be excited to turn up to every day?

Most people will need to find work as soon as they leave their PhD in order to live comfortably. Think about what you’d like to do and your plans for after you quit.

This will help you consider whether or not quitting is the right decision for you and help ease the transition as you will be excited for your next adventure.

Wrapping up

If you decide to quit a PhD it can be a very daunting experience and many people wonder if they will regret it.

There are many people that quit a PhD for a variety of reasons. Ensuring that you are comfortable with your decision and that you’re excited about the next stage in your life will help ease the transition.

You can also take eight couple of months off to settle on your decision without the pressures of academia muddying your thoughts.

For many people a PhD is not the right choice and quitting is the best decision they can make. Good luck with your decision!

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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Knowing when to quit PhD: Signs to look for and what to do next

Not many know of the harsh realities of the PhD program when they first start out and many struggle to be fully convinced that PhD is indeed the right career choice for them.

So, somewhere along the journey they start feeling stuck with no real progress being made and start questioning whether or not to continue . It is at this time, they need to make the tough call and often they lack the know how to be able to decide how to proceed thereon.

In this article, we will look into the signs that indicate it’s time to quit your PhD program, what to do after quitting, and alternative career paths to consider. We’ll also discuss managing finances and prioritizing mental health during this difficult time, as well as the importance of a healthy relationship with your PhD supervisor.

Finally, we’ll explore how a change in personal goals can affect your decision to leave the program and provide resources for those considering leaving their PhD program. Contrary to the other blogs that touch base on this topic, we will also look into how you can resume your PhD journey after a brief hiatus if you decide so instead of quitting.

Table of Contents

Signs it’s time to quit PhD

Making the decision to quit PhD

Next steps after quitting phd, alternative career routes after quitting phd, resume your phd journey, key takeaways, signs it's time to quit phd.

There are some tell tale signs that you can look out for to know if it’s time to quit your PhD.

Lack of Passion

Your passion for your research should be what drives you to continue your PhD. If you find yourself lacking excitement or interest in your work, it may be time to re-evaluate your goals and consider quitting.

Emotional and mental health issues

The stress of a PhD program can take a toll on your mental health. If you find yourself constantly anxious, overwhelmed, or depressed, it may be a sign that the program is not worth sacrificing your health.

Financial Hardship

PhD programs can be expensive and do not always offer enough funding or job opportunities to support your lifestyle. If you are struggling financially and cannot see a way out, it may be time to consider other options.

Lack of Support

A strong support system is crucial during a PhD program. If you feel isolated or unsupported by your colleagues or mentor, it can make the program even more challenging.

If you recognize any of these signs, it may be time to take a step back and evaluate your options. It’s important to remember that quitting your PhD program does not mean you have failed. Here are some steps to take next:

Speak with a trusted mentor or advisor to discuss your options.

Consider taking some time off to re-evaluate your goals and explore other interests.

Look into alternative career paths or programs that align with your interests and values.

Connect with a therapist or mental health professional for support during this transition.

Poor relationship with supervisor or lab members

If you’re experiencing conflicts with your supervisor or lab members, it can create a toxic work environment that affects your ability to perform. This can be especially challenging in a PhD program that is often heavily reliant on the relationship with your supervisor. If attempts to resolve conflicts have been unsuccessful, it may be time to consider moving on to a different program or workplace. Remember that your well-being should be a priority and it’s okay to make changes that support that.

Change in personal goals or circumstances

As we grow and change, our goals and circumstances can shift. If you find yourself no longer interested in pursuing a career in academia or if personal circumstances make continuing the program difficult, it’s important to consider whether the PhD is still the best path for you. Keep in mind that it’s never too late to make a change and pursue a different career path that aligns better with your current goals and needs. Remember to seek support and guidance from trusted advisors and professionals as you make these decisions.

The decision to quit your PhD is a difficult one, but it’s important to be honest with yourself about your needs and goals. Remember that quitting does not mean failure, and it’s never too late to make a change. Here are some steps to help you make this decision

Weighing the pros and cons

When making the decision to quit your PhD program, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons. Some pros of continuing may include a strong passion for your research, a supportive advisor, and opportunities for career advancement. However, some cons may include financial strain, mental and emotional exhaustion, and a lack of interest in your work.

Reflecting on your goals and values

Reflect on your goals and values and how they align with your current situation. Are you still passionate about your research? Is the PhD program aligning with your personal values and goals? Reflecting on these questions can help provide clarity when making the decision to continue or quit the program.

Seeking advice and support

Speak with trusted mentors, advisors, and professionals to discuss your options and gather information. It’s important to seek advice and support from people who understand the demands of a PhD program and can help you make an informed decision.

Trusting your intuition

Ultimately, the decision to quit your PhD should come from a place of intuition and self-awareness. Trust your instincts and listen to your body and mind. If you feel that continuing the program will have a negative impact on your well-being and happiness, it may be time to consider other options.

Remember that quitting your PhD program does not mean you have failed. It takes courage to acknowledge when something is not working and make a change. Trust yourself and do what is best for you and your future.

If you have decided to quit your PhD program, it’s important to have a plan for what comes next. Here are some steps to consider:

Take time for self-care

Leaving a PhD program can be a major life change that can have an emotional impact. It’s important to take time to reflect, process your feelings, and engage in self-care activities that help you feel grounded and supported.

Re-evaluate your career goals

Reflect on your interests and career goals and explore alternative career paths that align with your passions and values. Consider taking courses or workshops to develop new skills and broaden your options.

Network and build new connections

Connect with professionals in your field of interest and attend industry events to expand your network and gain insight into new career opportunities. Building new connections can help you find new opportunities and grow your professional circle.

Seek support and guidance

It’s important to connect with a mentor, advisor, or therapist who can offer support and guidance as you navigate this transition. They can help you overcome any obstacles or self-doubt you may have and provide valuable insights and resources.

Consider further education or training

If you are interested in pursuing a different academic path, consider further education or training in a new field. This can open up new opportunities and help you gain new skills and knowledge.

Embrace the change and stay positive

Leaving a PhD program can be challenging, but it’s important to embrace the change and stay positive. Remember that this decision is an opportunity for growth and new experiences. Focus on the positives of your decision and stay open to new opportunities that come your way. With time and persistence, you can forge a new path that aligns with your passions and goals.

If you decide to leave your PhD program, there are many alternative career routes to consider. Here are a few options to explore:

Consider exploring career opportunities in industry that relate to your research interests. Industry jobs can offer more stability and a faster career trajectory than academia.

If you enjoy teaching, consider pursuing a career as a high school or community college teacher. You can also consider teaching positions in non-academic settings, such as museums or community centers.

Entrepreneurship

Starting your own business or consulting firm can be a rewarding career path that allows you to apply your research skills in new ways. Be prepared to invest time and energy into building your business.

Non-profit work

Non-profit organizations offer a variety of career opportunities that align with your values and interests. Consider working for a non-profit in a role that utilizes your research skills or knowledge.

Government work

Working for the government can provide stable employment and opportunities to make a difference in your field of interest. Consider working in a government agency related to your research area or in science policy.

Freelancing

Freelancing or consulting can offer flexibility and the opportunity to work on a range of projects related to your research or interests. Be prepared for the challenges of self-employment and building a client base.

Remember that there are many alternative career paths to consider after leaving your PhD program. Take time to explore your interests and goals, and seek advice and support from trusted professionals as you navigate this transition.

Consider your options carefully and make a decision that aligns with your values and goals. Remember that it’s okay to change your mind and pursue a different path. Take time for self-care, re-evaluate your career goals, network and build connections, seek support and guidance, consider further education, and stay positive.

As opposed to quitting, if you give it a second thought and decide to resume with your PhD, here are some steps to help you through it and your approach from the past. Don’t worry if you’re feeling unsure; this is a normal phase for many.

Reconnect with your advisor and lab members

It’s important to reconnect with your advisor and lab members after a hiatus. Schedule a meeting with your advisor to discuss your plans moving forward and any necessary steps to re-integrate into the program.

Review and update your research plan

Take time to review and update your research plan to ensure that it aligns with your current goals and interests. Consider any changes that may have occurred during your hiatus and discuss any necessary adjustments with your advisor.

Re-establish your routine

Returning to a PhD program may require adjusting your routine to ensure that you have enough time and energy to dedicate to your research and coursework. Make a schedule that works for you and stick to it. Create a plan for managing your time, including scheduling regular breaks and self-care activities.

Connect with your peers

Connecting with your peers can help you stay motivated and engaged in your program. Attend department events, join a study group, or participate in student clubs to meet new people and build relationships.

Seek additional support and resources

If you are struggling to get back into the swing of things, consider seeking additional support and resources. This may include working with a tutor, attending office hours, or accessing mental health services.

Keep your long-term goals in mind

Remember your long-term goals and why you started your PhD in the first place. Keeping your goals in mind can help you stay motivated and focused as you resume your PhD journey. Celebrate your successes and milestones along the way and don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed.

Whether you decide to quit your PhD program or continue on, the most important thing is to be true to yourself and your values. Take the time to reflect and seek advice and support from trusted mentors, advisors, and professionals. Remember that there are always options and opportunities to pursue your passions and goals. Whatever you choose – to quit or to resume your PhD after a brief hiatus , trust yourself and take pride in the journey ahead.

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It’s OK to quit your PhD

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Occasionally I’m asked about quitting, particularly “quitting” a PhD program. This happened several times last week, when I was in Vancouver.

Contrary to what you may hear or what your own internal critics tell you, there’s no shame in moving on. I remember a long post on a Versatile PhD forum from “PJ,” an ABD thinking about leaving instead of spending another two years (minimum) to finish their PhD. In response, one commenter wrote, “But the real question is, do you want to be a quitter? Now, not everyone will view that question the same, and I’m sure many will say that equating quitting a PhD program to being a quitter is not valid, but in reality, it is.” No! Thankfully, most other commenters on the thread offered more nuanced and helpful reflections and advice. “Finishing is not just about the destination,” one former tenure-track professor pointed out. “If that’s the only thing you want, then it’s a tough few years ahead.” Indeed.

Before you make the decision to leave, separate your inner critic – who may well be reflecting outer critics in your life – from what you know is right for you. Trust your gut, not your gremlin. In my experience, this is a decision that individuals make and re-make over time. I’ve worked with a few clients who’ve contemplated not finishing their PhD programs. While you figure out what you want, it’s ok to be ambivalent, carrying on the work but distancing yourself psychologically and emotionally from academia. What are your goals? Once you know them, you can determine the correct strategy to move toward them. (With thanks to Harvey P. Weingarten’s recent post .)

