doing a phd in your 30s

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Average age of a phd student: when is it too late, published by steve tippins on june 16, 2022 june 16, 2022.

Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 02:36 am

In 2020, the average age of a graduate from a PhD program in the United States was 33. However, 6% of the graduates were over 45. 

When people ask what the average age of a PhD student is, many times they’re really asking, “Am I too old to get a PhD?” The answer is almost always no. Let’s explore some different scenarios. 

When Is It Too Late to Get a PhD?

As an academic career coach, I’ve been asked by more than a few people if it’s too late for them to get a PhD. Some of these people were even in their twenties, worried that working for two years after their undergraduate degree had inexorably barred them from the halls of academia. 

Others were past middle age, looking for a career change. In either case, the answer is ultimately no, it’s not too late to get a PhD . However, there are some important things to keep in mind if this is something you’re considering.

Getting a PhD for Your Career

Let’s say you want to get a PhD to pursue a career in academia or elsewhere. You enter a PhD program at 25 or even 30, the average PhD duration takes six to eight years. That means you will finish when you are around 30 to 37. The normal retirement age to get Social Security in the United States is 67, so that’s at least 30 years ahead of you – lots of time for your career. If you look around academia, there’s a lot of people older than 67.

You have a chance for a very long career, even if you’re 42 and finish your PhD at 50. That’s still over 15 years before retirement age. These days, very few people stay at a job for 15 years. Rest assured that you have ample opportunity to have a meaningful career.

Over 50% of doctoral candidates don’t finish their dissertations.

Student Loan Debt Considerations

If you’re 61 and taking loans out, it will be a while before you pay those off. Debt is something to think about before getting a PhD. If you can get into a PhD program that pays your tuition or even provides you a stipend, you may be able to graduate with a much smaller student loan debt. That assistance could allow you to consider a PhD later in life. 

What Is the Minimum Age for Getting a PhD?

To get a PhD, you have to have graduated from undergraduate school. From there, some people can go right into a PhD program. If you graduate at the traditional age of 22, you’d be getting your PhD somewhere around age 25 at a minimum.

There are stories about people who graduate from high school at 12 and college at 16. They could theoretically get their PhD at 19 or 20. However, people like this are quite rare.

Can You Get a PhD by Age 25?

It is possible to get a PhD by age 25, particularly if you graduate from college at 21 or 22. If it takes three or four years to get a PhD, you could graduate by 25.

What Is The Best Age to Get a PhD?

The best age to get a PhD is three years ago. The second best time is now. In reality, the best age to get a PhD is whenever you are able to complete it. The earlier you finish your PhD, the more of a life and career you’ll have with it , but there is no optimal age.

Does Having a Master’s Shorten the Time it Takes to Get a PhD?

Having a Master’s can shorten the time it takes to get a PhD , depending on your discipline. If PhD programs in your discipline are structured such that they assume you have a Master’s before you enter, then yes, you’re going to finish a PhD faster. 

If you enter without a Master’s, you may have to get the Master’s first to be allowed in the PhD program. Otherwise, you may have to take some remedial coursework. If your discipline is not set up in that manner, having a Master’s may not allow you to move faster.

Final Thoughts

As society ages and with employers having problems finding eligible workers, the problem of ageism will become less severe. Getting a PhD at any age is going to be a viable option. If you are interested in a PhD and it’s something you have a burning desire to do, don’t let age stop you. 

Are you considering getting your PhD? We’re here to help. Check out our Dissertation Coaching and Academic Career Coaching services.

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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Academia & mental health

Doing a PhD in your 30s

Over time, I’ve seen quite a few tweets from people asking whether one should do a PhD in their 30s and what it is like. I personally am of the opinion that it is never too late for education, including a PhD, and when it came to me making a decision to do one at the age of 29 it did not even occur to me that I might be ‘too old’. However, at that time I was single and without children, so the decision seemed a lot simpler. Nevertheless, there are a few things I learned along the way about doing a PhD from the age of 29 until 35 (yes it took me 6 years to finish) that I’d like to share with you.

Let’s start with the positives!

The major benefit of starting a PhD at 29 was that I was more mature – it’s a fairly obvious one I know, but in hindsight it was important. It meant that I (mostly) knew what I wanted and why I was doing a PhD. I had already tried other careers and was quite certain that a career in academia would be a good long-term fit for me and I was not wrong.

Also, because I had had a career before starting this degree, I had work experience which helped me not only with the PhD itself but also in the work I was doing alongside the PhD. I was self-funded which meant that I had to work part-time, and in my first year I worked as supply teacher in secondary schools; a job I was able to get thanks to my previous teaching qualifications. Later when I started working as a teaching assistant in my Department, the teaching qualification and experience also came in very handy. My previous work experience helped me build a profile for myself as a reliable and effective employee, which in turn helped me find employment after the PhD. This is, of course, not to say that if you don’t have work experience you won’t be a reliable employee, but rather that in my case I noticed it as a benefit.

I was more confident too as a lot of the insecurities about my looks and persona that I had in my teens and early 20s were mostly gone by 29. I felt right in my own skin, if that makes sense. Previous work experience in a job that I loved also enabled me to find out what I was good at and what were my potential weaknesses, which helped me in my PhD when it came to e.g., picking a topic or deciding on the methodology. Knowing who I was and being overall quite confident was also important in the fight against the imposter syndrome, which like with most people kicked in for me too. At those times it was useful to be able to remind myself that there were other things I was good at and that no matter what happened with the PhD that wouldn’t change. 

Although when you start your academic career later in life it means that some of your colleagues who are younger or the same age as you might be further along in their careers, don’t let that bother you. I personally find my own Department to be rather diverse in terms of staff ages and when people made a start in academia and that’s great. I found it rather refreshing that I was given the choice to completely change my career and start a PhD at 29 and that has never been an issue for me in terms of age or being ‘a late starter’.

Nevertheless, there were some negatives too which are worth sharing and considering. 

Overall, I think my previous career was a big help during the PhD but having had a job/career before also meant that it was fairly difficult to adjust to the PhD way of life/work as it is a lot less structured and with a lot less accountability to other people. I really missed having co-workers and meaningful deadlines, and it took me quite a while to figure out what routine worked best for me. Finding a routine also meant getting back into being a student again and all that this entails, like reading and writing academic papers, improving my concentration and sitting long hours at a desk. It had been a while since I did all that for my BA and MA, but eventually I got the hand of it.

Another important consideration are finances. I personally went from having a decent and steady salary to spending my savings on my PhD and working multiple part-time jobs. This is a bit different if you are funded, but even then the stipends are usually not large enough to allow for comfortable living. I would say that in most cases, the PhD years will mean living on a tighter budget. Especially, if you are coming from a well-paid and steady job, you may find this change in your financial circumstances a bit tough. 

