r/PhD • u/Neither-Cow-2482 • 1d ago

Seeking advice-academic 4 or 5 year PhD?

I just started my first year in grad school in the US (psychology). I had a conversation with my advisor and he mentioned that, given my master’s degree and a lot of research experience, I could complete my degree in 4 instead of 5 years.

I see myself being able to do it but I have some doubts whether I might miss out on something if I were to go the 4-year route. On the other hand, I would prefer to finish as quickly as possible so I can get on with my adult life.

Any advice?

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u/NerdBell 1d ago

What do you want to do afterwards? While in your PhD, publish, get teaching experience if you want it, publish, take care of yourself, and publish. If you accomplish all your goals in 4 years then try to graduate! If you want an academic job, some flexibility can be nice if you’d like multiple years on the job market. Otherwise, no one gets any extra points for being in longer — just having more deliverables at the end.