write phd in 6 months

The Duck of Minerva

10 steps to finishing a phd thesis (or book) in 6 months.

by Megan MacKenzie

12 December 2012, 0003 EST

Most academics will admit to themselves and students that the majority of dissertations and books are written in a 6 month block of time (the remainder of the post focuses on a PhD process, but it can be easily applied to book writing). I’m talking here about the WRITING process- not the research, figuring out the question, organizing the chapters etc (no wizard can do all that in 6 months- at least not this wizard). But once you’ve done your (field) research, reading, thinking through the chapters, taking notes etc. it really should only take you 6 months to finish the thesis. For PhD students this is referred to as the end of the faffing about/procrastination/reading gawker and people.com daily/existential crisis about the structure of the thesis phase and the start of the “time to suck it up, close the office door, shut off the email, and just f#$@king write” phase.

So how can one get a complete draft of the thesis done in 6 months? Here is the 10-Step Process to Completion.

1. Figure out what your D-Day is. Look ahead approximately 6 months and determine either when you would like to submit a full draft or else acknowledge when you MUST complete (maybe the last date before you have to pay for an extra semester of tuition, maybe your committee members are leaving for sabbatacle after a certain date, maybe your partner has threatened to leave if you don’t finish by a particular date, maybe you want to finish before you give birth)- whatever it is, get the date and highlight it on all your calendars and write it up in a threatening font and paste it to your wall (I used the final date as my email password so I had to enter it everyday as a reminder….and no, I don’t still use the same password).

2. Count back from that date and clarify how much time you have left. Is it 6 months or slightly more or less? Count the number of weeks (ie 24), then acknowledge any potential periods within that time frame where you know you won’t be working (Holidays, attending a wedding etc). Now you have your total number of weeks until D-Date.

3. Panic. Yes, coming to terms with the fact that you’ve got 22 weeks to crack out a thesis before you will be faced with an extra semester of tuition sucks. Revel in the panic for a day, it will ultimately be motivating. Ask yourself how many more times you want to get questioned about “still being in school” from family members during the holidays, think about how it would feel if the student in your tutorials become your grad-student colleagues, calculate what your retirement (non)savings plan will look like if you are a student for another year- now take that panic and zen-force it into writing fuel.

4. Set out a work plan. Using the 22 week example, make a list of each of the chapters that you need to write. Start with the chapters that you feel most confident with (ie the ones that may be partially written or are based on an article or conference presentation you’ve already done). Now calculate how many weeks you can spend on each chapter and still stay within your 22 week budget. Try to be realistic (most people can’t write a decent chapter from scratch in 1 week, but you can probably revise an article and build it into a chapter in 2 weeks).

5. Panic. This is the “holy SH*T I’m never going to be able to finish” stage. Again, revel in it for an afternoon. Acknowledge fully that your days of 2-hour coffee sessions and showing up to the office hungover at 11am are over. Say goodbye to facebook, better yet, unplug or delink your office computer from the internet for all but one hour a day (most research related searches leads to an hour staring at fashion.com or somehow reading about Jessica Simpson’s second pregnancy- you know it, and I know it, so just fix the problem)

6. Based on the timeline you set at stage 4 break every week up into smaller tasks. For example, if you known you only have 2 weeks to revise a chapter and update it, break down the list of tasks that will be required and give yourself specific things to accomplish everyday (this could include reading 3 articles and incorporating the work into the chapter, revising the conclusion section etc). Again, be reasonable. I recommend writing out your weekly and daily goals up on a big piece of paper and sticking it to the wall, or getting a white board and having everything clearly laid out. You’ll look like Russel Crow from a Beautiful Mind hunched over your desk with maps and outlines everywhere- but whatever. When you finish your tasks for the day reward yourself by going home or heading out for coffee- conversely, if completing the days task means you need to stay late, so be it. Also, if you get off-track from an illness or unexpected distraction, don’t throw in the towel and abandon the whole plan. Instead, try to revamp the schedule and redistribute the tasks so that you can reasonably get back on the rails. Getting sick for a day or two is no excuse for throwing the entire plan into the garbage.

7. Set weekly rewards for yourself. Use the internet as a reward- surf through the Duck of Minerva after you’ve edited for an hour straight. Give yourself 15 minutes of Jon Stewart when you finally revise the intro you’ve been working on.