I guess a fairly important consideration when starting a PhD later in life is family, whether you already have one or you are planning for one. I personally left family planning until after I finished my PhD and found a job, as I found it too much to be thinking about both at the same time. However, I know of many PhD colleagues who have had a baby during the PhD or started the PhD with children.  

What I want to say at the end of this post is that regardless of at what age you start your PhD, it will come with its unique challenges. However, none of these challenges are unsurmountable, especially if you are reasonably prepared for them and know what to expect. As I said at the start, I don’t believe that one is ever too old to do a PhD so if that’s what you really want to do, go for it!

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Academics Anonymous: 'Why are you doing a PhD at your age?'

I’m concerned that my age will render my PhD worthless, at least as a passport to an academic career Studying for a humanities PhD can make you feel cut off from humanity

At virtually every conference I've attended as a doctoral candidate, I've noticed a similar reaction whenever I strike up a conversation with my fellow students. They exude a faint, but perceptible air of deference.

Sadly, this is not in recognition of my academic brilliance, but my greying hair and crow's feet, which tacitly suggest that I am more qualified and experienced than I actually am. You may be as young as you feel, but sadly, initial impressions tend to be based on how old you look.

When I reveal that, though I am 42, I am in fact a student, the response is invariably, "Oh, I thought you were an academic." I can't help feeling that this reaction masks an unspoken enquiry: "So why are you doing a PhD at your age?"

This is certainly a question I've asked myself over the past three years of my part-time doctorate, and there still doesn't seem to be any rational answer. I'm spending money I can ill-afford in the pursuit of a qualification, which may or may not offer the slenderest of chances of becoming an academic. I was warned, of course, that the arduous journey of a humanities PhD doesn't offer the guarantee of a job at the end of the process.

Entering an already saturated job market

A former supervisor whom I contacted for a reference prior to resuming study after a 20-year hiatus told me that I was more or less wasting my time in seeking to enter a saturated job market populated by those younger, fresher, hungrier and less shop-worn than I.

A newly qualified doctorate-holder in their 20s has, it's safe to say, enjoyed a fairly seamless career progression: BA, MA, PhD. They are straight arrows – I am an unguided missile by comparison, with a career history built upon under-performance in a range of fields.

A nagging voice that whispered "this isn't what you should be doing with your life" sabotaged any commitment to establishing a presence in the corporate world.

Of course, there are benefits to beginning a PhD in later life. Being older doesn't necessarily make you wiser, but in my case, it has made me more disciplined about the process of writing.

After graduating from university in 1994, I meandered from job to job and eventually trained as a journalist. I hated the job, but it taught me to write to strict deadlines, an attribute which has proved invaluable when juggling the demands of a full-time job and two young children.

Sleepless nights

I don't have the option of planning a day of study – I fit my studies in around my life. I typically squeeze in my doctoral work during evenings and weekends, but in fact, trying to segregate family, work and PhD time is virtually impossible – my doctoral work is always on, running as a background programme throughout the day.

I have not experienced an unbroken night's sleep for the past five years – I am invariably up in the small hours banishing ghosts, dispensing milk or searching for misplaced comforters. As I have discovered, chronic sleep deprivation makes sustained concentration a daunting task.

If you begin a PhD in your early 20s, there's a strong presumption that this represents a career choice. If you begin a doctorate in later life, this is often interpreted as a desire for intellectual stimulation, rather than an ambition to secure employment as a teacher and researcher.

Older doctoral candidates seem under-represented in the teaching and lecturing undertaken by postgraduate students. Thanks to the demands of work and family life, I don't enjoy many networking or social encounters with my peers – but I do enjoy the benefits of a stable home environment and a steady source of income. Instead, I've been able to build up a roster of contacts on Twitter and other social networking sites.

Why I want to work in academia

Why do I keep going? Because after living in the banality of the corporate world, I have a renewed respect for academia, for open-mindedness and intellectual honesty.

It's true that higher education is becoming increasingly corporate – academics are hostage to the jargon of marketers, and are being forced to demonstrate that their research has an impact beyond the scholarly community, and that their teaching embodies "employability", irrespective of its intellectual merits.

I recognise that there is a correspondent ruthlessness within academia – the demands of maintaining an impressive roster of publications, of success in securing funding, and of competing with other highly intelligent, motivated people for a dwindling pool of jobs.

But there's also the very real joy of research, of reaching the limits of your intellectual boundaries, of being invited to contend with ideas that matter. And that's why I continue along the lonely road of the PhD – I've revived a part of me that I'd lamented, thinking it gone forever. And seeing it revived – and occasionally flourishing despite all life's obstacles – is enough.

This week's anonymous academic is studying for a humanities PhD at a Russell Group university.

If you'd like to contribute an anonymous piece about the trials and tribulations of university life, contact [email protected] .

Join the higher education network for more comment, analysis and job opportunities , direct to your inbox. Follow us on Twitter @gdnhighered .

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Is Doing A PhD In Your 30s Crazy?

OK, so you are in your late 20s or 30s, and you are thinking of doing a PhD. I am sure you are thinking, is doing a PhD in your 30s crazy? The answer is an definite ‘no.’ While many people start their PhD before they turn 30, or immediately after their undergraduate education, it is absolutely normal to start a PhD in your 30s. It is OK to do a PhD in your 30s.  Read this post if you want to learn what a PhD student does all day (It’s very interesting).  Pretty near the majority of the people I know that have done a PhD in Business Administration, has started their PhD in their late 20s and early 30s.

If you want to watch the video for this post about doing your PhD in your 30s, check out:

https://youtu.be/qePwYFMBB-M Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Doing A PhD In Your 30s Or PhD Before 30?: Average Age To Start PhD in Business Admin -Academia Tips (https://youtu.be/qePwYFMBB-M)

Why do people pursue a PhD in their 30s in the business school?

Most of the time, the reason why people start their PhDs in Business administration in their 30s is because they tend to favor people that have an MBA or an equivalent degree. Most of these MBA programs require you to have at least a couple of years of work experience before you apply. Indeed, students are often discouraged if they want to apply right after their undergraduate degree to gain experience in the workforce.

Take the should you do a PhD quiz! You will love it.

Another important factor is that many people do not know what they want to do when they grow up until they work for a while. You would be surprised the number of engineers, lawyers, and accountants that decide that they like studying and discovery a lot more than the day-to-day operations of running a business. The reason they were in those programs was because they liked the challenge, but when the get their real jobs, they realize that the real job was not nearly as challenging as the education to obtain the degree.

