60
votes
Concerns about a very old PhD advisor?
My PhD advisor was already retired when I started my PhD. He is in his 80s now. One of my collaborators is due to retire soon; the other is in his 90s. All I can say is that everyone of them has had a ...
- 8,381
57
votes
I want to do research but I'm too old for a PHD
My father got his Ph.D. (from a highly respected department at a major university) in his late fifties. I brought my regalia to his graduation. There were also two grad students in their fifties in ...
53
votes
To enroll in to a PhD Program at the age of 65
The realistic answer is: you can enroll in a PhD program at age 65. However, you are highly unlikely to get a tenure-track professorship after finishing a PhD program at that age. The big reason for ...
- 171k
52
votes
Why are most cranks old men?
In order to assess this claim, it is important to first bear in mind that classification as a “crank” theory actually requires a reasonably high level of technical development. For example, in the ...
- 43.8k
47
votes
Can I pursue a bachelor degree at 42? What should I consider when deciding whether to do so?
Firstly, to answer the actual question at the top: yes, absolutely. There is no age limit on doing a degree. It is not at all unusual for people significantly older than you to complete degrees.
My ...
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45
votes
I want to do research but I'm too old for a PHD
Here are some statistics on Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities in 2009:
from Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities: 2009:
Data presented in Doctorate Recipients from U.S. ...
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36
votes
I want to do research but I'm too old for a PHD
A guy at my old department had just started his PhD when I left. He retired from his old job, travelled from the USA to New Zealand with his wife, and started his PhD. He is about your age.
Granted, ...
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35
votes
Accepted
Concerns about a very old PhD advisor?
One minor counterpoint to @adipro's answer: rather than age of the professor, consider where they stand in their professional career. Age aside, you want to make sure that they're still highly active ...
- 47.8k
34
votes
How were people able to graduate with a PhD at a such young age in the past?
There are several issues:
Your examples are somewhat biased, since you've selected researchers who were not only brilliant but also prodigies. By contrast, Riemann finished his Ph.D. dissertation at ...
28
votes
Are old (>35) faculty candidates discriminated against all over the world?
Absolutely not.
Age discrimination is explicitly illegal in the US. (I believe the same is true in Canada and most European countries.) Even as the chair of my department's recruiting committee, I ...
- 96.8k
28
votes
Accepted
Why do most talented children still enter college after the age of 18?
I don't think there is a need for this. Realistically, you can perhaps push the entrance age by one to three years: that compared with the expected working life of 44 years (from ages 23 to 67) is ...
- 21k
25
votes
How old is too old for a PhD?
This is a slightly different view of some issues raised in a recent answer.
That answer stated some of the disadvantages of being a mature PhD student, but missed several major advantages that mature ...
- 32.9k
24
votes
To enroll in to a PhD Program at the age of 65
It could be hard to get into a PhD program since potential advisers will be looking for students who will have many productive years ahead to establish a legacy. But you don't need a PhD to be a ...
- 29.5k
22
votes
I want to do research but I'm too old for a PHD
In my opinion, there is no age limit for doing academic research. As far as it seems you have sufficient academic background, so prepare your resume and send your request to the universities. Do not ...
- 7,380
21
votes
Average age to start a PhD and correlation to future career
There are many confounding variables (field of study, country, citizenship status, sex, race/ethnicity, probably many others) that correlate with both age at doctorate (as seen below) and post-PhD ...
- 107k
21
votes
Accepted
How feasible to learn undergraduate math in one year?
I see that this question is being voted down for being interesting, so let me blacken my own reputation by addressing it.
Mathematics undergraduates do not study mathematics. They study studying, they ...
- 1,755
20
votes
Accepted
How were people able to graduate with a PhD at a such young age in the past?
One relevant aspect is the shift in the socially acceptable career schedule of people. The age of adulthood has been shifted from 13-15 y.o. to 18 in Europe and 21 in North America. This is not only ...
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19
votes
How old is too old for a PhD?
I know this is an older question but recently similar questions have popped up. So, I'll give my input as a recently graduated PhD.
My answer: It's never late to do a PhD, but you need to be well ...
- 7,404
19
votes
Are old (>35) faculty candidates discriminated against all over the world?
(This started out as a comment on JeffE's answer, but became too long, and I don't want to clutter his post.)
This is a gross simplification, but what hiring committees care about is your future ...
- 4,985
19
votes
Why do most talented children still enter college after the age of 18?
Would you like your extraordinary talented kid to go to college that early? I wouldn't.
Don't rob children of their childhood. Being educated and being a brilliant scientist is valuable, but is ...
- 289
18
votes
Job Market: should one hide their (young) age?
If you have well regarded publications and some demonstration of teaching experience at the collegiate level, your age may not be of significant concern to hiring committees. If I was a 45 year old on ...
- 18.4k
17
votes
Accepted
Am I likely to be perceived as less successful if I start as an assistant professor at age 40?
I would say it depends. In the following question, JeffE resoundingly stated that age does not play into the decision whether to appoint somebody for an academic position. Yet, ETH Zurich (one of the ...
- 126k
17
votes
I want to do research but I'm too old for a PHD
I completed my Ph.D. in computer science at UCSD in 2009, when I was 60 years old. I don't think being a few years older than that would have made any difference.
The only problem I had in the ...
- 32.9k
17
votes
Accepted
How do academics deal with growing old?
All people deal with getting old(er) in some way, but I can think of a few aspects that are unique to academics.
One way to keep up the performance is to gradually shift from hands-on work to ...
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16
votes
How much do my career prospects suffer if I start a mathematics/CS PhD. at the age of 27?
How much do my career prospects suffer if I start a mathematics/CS PhD. at the age of 27?
Not at all. 27 is not considered "old" by any stretch of the imagination.
Also see this answer on ...
- 107k
14
votes
Accepted
How should I take a potential PhD supervisor's age into account, when planning to follow PhD with habilitation?
First: a few people commented that thinking about your postdoc/Habilitation before even starting your Ph.D. is premature. I disagree. I have seen too many people coast along during their Ph.D. time ...
- 29.3k
14
votes
Accepted
Any experience in working with aged emeritus supervisors?
Quick Answer: The downside might be his age, but the upside is plenty!
It is obvious that the age might be a factor, however you are not dealing with a dance instructor or a body builder here. Look ...
- 7,570
13
votes
I want to do research but I'm too old for a PHD
I received my PhD last year at 54 years old. It took me eight years part time while I worked full time. I had taken classes in the 1980s at Drexel in Philadelphia and remembered a 60 yr old PhD ...
- 139
12
votes
I am 58 years old, can I pursue a PhD?
Well, I was 58 when I applied for the Ph.D. program from which I received my doctorate, so the answer is yes.
- 25.1k
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