8. Make a list of brainless tasks and set it aside. Footnotes, grammar and spelling checks, looking for a lost resource are all things you should do at the end of the day or when you are feeling like a zombie. When you have to do this type of work, throw on some reggae music or whatever makes you feel good and pretend you are not doing the devil’s work.

9. Everyone says it, but you really need to do it: set a word goal everyday. In addition to your specific tasks- free write for at least an hour everyday and remind yourself that during this time you don’t need to worry about perfection. No one will read this first spewing of ideas but it will provide you with something to revise and rework into a legible chapter.

10. Let go. Get over the idea of your first draft being an earth-shattering opus and let go of your identity as a PhD student holed-up in the office writing. You will NEVER finish if you wait for perfection or if you get too attached to your student status. For me, and for most others, the best parts of my research life started POST PhD. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy the process and revel in the time and environment you are privileged with as a grad student- just don’t cling to it like a security blanket.

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Megan MacKenzie

Megan MacKenzie is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney in Australia. Her main research interests include feminist international relations, gender and the military, the combat exclusion for women, the aftermaths of war and post-conflict resolution, and transitional justice. Her book Beyond the Band of Brothers: the US Military and the Myth that Women Can't Fight comes out with Cambridge University Press in July 2015.

https://www.cambridge.org/ee/academic/subjects/politics-international-relations/international-relations-and-international-organisations/beyond-band-brothers-us-military-and-myth-women-cant-fight?format=PB

10 Comments

I’ve found it useful to set a word count target for each work day and to track my progress with a spread sheet. Some days I might not make it, but tracking over time allows me to ensure that on average I am on target. It also let’s me be accountable to myself.

wouldn’t take advice from someone who spells sabbatical “sabbatacle”…

OMG. A spelling troll! I haven’t seen one of those in years. Quick, someone take a picture before it disappears.

It sure is a “spectical” to see.

And it’s still going. How adorable.

anon. read the Phenomenology of Error (it is a short essay; and, maybe read Amy Tan’s Mother Tongue), watch the “grammar Nazis” Hitler clip on Youtube, talk to a therapist about the source of your anal retentive tendencies, and, finally, realize that those of us who know way more about this subject than you (linguistics profs, comp-rhet folk, et al) say you’re response is simply an ad hominem serving Empires (both past and present) and amounts to a stupid, stupid comment for a highly educated person to make.

Cause here’s the thing: countless brilliant people have been bad spellers, comma placers, etc. (like Einstein, F, Scott Fitzgerald, or Shakespeare, to mention just a very, very few). However, only a complete fool would confuse Einstein or Shakespeare’s lack of grammar/spelling hygiene for intelligence, correct?

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• 10 Steps to Finishing a Thesis (Phd ) in 6 Months – My Thesis Hub - […] https://www.duckofminerva.com/2012/12/10-steps-to-finishing-a-phd-thesis-or-book-in-6-months.html […]

How to Write Thesis in Six Months

Most of the students find it difficult to complete their thesis within time. Many students fail to do so because they don’t have a plan. They might have a time frame to complete the entire thesis. However, they haven’t divided their thesis work into weeks.

During my Ph.D., I came up with a six months plan to complete my thesis. I am glad that it worked perfectly. Considering how many students are suffering due to their thesis, I have decided to come up with the course .

Write Your Thesis in 6 months

“ Transform Your Academic Performance ” is my course that describes the exact steps I used to plan the last 6 months of writing up my thesis.

I divided my time perfectly to ensure that I submit my thesis within the given time.

First month was dedicated to “Introduction, Literature review and Research methods.”

Second month , I dig deep into Research methods and Results .

Third month , I continued writing the Results and gave a couple of weeks of Discussion and Conclusion.

In the course, I have talked about how you need to ensure weekly status report. It helps in checking your progress and keeps you on the right track.

Fourth and Fifth month, I gave around 6 months to my supervisor to review and give me suggestions.

Sixth month, I dedicated about two weeks to “ Student corrections .”

Most importantly, I left some time for routine issues when you can’t work on your thesis.

Summary of My Course

Here is a video explaining my course and how I write my PhD thesis in 6 months.