Some people also might have multiple goals and dreams in their life. Having conflicting goals and dreams in life is fundamentally human. Indeed, on a poll on R3ciprocity in 2020 (n=23), 57% of the people suggested that they wanted to become a scientist or engineer when they were a kid. Many people might have chosen a safer career path, but then decided to pick up on this dream that they had as a youngster.

Finally, life changes a lot for many people. What sounds like a sexy career in your early 20s fades quickly. Many people that go into business as a consultant or a manager work long-hours away from home, have to put up with the daily commute, and travel extensively. Many people are drawn to the academic career because you get a lot more flexibility. You still have to work many long hours, but you get to choose (at least some degree) the place that you do you work.

Some people even do multiple PhDs as well! They change their academic career by doing so.

We all have our doubts in academia-this is normal. You can check out why all of us struggle with self-doubt in this post about impostor syndrome (It’s helpful to know why) .

In sum, it is totally normal to start a PhD in Business Administration in your early and even late 30s.

I used to think that there was all these tips and hacks to becoming a Business Professor, but now, I don’t think so for a number of reasons. Check out this post about productivity tips and non-hacks for your PhD journey.

By the way, if you do not know what to expect with grad school, and you are thinking of going to grad school. You might want to watch this video about the pros and cons of going to grad school. I hope it will be useful for you.  And, do you need help with your PhD Program Application? This guide to PhD Program applications is going to be the thing you need.

https://youtu.be/DQeKDT2nS5E Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: What Are The Pros And Cons Of Going To Grad School? – Should You Go To Grad School/Doctoral Program? (https://youtu.be/DQeKDT2nS5E)

How about in other fields? How common is starting your PhD in your 30s or 40s, compared to your 20s?

Again, it is totally common to see people that start a PhD late in life. While the proportion of younger folks is much higher in many fields, you will still see a proportion of them that are in their 30s and 40s. One thing that you will realize with a PhD is that the reasons why people choose to pursue a PhD or a research career are surprisingly diverse. Doing a PhD is a pretty intimate affair because you have to be self-motivated to stick with the career.

How do you know what is the best PhD Program? Check out the R3ciprocity PhD Program rankings to help you decide.

However, I am going out on the limb to point out that there are definite advantages and disadvantages to starting your academic career later in life. This career, of course, is like any other career, but the lag between when you put in your efforts and when you see rewards is quite long. Doing research is closer to drug discovery than working at a Walmart. It is closer to becoming a chess grandmaster or a world-class musician than being a lawyer. In the later examples, the returns are quick and relatively instant. You work, you get paid. In the former, it takes years of practice to reap any rewards. A good rough estimate is to say that it will take 25 years before you reap substantial rewards from doing a PhD (4-7 years for your PhD, 5-7 years for getting tenure, 10 years for becoming a full professor). It just takes a long time before you peak out in the career.

What is the average cost of a PhD program? Check out this blog post to find out more.

By the way, you really need to understand why it takes so long by reading this post about how PhD students are evaluated . I also have a great post on the advantages and disadvantages of doing your doctorate .

What Is The Average Age Of PhD Student?

You would be surprised on how old most people that start a doctorate are, particularly in more professional oriented degrees. For example, if you check out this survey from the Council of Graduate Schools , it appears that the median age of a PhD student graduate is roughly around 33 years old. There is a super interesting NSF document that shows the cohort of people that are 30s that are starting a PhD is growing over time. But, in a graduate program, you learn that you should learn never take averages at face value! There is a large distribution of when people get their PhD. In other words, the average age of a PhD student can vary a lot between programs, institutions, and countries.

Indeed, if you look at this poll of the R3ciprocity community about age of starting a PhD (who is predominately made up of people that are grad students, professors, academics, and folks who are interested in research), the average starting age was around 29. However, the distribution of PhD age is really quite spread out. Note: This social media poll should be interpreted cautiously, as you are likely aware of the problems of social media. Yet, it is very much illustrative that you are normal to start a PhD at almost any age. There is no “best” age for PhD, just whatever is right for you.

Take this quiz if you are wondering if you should start a PhD.

What are the Top PhD Programs? Check out (and contribute to) the R3ciprocity PhD Program rankings. We want you to know!

A PhD Is Not Like A Masters / MBA In Your 30s.

You can recover your costs and have a good ROI with a MBA / Masters in your PhD. However, with a PhD, you have to forgo your wages for a very long time. I would highly recommend a Masters in your 30s, but for a PhD, you have to be committed to the program. You need to really want it.

If you are are serious about getting a doctorate, read this excellent guide what you actually learn when you do your doctorate!

What Does This Long Lag-time Mean If You Are Thinking Of Doing A PhD And Your Age?

I want to clarify upfront that I am not specifying that you need to be a certain age to do a PhD. I am also not discriminating based on age, either. Many people in academia have sky-rocketing careers late in life, after they were doing research in obscurity for years. Indeed, this is quite normal in academia, particularly if someone was working on a strange idea that did not get attention until other people take it seriously. You can also start your PhD late (say in your 50s), and become outstanding productive until your 80s. This is one of the joys of getting your PhD – you don’t have to stop at a specific time if you love the career. While you might have to formally retire (become an emeritus professor), many professors keep interacting in academia late in life.

How do you become a Business School Professor? Check out this great guide that will help you find your way!

However, there are advantages and disadvantages of doing a PhD in your 30s and 40s. Consider the following:

Research Outcomes Take a Long Time.

If you choose to do a research intensive PhD in Business, you should know that the outcomes of doing research generally take a long time. To get tenure at almost all universities, it will take you about 10-15 years by the time you start your PhD to when you get tenure. For example, if you start your PhD in Strategy in your 40s, you might not get tenure at a Business School until you are 55. This could be even later if you experience any ‘life’ during this time, and experiencing ‘life’ is quite likely.

I should also point out that not getting tenure is not all that bad – it just means you have to move to another institution or try another career. Depending on your view, this could be a good or bad thing for you. Often, this might mean that you get to go on an adventure to a new city or country, meet new people, and see how things work in a new location.

How do you determine the best graduate programs? This blog post will help you.

Interested in countries where higher education is free? You need to read this blog post.

I have learned a lot about how long doing a PhD takes, and I have detailed how long most PhDs now take in this blog post (most other websites are not accurate).

Are you interested in university administration? You might want to think about a professional doctorate! Learn more.

Young PhDs Have Less Credibility In The Classroom.