The “no one likes a quitter” attitude that exists in graduate school and perhaps in academia writ large isn’t warranted. There is nothing inherently good or bad about completing a PhD. It’s only a good move for you if it is a good move for you. While individuals who depart sans degree will come to their own personal conclusions about their decisions, the wide world rarely cares. It’s instructive that in PJ’s original post, they mentioned that their former undergraduate professors were unanimous in advising them to quit. I’ll let English professor (and graduate advisor) Leonard Cassuto speak for ideal advisors everywhere: “Most of my advisees finish their dissertations and get jobs. I’m proud of them. But some walk away – and of that group I’m just as proud” ( Graduate School Mess , p. 121). I feel the same way about my own clients, whatever path they choose to take.

A while back Christine Slocum reflected on her career journey in a Transition Q & A post . She’d completed an MA and then two years of a PhD program, then moved on before achieving ABD status. In her post she explains there were several reasons for her choice, including feeling burnt out, lack of community in her department, and desire to start a family. Pursuing the doctorate no longer meshed with her goals: “After some soul searching, I remembered that the reason I was pursuing sociology in the first place was to better understand the mechanisms of social stratification because I wanted to better understand how to undo it. Four years of graduate study [later,] I felt like I had enough that the next five years would be better spent working for an NGO, nonprofit, or government position getting practical experience in the field.”

Heather Steel made a similar decision when she decided not to continue her PhD in the midst of dissertating. She learned important information about herself during graduate school. “There were parts of my program that I enjoyed very much (classes, having the chance to read and think, teaching, and my colleagues), but in the end,” she realized, “sitting for hours in front of a microfilm reader to write something that few people would actually read was not fulfilling.” Heather learned that she enjoys “research in small doses, not projects that take years to see results.” When I did an informational interview with her during my transition, I learned that she didn’t regret her choices. Her career has continued to progress since then.

When I was in Vancouver, a graduate student in the audience at one of my talks shared his own story: He’d been enrolled in a PhD programs years before, then left. But here he was back doing another doctorate! He was nearly done, and this time around he knew it was the correct path for him. I know several people who’ve done similar things, for a variety of reasons. Fascinating, eh?

If completing your PhD is the right move for you, carry on. Get support and help wherever you can find it, go part-time, or take a break or leave or absence. Make whatever changes you need to smooth your journey. But if the doctorate no longer makes sense — your goals have changed, you’ve learned more about yourself over the years — then I’ve got your back (in spirit) in deciding not to continue. You’re not “quitting” or “leaving”; instead, you’re embarking on a new, better-for-you path, taking what you learned and experienced and applying it in a context that’s more suitable to who you are, how you work best, and where you want to go. That’s risky and brave, but it’s also just you standing up for yourself. It took me until after my PhD to do that. Feel free to do as I didn’t.

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Very helpful, and applicable to many starts, stops and regroups along the career pathway. I feel better already!

Of course it’s okay to quit. If fact, I would encourage anyone to quit who would clearly be better off leaving a program and getting on with their lives. Life is precious and there are a lot of better ways to spend it than wasting away in a grad program.

It’s a sad statement on higher ed that an article like this has to even be written. Why should a student feel obligated to work away on a degree, when there are little to no job opportunities with the degree in hand? Especially if they don’t have funding and are going into debt?

I heard an employer once say that they’d be more likely to hire someone who quit a PhD program, since it would demonstrate that they could see it was not a good use of time and resources.

Years ago I was an ABD. I was married with 3 children and struggling financially. I was offered a position at a very attractive salary. I accepted the position and left the Faculty of Graduate Studies in “Good Standing”. A few years later an opportunity arose at my workplace which allowed me to complete a Doctorate at a different university in a different program. Leaving the original program and university was not the end of the world.

What is being ignored here is the nobility-like status of being able to add “Dr.” in front of your name. Even if others find it laughable, internally, this could be a motivation and feeling that you have achieved something in life that the majority of others didn’t (not saying they couldn’t but they didn’t!).

Also, throughout your life you are likely meet individuals who would show tremendous respect to the fact that you have a PhD whatever the field might be, even if they don’t offer you a job or pay you more money.

The internal and sometimes external respect and the sense of belonging to a select group is important in my view, and at least for me was an important part in motivating me to pursue my PhD was the fact that I could put “Dr.” in front of my name and belong to a select club.

I see what you mean, but I also think the value of the “Dr” is over-inflated in academia and those of us who are from that culture. Don’t get me wrong. I still get a kick out of being called a Dr… at the same time that it’s incredibly awkward. Depending on the company–for instance, if I’m around people who couldn’t access postsecondary education, let along secondary, which I do at times in my work–it can feel embarrassing to flaunt my title and my privileged access to (and resources to finish) a graduate degree. And I don’t need the title, at least not always, to get respect. It has strategic uses, but almost 3 years after graduating, I’m more energized when people recognize the work I do currently, which is outside of academia. I do want my more senior colleagues to address me as Dr. in professional settings, but only because it is appropriate–I work with many medical doctors and getting them to recognize that “I’m a Dr too!” has been a bit of a struggle.

Talking to friends who are in the process of finishing their degree (with a very real possibility that they won’t due to various barriers), I see the reverse of the pride and prestige associated with the Dr status rear its ugly head — shame. I think THAT more than the prestige of the title itself is concerning. Those of us who managed to finish our degrees should definitely feel proud of what we did and relish that title. But for those who did not finish their degrees to feel shame or be shamed is really unfortunate… because we achieve so much more than our degrees in our graduate programs, that are not recognized by the academic industry (because the truth is, education IS an industry). Defending our dissertations is just one milestone among many.

So yes–I agree that we shouldn’t undermine the value–external and internal–placed on the Dr status. But I also think both can happen at the same time: recognizing the prestige of the status AND moving away from shame-based discourse around not finishing/quitting/leaving the PhD process, whatever the reason might be.

Very nice to hear this discussion. I, like the audience member in their second doctorate program, quit my first then went back to complete a second doctorate. Unfortunately when I finished, I realized that my motivations were not the best ones for such an investment of time and money. So I learned, later than I wished, that sticking with the first decision to quit was actually the better one. No on should feel ‘less than’ for reevaluating their choices and finding what works; there are so many great adventures out there!

There were parts of my PhD that were fun and there were parts that made me want to quit and give up. Part of the process for me was learning which aspects of my academic program appealed to me and learning to be resilient regardless of the situation. I graduated and now I work for a company that recognizes my degree.

How to write a PhD in a hundred steps (or more)

A workingmumscholar's journey through her phd and beyond, can you quit your phd.

I had a conversation with a dear friend of mine a few weeks ago about her PhD, which is floundering a little at the moment and is a source of great stress and anxiety right now. Rather than something she looks forward to working on, her PhD is a millstone around her neck, and she is seriously wondering if she can or should carry on with it in its present form. Earlier this week I logged in to Facebook to hear that another friend has deregistered from her PhD studies for the time being, taking a break of indefinite length. So, I have been wondering: can you quit your PhD, and if you do, how do you make that decision okay for yourself?

I wrote last year about my own struggles early on in my PhD with finding a balance between it and my life and work, and how I suspended my studies before eventually coming back to them. I think that, as a PhD student who has already invested your self, time, money and also often your family’s/friend’s time (and either their or a funder’s money) in your studies, the decision to stop and walk away is never one you can make impulsively or lightly. There are several things you may have to consider, over and above your own feelings, desires and struggles. This post is a tough one to write, because I would never want to discourage a PhD scholar who is already feeling discouraged. But I think that we don’t really talk about this issue very much; rather the dominant discourses focus on saying some version of ‘Just get it done, it’s just a PhD. Just finish it, and everything will be fine. Hang in there, come on, you can do this!’ It’s great to give and get this kind of encouragement, but sometimes, it’s not helpful when a PhD student can’t ‘just do it’ and really needs to at least consider, for a range of reasons, deregistering and moving on to other things.

So what do you do if you, or a friend/colleague/PhD supervisee, is sitting on this fence, and wondering: ‘Can I quit my PhD? Should I quit? Will I be okay if I do?’ Perhaps a useful place to start is with all of the things you/your person needs to consider. For example, are you paying for your PhD yourself, or do you have funding? If you have funding, are there stipulations in the fine print about reimbursing the funder if you do not complete your PhD? These are big considerations if you are paying a lot of money for your PhD, and if you have funding that comes with expectations of completion in a certain period of time. If you or a family member are paying for your studies, this is perhaps an easier call because the financial obligations can be more flexible. However, if you do need to take time off, or even walk away from your PhD completely, consider approaching your funder and negotiating as far as possible with them. Perhaps there is a plan to be made.

Another big consideration (one that really troubled me when I considered quitting my PhD) was the investment I had already made in the PhD – my identity, my self, my time. But I had not done this alone. I had asked my husband, children and family to invest with me: in encouraging me, supporting me, making compromises and sacrifices on my behalf to enable me to have time to work on my PhD. They believed in me. How could I walk away and let them all down? How could I let myself down? My feelings of shame and failure were also compounded by my own perfectionism, and the sometimes stupidly high standards to which I hold myself. I needed, in making my decision to suspend and walk away temporarily, to separate my own needs and investments from theirs, and tell myself that, while they were undoubtedly in this with me, they were not actually doing the PhD. That was all on me, so I needed to make this decision for me, and not for them. I reasoned that if I was okay with my decision, they would eventually be okay too. If I was miserable, they would certainly have suffered with me.

A third consideration is the reasons for which you are doing the PhD. Is it for primarily professional reasons: you need a PhD in order to be recognised formally, awarded research funding, promotions and status? Is for primarily personal reasons: having one or not will not make an enormous difference in your working life, but you are personally driven by a desire to complete a PhD, and gain from the experience in terms of your own development as a scholar and a thinker? In my experience thus far, working with colleagues who are doing PhDs as well as with postgraduate student-writers, it’s always a bit of both, although one set of reasons is usually a bit more prominent than the other. I do think, as someone who did the PhD to get ahead professionally, but also because I really wanted to do it for myself, that focusing on my personal, intrinsic motivations and reasons helped me to find my way back to my PhD, and helped me to sustain my motivation to complete it through the ups and downs that followed my re-registration. Focusing on the extrinsic pressures made me feel resentful, pressured and sulky. I felt I was being forced into something that did not completely fit into my life as a working mother. I felt cross that I should even need a PhD to be taken seriously, when I had other valuable experience and input to offer. I am not sure I would have had the PhD journey I did if the external reasons for the PhD were my sole focus. I think coming back would have been harder, and I would have taken longer to complete my thesis.

The point of this post is not to tell any students that they should, or should not, quit their PhD. A PhD is a big, all-consuming, intense thing to take on, and the amount of yourself that a thoroughly researched and well-written PhD demands is huge. But, if you are on this fence, feeling stuck and wondering if quitting will free you or make things harder in the long run, perhaps working through these considerations will be a helpful starting place in making your own decision about how to carry on from here. I would like to say, though, that if you do quit your PhD, you will be okay. A PhD is, in the end, a qualification (as someone on Twitter said recently); it’s not an identity itself, it’s not you , and it’s not what makes you worthy of recognition.

Should you quit your PhD?