Things You Can Learn in the Course

• How to plan your degree and successfully manage important deadlines
• Regular status updates that improve your relationship with your supervisor
• An ownership mindset that will get you through tough times without shifting blame
• Discussion papers that capture academic progress and useful content for your final report
• The importance of writing early so you think with the end in mind
• Introduction to writing practices like complexity last and old before new
• A finishing mindset that avoids over-analysis and prevents unnecessary delays
• Long-term thinking when doing the proposal that sets you up for success

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How to Finish Your Thesis in 6 Months

It is possible to finish your thesis in 6 months, even if you don’t know what to write or haven’t finished your research. In this hour-long webinar that I gave earlier this week for students of Dora Farkas’s  Finish Your Thesis , I break down the process of how to go from crippling writer’s block to writing hundreds of words a day.

I discuss the following:

• A simple daily habit that will help you start writing your dissertation
• How to make it impossible not to write everyday
• How to write even if all your research isn’t finished
• How to get the most out of your advisor meetings
• How to get your friends actively help you finish, even if they aren’t academics.

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Why you cannot write a PhD thesis in 3-6 months

It is misleading and harmful to claim that a PhD thesis can be completed in 3-6 months. Many people who spread these claims make false promises to sell their products or services. Good research takes time and writing a PhD thesis is not a numbers game or a linear process. Learn more .

People claiming they wrote their PhD thesis in 3-6 months are out for clickbait

What about different phd programme structures, what about differentiating the research and writing phases of a phd, what about the smart use of ai technology and other tools to speed up the process, 1. good academic research takes time, 2. writing a phd thesis is not a numbers game, 3. writing a phd thesis is not a linear process, 4. writing a phd thesis requires skills that are learnt along the way, concluding thoughts: claiming a phd can be written in 3-6 months is harmful.

There are many people on the internet and #AcademicTwitter who claim that they wrote their PhD thesis in just 3-6 months. I am sorry to break it to you: these claims are unrealistic and misleading.

I am writing from a social sciences and humanities background. Yet, the data clearly shows that the average length of a PhD across various disciplines is 3.5-4.5 years. Thus, I would question if it is possible to complete a PhD thesis in 3-6 months in other disciplines.

One thing I can say with confidence is the following: People who claim they completed their PhD thesis in 3-6 months are likely to attract attention and promote clickbait content.

While there is nothing wrong with providing tips and tricks on how to write more efficiently during a PhD, it’s essential to recognize that completing a thesis is a long-term project. I provide my own ‘thesis tips’ on my blog, but I am increasingly frustrated by the growing promotion of unrealistic expectations regarding thesis completion times.

If you come across someone who claims to have completed a PhD thesis in less than 6 months, dig a little deeper. Many individuals who make such claims are often out to sell you something, such as a course, e-book or webinar.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with selling products or services, promoting unhealthy expectations of how fast a PhD thesis can be written to increase sales is not ethical. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of such claims and approach them with a critical eye.

Debunking counterarguments on writing a PhD thesis in 3-6 months

PhD programmes differ in terms of structures and requirements, which can have an effect on the length it takes to write a PhD thesis. Some programmes place a lot of emphasis on coursework while others prioritise the thesis from the beginning.

However, even when a lot of coursework is required, it often serves as preparation for the PhD thesis. It cannot be completely separated from the thesis writing process.

Furthermore, some PhD programmes require a monograph, while others allow for a cumulative dissertation based on individual journal articles. Both thesis types, however, take considerable time. In addition, there are often regulations that one or more articles of a cumulative dissertation have to be published before the PhD thesis can be completed.

Thus, while PhD programme structures do affect the time it may take to write a PhD thesis, 3-6 months remains unrealistic.

When people are challenged on their claim of completing their PhD thesis in a short amount of time, they often respond by saying that they spent more time on research and were referring only to the actual writing phase. While this may be true in some cases, there are two issues with this response.

• Firstly, this clarification is often not made when the initial claim is made. Thus, we come back to the problem of people spreading unrealistic expectations, often in order to sell their services or products.
• Secondly, at least in the social sciences and humanities, writing a PhD thesis is not just about writing up ‘results’ or describing experiments. Academic writing involves analysis and argumentation, which takes much longer than simply presenting results. Therefore, in the majority of cases, completing a PhD thesis in under six months remains unrealistic.