Young PhD’s are usually greatly discounted in the classroom. This is especially true if you are expecting to teach Executives or MBAs. It is not uncommon if you graduate with a PhD in Business Administration or a related degree (PhD in Managerial Economics or A Doctorate in Business Administration) when you are young to be teaching Executives that are 5-10 years older than you are. Being younger can create an awkward situation because you cannot teach based on wisdom or to simply say ‘do as I do.’ Rather, young PhDs have to teach based on novelty, intellect, and knowledge. This is not to say that older PhDs do not have the same struggles, however, they can rely a bit more on wisdom arguments. In general, being older is often an asset if you want to teach.

Extensive Work Experience Gives You An Edge With Administration Roles.

At the current moment, academia is facing a situation where many senior faculty are looking to retire in the near future. These are all of the baby-boomers. The problem is that because tenure requirements have generally increased over the years (particularly within competitive academic fields), few people are able to replace their administrative roles. Thus, if you do have related management experience in other fields or industries, and you are lucky enough to get tenure at a university, you are in a very fortunate position from an administrative position. People with administrative experience might actually have an advantage when they are thinking of roles like the Dean of a Business School, or some role like that. They are likely to have an easier time convincing others that they are suitable for the role.

Work-life Balance Is More Challenging If you Enter A PhD A Little Bit Older Than Others.

If you have a family or friends (ok – I might be the only one. 🙂 ), you will face many more demands as you get older. For example, you might have to run your little ones to school, take care of sick parents, or care for friends that need emotional support. Just because you are older and you have more experiences, you like have more connections with people, which may pull you in different directions with obligations.

These obligations are important to deal with, but know that doing a PhD will put a lot more stress on these relationships, and many people might not understand what is expected of you during the PhD. Indeed, nobody knows what a PhD is, unless you actually have a PhD.

Just be aware that you might have to learn how to balance these demands as you do you PhD. I guess for some people, it might be easier because you might have established yourself financially, which might give you a little more slack resources to take your time with your research. Or, you might be able to do things like rent or buy a more comfortable home in grad school , or have house-cleaners help with your weekly chores.

https://youtu.be/thhxmfC7wrQ Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Should You Buy A House In Grad School – Purchase A Home Mortgage When Starting PhD / Doctorate (https://youtu.be/thhxmfC7wrQ)

Either way, there is not a good answer as people of all ages face resource constraints, but it is something to consider if you pursue your PhD in your 30s or 40s.

Is A PhD degree worth it? This is something I have thought about for a long time, and you might want to see on this post.

You Might Affect Your Student-Advisor Relationship.

One of the cool advantages of being a bit older in graduate school is that you might have more in common with your PhD advisor. In business school, it is extremely common to see PhD students that are just as old, or older, as their advisor. The benefit, then, is that you can connect more readily with the business professors. You might be less intimidated from status divide between PhD and advisor, allowing you to have increased communication and trust. We created a pretty awesome blog post about meeting with PhD advisors which you should read.

https://youtu.be/D0mDi87WftA Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Building Graduate Student – Advisor Relationships (https://youtu.be/D0mDi87WftA)

Doing A PhD In Your 30s May Give You A Different Perspective.

For me, my 20s was a great learning experience. I am sure that I am not the only one that learnt a lot about life in my 20s. You go through a lot of transitions: Finishing undergraduate school, first job, first real relationships (I got married), first home, first heartbreaks (my Dad and Father-in-Law died), and many other things. I personally grew up. Of course, I would have said that about every year of my life, but your 20s seem more instrumental for some reason.

My major breakthrough was when I realized that life was not about what I can get, but rather about what I can I do for others. It seems like a rather mundane change in perspective, but it had rather large impacts on my life, marriage, and academic relationships. It would be nice to know some of those ideas when I first entered the PhD, but then again, maybe I might not have pursued a PhD, but that is hard to know.

What I do see though, and I have had many wonderful discussions with others, is that people that enter a PhD program in their 30s and 40s (whether it be a PhD in Business, or something else) have a different perspective. Maybe it is because people worked for many years in the business world, or they did want they wanted to do. Many people that enter later in life enter the PhD because they truly want to become an academic. When you enter really in your 20s, you kind of view getting a PhD as a stepping stone towards some larger career, which is good of course, but just is different. By the way, you might want to watch this video about getting a PhD in Business Administration to become a consultant:

https://youtu.be/MYUabmCkQN4 Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Should You Get A PhD In Business Administration To Become A Consultant Or To Teach Executives? (https://youtu.be/MYUabmCkQN4)

Doing A PhD In Your 30s Is Not Crazy.

In summary, I think there are many things to consider if you are thinking of doing a PhD in your 30s. In many fields of study, you will be absolutely normal and fit in with the other students (ie. business administration). Many people do their PhD in their 30s and 40s. However, from my experience, life does get a bit more challenging as you age because you gain a few more obligations. If your total number of obligations has not changed much over the years, this probably won’t affect you, but if you are like me, it will.

If you are truly passionate about research and thinking about ideas, I would highly recommend a PhD. Why do a PhD? Because you love to learn and you like the idea of search and discovery. There is no other great reason to do a PhD, other than you like the ‘hunt’ for new ideas.

There are so many myths before your start your own PhD journey. You can read 10 of the most common myths in this post. You do learn some pretty cool ideas that you will not be able to learn in any other setting. The key thing to remember is that you will not get financially rich (relative to those that pursue industry careers), but you will be rich in insight and knowledge. And, yes, you can’t ‘eat’ knowledge, so you have to be somewhat practical with this choice, and weigh the pros and cons for pursuing a PhD for yourself.

The R3ciprocity Project

I should qualify who I am. I am David Maslach, an Associate Professor in Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, and am doing an interesting project . The R3ciprocity Project started out as a side-project, where David Maslach created an App to help others get feedback on their work (r3ciprocity.com – it is seriously inexpensive and easy to use. You have to try it!) , but it is beginning to grow into a real movement. I was thinking a lot about ways I could positively contribute to society (mid-life crisis anyone?) and reciprocity. Reciprocity is often discussed in the context of innovation where there are many people that do things online where they expect to get little back in return. Josh Lerner and Eric von Hippel had some interesting ideas that I wanted to explore further. There was also a creditability revolution that was occurring in science, which had a part in the project, but this was later on, and is a longer story.

Anyway, long story short, I created the r3ciprocity.com  as a way to give back, but then I realized. Oh crap – nobody even knows this site exists. What do I do now? I did a bit of paid advertising, but then I thought, it might be better for me just to lean into this reciprocity idea, and try to give back even more. Thus, started my YouTube channel , and this blog where I try to give back even more than before. Right now, I try to give back to the people that I know the most – people that are interested in research, graduate school, business administration, strategy, and innovation.