Sep 25, 2023

Yellow post it note with the word 'I quit' stick to a black keyboard

Should you quit your PhD? There wasn’t a day that went by during my PhD when I didn’t think about quitting at least once. I’d ask myself why I was putting myself through the roller coaster, and whether I had made a mistake.

It’s comforting – or perhaps also a little worrying – to know that these feelings are largely normal. For many PhD students, working to overcome this inner voice is part of the challenge of completing a PhD.

PhDs are hard, there’s no escaping that, and at times stressful, but they shouldn’t be unbearable, at least not for any continued length of time. But there’s a danger that we risk telling students to ‘suck it up’ and in the process normalise suffering and genuine feelings of dissatisfaction. For many, quitting a PhD is the wrong decision. For those students, sure, they need to ‘suck it up’. But for others, quitting is the right decision. For those, sucking it up is the worst possible advice.

This article speaks to those who are thinking of quitting their PhDs, and instead of telling you to suck it up, it talks frankly about why you might want to and how to navigate such a decision. It is my hope that you might understand whether the feelings of dissatisfaction and overwhelm you might have for your PhD are normal, or whether you really are better off doing something else.

Deciding to quit anything, not least a PhD, is often laden with emotional weight, uncertainty, and implications for your future. Even the term quitting is so laden with negative connotations that it’s almost a slur. I almost contemplated avoiding the word entirely in this article. Quitting implies failure, rejection, not having what it takes. But whilst there’s a lot to be said for sticking with adversity, the emotional and cultural baggage around the very idea of quitting can be unhelpful for those who are ill-suited to academia, or those who are really having a horrid time. The stigma around quitting a PhD is naive, when you consider how many people actually do. In the US, for example, around 50% of people drop out of PhD programmes.

The decision to quit your PhD or stick with it is yours and yours alone. It’s not up to me or anyone else to tell you you should or shouldn’t quit. The difficulty in such a decision is understanding – truly understanding – whether any sense of dissatisfaction you’re feeling with your PhD journey is on the ‘normal’ end of the spectrum, or whether it’s on the problematic end. In other words, whether you should suck it up or move on to other things.

What can be helpful in working out where on that spectrum you are is to understand the reasons why other people decide to drop out.

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Common Reasons for Wanting to Quit a PhD

Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot of academic research around this topic. In an extensive review of the literature on this topic, Sverdlik, Hall, McAlpine & Hubbard (2018) categorised the factors that influenced this decision as external or internal to the student.

External factors

Supervision.

The most influential force in the doctoral experience is the supervisory relationship. When it is open, supportive and communicative, you can assume that students feel more successful and satisfied. Compatibility, whether in terms of research interests or working style, between the student and the supervisor, is also important. When these are missing, and when the supervisory relationship itself turns into a source of stress and anxiety, it’s not uncommon for students to feel a great deal of dissatisfaction.

Departmental structures and organisation

From the students we speak to, particularly those in our writing group , we know how important it is to feel connected and to feel as though you’re part of something bigger. Departments have a huge role to play in addressing this need, and when this type of support and integration is missing it can damage our feelings of belonging and overall morale.

There are two dimensions at play here. On a formal level, departments can do a lot to integrate and socialise students into departmental life, through things like funding opportunities, sharing information, teaching opportunities, and clear communication. On an informal level, there’s much they can do to make you feel welcome, such as socialising you into the departmental culture and making you feel as though you’re a valuable member of the department.

Where there is a mismatch between you and your department, whether informally or formally, it can be very easy to feel isolated and make the decision to leave the programme easier. This of course has not been helped by the pandemic. During the pandemic, and particularly lock-down, this isolation was particularly acute, for obvious reasons. But from our experience working with students since the pandemic, often things never really returned to the way they were before. There’s more time alone, more time on Zoom, less time in the department and less time interacting in the real world with peers. The ability to feel part of something bigger and supported by department structures is now more strained as a result.

Financial opportunities

It is perhaps unsurprising that whether or not funding opportunities are available can have a huge impact on your overall sense of worth and well-being, and can be a major driver in deciding whether or not to quit the PhD programme. For many, the years doing a PhD are years that could be spent in industry starting a career (and getting paid accordingly). As the years on the PhD programme go by, a fear of missing out kicks in, and you may start to question your financial acumen in deciding to go down this path. I certainly did; my stipend was around £12,000 per year, which was far, far less than I could have earned elsewhere, and well below minimum wage when taking into consideration the number of hours I was spending on the PhD. I was grateful to receive it of course, but fully aware of the opportunity cost of the PhD on any alternative careers or income.

On a more pragmatic level, the issue isn’t so much what you could be earning elsewhere, rather the more immediate concern of not having enough money in the first place. Academia is an elite institution, with too few students from working class and marginalised backgrounds. When me and other PhD students I worked with – all comfortable in our middle class lives – complained of having no money, what most of us really meant was ‘not having as much as we’d like’.

For many on our programme and many elsewhere though, not having enough money means just that. It means having to hold down one or more part-time jobs, and miss out on conferences, events, and other things crucial both to professional and personal wellbeing. For some, the decision to drop out can be a purely financial one, or one borne out of the stress and exhaustion that comes from simply staying afloat.

Another significant factor affecting a decision to stay in the programme is what happens after you graduate. For many disciplines and in many countries, the academic job market is poor, with little promise of job security or salaries to match the expertise and experience you have. Where there are limited job options or poor salary prospects, the decision to quit a PhD can become easier.

Internal factors

A common reason for quitting a PhD is a lack of motivation. The unstructured nature of PhD work, and the fact that you have to self-regulate and self-manage, means that motivation can be difficult to conjure up.

There is obviously a close relationship between the other factors I’ve discussed elsewhere and this one. Motivation might wane where there is a poor supervisor relationship, for example, or once you realise that there are poor job prospects. But it can also be influenced by why you decided to do a PhD in the first place. Broadly, we can break down a student’s motivations for starting a PhD into two spheres: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic reasons are a passion or interest for the subject. Extrinsic reasons are things like boosting your CV. Students who pursue a PhD for intrinsic reasons – because they’re passionate about a topic – are more likely to stick with it and feel more satisfied.

Self-worth and efficacy

At the heart of many PhD students’ struggles is a sense of not being ‘worthy’ of a PhD, or not having what it takes. Countering this prevailing self-depreciation is a big part of what we try to do here, because such self-critique is more often than not based on a faulty assessment of our own abilities and skills. When we think we’re worthless, the cost of quitting decreases significantly.

Personal and social lives

PhDs require a huge amount of physical and emotional energy. The often extensive demands of both formal and informal doctoral work means that health, wellbeing and social lives can go out of the window. It is when we fail to manage our well-being and maintain a holistic personal life beyond the PhD that we experience burnout, depression and low well-being. And when they rear their heads, you’re far more likely to want to leave.

There’s no getting away from the fact that the PhD will demand a huge amount of your time. But there’s absolutely no need to feel guilty about taking time away from it and focusing on your own health and your own personal life instead. Indeed, work-life balance is the strongest predictor of psychological distress in PhD students.

Your PhD Thesis. On one page.

Assessing your situation.

Whilst the research above looks at why students have dropped out, what it doesn’t look at is whether they’re the ‘right’ decision to drop out. I use the word ‘right’ here cautiously. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ reason for dropping out. Rather, there is just ‘a’ decision to drop out. What we might think of instead is whether the struggles and strains are on the normal, to-be-expected end of the PhD spectrum or whether life really is miserable and you really are better off leaving.

But how can you know on what end of the spectrum you lie?

It’s entirely normal in a PhD to feel like you’re not making any progress and to feel completely out of your depth. Research is an exercise in failing, over and over again. In order to work out what the correct path is, you need to go down all the wrong paths, find the dead ends, and retrace your steps to find another path to take. Eventually, you get to the end, perhaps without ever noticing when you finally made it onto the right path.

This trial-and-error approach, informed of course by an intelligent reading of the literature and your data, is, counterintuitively, how we make progress in research. We throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. Further aggrevating that though is the fact that you’ve never really done any of this stuff before. You’re in at the very deepest end, learning on the job and, as we’ve seen, continually making mistakes.

It can be easy to see these mistakes as your failure, as something innate to your abilities (or perceived lack of them). But they’re not. Failure is progress, after all. And all that work is just plain hard. And isolating. If a PhD was easy, everyone would have one. But they’re not, so they don’t.

All this is to suggest that perhaps you shouldn’t quit a PhD if you feel like an imposter, or you feel like you’re making too many mistakes and haven’t got what it takes. Or if you find the work too hard (everyone does, and it gets easier).

But perhaps you should quit a PhD if you’ve traded your health (particularly your mental health) to stay on the journey. Or, because the more you go down the path the more you lost interest in the subject or the more you see that the career that lies ahead isn’t for you.

Consequences of Quitting

But as much as it is a personal decision, there are real-world, often external consequences. This step will have ramifications for your career, your sense of self, and possibly even your social circle. Before deciding to leave your programme, it’s important to know what you’re really signing up for.

Professional Implications

Choosing to step away from a PhD might feel like veering off an established career path. Within academia, the finished thesis is the route to a research or teaching position. But outside the academic walls, the reality is different. Many industries and sectors deeply value the skills you’ve acquired during your PhD journey—skills like in-depth research capabilities, critical thinking, and proficient project management. Even without that final thesis, and no matter how far through you end up, you come armed with a unique set of competencies that can be invaluable in various roles and settings.

Personal Growth

Irrespective of your decision about the PhD, the journey itself offers invaluable lessons about personal growth. Throughout this experience, you’ll discover more about yourself: the environments in which you flourish, the challenges you willingly embrace, and the aspects of work you truly value. Deciding whether to continue or step back isn’t just about the degree; it’s an extended exercise in self-awareness and in understanding your priorities. Whether you proceed or drop out, these insights into your character and preferences will guide many of your future choices.

Financial Considerations

The financial dimension of quitting a PhD is complex. You need to be mindful of existing funding agreements, scholarships, and any potential repayment obligations. Beyond that, consider the financial landscape of transitioning into a new field or profession. While the initial phase might come with financial challenges, especially if you’re retraining or shifting sectors, remember that many industries might value the unique skills and perspectives you bring from your PhD experience. Balancing immediate financial concerns with long-term prospects can help you make an informed decision.

Social Impacts

Making the decision about your PhD is deeply personal, but its ripple effects touch the people around you. You might find yourself on the receiving end of a spectrum of reactions from peers, mentors, family, and friends. While some might stand firmly by your side, understanding and supporting your choice, others might struggle to grasp the reasons behind your decision. During such times, it’s crucial to lean on a supportive network. Engaging in open conversations and seeking understanding can be cathartic. Surrounding yourself with empathetic individuals who respect your choices, even if they don’t fully understand them, can make this transition smoother and more reassuring. But above all, remember that is your choice alone to make, and you don’t need to justify it to anyone.

The Emotional Weight of Considering Quitting

Quitting your PhD is not a simple binary decision, and the weight of the decision is not just academic but emotional, affecting not just your work, but your sense of self and your future.

