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Completing a US PhD within 4 years?

In our new “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:

Is it common to complete a U.S. PhD within four years?! I’ve seen many people discussing the news that the U.S. government may limit the duration of F visas for international students. Previously, F visas could often be valid for five years or more, but now it may be changed to four years. As an international student starting a PhD program this fall, I’m quite worried. Is it realistic or reasonable to expect students to complete an entire PhD within only four years? If someone cannot finish within four years, would that mean all their work is wasted? Are universities aware of this issue, and have they prepared any plans or solutions for international students?

All important questions. Do readers know the answers??

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4 responses to “Completing a US PhD within 4 years?”

  1. Daniel

    I’m not sure it was even possible to complete a PhD in four years in my program. While I was there (seven years) I’m pretty sure nobody ever did it faster than five.

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  2. Anonymous

    If it’s possible, it’s only possible by being explicit about this intention with the chair of the department and your potential advisor/committee. And you’d almost certainly need to be doing dissertation work and coursework at the same time. Even then, it’s just not clear that the quality of work during the coursework years is dissertation quality.

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  3. Anonymous

    I don’t know anything about the Visa issues, but whether you can finish in 4 years depends on your program, and your preparation. In my 25 years at a university with a Phd program, I think only two students finished in four years. In both cases they’d already done an MA and both had a clear vision of their PhD project when they started their program, (and both found jobs right away). In one or two other cases students were close after four years but couldn’t find a job and so stuck around for another year. The average time to completion in my program has a more like 6 or 7 years. 5 isn’t impossible for those with an MA.

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  4. Michel

    I don’t think I know anyone who’s done it in four, though I’m sure it’s been done. Even in Canada, where the duration is supposed to be four years, I only know a few people who did it in five. Basically, everything has to go right–you have to speed through program requirements, speed through writing, and your supervisors have to speedily give you feedback (this is usually a major choke point). I don’t think I’d even recommend trying, because the North American job market requires you to have a lot of other stuff under your belt, too, and that takes time. So does learning!

    In the UK, where the nominal time to degree is three years and there are far fewer hoops to jump through, I’m sure people complete the degree in four years. Does anyone complete it in three, though? I suspect mostly not.

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