(02-25-2026, 10:21 PM)HappyOne Wrote: Dear Professor Sagan,

Thank you for your feedback — I understand your point.

My intention here is not to frame this as an academic exercise, but to seek practical guidance on doctoral degree options that fit my background and constraints. Given the focus of this forum on degree information, I was hoping to benefit from the community’s experience in navigating affordable PhD pathways, particularly for interdisciplinary profiles.

I appreciate your perspective and welcome any insight on how best to narrow or reframe the question.

(02-25-2026, 10:33 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: My suggestion is to do something similar to what I'm doing (if you're looking to do a PhD in a field such as Biomedical Sciences or something related to that field but at an international institution), MUA MS Biomedical Sciences at $12,500 USD for a year (3 semesters online), it's a pre-medical professional degree, and it gets you entry into the MD program. I am going to skip the MD and go for a PhD elsewhere (the one I am going for may interest you as it's a freebie from Woolf University, 3 years long and entirely remote I believe).

(02-25-2026, 09:22 PM)HappyOne Wrote: Hi all, 

This forum is very useful. I found some decent options, but I still need your help. 

I'm now enrolled in 2 masters: WGU AI and machine learning, and UF Innovative aging studies. 

I'm considering something on the interception of these: 

- entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity
- health science, bioinformatics, aging, gerontology,  medical science
- AI, digital health, AI in medicine 

I'm looking for a PhD (not DBA or similar), and it has to be affordable, like 10k/year max (better, less) 

I'm aware of the Bioinformatics UOC, and it seems to be the only choice for now, which I'm considering. 

I would be very thankful for any suggestions. 
Appreciate your help.

(02-25-2026, 10:33 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: My suggestion is to do something similar to what I'm doing (if you're looking to do a PhD in a field such as Biomedical Sciences or something related to that field but at an international institution), MUA MS Biomedical Sciences at $12,500 USD for a year (3 semesters online), it's a pre-medical professional degree, and it gets you entry into the MD program.  I am going to skip the MD and go for a PhD elsewhere (the one I am going for may interest you as it's a freebie from Woolf University, 3 years long and entirely remote I believe).

(02-26-2026, 12:22 AM)HappyOne Wrote:

(02-25-2026, 10:33 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: My suggestion is to do something similar to what I'm doing (if you're looking to do a PhD in a field such as Biomedical Sciences or something related to that field but at an international institution), MUA MS Biomedical Sciences at $12,500 USD for a year (3 semesters online), it's a pre-medical professional degree, and it gets you entry into the MD program.  I am going to skip the MD and go for a PhD elsewhere (the one I am going for may interest you as it's a freebie from Woolf University, 3 years long and entirely remote I believe).

Thank you for sharing. This 0 cost in the program description made me super excited. Do you know if only Retro Biosciences employees can get the freebie, or if, through the application, Retro decides whether to sponsor you? 

I'm very interested in this opportunity as it's a chance to cooperate with a cool longevity startup.