A key part of the challenge is that it can feel as though your entire education has led to you doing a PhD. That your entire identity is wrapped up in being an academic, and being smart, and the PhD is the final piece of the puzzle that is so tantalising close and worth risking everything for. This is largely nonsense. You will still be smart if you drop out. You will still have all the skills and experience you’ve gained in your education so far, and plenty of non-academic employers would love to hire you for them.

Quitting a PhD should therefore be seen as a positive. It’s you taking control over your well-being and changing something that wasn’t working for you. It’s you taking a risk, putting yourself first, and refusing to put up with something that you know isn’t good for you.

But nonetheless, you’re likely to go on an emotional rollercoaster in the run up and aftermath to leaving your programme.

Guilt and Shame

It’s entirely natural for you to grapple with feelings of guilt and shame when thinking about leaving a PhD behind. Societal norms, combined with personal expectations, can paint a picture where deviating from the path feels like a defeat. The weight of the world and your own aspirations can press heavily, making you feel like you’re not measuring up or that you’re letting yourself and others down. The idea of quitting is often shrouded in taboo, further intensified by the sunk cost fallacy – the notion that you’ve already invested so much time, energy, and perhaps finances, that turning back feels wasteful. However, it’s vital for you to remember that your journey is unique, and measuring your decisions against societal standards or past investments might not always reflect what’s best for your current and future well-being.

Contemplating the idea of stepping away from the PhD might initially be fraught with hesitations and doubts. However, as you delve deeper into the thought, you might find a palpable sense of relief washing over you. This emotional response can be enlightening. If merely considering a different path brings such a strong sense of relief, it might be an indication that redirecting your journey could indeed be the right choice for your well-being and future goals. Listening to this inner emotional compass can be crucial in making decisions that resonate with your true desires and needs.

Fear of the Unknown

Stepping into an uncertain future, especially when it deviates from a long-held plan like completing a PhD, can be incredibly daunting for you. The questions might swirl in your mind: What opportunities await without that coveted doctoral degree? How will the professional landscape perceive you? The ambiguity of not knowing can sometimes overshadow the reasons that led you to consider a different path. But remember, every significant life decision comes with its share of uncertainties. Embracing them, rather than fearing them, can open doors to opportunities you hadn’t previously imagined.

Embarking on a PhD is often a decision driven by your passion, curiosity, and aspirations for the future. But as the journey progresses, you might find a growing disconnect between the academic path and your evolving personal and professional goals. Recognising this misalignment isn’t a sign of failure but rather an act of self-validation. Understanding that the path you once felt was perfect might not align with your current aspirations is empowering, and a sign of a deeper understanding of your own needs and desires. This realisation isn’t about admitting defeat, but rather about acknowledging your evolving self-awareness and priorities. By doing so, you’re not only giving yourself the permission to seek out paths that resonate more with your current goals but also embracing an authentic commitment to your personal growth and future.

Alternatives to Quitting

Remember that quitting is not your only option, even when it feels like it. Whether it’s considering a leave of absence, consulting with mental health professionals, or even shifting your research focus, there are ways to make your PhD journey more bearable. Yes, you read it right—you don’t have to face the monumental task of single-handedly revolutionising your field. It’s your apprenticeship into academia, not a Nobel Prize race.

Considering a Leave of Absence

Before making a final decision, remember that many institutions provide an option to take a break. Opting for a leave of absence might offer you the breathing room you need, allowing you to step back, recharge, and assess your choices with a clearer mind. This pause can be instrumental in reevaluating your commitment to the program, granting you the time to contemplate whether your struggles are temporary setbacks or indicative of a deeper misalignment.

Reassessing Supervisory and Project Dynamics

If the crux of your unease stems from challenges with your supervisor or the nature of your research project, there’s a potential remedy. Consider discussing a switch in supervision or even pivoting your research direction. Sometimes, reshuffling these foundational elements can reignite your passion and satisfaction with the PhD journey, altering the course of your experience.

Weighing the Part-time PhD Option

The rigours of a full-time PhD can be overwhelming, especially if you’re juggling other life responsibilities or commitments. Some universities accommodate by offering a part-time PhD track. This could be a balanced middle-ground, allowing you to continue your academic pursuits at a more manageable pace while also engaging with other aspects of your life.

Turning to Counseling or Therapy

The emotional and mental strains of a PhD can be taxing. Engaging in counseling or therapy sessions can provide you with a space to articulate and process your feelings. A professional can offer insights, coping mechanisms, and strategies to manage stress, potentially equipping you with the tools to navigate the challenges of the doctoral journey.

Steps to Take If You Decide to Quit

If, after thorough reflection, you decide that leaving is the best course of action, there are official routes and less formal pathways out of your PhD. Exit degrees, other academic pursuits, or a pivot into industry could all be next steps in your post-PhD life.

Engaging with Your Supervisor and Department

Your decision impacts not just you but also your academic ecosystem. Open dialogue with your supervisor and department is crucial. These discussions offer clarity, ensure all parties understand the reasons behind your choice, and can sometimes open doors to alternative solutions you might not have considered.

Understanding the Withdrawal Process

Deciding to leave is more than just an emotional choice; there’s an administrative aspect to it. Familiarize yourself with the withdrawal process of your institution. Be clear on any obligations, potential repercussions, or financial considerations associated with your decision.

Leveraging Career Counseling

Your skills and experiences acquired during your PhD journey are valuable and transferrable. Career counseling can guide you in identifying these strengths and navigating job markets, ensuring you’re positioned favorably for roles outside of academia that resonate with your aspirations.

Maintaining Academic and Professional Connections

Exiting a PhD program doesn’t necessitate severing ties with the academic world. The relationships, networks, and bonds you’ve forged can continue to serve you well in various capacities. Maintain these connections; they can be sources of references, collaborations, or even job opportunities.

Wholeheartedly Embracing Your Decision

Whatever your choice, remember it’s grounded in your well-being and aspirations. It’s an act of courage and self-awareness. Celebrate this bravery and move forward with optimism and confidence, knowing you’re aligned with a path that resonates with your current and future goals.

Choosing to quit your PhD is an intensely personal decision that comes with its own set of complexities. Just like when you’re wrestling with your day-to-day PhD challenges, it’s crucial to be realistic about what you can and cannot do. If you decide to leave your PhD programme, know that it’s a decision that should be made with the utmost care, with due consideration given to both your present circumstances and your future prospects. But know that only you can make the decision, and being able to make it in good faith depends on whether you’re able to fully understand the feelings that you have and the relationship you have with your PhD. Is what you’re feeling a ‘normal’ part of the journey, or a cause for concern? It is my hope that this article has helped you to undersatnd the answer to this question a bit more clearly. Feel free to share your experience in the comments, or if you want to work on on one with me to work through pain points or struggles, learn more about my coaching programme .

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How To Tell Your Advisor You’re Quitting Your Ph.D. Program.

by Gertrude Nonterah PhD | May 16, 2023

quitting your phd prgoram. Tips from Dr. Gertrude Nonterah.

“How do I communicate to my advisor that I want to quit my Ph.D. program?”

Someone asked me this question on YouTube and I had to think long and hard about it before responding.

I’m a champion for Ph.D. students and I often want people to finish their Ph.D.s. This is true especially if they are an under-represented minority like me.

But I also realize that a Ph.D. is not the right path for everyone. And it goes without saying that there are lots of successful people who don’t have a Ph.D. Some don’t have a university degree at all.

In any case, telling your advisor you’re quitting your Ph.D. program is a difficult conversation no matter how you slice it. It’s common to feel guilty about letting your advisor down. You might experience guilt for letting down the people who have invested in you in various ways. However, it is important to remember that this is YOUR life and you need to do what’s best for you. Even if it means leaving academia.

Watch the video below as I answer this question.

Quitting your Ph.D. might feel like a nerve-racking decision for you. But thinking through your future career goals, and if a Ph.D. fits in that future can help you come to a satisfactory conclusion.

If you’re thinking of quitting your Ph.D. program, take a step back to reflect. Reflect on what you truly want for your life. Consider your goals and whether a Ph.D. aligns with those future plans. If you have the opportunity, take some time away from the Ph.D. program to see how that feels. Write down your thoughts and reasons. The pros and cons.

Writing down your thoughts and feelings before the conversation will help you to stay organized and on track. When you do have the conversation, use those thoughts you’ve written down as your guideposts when you finally discuss it with your advisor. Be prepared for your advisor to be disappointed. But don’t be guilted into staying if you have done your evaluations and realized a Ph.D. is just not the path for you.

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How to leave PhD program without causing problems

I am a second year fully-funded PhD student in a stem field at a large American public university. In my department, most students spend the first two years (and sometimes three years) only doing coursework and working on the qualifying exams. This is unusual in other programs, but here it is normal. Consequently, I do not have a research advisor and have done no research since I came here. Since I've passed my qualifying exams, I am now at the point where I am expected to find an advisor.

Here's the problem... I never liked research as an undergraduate. I absolutely hated it, and I even had multiple "prestigious" experiences at different institutions with different research mentors and groups. The only common denominator is me and I don't think I can blame my former research mentors for why I was miserable. I applied to PhD programs after my undergraduate career because it was suggested to me and I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. I was also advised to apply to PhD programs and leave with a master's degree if I decided I don't like it (since masters programs are unfunded).

I want to leave with a master's degree and move on with my life. I don't know how to explain this to my department. I fear they will try and force me to leave without a master's degree even though I have met the requirements. I also fear how they will react in general... I'd rather not burn bridges or experience intense pressure to stay. I have never heard of someone quitting after passing the qualifying exams, so I imagine the department will find this to be very bizarre.

Any suggestions on how to navigate this situation are appreciated.

2 Why do you think they won’t grant the masters degree? If you want to leave does it matter that much anyway? – Jon Custer Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 20:12
1 "because it was suggested to me and I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life." I'm sorry you got terrible advice. – Anonymous Physicist Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 20:24

2 Answers 2

I want to leave with a master's degree and move on with my life. I don't know how to explain this to my department.

Directly, as though the department chair were an actual reasonable human being and not a soul-sucking tentacled horror from the nether dimensions.

I fear they will try and force me to leave without a master's degree even though I have met the requirements.

I would suggest starting by finding out the mechanics of getting the master's degree. Perhaps if you do nothing, the degree will magically appear in your academic record, but more likely there is some paperwork that you have to fill out. Find out what that paperwork is. Fill it out. Collect the necessary signatures, and submit the completed paperwork to the relevant campus office.

You don't have to tell them why you want the master's degree. In my experience, it's quite common for PhD students to pick up a master's degree along the way to their PhD, either as a backup if the PhD falls through, or as a boost on their resume when they look for summer internships / employment. Once the master's degree paperwork is done, inform the department that you will not be returning next term. Finish your classes, look for jobs, and move on.

But at a more fundamental level, you really don't have to defend your decision to leave. You did not promise to complete the degree program. You did not sign a contract. You are not an indentured servant. You do not "owe" the department. Your departure will do the department no permanent damage. Yes, a few people may be disappointed by your departure, but they'll get over it .

