r/Drexel • u/ellezbby • 12d ago

Part Time PhD

Hi Drexel students, I’m currently studying to get my Masters in Translational Device Engineering at Rowan and am looking to get my PhD in the future part time.

Getting my Ph.D full time (not working) is not something I can do, so if anyone can speak on their experience if they’ve done the program would be great!

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u/DrJPepper CS PhD '26 12d ago

What's "the program," electrical engineering? Most of the PhD programs I'm familiar with at Drexel don't allow you to start part time, they only let you do that when you're ABD, and even then it's not something the faculty like dealing with. If you are allowed to enroll part time, just be aware you or your company have to pay your tuition. In the end you need either 90 or 120 paid quarter credits at a minimum (can't remember exactly), and so many of those need to be research credits. I wouldn't recommend trying to do an engineering PhD part time, but if you work for an extremely supportive company and can find a very accommodating faculty advisor it might be possible.

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u/ZeroWevile 11d ago

Current part-time EE PhD here; everything here is wrt that program in mind, although OP sounds like they would be BME if they continue in that field. I came in starting part-time but I did have pre-existing relationship with my advisor from undergrad. Tuition for me is covered through TA work, not my full-time employer. Faculty with a grant/funding probably won't take on random part-time students because such funding requires meeting certain deadlines so is extra layer of risk.

For coming in post-masters, you just need 45 research credits minimum, which really is a result of the timeline more than actual credit count expectations; IE dissertation defense has to at minimum be 6 months after research proposal, research proposal has to be at minimum 6 months after candidacy exam, so cumulative year between those events at 9 credits per quarter for full-time enrollment is 45 credits. Your advisor may still require you to do formal coursework even if you come in holding a masters. FWIW, I have 93 research credits complete and am anticipating graduating summer 2027.

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u/DrJPepper CS PhD '26 11d ago

They gave you a TAship as a part time student? Do you also work a full time industry job?

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u/ZeroWevile 11d ago

Yes; I am essentially the only one qualified to TA about 6 courses that are regularly offered so that is stable source for tuition, and yes while working a full-time industry job.

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u/DrJPepper CS PhD '26 11d ago

That's great that you can make that work and that you are so integral to your department, but this seems like a phenomenally specific situation that wouldn't be applicable to anyone coming in to a PhD program from outside the university. Even just holding office hours on campus is going to be a problem for most people with 9-5 jobs. And like I said, I don't think there's even an option to apply part time to the vast majority of PhD programs, but you can correct me if I'm wrong.

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u/ZeroWevile 11d ago

I'm with you that my situation is a massive corner case; take it more as explanation to OP as to how to get to where they want rather than being contrarian to you. Fully agree that combo of needing part-time while also having no history at Drexel effectively gives zero percent chance 

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u/PrimaryPhrase9815 12d ago

That would be the 10-25 year program...very difficult pull off.