If you liked this post, you should read these other posts about the research journey as a PhD. You will find them useful and interesting:

• You NEED to read this blog post on misconceptions of people who have PhDs.
• Are you cut out for a PhD or academic life? Take one of these fun and information quizzes!
• What are the most have software tools and apps that every student and academic should have? You need to read this helpful post.
• Did you benefit from this post? Do you know of anyone at all that could use feedback on their writing or editing of their documents? I would be so grateful if you read this post on how to get feedback on your writing using R3ciprocity.com or let others know about the R3ciprocity Project. THANK YOU in advance! You are the bees knees.

David Maslach

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Rethinking Success and Embracing the Journey: Lessons from the R3ciprocity Project

The Surprising Lesson of Going It Alone When I launched the R3ciprocity Project, I anticipated an outpouring of support from various groups like scientists, researchers, universities, and...

Navigating Academia As A Parent Or Caregiver: The Dual Challenge of PhDs and Parenthood

PhD students and highly-educated individuals face a unique set of challenges. Among these, balancing the rigorous demands of academic life with personal responsibilities, such as single parenthood or...

Studying Medicine in Your 30’s: An Honest Perspective

Studying medicine in your 30’s has its challenges for sure. Mortality seems closer. Everyone around you weathers a hangover better. And generally you’re a lot more tired.

But there’s a lot of positives to it too. Which is why, when most people ask why I went into medicine at a later age, I often tell them the same old answer.

“Why now? Because I didn’t have the right mindset for it before!”

Strangely though, I’m not alone in this perspective. Since writing this blog and putting my story out there I’ve had several people reach out to me. They all seem to have a similar story; telling me, they too, dream of becoming a doctor.

Only they fear it’s too late.

So here’s where I want to spend some time suggesting otherwise. And share my perspective on being a mature medic halfway through their medical degree.

Note : This is intended as Part II to a broader piece about my story. I go into my origins and how I decided to go down this road here .

Studying Medicine in Your 30’s

I started medical school at exactly 31-years old. If you’d have asked me five years earlier if I saw this as a reality for myself? I would have laughed. I was too busy travelling the world, working from a laptop and generally having fun.

Ending up here nonetheless sometimes feels a little odd. Most of my friends? Ten years younger than me. Some of my professors? A couple of years younger than me.

That’s the way the cookie crumbles.

The strange thing is, now I’m three years in, none of it feels quite as weird as it used to. You adapt quickly. Get over the differences. Recognise that humans, despite their chronological ages and breaking bodies, are essentially pretty similar.

Most of us want to be happy, wealthy, successful and wise. Become good people. Help and give back to our families and our communities etc.

Even if we’re sometimes not that honest about it!

So being a mature med student then, in the grand scheme of things, is basically just being a med student. You can remove the mature part. And the experience would be fairly similar.

That said, if you’re as old as me going into medicine – or even older – you’ve probably experienced some of the following:

• Had a real job/career (no matter how you felt about it)
• Had a real romantic relationship (probably even kids – forgot to do that part myself)
• Travelled around and seen a few different places, cultures etc
• Lost loved ones (family members, friends)
• Experienced the sheer terror of being out and alone in the world (having to fend for yourself financially, emotionally etc)

Of course I’m not saying there’s a hard and fast rule here. Many young people I know have experienced much of these. But your average starter at med school – your 18, 19, 20-year old kid (at least in Europe anyway) – probably can only tick one or two of these off.

And as insignificant as they seem, they can make a big difference.

Especially in terms of how you approach your studies and your life .

Is 30 Too Old to Study Medicine?

One of the biggest questions I see asked on the internet, particularly on this subject, is; “I’m X years. Is that too old to study medicine?”

For the longest time I even thought (especially in my mid-20’s) that anything over 22-years old was probably too old to study medicine. The journey just seemed so painfully long.

I also had the flawed opinion that anyone over 26 (random, I know) should probably have their stuff together too. And anyone who didn’t maybe had a few things wrong with them.

Needless to say I’ve grown up a lot since then. I now recognise, a little more at least, what living life does to a human being. And how we can’t be expected to get everything right at the first port of call.

The truth is? People change their careers all the time. My dad did it in his 50’s. Friends I know have done it in their 60’s. The only limiting factor is your own mind and the internal struggle telling you NOT to do it.

Which is why, in some ways, I respect people who take the gamble even more. People who don’t sit around and accept their lot, silently wishing they did something else.

Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that. But it is a little too easy.

Especially for people fortunate to live in a world where the risk is fairly minimal. Who don’t have kids (or have grown-up kids). Or have the money but are too scared to reinvest it.

Because the time thing, I’d argue, is always there.

So don’t deliberate if you’re 30, 40, 50, 60 or even 70 and want to do this now. That’s what I did for far too long and the pain of carrying that around still hurts.

The dream? Won’t go away.

So, in summary; the best time to plant a tree was yesterday. The next best time is today.

Forget your age. Medicine is your tree that needs planting .

What is the Maximum Age to Study Medicine?

Whimsy aside, is there a maximum age to study medicine?

I know I said 70 before but perhaps that’s a bit of an overshoot. Not because they couldn’t do it but rather because they probably wouldn’t. Life expectancy is still a thing of course. And spending the near-end of your life in school with a load of pompous young nerds maybe isn’t all that appealing.

But I don’t know for sure.

Still there are practicalities you have to consider. And some med schools, judging by their admissions process, consider these also. So much so that I’ve heard rumours of schools in Hungary, for example, actively discouraging anyone older than 30 from applying.

Which makes little sense to me seeing as they’d be a surefire bet on actually paying their fees and genuinely seeing the course through. But oh well.

But being young going into medicine obviously has it’s advantages. Your career trajectory is longer. Your earning capacity is higher (more on this later). Studying, granted you’ve never known anything else, is probably easier too.

So I can see where a potential bias from admissions offices might come from.

Interestingly, this article from St George’s University , says the average age of US-students matriculating into med school is around 24. Read around US-based med school forums and you’ll hear many stories of people aged anything up to their mid 50’s tackling medicine.

So maybe the US is more generally accepting of older med students than its European brothers and sisters.

Partly, I’d argue, that’s probably down to cost. You pay your own education in the US for the most part. While your earning trajectory, right out of school, is high enough that any loan can be re-paid within a good amount of years.

Granted you play it smart.

The UK also has similar programs. The mature medical access pathways explained by the British Medical Association are a case in point.

The real point here? Economies are willing to invest in you. Regardless of your age.

Such is the value they perceive in training people, later in life, to become doctors and work in their healthcare systems.

But as for maximum age; is their a cut-off? Most medical admissions offices don’t directly state there being one. And if they did it would be University-specific.

There’s no law to my knowledge, not in any developed country at least, that states that medicine is closed to you as a profession when you reach X number in age.