I have never heard of someone quitting after passing the qualifying exams

For what it's worth, I left my first PhD program with a master's degree after passing my qualifying exams. (Admittedly the circumstances were different — I left to join a different PhD program — but I was far from the only person in that department to leave after passing quals.)

Passing the quals her usually involve getting a lot of extra help from profs. I just feel bad that one of my professors helped me so much to pass that exam and don't want him to feel like I intentionally wasted his time. (I was naive and thought that passing the exam would make me want to stay and it actually had the opposite effect.) – Mastersdegreestation Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 20:44
1 But you didn't waste their time! One of our jobs as professors is to help students pass quals. You've asked your profs to do nothing more than their jobs. – JeffE Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 20:53
2 Or, to quibble slightly with @JeffE's portrayal of our jobs as profs: it's to help grad students learn_basic,important_things (and, incidentally, thereby, pass qualifying exams). – paul garrett Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 21:09

Since you have funding, find a job first, then leave.

It is not rare for PhD students to leave with a master's degree. Most departments will not be surprised. They may prefer you complete your PhD, but there is no reason for them to make a big deal about it. Since you are not doing research, they may be pleased to take your funding and use it to recruit a student who will do research.

If you want, you may be able to get your master's degree first, and then announce your departure. If they ask why, say it is so you have the option of gaining teaching experience at a community college.

Unfortunately, I don't feel like I can obtain the master's before announcing my departure. To get it, I have to fill out the candidacy form which involves listing who my research advisor and committee is. It feels wrong to lead on an advisor and then be like "uh no thanks". But I am going to talk to the coordinator and see if I maybe we can explain it to a faculty member and have them sign it, with the understanding I am leaving and don't expect to research with them. – Mastersdegreestation Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 20:21
That is an odd situation. You really should have been required to identify an advisor earlier. – Anonymous Physicist Commented Jan 20, 2020 at 20:23

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Faculty Issues

Mastering Out

By Colleen Flaherty

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Chelsea Corkins graduated Kansas State University in August 2013 with a joint undergraduate and master’s degree in biological and agricultural engineering. Later that month she headed to Virginia Tech for a Ph.D. program in biological systems engineering.

In many ways, Corkins thrived at Virginia Tech. She liked what she was learning, had friends and took on leadership roles that eventually led to her to being elected president of the Graduate Student Assembly. But doubts about pursuing a Ph.D. were creeping in. She wasn’t enthralled with research and looked forward to teaching undergraduates and maybe even high schoolers, not graduate students.

With the support of her dean, Karen dePauw, and several faculty teaching mentors, Corkins considered options beyond the Ph.D. -- including leaving with a master’s. Because she already had a master’s in her field, though, she changed tracks a bit. After taking some time off to work in an agricultural education program through Virginia Tech, she re-enrolled as a master’s student in agricultural leadership and community education.

Corkins graduated this year and is now working as a community engagement specialist in agricultural extension at the University of Missouri.

All told, Corkins took six years to get that second master's. But she doesn’t regret it -- or her choice to leave her Ph.D. program. She’s convinced that experiences she gained during and between her studies landed her the position she holds today.

“There is no required timeline for graduate school. And beginning a Ph.D. program should not require that you finish that program,” she said. “Many students are still very young and exploring what they like to do. You’re not signing your soul away when you sign up for a program. Those five or so years aren’t set in stone, and there’s a reason for that.”

She added, “You’re not indebted to anyone. It’s all part of the experience.”

That said, Corkins didn’t take her decision lightly, and says she could not have made it without the help of mentors. Without them, she might even have walked away from her time at Virginia Tech with no degree.

Others students complete their programs with few to no doubts. But Corkins said she still encourages current Ph.D. candidates to check in with themselves on a regular basis, starting early on. What are their career goals, have they changed of late and is a doctorate still compatible with them? How are students feeling about graduate school -- and life in general?

Corkins’s choice is one way to “master out” of a Ph.D. program, although she prefers the term “pivot.” More typically, “master out” is used to describe students who enroll in a Ph.D. program and exit with a master’s degree in that same field instead.

It’s unclear how often this happens. Over all, 50 percent of Ph.D. students don't finish their programs. But there is no national data on how many master out, as opposed to just leave, and institutions don’t typically track this path. But it probably happens more than we think. And those who have done it say it should be a more visible choice.

Beth Davey, a graduate student working at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia, recently announced her decision to master out on Twitter. In a popular thread , she described a cycle of doubt about whether she wanted, needed or even deserved a Ph.D. Ultimately a friend’s decision to master out of a graduate program was the confirmation she needed that doing so was OK. That she would be OK.

She added, “I also believe I rushed into my Ph.D., as it was the next logical step for me in academia, and I didn’t really know what else to do with my honors degree aside from a higher degree,” or working as a research assistant or technician, which she did for nine months.

Davey needs to finish her thesis to receive her master’s. She’s unsure about her exact career goals but hopeful she’ll be in a better place to contemplate them following graduation. Still, while she’s writing, she’s reaching out to her various networks and talking to people working in research, but not necessarily as researchers -- think project management, science communication and education. She also works at a science education center for K-12 students.

Suzanne Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, said there are multiple reasons that doctoral students leave with a master's, including family and life circumstances, “evolving career objectives, and a recognition that the master’s degree offers appealing options.”

Chris Golde, assistant director of career communities for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows at Stanford University (and a columnist for Inside Higher Ed ), said a Ph.D. is a “very long commitment that’s not for everyone.” People can lose enthusiasm and “any number of things that happen in life can happen along the way.”

Still, students’ identities often became wrapped up in their Ph.D. goals, and some who might want to leave with a master’s don’t consider it (Golde doesn’t like the term "mastering out," either) because “any choice that’s not very visible is a harder one to make.”

Not a ‘Consolation Prize’

Yet Ortega said that exiting a doctoral program with a master’s degree “can be a very successful outcome, and one the higher education community should accept and support.” Regardless of why they leave, “students should know their degree is valued and can opens doors to additional career pathways and advancement.”

Jerry B. Weinberg, associate provost for research and dean of the Graduate School at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, said that the master’s degree is no longer the “consolation prize” for opting out of the doctoral track, but rather a “sought-after degree by employers in quite a few fields of practice.”

In many fields, such as natural science, technology, engineering, math and health care, he said, employers see the master’s degree as the “expected or preferred level of entry.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in master’s-level occupations is projected to grow by almost 17 percent between 2016 and 2026, the fastest of any education level, Weinberg noted. And many recent employees without a master’s are returning to school as “a pathway to promotion and raises.”

Weinberg also said that Council of Graduate Schools data show how master’s degree applications and conferrals have increased continually over the last 10 years, with significant gains in the last five. About 84 percent of all graduate degrees conferred are at the master’s level, and institutions have changed the way they deliver programs to meet the needs of all students.

Instead of “mastering out,” Weinberg said it would be more accurate to say that students are mastering “in,” due to the increased demand.

Leonard Cassuto, professor of English at Fordham University who has written about and long advocated changing graduate education to focus on students, said a candidate’s decision to master out (or in) should never come as a total surprise to a department. Students should feel comfortable exploring their various degree and career options with their faculty mentors. And when they don’t, he said, the department has failed -- not the student.

Such conversations and decisions are better made earlier rather than later, Cassuto also said. It’s only natural for some students to decide, through a few years of graduate exploration, that a Ph.D. is not for them. But students leaving well into their research programs because that kind of work isn't for them also signals institutional failure, he said.

Centering Students

“Graduate education has centered on the Ph.D. since its inception, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the Ph.D. can provide an organizing principle,” Cassuto said. “But as a professional institution, we haven’t done very much to think beyond the Ph.D., or people who don’t necessarily need it but are in graduate school anyway.”

In today’s academic job market and overall climate, in particular, he added, “no one can afford that kind of indifference.”

Golde, at Stanford, said students don’t necessarily need to share all their doubts with their faculty mentors and advisers, but rather explore them with someone. That’s why institutions need to develop infrastructures to support graduate students, including career centers and mental health facilities. Pre-existing anxiety and depression can make gradate school harder, she said, and can sometimes surface in graduate school.

Unfortunately, she said, many institutions are still playing catch-up when it comes to supporting graduate students in multiple ways, as they do undergraduates.

Master’s degrees are typically not conferred automatically. In Cassuto’s department, for example, Ph.D. students who enter without a master’s become eligible to get one after they pass their comps. But they have to formally request it from the graduate school.

At Stanford, Golde recommends that all Ph.D. students complete the paperwork and other necessary steps to get a master's for this reason -- what she joked was “credit for time served.”

At Virginia Tech, the master’s isn’t automatic, either. But dePauw, the dean who mentored Corkins, said the university accommodates students who decide they want to leave with a master’s instead of a Ph.D., such as by allowing them to stay on to complete any necessary requirements.

Some institutions, including Virginia Tech, have worked to provide the kind of infrastructure Golde mentioned and to promote cultural change. DePauw helped developed the Transformative Graduate Education initiative, which includes programs and courses that transcend departments and promote inclusion, interdisciplinarity and community. The campus also has a Graduate Life Center that houses courses, programs and events, administrative offices, and even graduate student apartments.

Still, dePauw said, there’s more work to be done to change graduate education and the way it influences students’ paths.

“Underlying some of these things is impostor syndrome and the personal angst and stress that goes on. Some people will kind of stick it out and persevere, but my philosophy about graduate education is that we should be thriving, not surviving,” she said. “We need to get these things out in the open and talk about them -- perfectionism and stress and work-life balance, and do more to make all of it easier. We have to change the culture of graduate education.”

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How do I leave my PhD program?

Hi there, I am just looking for advice. I am at the end of my second year in my PhD program (U.S.A. - Human Physiology), and I have a truly awful advisor (without going into too much detail, I will say 7 students have left her lab in her 3 years of being a faculty member because of bullying, intentional sabotage/favoritism, and endless internal document revisions). I wasn't aware of her reputation within the department until I had already committed, and my lab mates were too scared to tell me about how awful she is when I interviewed. I have held on for the last two years while my mental health has suffered and I have continuously lost interest in the subject area/my projects. For the past few weeks, it has been harder and harder to even get out of bed in the morning.

Three weeks ago, after discussing my situation with several people in my life, I informed my advisor that I wanted to quit at the end of my contract (end date June 15th, 2023). In this meeting, she flat out told me no and that it wouldn't be a smart decision because I would be unable to obtain a "livable wage" without an advanced degree. She additionally told me to "just hang on" until I could leave with an M.S., which wouldn't be until December of 2024. I remained firm in my decision throughout the meeting, but she is expecting me to stay (bringing up preliminary experiments/data that she needs me to collect this summer so she can submit a grant August 2023). In our weekly meetings since then, I have continued to bring up my plans to withdrawal and she keeps saying "We can discuss this at a later time". I am the only remaining graduate student in the lab and I feel like she is deliberately ignoring me so she can get her preliminary data.

