PhD program requirement conundrum - Publication route

[Sarit1046]

Hi all, I am a doctorate student in a rather specialized program. I will not mention the topic, as it's very unique, and I don't want to badmouth the university, but I'm wondering if anyone has run into this unique situation.

This school provides the option of either a dissertation or publication route, with the publication option having required acceptance of three research articles into peer-reviewed journals approved by one's chair. Over the past two years, I have only been able to afford two of the 10 required courses, thanks to career/family financial struggles, but have kept working with my doctoral chair intermittently and managed to have three articles accepted into peer-reviewed journals approved by my chair. Fast forward almost three months later, and I am about to present this research orally for the second time at an upcoming conference, yet cannot get in touch with my chair, and had both the former doctoral dean and graduate advisor also stop communicating even when I offered to pay off the required remaining eight courses (these courses have no content aside from working toward the final deliverables).

Since then, the new doctoral dean also seems to have vanished in communication, and I checked back to find that the publication requirement specification on their website no longer goes into detail about articles or journals - only one mention of "dissertation/publication". So in a nutshell, I am not particularly wanting to pay $48k for courses that - aside from the defense course - are virtually moot, now that the articles have already been accepted. Above all, I definitely don't want to pay that amount without a guaranteed pass at this point.

Has anyone else encountered a similar issue, and if so, how did you handle it? Thanks in advance!

[siersema]

You seem to have two issues. You are having communication issues and I don’t know what to say there other than to reach out to other people to see if they will respond. Perhaps the chair isn’t responding because you aren’t currently an enrolled student?  

The other issue is that you don’t want to and/or can’t pay. I am not sure what you are expecting here. You signed up for a program that has a specific format and want them to just let you skip the rest of the payment?  I don’t understand the logic. It’s not a program with an accelerated option. You utilized the chair for a period of time without paying. I feel for your financial situation that you could not pay, but it also seems like you just don’t want to pay. Don’t think of it as not needing these courses, but as a total program cost. 

 I think most of us know which school you’re discussing. I’m likely to enroll in the fall myself. I have other credits to bring down the price or it would not even be an option for me. If I enrolled at full price and finished quickly and got the chair to help me outside of my enrollment I’d not expect to be able to skip ahead. If you are willing and able to continue paying, perhaps talk to admissions. If you are not, look at other schools where you can utilize your research again, even if you are forced to write more.  I have looked at some South African schools that had a dissertation only format. They had a total program cost, if you finished in half the time it wouldn’t matter. You still had to pay for the program.  A school like that might be another option for you. The total payment is less, but you’d also have to wait two-three years to complete a new dissertation because of the rules within the country.  Good luck.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, I thought I read about this somewhere before... I don't recall where, I just reviewed your previous thread here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...psychology

[Sarit1046]

You seem to have two issues. You are having communication issues and I don’t know what to say there other than to reach out to other people to see if they will respond. Perhaps the chair isn’t responding because you aren’t currently an enrolled student?  

The other issue is that you don’t want to and/or can’t pay. I am not sure what you are expecting here. You signed up for a program that has a specific format and want them to just let you skip the rest of the payment?  I don’t understand the logic. It’s not a program with an accelerated option. You utilized the chair for a period of time without paying. I feel for your financial situation that you could not pay, but it also seems like you just don’t want to pay. Don’t think of it as not needing these courses, but as a total program cost. 

 I think most of us know which school you’re discussing. I’m likely to enroll in the fall myself. I have other credits to bring down the price or it would not even be an option for me. If I enrolled at full price and finished quickly and got the chair to help me outside of my enrollment I’d not expect to be able to skip ahead. If you are willing and able to continue paying, perhaps talk to admissions. If you are not, look at other schools where you can utilize your research again, even if you are forced to write more.  I have looked at some South African schools that had a dissertation only format. They had a total program cost, if you finished in half the time it wouldn’t matter. You still had to pay for the program.  A school like that might be another option for you. The total payment is less, but you’d also have to wait two-three years to complete a new dissertation because of the rules within the country.  Good luck.

[siersema]

No offense taken. I apologize, if my wording seemed that way. I was more confused as to what outcome you are seeking since you’ve mentioned the financial part of this several times over multiple posts. The website is certainly now less specific, but have actual requirements changed? I agree ghosting is a bad move for any school. I’ve had my share of poor communication with schools in the past, and very limited experience with this one to give an opinion.

[davewill]

I think it probably won't be possible to be granted a "guaranteed pass" as that would require faculty to evaluate your publications. One compromise that might work would be to register for ONE of the remaining courses. Then you would presumably get access to faculty who could finish evaluating your work and advise if you have anything remaining before paying for the rest of the program.

[Sarit1046]

No offense taken. I apologize, if my wording seemed that way. I was more confused as to what outcome you are seeking since you’ve mentioned the financial part of this several times over multiple posts. The website is certainly now less specific, but have actual requirements changed?  I agree ghosting is a bad move for any school.  I’ve had my share of poor communication with schools in the past, and very limited experience with this one to give an opinion.

Just two posts, this will be the last. 

I've decided to forego the degree for now, regardless of school. I'm seeing merit in the increasing number of folks advising that it's not always necessary for career improvement. It can of course be great for self-improvement, but only if finances allow it. 

Thanks again to all for the advice!

---

I think it probably won't be possible to be granted a "guaranteed pass" as that would require faculty to evaluate your publications. One compromise that might work would be to register for ONE of the remaining courses. Then you would presumably get access to faculty who could finish evaluating your work and advise if you have anything remaining before paying for the rest of the program.

This is a good idea. I might try that at some point. My chair has already evaluated the publications, but I would be aiming for the Defense course to present the exegesis (they don't let you take the Defense course until after taking all of the other courses, but that would be an ideal way to go about it theoretically). Thanks so much again!