Meaning again, it comes down to circumstance and mindset . Your choice whether to go for it or not.

How Long is Medical School?

Most European international courses ( like mine in Bulgaria ) are six-years long. The final year is usually an “internship year”. This is where you work doing rotations in a hospital in a junior doctor-style role.

Medical school duration however is broader than that. And also depends entirely on your background and your country of study.

In the last few years the UK and many European countries have launched shorter four-year (“fast track”) initiatives for graduates to re-train as doctors. But this almost always requires they hold a previous degree in the sciences or at least some lengthy healthcare industry experience. So isn’t open to all.

In the UK then, the average duration – foundation years aside, is about five years of study. And in the US it’s generally four (not counting pre-med).

So the short answer is, in 95% of cases, anything between 4-6 years .

Which is longer than your average University or college degree. All factors considered.

The reason this might be important to you though, specifically if you’re an older person thinking about becoming a doctor, is the length of time you’ll be out of the job market .

Not to mention the demanding nature of medicine as a degree. Which makes it extremely difficult ( although there are ways to make money in medical school ) to earn a full-time salary alongside it.

A huge disadvantage to mature students used to a certain way of life.

Studying Medicine as a Mature Student: The Positives

Hopefully the discussion before has helped clear up some of the more common questions you may have wanted to ask. So now it’s time to get further into my story. Get a little more personal.

Studying medicine as a mature student in their 30’s? Here’s where I see some clear positives:

• Habit and discipline
• Clear understanding of why
• Refined study techniques (plus years of outside/other industry knowledge)
• Less distraction
• Clear future objectives
• Less neuroticism/anxiety
• Better understanding of patient’s concerns/background
• Easier to identify opportunity

Having a career before and having lived financially independent from your family is proof of your ability to stand on your own two-feet. You know what works for you in terms of habit. And you build your life and your study around it.

Giving up something else in life and going into medicine also shows you’ve thought more deeply about the transition. This is what often divides others. Especially some 18-year old’s, who, through parental pressure or lack of imagination, don’t understand why they wound up in med school. Subsequently struggling to find the motivation as a result.

Being older also means you’ll have a clearer sense of purpose. You won’t get distracted by all the drama that comes with being young; trying to look cool, impress the opposite sex etc. Something a lot of your colleagues will be focused on instead.

And then there’s the idea that you’ll better empathise with your patients. Understand their concerns, more fully, seeing as you’ve most likely lived, learned and lost in the world.

So there’s a lot stacked in your favour to ensure you succeed.

From my own perspective, I’m able to leverage a lot of these advantages. Having a good base of knowledge from years spent reading, writing, researching and working has proven very transferable in terms of skills applied to studying.

But I’ve also spent many years working on myself personally. Working out what I want to do and why. And thinking about exactly how I want my future to look; with stability, security, family and an interesting career etc right at the forefront.

All things I believe medicine can provide.

Studying Medicine as a Mature Student: Negatives

For all the advantages there are, of course, some negatives.

Here’s what I see them being:

• Isolation and distance from family
• Fewer people to connect with who have the same “shared experience”
• High expectations/standards of others
• Regrets of not having started earlier
• The looming shadow of mortality

I think some things here need better explaining. So I’ll start at the beginning and try to work my way down.

Missing home, I’ve found, is a big one when you get older. Mortality becomes an ever greater weight. And you see yourself – and everyone around you – ageing in front of your own eyes.

Of course this is compounded all the more in medicine. Where you see the sick and dying on a daily basis.

But you also connect more with your patients because of this. And are better placed to understand their fears and the horrors of one day soon ceasing to exist.

Still, it doesn’t make not seeing your family for months on end any more easier. Even more so when your knowledge grows and you see all the messed up stuff that can happen to a human body. Another form of anxiety grows in the place where your teenage angst once lived.

Having fewer people to share this experience with – to talk about this very real fear with – also makes it difficult. Most people around you are interested in being young. Spending their free time playing around on social media, hitting the clubs on the weekend or doing whatever other hobby it is you don’t really understand.

Then there’s the idea that you have better expectations of them. Almost forgetting what it was like yourself to be free and away from your parents for the first time. So you’ve got to remind yourself, from time to time, to take it easy on those around you. Not hold them to the same standards you perhaps hold yourself.

The last thing is probably the reason you’ll hear the most; money .

Going back to medical school (as previously mentioned) puts you out of the working world for close to half a decade (more in my case). That’s a lot of money you’d otherwise be earning. In a job where you might be advancing year-on-year too.

And to say that’s not a massive pain point would be a lie.

Although personally, given I’ll still be under 40 when I graduate (insane though it seems), I still have a good couple of decades to make that back up.

Besides, I’d probably have died of boredom anyway. Doing what I was doing before…

Observations

The main thing to take away from all this, in consideration of my individual pros and cons, is that it’s just one side of the story. My own personal perspective.

As a white British male in their 30’s with no kids, crushing responsibilities or any real commitments (besides medicine)? I’m in a position of privilege. Made even more real by the sheer luck of having a massively supportive family who are willing to help me out. Not to mention friends and girlfriend too.

So my observations of studying medicine as a mature student will be quite different from the next persons.

Which is important to understand should you be thinking about doing something similar yourself!

But here’s what you really need to think about here – especially if you’re thinking of doing this yourself…

Forget your age.

Your decision? Has very little to do with it. And everything to do with personal circumstance instead.

The bottom line being; if you want to make this work you’re going to have to make a sacrifice.

Whether that means time, money or relationships. There’s no two-ways about it. Something, in some area of your life, is going to have to give.

That’s a direct result of having lived as long as you have. You accrue more baggage along the way. And everything gets harder and more complicated.

Medicine however is a great leveller. And a killer for stripping deadwood away.

Final Thoughts

I’ve tried to make this article a mix of both the personal and the practical.

Obviously this site is intended as depository of my thoughts as I go along this journey. And I fully expect to look back on a lot of it and cringe with regret!

But it is my intention to make it real. So hopefully it can help others too.

The real answer to the question; “I’m X years old, is it too late for medicine?”…

Is no. Not unless you’re dead.

Studying medicine is an age-independent endeavour.

Meaning, aside from those concerns mentioned; my experience is the same as the next students. My worries and anxieties too.

We take the same classes, see the same patients, do the same exams etc.

The thing that worries me most? Not usually my age. Rather a different question that’s always at the forefront of my mind.

The one that goes something like this…

How do I learn all this stuff without going crazy?

And well, I have a few theories about that .

Footnote : This is one of my favourite videos explaining what it can be like studying medicine later in life. Many things here parallel my own experiences. Well worth the watch!

Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more .