So, I am wondering how I can get her to take me seriously. Do I go over her head and meet with the department head? Do I cut off contact completely after my research contract ends on June 15th, 2023? I have tried to be respectful to her, but now I am at my breaking point. Any advice is appreciated, and thank you for reading.

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The Professor Is In

Guidance for all things PhD: Graduate School, Job Market and Careers

How I Quit My PhD (When Nobody Believed Me): Confessions of a PhDidn’t

By Guest Author | August 18, 2022

Erica Davis is a freelance editor and writer actively working on a practical nonfiction guide called The PhDidn’t Handbook. In 2013, she quit her doctoral program in English Education to assist adult learners through the academic writing process. In 2016, Erica pivoted from academia to publishing and is now the Management Executive at Book Pipeline. There, she produces and co-hosts the writing podcast This Podcast Needs a Title. Erica lives with her husband and dogs at the edge of some woods where she also runs her tarot business Dork Witchery . She welcomes connections via Twitter @TheDavisGirl .

This guest post is going to be just like my PhD: short and awkward. Ready?

Me neither.

Let’s jump in.

Confession #1: I loved research but getting graded made me hate it.

In August of 2013, I was six semesters deep in a doctoral program in Higher Education and slightly aware of how it was breaking my spirit a little more each day. By the time I figured out it was really REALLY not a good fit, I was $200,000 in student loan debt, and dreading courses with little idea how to get out, but a lot of fear that Everyone™ would be mad at me.

I don’t know who Everyone™ included, but the fear sure felt real.

Most of my amazing cohort loved their research topics. They were even giddy when they talked about it. These incredible fellow Nerds included:

a high school vice-principal tired of watching under-prepared students going through the motions of graduating the frustrated parent of a gifted but un-challenged neurodivergent learner an avid Marvel fan who saw the untapped power of teaching comics an elementary school administrator sick of a district’s non-action against bullies and me, the world’s okay-est horror-movie-watcher who didn’t feel like job hunting. These amazing humans had this exploding aura of unicorn magic. They were tapped into some sort of boundless mental, emotional, and physical energy.

And it sounded exhausting.

They didn’t just want to figure out how to fix a part of their academic field. They needed to. That’s some serious agency. I just didn’t have it. At least, not for academia.

Confession #2: I didn’t have one big breaking point. I had a five little ones.

Steven Bartlett said it beautifully: Anything that costs you your mental health is too expensive.

My five little breaking points all hit me in the same week in a combined purge on my physical, mental, and emotional well-being. All of which were amplified by undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety. What I realized was that since enrolling in my PhD program I had:

stopped writing fiction stopped drawing for fun stopped reaching out to my family and friends lost sleep and woke up scared on class mornings realized my potential salary math did NOT outweigh the cost of tuition let alone the changes to my mental and emotional health Any one of the above IS a glaring red flag, but I was too deep in that You-Can-Do-It headspace to see it.

Confession #3: I knew I could do the work. I just didn’t freaking want to anymore.

And that is okay.

It is okay to change your mind about wanting a PhD.

It is okay to not want to be there anymore.

It is okay if your professional goals change.

And it’s very okay to not know what to say when you’re quitting. I sure didn’t. So after weeks of google searches and talking it over with my dog, here’s how I initially brought my decision to quit up with my advisor:

Dr. [NAME],

I have decided to discontinue my doctoral studies after this semester. While I was considering a leave of absence this past year, I realize now that my career goals do not require a doctorate degree. Thank you for your guidance these past semesters. What I now know about [AREA OF STUDY] has improved my writing and inspired me to return to my original pursuit of publication for my fiction. Best, etc.

Is it a perfect email?

Did it get my point across?

My advisor didn’t believe me. They kept replying, saying that I was overthinking it (well, duh), that I was mistaken (wait, what?), that I Could Do It If I Just Believed in Myself (uhm, I do, that’s why I’m pivoting to fiction), and that I Shouldn’t Be Intimidated by My Male Classmates (excuse me?).

After a few more exchanges, I was fed up. If I hadn’t already been at my crappy apartment, in my pajamas, and knuckles deep into my ninth re-watching of The Blair Witch Project, I’d have gone back to campus and screamed at my advisor: “I’m not quitting because I Can’t Do The Work. I’m quitting because I WANT TO BE SOMEWHERE ELSE.” Instead, something just clicked into place. I think it was my agency.

My agency to GTFO.

So, my next and final reply went something like:

Dr. [NAME], My choice is final. Thank you in advance for taking my decision seriously.

And then I deleted the email chain and spent the next month watching horror movies while job-hunting. No regrets.

Confession #4: I wasn’t 100% sure about my choice to quit until years later.

Getting into my PhD program relatively simple. Getting out was complicated AF. Thankfully, there were more than a few resources that were instrumental in affirming my decision to quit my PhD even though I didn’t find them until after I left.

At the very least, these resources affirmed my decision to quit, so here they are for you:

If I had the foresight to read this before I applied, things may have turned out differently.
This article highlights a huge piece of what I ignored when deciding to enroll in a doctorate.
This is another gem that may have prevented a lot of stress.
And this one, right here on The Professor Is In

Reader Interactions

August 21, 2022 at 5:18 am

So much of this reminded me of me – lack of fun, lack of belief (that I’d thought it through), cost to mental health, undiagnosed ADHD. Thank you for writing it. It means a lot to me.

January 25, 2023 at 2:15 pm

Thank you, Erica. This is validating my decision to GTFO.

In Your Hands

Clare porac phd, professor emerita of psychology; academy professor, psu emeritus academy, left-handedness in regency era england: sanditon and bridgerton.

July 5, 2024 by cvp4 Leave a Comment

I enjoy watching Regency era costume dramas. Two recent televised programs caught my attention because of the presence of left-handers. Sanditon is a three-season drama that aired in the United States as a PBS Masterpiece Theater offering between 2020 and 2023. The series is adapted from an unfinished novel by Jane Austen and is set in the seaside town of Sanditon in the early decades of the 19th century. In episode one of season two, I noticed that the character of Alexander Colbourne, played by actor Ben Lloyd-Hughes, is writing with his left hand. Season three, episode three, featured another character, Edward Denham, played by actor Jack Fox, also writing with his left hand. An internet search revealed that Ben Lloyd-Hughes is left-handed. I could not verify Jack Fox’s usual writing hand, but I will assume he also is a habitual left-hander. Seeing these displays of left-handedness, I asked myself if the portrayal of left-hand writing during this early 19th century era is historically accurate?

My question was answered by the discovery of a paper published in 2007 that examined estimated rates of left-handedness in England through various eras of the 19th century.¹ The rates of left-handedness in the early portions of the 19th century were comparable to the 10% incidence of the present day. Rates of left-handedness decreased in the late 19th century and then increased again as the 20th century progressed. The authors speculate that this Victorian era reduction in the incidence of left-handedness was related to an increase in universal schooling, where writing with the right hand was often forced, and the introduction of machines with a right-sided bias as industrialization flourished.

Season three of another popular Regency era drama, Bridgerton , recently aired on Netflix in May and June of 2024. The Bridgerton stories are based on a series of novels by Julia Quinn. Each novel and each season of the series details the romance of one of the eight Bridgerton siblings. Season three is concerned with the story of Colin Bridgerton and his love interest, Penelope Featherington. I watched a video clip of a party celebrating the premier of Bridgerton season three and noticed that Luke Newton, the actor who plays Colin Bridgerton, was signing autographs with his left hand. This led me to wonder how Colin Bridgerton’s handedness would be portrayed as the episodes of season three unfolded. As indicated, left-handers were present in England in the early 19th century. Would the left-handed actor display his left-handedness on screen as was the case for the two actors in Sanditon ?

Although Luke Newton is left-handed, in episodes five and six of Bridgerton season three, his character, Colin Bridgerton, is shown writing with his right hand. I conducted an internet search and discovered a video clip of Luke Newton commenting that he “pretends” to be right-handed in his role as Colin Bridgerton. Given the rates of left-handedness during this time period, it would not be unusual to find that one of the eight Bridgerton siblings was left-handed. However, unlike Sanditon , the series opted to have one of the lead characters hide his left-handedness in favor of right-hand use. There is a brief moment in episode six where Colin Bridgerton is holding the quill pen in his left hand. However, all the writing sequences are with the right hand.

There is plenty of research evidence indicating that population rates of left-handedness have remained fairly steady across the centuries at around 10%. For this reason, it would not violate historical accuracy for left-handed actors in historical dramas to display left-hand writing.

¹ McManus, I.C., & Hartigan, A. (2007). Declining left-handedness in Victorian England seen in the films of Mitchell and Kenyon. Current Biology, 17, R793-R794. DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2007.07.008

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NEWS FEATURE
09 July 2024

How PhD students and other academics are fighting the mental-health crisis in science

Shannon Hall

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Illustration: Piotr Kowalczyk

You have full access to this article via your institution.

On the first day of her class, Annika Martin asks the assembled researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland to roll out their yoga mats and stand with their feet spread wide apart. They place their hands on their hips before swinging their torsos down towards the mat and back up again. The pose, called ‘wild goose drinking water’ is from Lu Jong, a foundational practice in Tantrayana Buddhism.

Martin, a health psychologist, can sense that some students are sceptical. They are academics at heart, many of whom have never tried yoga, and registered for Martin’s course to learn how to deal with the stress associated with academic research. Over the course of a semester, she teaches her students about stress and its impact on the body before giving them the tools to help cope with it — from yoga, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation to journalling.

It is one of many initiatives designed to combat the mental-health crisis that is gripping science and academia more broadly. The problems are particularly acute for students and early-career researchers, who are often paid meagre wages, have to uproot their lives every few years and have few long-term job prospects. But senior researchers face immense pressure as well. Many academics also experience harassment, discrimination , bullying and even sexual assault . The end result is that students and academics are much more likely to experience depression and anxiety than is the general population.

But some universities and institutions are starting to fight back in creative ways.

The beginning of a movement

The University of Zurich now offers academics several popular courses on mental health. Beyond Martin’s class, called ‘Mindfulness and Meditation’, one helps students learn how to build resilience and another provides senior researchers with the tools they need to supervise PhD candidates.

The courses are in high demand. “We have way more registrations than we have actual course spots,” says Eric Alms, a programme manager who is responsible for many of the mental-health courses at the University of Zurich. “I’m happy that my courses are so successful. On the other hand, it’s a sign of troubling times when these are the most popular courses.”

Several studies over the past few years have collectively surveyed tens of thousands of researchers and have documented the scope and consequences of science’s mental-health crisis.

In 2020, the biomedical research funder Wellcome in London, surveyed more than 4,000 researchers (mostly in the United Kingdom) and found that 70% felt stressed on the average work day . Specifically, survey respondents said that they felt intense pressure to publish — so much so that they work 50–60 hours per week, or more. And they do so for little pay, without a sense of a secure future. Only 41% of mid-career and 31% of early-career researchers said that they were satisfied with their career prospects in research.

