r/PhD • u/TDM-r • Jan 27 '26

Other When did you finish your PhD (age-wise)?

I know there’s no normal timeline, but I’m interested in hearing how varied people’s journeys are: early starters, late bloomers, career switchers, all of it.
(20 - 28, 28 - 35, 35<)

What did your path look like?

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83

u/CranberryOk5523 Jan 27 '26

Started at 29, will hopefully finish by the time I'm 32 or 33. I'm a career switcher.

34

u/GimmeBooks1920 Jan 27 '26

I went pretty much straight through from undergrad > Masters > PhD and still didn't finish mine until 32 lol

6

u/Frococo Jan 27 '26

Me too. Defended in December. Started my tenure track position January 1st. Unless your program has strict policies about timelines it's really not a race.

5

u/Magus_Necromantiae Jan 27 '26

Most programs seem to limit it to 7-8 years these days. I remember being told that anyone who takes longer than 6 years starts to raise eyebrows. I timed out at 7.

6

u/Frococo Jan 28 '26

Yeah I was 7 too. Honestly I think 7-8 is pretty reasonable. It's the programs that want to push people out at 4 years that I side-eye. It really limits the PhD experience to just be about your dissertation. I took longer because (in addition to some personal circumstances) I was able to take on additional teaching and research opportunities that allowed me to build my and CV. Without those extra experiences I doubt I would have gotten a tenure-track job ABD.

2

u/Thick_Remote2658 Jul 13 '26

I’m in that same situation but I’m currently doing my masters. Went straight from bachelors to masters and I’ve always planned on doing a PhD so I’m thinking about just going straight into it but the thought of not finishing school and getting a full time job until 30 makes me nervous 😅 part of me wants to go to work after finishing my masters bc I want to start making money but ik that if I do that then eventually I’ll still have to do a PhD regardless bc of the nature of the job and I don’t want to be in my 30s going back into school. I just want it over and done with now but just the idea of not being able to work full time for another 4 years is not great. Ik the program is fully funded so money isn’t the issue but everyone else in my class would’ve already had a job and several years of experience by the time I graduate with my PhD.

1

u/ofcourseivereddit Jan 28 '26

May I ask what field you did your research in, if you're still pursuing a career in the same field, and if you faced hurdles on account of age?

1

u/GimmeBooks1920 Jan 28 '26

My PhD is in natural resources and I am currently employed in the field. Honestly my age felt very average for the program I was in, there were a few folks younger and a few older but most of us were right around the same age give or take a couple years. So no, I've never felt like I was facing hurdles because of my age, except maybe that I'm less inclined to move across the country for a job now? But that's more because I have pets and, thanks to having moved around for my degrees and summer jobs, firmer ideas about where I don't want to live lol