What it costs for a PUC faculty subsidized PhD at Purdue University.
I keep getting asked how I like my chance and opportunity to get a free PhD at Purdue University. Of course I had to apply just like everybody else, and I was required to gain entrance just like everybody else. And, like everybody else I know that I’m pretty darned lucky for getting the opportunity to work in a system I enjoy and learn in a system I respect. I just can’t get over this idea of free. Like chasing the top academic credentials within my discipline are conferred without any kind of resources being burned. As much as my employers bend to help me even they realize that time is finite and work of this type is horrendous. Nothing about it is free.
So what does it take? All the normal costs of course are applied to an education:
- About 1/3rd normal in state tuition for every semester hour including all fees.
- Books and material costs aren’t covered by any benefits your tuition will be around $487.50 per semester or about $975 a year for two classes a semester.
- Books average about the same as tuition so figure $975 a year in books.
- You will need a new computer at some point. It will be imperative you have one at the beginning and near the end when you’re writing your thesis. Figure at least $3000 for computers and software during your PhD.
- In a sixteen week semester you will travel approximately 6400 miles commuting and at an average gasoline cost of 2.70 and miles per gallon of 20 you’ll spend around $864 or $1728 for two semesters. Add in summer and you have another $800+ dollars.
- Edited to add… You will burn up about one car every year and half in mileage alone. I 65 is a terrible mess, you will have to travel in flood conditions, blizzards, and high winds. This all takes a radical toll on a vehicle.
- If you have a masters degree you’ll take about 4 years to just finish the course work at a cost of about $15,000 (approximate).
- Edited to add… It really hurt when gasoline was $4.50 a gallon… ouch
Since I live in the region it’s about 100 miles to West Lafayette.
Time is a big issue:
- You travel to West Lafayette two to three times a week.
- Traveling every Tuesday and Thursday would make 400 miles a week just going to school in West Lafayette.
- Travel time is about 2 hours each way for a total of 8 hours a week lost in commuting.
- Classes are an hour and half each day or about 3 hours each a week for a total of 6 hours in classes if you take a normal doctoral level of 2 classes per semester.
- Purdue requires 45 hours of course work beyond a masters (gives credit of 30 hours for completion of masters). 45 hours divided by 3 credits per course makes 15 classes on average to be completed.
- 15 courses divided by two semesters a year equates to about 7 semester or 4 years to complete the course work. Don’t forget then you start your dissertation.
- Homework for graduate classes is easily triple or quadruple course hours for an average total of 18 hours of homework.
- Time requirements follow industry norms of about 24 hours a week work for a PhD graduate program (6 hours class + 18 hours homework + 8 hours commuting =32 hours a week effort towards a PhD).
- If you make $45 an hour and you take just five years to complete all course work you will have lost approximately $45 an hour multiplied by 32 hours a week, multiplied by 32 weeks (2 semesters), multiplied by 4 years equates in about $184,320 in wage costs lost or unrecoverable.
So if you plan on getting a PhD at Purdue while being Faculty at Purdue University Calumet you can expect a real cost of around $15,000 and total life cost of about $200,000 that if the adage is true you will never recover. Work as a faculty member is supposed to be a 35 hour work week. I haven’t seen that few hours since I started. Never mind the conflicts to attend conferences, course work that is schedule and time demanding, family (I started with 8 people and a dog living in my house). Children who have school needs, and all of that. I teach four classes a semester on average and usually all preparations. Which means I teach four different classes most semesters. Plus a few independent studies and sometimes and extra class. The most I’ve taught in one semester was six courses while trying to get a PhD.
My choice was to attempt it and it isn’t easy. Nobody truly understands the emotional costs and expense involved until they’ve done it in a similar situation.