The International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems run bootcamps involving activities such as painting. Credit: Alejandro Posada

A survey designed by Cactus Communications , a science-communication and technology company headquartered in Mumbai, India, analysed the opinions of 13,000 researchers in more than 160 countries in 2020 and found that 37% of scientists experienced discrimination, harassment or bullying in their work environment. This was especially true for researchers from under-represented groups and was the case for 42% of female researchers, 45% of homosexual researchers and 60% of multiracial researchers.

Yet some experts are hopeful that there is change afoot. As well as the University of Zurich, several other institutions have started to offer courses on mental health. Imperial College London, for example, conducts more than two dozen courses, workshops and short webinars on topics as diverse as menstrual health and seasonal depression. Most of these have been running for at least five years, but several were developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “At that time, the true dimension of the mental-health crisis in science was unveiled and potentially exacerbated by the lockdowns,” says Ines Perpetuo, a research-development consultant for postdocs and fellows at Imperial College London.

Desiree Dickerson, a clinical psychologist with a PhD in neuroscience who leads workshops at the University of Zurich, Imperial College London and other institutes around the world, says she has a heavier workload than ever before. “Before COVID, this kind of stuff wasn’t really in the spotlight,” she says. “Now it feels like it is gaining a solid foothold — that we are moving in the right direction.”

A mental-health crisis is gripping science — toxic research culture is to blame

Some of this change has been initiated by graduate students and postdocs. When Yaniv Yacoby was a graduate student in computer science at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for example, he designed a course to teach the “hidden curriculum of the PhD”. The goal was to help students to learn how to succeed in science (often by breaking down preconceived ideas), while creating an inclusive and supportive community. An adapted form of that course is now offered by both Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and the University of Washington in Seattle. And Yacoby has worked with other universities to develop single-session workshops to jump-start mental-health advocacy and normalize conversations about it in academia.

Similarly, Jessica Noviello, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, built a workshop series designed to target a key stressor for academics’ mental health: job insecurity, or specifically, the ability to find a job that aligns with career plans and life goals. She argues that most advisers lack experience outside academia, “making it hard for them to advise students about other career options”, and most institutes don’t have the resources to bring in outside speakers. Yet it is a key issue. The 2020 Wellcome survey found that nearly half of the respondents who had left research reported difficulty in finding a job.

So Noviello established the Professional Advancement Workshop Series (PAWS) in August 2021. The programme has run workshops and panel discussions about careers at national laboratories and in science journalism and media communications, science policy, data science, NASA management and more. And it has hosted two sessions on mental-health topics. “PAWS isn’t a programme that specifically set out to improve mental health in the sciences, but by building a community and having conversations with each other, the experts, and ourselves, I think we are giving ourselves tools to make choices that benefit us, and that is where mental health begins,” Noviello says.

Beyond the classroom

Although these courses and workshops mark a welcome change, say researchers, many wonder whether they are enough.

Melanie Anne-Atkins, a clinical psychologist and the associate director of student experience at the University of Guelph in Canada, who gives talks on mental health at various universities, says that she rarely sees universities follow through after her workshops. “People are moved to tears,” she says. “But priorities happen afterward. And even though they made a plan, it never rises to that. Because dollars will always come first.”

David Trang, a planetary geologist based in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the Space Science Institute, is currently working towards a licence in mental-health counselling to promote a healthier work environment in the sciences. He agrees with Anne-Atkins — arguing that even individual researchers have little incentive to make broad changes. “Caring about mental health, caring about diversity, equity and inclusion is not going to help scientists with their progress in science,” he says. Although they might worry about these matters tremendously, Trang argues, mental-health efforts won’t help scientists to win a grant or receive tenure. “At the end of the day, they have to care about their own survival in science.”

Still, others argue that these workshops are a natural and crucial first step — that people need to de-stigmatize these topics before moving forward. “It is quite a big challenge,” Perpetuo says. “But you have to understand what’s under your control. You can control your well-being, your reactions to things and you can influence what’s around you.”

Two PhD students doing a relay race, once carrying the other in a wheel barrel on the grass.

PhD students compete in a team-building relay race at a bootcamp run by the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems. Credit: Alejandro Posada

That is especially pertinent to the typical scientist who tends to see their work as a calling and not just a job, argues Nina Effenberger, who is studying computer science at the University of Tübingen in Germany. The Wellcome survey found that scientists are often driven by their own passion — making failure deeply personal. But a solid mental-health toolkit (one that includes the skills taught in many of the new workshops) will help them to separate their work from their identity and understand that a grant denial or a paper rejection is not the end of their career. Nor should it have any bearing on their self-worth, Effenberger argues. It is simply a part of a career in science.

Moreover, Dickerson argues that although systemic change is necessary, individuals will drive much of that change. “My sense is that if I can empower the individual, then that individual can also push back,” she says.

Many researchers are starting to do just that through efforts aimed at improving working conditions for early-career researchers, an area of widespread concern. The Cactus survey found that 38% of researchers were dissatisfied with their financial situation. And another survey of 3,500 graduate students by the US National Science Foundation in 2020 (see go.nature.com/3xbokbk) found that more than one-quarter of the respondents experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity or both.

In the United States, efforts to organize unions have won salary increases and other benefits, such as childcare assistance, at the University of California in 2022, Columbia University in New York City in 2023 and the University of Washington in 2023. These wins are part of a surge in union formation. Last year alone, 26 unions representing nearly 50,000 graduate students, postdocs and researchers, formed in the United States.

There has also been collective action in other countries. In 2022, for example, Effenberger and her colleagues surveyed graduate students about their finances, and ultimately won an increase in pay at the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS), an interdisciplinary doctoral programme within the Max Planck Society in Munich, Germany.

Why the mental cost of a STEM career can be too high for women and people of colour

Union drives are only part of the changes that are happening beyond the classroom. In the past few years, Imperial College London has revamped its common rooms, lecture halls and other spaces to create more places in which students can congregate. “If they have a space where they can go and chat, it is more conducive to research conversations and even just personal connection, which is one of the key aspects of fostering mental health,” Perpetuo says. Imperial also introduced both one-day and three-day voluntary retreats for postdocs and fellows to build personal relationships.

The IMPRS-IS similarly runs ‘bootcamps’ or retreats for many of its doctoral students and faculty members. Dickerson spoke at the one last year. The programme also mandates annual check-ins at which students can discuss group dynamics and raise any issues with staff. It has initiated thesis advisory committees so that no single academic supervisor has too much power over a student. And it plans to survey its students’ mental health twice a year for the next three years to probe the mental health of the institute. The institute has even set various mental-health goals, such as high job satisfaction among PhD students regardless of gender.

Dickerson applauds this change. “One of the biggest problems that I see is a fear of measuring the problem,” she says. “Many don’t want to ask the questions and I think those that do should be championed because I think without measuring it, we can’t show that we are actually changing anything.”

She hopes that other universities will follow suit and provide researchers with the resources that they need to improve conditions. Last year, for example, Trang surveyed the planetary-science community and found that imposter syndrome and feeling unappreciated were large issues — giving him a focus for many future workshops. “We’re moving slowly to make changes,” he says. “But I’m glad we are finally turning the corner from ‘if there is a problem’ to ‘let’s start solving the problem.’”

Nature 631 , 496-498 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02225-8

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Proactive Approach to Substance Misuse in the Workplace

Substance misuse and addiction in the workplace is a growing problem across the U.S. Health care workers are not immune, with an estimate of more than 1 in 100 workers diverting medications .

In high-stress jobs with easy access to controlled substances, people suffering from addiction can fall into diversion—stealing a controlled substance from medical center stockpiles for one’s own use.

We need to acknowledge that, yes, diversion happens at University of Utah Health.

And for those who need it, help is here.

Giving Employees Confidential Help

We all need to recognize and understand the signs of addiction and diversion. That’s why we’re launching a new initiative for our employees. Instead of punishment, we’re looking for proactive treatment.

We want to help employees who feel they may divert before they take actions that cause harm to themselves and endanger their careers.

In our roles as Chief Pharmacy Officer and Director of the Resiliency Center, we have a firsthand view of the challenges our employees face.

Sometimes the biggest challenge with substance misuse is asking for help. In the health care field, seeking help can be especially challenging. Along with the potential feelings of fear and shame, there’s concern over job or license loss.

We want our employees to know that confidential resources are available to help. Everyone should be free to seek help without fear.

Need for a New Approach

Our work on this initiative began by trying to figure out what to do about the problem of diversion. U of U Health Pharmacy Services is responsible for replenishing the automated dispensing cabinets on floors and tracking controlled substances. For years, identifying, preventing, and resolving diversion has been a priority.

The first impulse was to beef up monitoring by using AI to track drugs and identify potential diversions. But that won’t solve the root of the problem, colleagues noted. By the time a person felt the need to divert, things were pretty bad for them. And if a person was caught diverting, would they be in a state to get the help they needed? Probably not, we concluded.

Diversion is a serious issue: It’s against the law. It’s negligence. It can take away medication from patients who need it. It means automatic termination under U of U Health policy . That’s one of the most cut-and-dried policies on the books. And if you’re fired for diversion, you’re not eligible for rehire. Your career here is effectively over.

When someone is fired for diversion, we ask “What did we miss? Were there ways we could have assisted them?” We should be able to do things for people before it reaches that point.

We were seeing phenomenal people struggle with addiction, which led them to a poor decision. Our goal is to provide people with help for substance misuse problems before they can’t get help. We can guide them toward available resources so they can seek help.

Teamwork in Action

This initiative is the result of a lot of hard work by U of U Health’s Controlled Substances Steering Committee. That committee is made up of members from medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff, along with representatives from the Office of General Council, Compliance Services, Human Resources, Security, Decision Support, and Enterprise Data Warehouse.

The goal of this initiative is shared across the system. No one said “no” to this effort. We only needed to figure out how to do it legally and effectively, with privacy and well-being in mind.

Do for Each Other What We Do for Our Patients

This is a start. We want to assure people that help is available to you if you are struggling with substance use—including urges to divert drugs—and we’re facilitating access as a system.

This human-centered approach counters the more punitive legal approaches to substance misuse. As a health system, we’re responding to the call to action from Michael Good, CEO of U of U Health: “What if we do for each other what we do for our patients?”

It is common to feel scared or embarrassed if you’re having urges to divert. However, this doesn’t mean that you are a bad person. Having the urge to divert is a symptom of a current struggle and a sign that it is time for help.

The reality is that addiction is a medical issue. Help is needed, help can work, and help is available.

The Resiliency Center , a confidential and free resource for all health system employees, is a good place to start. The Resiliency Center is a front door to services that meet the unique needs of health care professionals. Start by visiting the Resiliency Center website . On the main page, is a link to resources for substance misuse in the workplace .