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Taking On the Ph.D. Later in Life

By Mark Miller

• April 15, 2016

ROBERT HEVEY was fascinated by gardening as a child, but then he grew up and took a 30-year career detour. Mr. Hevey earned a master’s in business and became a certified public accountant, working for accounting firms and businesses ranging from manufacturing to enterprise software and corporate restructuring.

“I went to college and made the mistake of getting an M.B.A. and a C.P.A.,” he recalled with a laugh.

Now 61, Mr. Hevey is making up for lost time. He’s a second-year Ph.D. student in a plant biology and conservation program offered jointly by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Mr. Hevey, whose work focuses on invasive species, started on his master’s at age 53, and he expects to finish his doctorate around five years from now, when he will be 66.

“When I walk into a classroom of 20-year-olds, I do raise the average age a bit,” he says.

While the overall age of Ph.D. candidates has dropped in the last decade, about 14 percent of all doctoral recipients are over age 40, according to the National Science Foundation. Relatively few students work on Ph.D.s at Mr. Hevey’s age, but educators are seeing increasing enrollment in doctoral programs by students in their 40s and 50s. Many candidates hope doctorates will help them advance careers in business, government and nonprofit organizations; some, like Mr. Hevey, are headed for academic research or teaching positions.

At Cornell University, the trend is driven by women. The number of new female doctoral students age 36 or older was 44 percent higher last year than in 2009, according to Barbara Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the graduate school.

“One of the shifts nationally is more emphasis on career paths that call for a Ph.D.,” Dr. Knuth said. “Part of it is that we have much more fluidity in career paths. It’s unusual for people to hold the same job for many years.”

“The people we see coming back have a variety of reasons,” she added. “It could be a personal interest or for career advancement. But they are very pragmatic and resilient: strong thinkers, willing to ask questions and take a risk in their lives.”

Many older doctoral candidates are motivated by a search for meaning, said Katrina Rogers, president of Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, Calif., which offers programs exclusively for adult learners in psychology, human and organizational development and education.

“Students are asking what they can do with the rest of their lives, and how they can have an impact,” she said. “They are approaching graduate school as a learning process for challenging themselves intellectually, but also along cognitive and emotional lines.”

Making a home for older students also makes business sense for universities and colleges, said Barbara Vacarr, director of the higher education initiative at Encore.org, a nonprofit organization focused on midlife career change. “The convergence of an aging population and an undersupply of qualified traditional college students are both a call to action and an opportunity for higher education.”

Some schools are serving older students in midcareer with pragmatic doctoral programs that can be completed more quickly than the seven or eight years traditionally required to earn a Ph.D. Moreover, many of those do not require candidates to spend much time on campus or even leave their full-time jobs.

That flexibility can help with the cost of obtaining a doctorate. In traditional programs, costs can range from $20,000 a year to $50,000 or more — although for some, tuition expenses are offset by fellowships. The shorter programs are less costly. The total cost at Fielding, for example, is $60,000.

Susan Noyes, an occupational therapist in Portland, Me., with 20 years’ experience under her belt, returned to school at age 40 for a master’s degree in adult education at the University of Southern Maine, then pursued her Ph.D. at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. During that time, she continued to work full time and raise three children. She finished the master’s at 44 — a confidence-builder that persuaded her to work toward a Ph.D. in adult learning, which she earned at age 49.

Dr. Noyes, 53, made two visits annually to Lesley’s campus during her doctoral studies, usually for a week to 10 days. She now works as an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Southern Maine.

At the outset of her graduate education, Dr. Noyes wasn’t looking for a career change. Instead, she wanted to update her skills and knowledge in the occupational therapy field. But she soon found herself excited by the chance to broaden her intellectual horizons. “I’ve often said I accidentally got my Ph.D.,” she said.

Lisa Goff took the traditional Ph.D. path, spending eight years getting her doctorate in history. An accomplished business journalist, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in history at the University of Virginia in 2001 while working on a book project. Later, she decided to keep going for her doctorate, which she earned in 2010, the year she turned 50. Her research is focused on cultural history, with a special interest in landscapes.

Dr. Goff had planned to use the degree to land a job in a museum, but at the time, museum budgets were being cut in the struggling economy. Instead, a university mentor persuaded her to give teaching a try. She started as an adjunct professor in the American studies department at the University of Virginia, which quickly led to a full-time nontenure-track position. This year, her fourth full year teaching, her position was converted to a tenure-track job.

“I thought an academic job would be grueling — not what I wanted at all,” she recalls. “But I love being in the classroom, finding ways to get students to contribute and build rapport with them.”

As a graduate student, she never found the age gap to be a challenge. “Professors never treated me as anything but another student, and the other students were great to me,” Dr. Goff said. The toughest part of the transition, she says, was the intellectual shock of returning to a rigorous academic environment. “I was surprised to see just how creaky my classroom muscles were,” she recalled. “I really struggled in that first class just to keep up.”

Mr. Hevey agrees, saying he has experienced more stress in his academic life than in the business world. “I’m using my brain in such a different way now. I’m learning something new every day.”

His advice to anyone considering a similar move? “Really ask yourself if this is something you want to do. If you think it would just be nice to be a student again, that’s wrong. It’s not a life of ease: You’ll be working all the time, perhaps for seven or eight years.”

Mr. Hevey does not expect to teach, but he does hope to work in a laboratory or do research. “I’m certainly not going to start a new career at 66 or 67,” he said. “But I’m not going to go home and sit on the couch, either.”

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PhD is the highest degree available from an institution of higher learning. Finding out which doctoral program fits your needs and goals is crucial, whether you wish to pursue academic and research endeavors full-time or become eligible for top leadership roles in your industry. 

Read on if you’re not familiar with the specifics of a PhD degree. You will discover the definition of a doctorate, how long is a PhD program , the specializations it encompasses, and the advantages of seeking one in this post. So, let’s get going.

How Long Is a PhD Program: Duration

Mostly, people ask how long a PhD take before they enroll in any PhD program. The doctoral degree (PhD) can last up to seven years. However, it usually lasts five to seven. The goal of a PhD is to produce original, freshly brewed research. 

However, it can occasionally become laborious and take longer than anticipated to finish. They concentrate on extending the limits of the field’s understanding through several research and case studies that cause delays. 

Top PhD Specializations 

You can classify the various types of doctorate degrees based on specialization. So, here are some of the top PhD specializations to choose from:

PhD Commerce

A Ph.D. in commerce is a doctorate program that takes at least two years to complete. Many universities say a thesis or research paper must be completed within five years after the application date. Some universities offer part-time PhD programs in commerce. 