In a previous post, I discussed the ethical use of AI technology in academic research , which can lead to improved efficiency and productivity. However, it’s important to note that AI and other tools should not replace human creativity and originality.

Online tools can be useful for tasks like summarising articles to decide whether they are worth reading, or notetaking. Yet, relying on them to condense several years’ worth of work into a 3-6 month period goes beyond using them as support and can be considered unethical. It’s important to use these tools responsibly and not rely on them too heavily.

Reasons why you cannot write a PhD thesis in 3-6 month

Writing a PhD thesis requires hard work, dedication and perseverance over the course of several years. Why?

The objective of a PhD thesis is to contribute to scientific knowledge. This is not an easy task and requires time.

A 2019 survey by the European University Association concluded that the average time to complete doctoral studies is 3.5-4.5 years. However, 28% of surveyed higher education institutes across Europe indicated that their PhD students take on average more than 5 years to complete their doctorate!

Unfortunately, academia is increasingly prioritizing speed over groundbreaking scientific insights. A 2023 article published in Nature showcased that ‘disruptive’ science has declined with fewer publications changing the course of directions of scientific fields. The pressure to publish is high.

PhD students, who often find themselves in precarious situations, are often not able to fully commit to what some people call ‘ slow science ‘. However, the slow science movement which emphasises that good academic work needs ‘time to think, carries a valuable lesson: It makes sense that writing a PhD thesis takes much more time than 6 months!

Many PhD thesis range from 70.000 to 100.000 words. Six months is approximately 182 days. The calculation often goes like this:

100.000 words / 182 days = 549 words per day

Sounds doable, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, there is a flaw in this type of thinking.

PhD students are no machines, and cannot produce a predictable amount of words every day.

Don’t get me wrong. These types of calculations can be helpful for PhD students who feel overwhelmed by the task of writing 100.000 words. It is important to stay realistic though.

Writing is not just putting words on paper. Producing low-quality 549 words per day will not result in a PhD thesis after six months.

While it is important to follow the length requirements of your university for your PhD thesis, remember that quantity does not equal quality. A PhD thesis relies on the quality of academic insights, key arguments put forward, depth of theoretical discussions, etcetera.

Not only is writing a PhD thesis not a numbers game, but it is also far from being a linear process. Therefore, writing a good PhD thesis over the course of 3-6 months is quite unlikely. Instead, academic writing looks like this:

In my opinion, being stuck for several weeks and not knowing how to proceed is a necessary part of doing a PhD. It is not enjoyable, but it happens to almost all PhD students. It is part of the process of figuring things out.

Moreover, continuous editing, feedback and discussions with supervisors and colleagues, are all required parts of writing a PhD thesis. All of this takes time.

Most PhD students, who begin the thesis writing process, have not written such an extensive piece of work before. In fact, unless they write a single-authored book in the future, this may be one of the few times they focus extensively on writing such a long piece of work in their career.

Like all skills, it takes time to acquire them. Learning by doing is a classic approach, and it is important not to expect oneself to be an expert before even starting. It is difficult to become an expert in just 3-6 months starting from a beginner level.

Many PhD students experience mental health issues, and are struggling due to unrealistic expectations. While there are obviously other factors at play that lead to this mental health crisis among PhD students, let’s stop pretending that a PhD can be written in 3-6 months!

Many PhD students may feel stressed, anxious, or inadequate because they cannot live up to these unrealistic expectations. In some cases, they may not even realize that these expectations are unrealistic.

Thus, instead of spreading unrealistic expectations ( especially to sell products or services to struggling PhD students! ), let’s share what a realistic PhD thesis writing process looks like.

For example, when I was a PhD student myself, an established professor told me that her daily limit for writing valuable content was 250 words. I remember the relief I felt when she told me. We need more stories like this, and better role models.

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Can you finish a PhD in 6 months?

It is possible to finish your thesis in 6 months, even if you don’t know what to write or haven’t finished your research.

Can a PhD be done in 1 year?

No, you cannot finish a PhD in 1 year. A PhD degree average student will require four to eight years to complete. However, this will depend on some factors such as what kind of doctorate degree you choose, program design, and where you do your PhD. In most countries except for the USA, 3-4 years is considered normal.

How quickly can you finish a PhD?

You may be able to complete your doctoral program in three to four years if you opt for an accelerated online program. On average, traditional on-campus PhD programs take around eight years to complete.