Megan Call, PhD, MS

Megan Call directs the Resiliency Center at University of Utah Health. Call is a licensed counseling psychologist and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She has research and clinical interests in promoting resilience and well-being among health care professionals, with a specific focus on embracing vulnerability and discomfort, incorporating informal mindfulness into everyday practice, improving communication and relationship skills among teams, and addressing systematic change. She received a PhD in counseling psychology and an MS in health promotion and education at the University of Utah.

Kavish Choudhary, PharmD, MS

Kavish Choudhary is Chief Pharmacy Officer for University of Utah Health and associate dean for the College of Pharmacy. Choudhary and his team are responsible for providing oversight for all pharmacy services across U of U Health’s five hospitals and 12 community health centers. His scope includes developing, supervising, and coordinating pharmacy services and a nationally recognized Drug Information Service. He received a PharmD from Ohio Northern University and completed post-graduate training at University of Wisconsin Health, where he received an MS in health system pharmacy administration.

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Sumiati Hashim elevated to MD of PHD Singapore

PHD Singapore has promoted Sumiati Hashim to Managing Director, effective immediately. This promotion serves as a testament to her sharp business acumen and her success in building strong client relationships and a thriving team environment.

As MD, Hashim oversees both national and international businesses with Singapore being the Asia Pacific headquarters for PHD and its parent company Omnicom Media Group (OMG). She will also continue to establish the strategic goals for growth and transformation, acquire the best thinkers, and mentor the future leaders of PHD Singapore.

Hashim was most recently PHD Singapore’s General Manager, and the agency network has enjoyed significant achievements under her nurturing leadership. Among them are new business wins including IKEA, Razer, and Viu, and the forging of enduring partnerships with clients including Singapore Airlines and HSBC. PHD Singapore has also seen an expansion in talent strength and internal mobility ever since Hashim took charge in 2022, leading the agency on a stellar transformation journey.

The agency’s capabilities were also recognised by the wider industry, with PHD Singapore winning three Gold awards at Marketing Interactive’s MARKies Awards 2024 for Most Effective Use in Omnichannel, Artificial Intelligence and Integrated Media. In 2023, PHD Singapore took home 18 awards and had their greatest showing at Marketing Interactive’s Marketing Excellence Awards, bagging nine trophies in various categories including Excellence in Advertising, Integrated Marketing, Marketing Innovation, Media Strategy, and Experiential Marketing.

Chloe Neo, CEO, OMG Singapore, said: “PHD has always focused on attracting the best thinkers in the business, encouraging them to fully realise their potential in a progressive and connected environment that celebrates smart thinking and clever planning to help brands grow. Sumiati leads and lives that defining ethic; she is a respected people leader and has demonstrated the ability to operationalise strategies towards optimal business impact. She understands what makes PHD unique as a brand while leveraging OMG’s capabilities and scale to enable clients’ business ambitions.”

Neo added that Hashim’s sharp business acumen and collaborative spirit adds value to OMG’s Agency as a Platform model, which combines various talent, technology, and capabilities across the group to drive a more integrated and seamless offering for clients.

Having been with OMG Singapore for 12 years – 10 with PHD – Hashim said being elevated to the MD role is a deeply gratifying milestone that marks the culmination of years dedicated to driving strategic growth, nurturing talent, and cultivating invaluable client relationships.

“I am thrilled to lead PHD Singapore into its next phase of innovation and success. Embracing a growth mindset across all aspects of our operations is key for us moving forward. My focus remains on growth, whether it is expanding our client base, scaling services for existing clients, or developing talent,” she said.

In line with PHD’s new brand tagline of “Intelligence. Connected”, a crucial aspect of Hashim’s leadership vision is utilising advanced analytics and AI to enhance campaign performance and deliver optimal business outcomes for clients.

“Integral to this strategy is our unwavering dedication to nurturing talent, as well as fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development within our teams. We will combine human expertise, data, and technology to help our clients achieve greatness,” she added.

Heritage Foundation Head Refers to ‘Second American Revolution’

Kevin Roberts, president of the group that has coordinated the Project 2025 policy plan, said it could be “bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

Share full article

Balloons with the American flag on them in front of the Supreme Court.

By Maggie Astor

The president of the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank that has developed a prominent series of policy plans to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, said on Tuesday that the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

The group’s president, Kevin D. Roberts, made the comments in an interview on “The War Room,” the Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon’s show on the network Real America’s Voice. (Mr. Bannon himself did not host the show on Tuesday, because he reported to prison the day before to serve a sentence for contempt of Congress.)

Mr. Roberts was discussing the Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday that presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for what they do in office, a ruling that upended the criminal case against former President Donald J. Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and that removes a potential barrier to the most radical elements of his second-term agenda if he is elected again.

“We ought to be really encouraged by what happened yesterday, and in spite of all of the injustice — which of course friends and audience of this show, of our friend Steve, know — we are going to prevail,” Mr. Roberts said, alluding to Mr. Bannon’s imprisonment.

He went on to say that “the radical left” was “apoplectic” because “our side is winning” and said, “And so I come full circle in this response and just want to encourage you with some substance that we are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

“Right on. Thank you, brother,” the interviewer, former Representative Dave Brat of Virginia, replied.

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How to Know When It's Time to Quit Your Ph.D. Program
Oct. 27, 2022, at 3:35 p.m. When to Quit Your Ph.D. Program. More. Getty Images. Alumni of Ph.D. programs say one valid reason to exit a Ph.D. program is if having a Ph.D. is not necessary for you ...
When is the right time to tell my advisor that I plan on leaving my PhD
People want to act like academia and PhD programs are different, but at their core, they're not - you're leaving a job/career. Wanting to leave does not mean that you need to sacrifice eating and sleeping inside for the sake of your advisor. — Bingo. (+1, by the way.) -
Three questions to ask yourself before quitting your PhD
1. Are your problems solvable? Kate Kenfield. Shane Huntington. A disengaged supervisor, toxic lab culture, or a string of failed experiments might feel like reason enough to quit your PhD, but ...
graduate school
A PhD is not very different from a job in the sense that you have to show up and do some work, most of which you don't necessarily want to do. The difference is, with a PhD you get something at the end, but with a job there is just endless tedium. Also with a graduate degree you get to use your brain a bit more.
Maybe quitting your PhD is the right move
While my day job involves trying to help more people finish on time, I also know that choosing to stop can sometimes be the right decision. People stop their PhD for a variety of reasons, including to pursue job opportunities, to focus on external life priorities or simply because they lose interest. Over the past two years, there have been ...
It's OK to quit your Ph.D.
Roughly a quarter of U.S. science and engineering Ph.D. students leave their graduate program within the first 3 years, according to data published by the Council of Graduate Schools. To some, that number is alarming—a problem to be solved. And in some cases, it may be—for example, if it's due to harassment, discrimination, financial ...
When should you quit your PhD? Advice for students
However, there are some general tips that may be helpful. First, it is important to have a clear plan and reason for leaving your PhD program. This will make it easier to stay focused and motivated as you go through the process of quitting. Second, try to give yourself plenty of time to make the transition.
Knowing when to quit PhD: Signs to look for and what to do next
Leaving a PhD program can be challenging, but it's important to embrace the change and stay positive. Remember that this decision is an opportunity for growth and new experiences. Focus on the positives of your decision and stay open to new opportunities that come your way. With time and persistence, you can forge a new path that aligns with ...
It's OK to quit your PhD
LinkedIn. Occasionally I'm asked about quitting, particularly "quitting" a PhD program. This happened several times last week, when I was in Vancouver. Contrary to what you may hear or what your own internal critics tell you, there's no shame in moving on. I remember a long post on a Versatile PhD forum from "PJ," an ABD thinking ...
Can you quit your PhD?
If you or a family member are paying for your studies, this is perhaps an easier call because the financial obligations can be more flexible. However, if you do need to take time off, or even walk away from your PhD completely, consider approaching your funder and negotiating as far as possible with them. Perhaps there is a plan to be made.
Should you quit your PhD?
A common reason for quitting a PhD is a lack of motivation. The unstructured nature of PhD work, and the fact that you have to self-regulate and self-manage, means that motivation can be difficult to conjure up. There is obviously a close relationship between the other factors I've discussed elsewhere and this one.
How To Tell Your Advisor You're Quitting Your Ph.D. Program.
If you're thinking of quitting your Ph.D. program, take a step back to reflect. Reflect on what you truly want for your life. Consider your goals and whether a Ph.D. aligns with those future plans. If you have the opportunity, take some time away from the Ph.D. program to see how that feels. Write down your thoughts and reasons. The pros and ...
Quitting, or not Quitting a PhD
Then leaving your PhD may be the best option for you indeed. It is key, however, to be aware that employers' reactions to your decision will be most strongly influenced by your attitude. If they see negative responses (like apologies or defensiveness), they will wonder if you did the right thing (you may regret your choice and go back), or ...
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Why 'mastering out' of a Ph.D. program might really be 'mastering in'
Corkins's choice is one way to "master out" of a Ph.D. program, although she prefers the term "pivot.". More typically, "master out" is used to describe students who enroll in a Ph.D. program and exit with a master's degree in that same field instead. It's unclear how often this happens.
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Home Careers Quitting my Ph.D. was hard. But it led me down a better path. Quitting my Ph.D. was hard. But it led me down a better path. A version of this story appeared in Science, Vol 381, Issue 6665. When I hit play, I had no idea the podcast would feel so personal. The hosts shared stories of children who were intent on succeeding in one ...
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Ultimately, if you are thinking if you should leave your Ph.D. program, decide why you want to leave. If it is the situation you are in, look for solutions to your problems ( take the quiz to find ...
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Leaving a PhD program, or any graduate program for that matter, is a very personal decision. Leaving academia is a lot harder than just leaving a job Leaving my PhD program is the hardest decision ...
want to quit PhD after 1 year : r/AskAcademia
Maybe a therapist can help or a family member. Maybe other students in your program. Talk with your mentors, and your advisor. "so many months have now went by with little progress". This sounds very normal for a PhD, and there might be close to 0 PhDs if this was used as a criterion for quitting.
How do I leave my PhD program? : r/AskAcademia
If you really want to cut ties and leave without trying to get a new program advisor, go fill out the university withdrawal form. At my university, you can send an email from your university email account and say "cancel my enrollment, effective on this date..." maybe include your student ID number. Reply.
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the frustrated parent of a gifted but un-challenged neurodivergent learner. an avid Marvel fan who saw the untapped power of teaching comics. an elementary school administrator sick of a district's non-action against bullies. and me, the world's okay-est horror-movie-watcher who didn't feel like job hunting.
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As MD, Hashim oversees both national and international businesses with Singapore being the Asia Pacific headquarters for PHD and its parent company Omnicom Media Group (OMG). She will also continue to establish the strategic goals for growth and transformation, acquire the best thinkers, and mentor the future leaders of PHD Singapore.
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It occurred to me that exploring why the original protocol didn't work might help other researchers doing similar studies. So, I submitted a report to my supervisor and proposed a new plan for the rest of my Ph.D.
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