Can you get a PhD in months?

A select group of students complete their PhDs in two years, while a tiny number of elite students can get it done in 12 months. The key to a fast-track PhD is building up a strong academic CV before you even start.

How do you finish a PhD thesis in 6 months?

10 Steps to Finishing a PhD Thesis (or book) in 6 Months

• Figure out what your D-Day is.
• Count back from that date and clarify how much time you have left.
• Set out a work plan.
• Based on the timeline you set at stage 4 break every week up into smaller tasks.
• Set weekly rewards for yourself.

Is there a 2 year PhD program?

Almost equally as rare are two-year doctoral programs, but there’s a few colleges and universities offering these programs in a handful of academic areas, with different types of requirements, and we’ll discuss each one of your options below.

How many chapters should a PhD thesis have?

The dissertation itself should be structured into 4 to 6 chapters. The following is one commonly-used structure: Introduction. Cover an introduction to the basic terminology, give citations to appropriate background work, briefly discuss related work that has already covered aspects of the problem.

Is it possible to get a PhD in 2 years?

Computer Science, Doctor of Philosophy Degrees. In theory, yes, it’s possible to complete a PhD in less than 2 years. In practice, it’s almost impossible (e.g., in CS), since it requires publishing and publishing takes time.

Is 6 months enough to prepare for a PhD presentation?

No one is expecting you to go in to this presentation as a world-leading authority in your field after 6 months. As I’m not a PhD reviewer there may be other criteria, this was what I was advised to focus on. As said elsewhere though, there should be guidelines at your University or else ask other students or your supervisor about typical content.

How long does it take to get a doctorate degree?

Most doctoral programs can take well beyond five years to complete. Several universities across the country offer accredited accelerated Ph.D. programs. For busy working professionals looking to jumpstart their careers, this list serves as a simple reference guide, comprising some of the shortest doctoral programs in the country.

Is the easiest doctoral degree program the shortest?

The easiest isn’t always the shortest nor the shortest the easiest. 1-year Online Doctoral Programs | Shortest Doctoral Programs Online and On-campus | Easiest PhD Online and On-campus While most doctoral degree programs last 2 or more years, we’ve found one university that offers an accelerated 12-month online doctoral program.

Privacy Overview

10 Steps to Writing a Thesis (Phd ) in 6 Months

Most academics will admit to themselves and students that the majority of dissertations and books are written in a 6 month block of time (the remainder of the post focuses on a PhD process, but it can be easily applied to book writing). I’m talking here about the WRITING process- not the research, figuring out the question, organizing the chapters etc (no wizard can do all that in 6 months- at least not this wizard). But once you’ve done your (field) research, reading, thinking through the chapters, taking notes etc. it really should only take you 6 months to finish the thesis. For PhD students this is referred to as the end of the faffing about/procrastination/reading gawker and people.com daily/existential crisis about the structure of the thesis phase and the start of the “time to suck it up, close the office door, shut off the email, and just f#$@king write” phase.

So how can one get a complete draft of the thesis done in 6 months?

Here is the 10-Step Process to Completion.

Figure out what your D-Day is.

  count back from that date and clarify how much time you have left..

Yes, coming to terms with the fact that you’ve got 22 weeks to crack out a thesis before you will be faced with an extra semester of tuition sucks. Revel in the panic for a day, it will ultimately be motivating. Ask yourself how many more times you want to get questioned about “still being in school” from family members during the holidays, think about how it would feel if the student in your tutorials become your grad-student colleagues, calculate what your retirement (non)savings plan will look like if you are a student for another year- now take that panic and zen-force it into writing fuel.

  Set out a work plan.

Based on the timeline you set at stage 4 break every week up into smaller tasks., set weekly rewards for yourself., make a list of brainless tasks and set it aside., everyone says it, but you really need to do it: set a word goal everyday ., reference :.

the original article

MacKenzie’s research bridges feminist international relations, critical security studies and development studies. Visit my page

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So revealing. It has actually helped me in making preparation even as I just got admission for a PhD. However, what are the steps in choosing a topic irrespective of area of interest?

Im also imperessed

really i am impresed your guidline for your thesis writting . How and where easy to get place do it

Hope this would render a pragmatic help in advancing for a thesis work.

Very Informative. Learnt many good things.

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