PhD Humanities

Analyzing human cognition and culture critically is the focus of a doctorate in humanities. The course explores how philosophy, music, art, and the arts impact our daily lives. The growth of ideas and concepts, the operation of a society, behavioral patterns and the difficulties encountered, human interactions and relationships, etc., would all be thoroughly taught to the students. 

PhD Science

Students with an MSc or MTech background can pursue a 3- to 5-year doctorate/doctoral degree in science called PhD Science. Candidates must do research in any of the science disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics, and so on. 

PhD Engineering and Technology

Research-based instruction is frequently the focus of an engineering or technology PhD. It might entail the advancement of degree programs or the creation of new technologies. A program tailored to the individual student’s interests, such as mastering a highly specialized technology or engineering field, may also be included. 

PhD after MBA

A business management education at the doctorate level is called a PhD in Business Management. With online doctor in business administration programs , like the ones from UpGrads, you learn to handle the different operations of a corporation, including organizing, planning, monitoring, managing, and leading. The PhD program in business management lasts for three years. 

Advantages of Having a Doctoral Degree

Now that you know how long is a PhD program and the types of PhD specializations, let’s explore some of its advantages:

Career Advancement

Opportunities for career progression are one advantage of obtaining a PhD. For example, after receiving your PhD, you might get promoted or decide to change careers. This could help you reach your professional objectives and improve your level of job happiness.

Boosts Earning Potential

Getting a degree could help you make more money. This may occur due to your increased knowledge and abilities to support an organization’s growth or enhance its operations.

Increases Recognition & Networking

The status and distinction that come with earning a PhD are further advantages. You can get requests to offer your knowledge at conferences or events in your industry. Getting a PhD can also help you build a stronger professional network by putting you in contact with leading authorities in your field and improving your standing in the business.

If you decide to pursue one, you’ll probably be shocked at the variety of PhD programs available. Furthermore, although several programs within a given area may share the same general academic requirements and study topics, there are also less obvious distinctions.

When you’re prepared to pursue a PhD, after giving your interests and professional objectives considerable thought, be sure to look into a wide range of options offered by several colleges — to the extent your circumstances allow.

1. Can I finish my PhD in India in two years?

In India, earning a PhD can take three to seven years to complete. A PhD must be completed within three years of being admitted through PhD Entrance Exams.

2. What variety of PhD programs are there?

The academic degree (PhD) and the applied degree (doctoral), as we have already discussed, are the two categories of doctoral degrees. Here’s a general guideline to follow: Pursue your doctorate.

3. Is finding employment following a PhD easy?

Finding a job opportunity with a PhD is easier than it is without one because many organizations want candidates with this degree.

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30 years on, South Africa still dismantling racism and apartheid’s legacy

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Rethabile Ratsomo said it’s the little things that remind her of her perceived “place” in South African society.

There are the verbal slights and side-eye in workspaces, where she’s been viewed as a B-BBEE hire (The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment programme in South African that seeks to advance and transform the participation of black people in the country’s economy) and therefore not capable of doing the work. There are the passive-aggressive comments from colleagues, constantly complimenting her on how well she speaks English. She has lived through the daily microaggressions that form part of her life.

“I am a born-free and despite being born after the advent of democracy in South Africa, my race continues to play a huge role in my being, as a South African,” Ratsomo said, 29, who currently works at the Anti-Racism Network and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. “Many people continue to normalise racial discrimination and perpetuate harmful behaviours. Racism remains rife.”

Thirty years since the end of Apartheid, South Africa still grapples with its legacy. Unequal access to education, unequal pay, segregated communities and massive economic disparities persists, much of it is reinforced by existing institutions and attitudes. How is it that racism and its accompanying discrimination continues to hold such sway in this, majority Black populated and Black governed nation?

Racism has deep roots in the economic, spatial and social fabric of this country. It reflects the legacy of oppression and subjugation from apartheid and colonialism. While progress has been made to eliminate the scourge of racism it requires everyone to do their part for it be eliminated, said Abigail Noko, Representative for UN Human Rights Regional Office of Southern Africa (OHCHR ROSA)

“Dismantling such entrenched racist and discriminatory systems requires commitment, leadership, dialogue and advocacy to put in place anti-racist policies that implement human rights norms and provide a framework to help address and rectify these injustices and promote equality,” she added.

Free your mind and the rest will follow

The project of dismantling racist systems in a place like South Africa, must go hand in hand with the process of decolonization – both at an institutional and an individual level, said Professor Tshepo Madlingozi, a Commissioner at the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

“History has shown that unless you have decolonized your mind, you are going to step into the shoes of the oppressor and oppress other people over and over again,” he said.

Madlingozi’s comments were part of a panel discussion on dismantling racist systems in South Africa, which took place during the Human Rights Festival in Johannesburg in March, which aligns with national Human Rights Day and the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The discussion, sponsored by OHCHR ROSA, had three panellists providing their answers to the overarching question, how can racism present in the “rainbow nation” be dismantled to bring about freedom, equality, and justice for all?

Samkelo Mkhomi, a social justice and equality activist in her 20s, agreed that an internal mindset change was needed, especially among young people. She said she noticed that many of her born-free peers, i.e., someone who was born after the advent of democracy in South Africa, harbour suspicious and distrustful attitudes toward other races. She mentioned a friend who has a distrust of all white people. When Mkhomi asked why, he told her “because of what they did in the past.” She called this deliberate lack of understanding among her peers as hereditary and a big stumbling block in moving forward.

“We have set perceptions and stereotypes that we've inherited from family, from social experiences, experiences that are not our own,” Mkhomi said. “And we've used that as a blueprint to view other people. Once you can get rid of that as young people, I feel like we can start moving on and dismantling racism.”

Madlingozi suggested one way to do this could be to not only focus on individual racist incidences, but also to bring more awareness, and push for policies in institutions that deconstruct current ways of working.

“What matters is, have we dismantled the institutions, the cultures that perpetuate racism,” he said. “Because unless you do that, you’ll have Black people, you will have a Black government that will continue to perpetuate racism because that is the nature of institutionalised racism. So yes, let’s focus on individual human rights. Let’s focus on social justice, but where it matters the most is structural institutionalized oppression.”

Casting a long shadow

The scars of Apartheid run deep, leaving a legacy of segregation, discrimination and inequality. This is evidenced by the stark economic disparities in the country. A 2022  World Bank report on inequality in southern Africa  gave South Africa the unfortunate distinction of being the most unequal country in the world.

The report stated that 80 percent of the country’s wealth was in the hands of 10 percent of the population. And it is the Black population who factor the most into the poorest category. The report places the blame for the income disparities directly on race.

“The legacy of colonialism and Apartheid rooted in racial and spatial segregation continues to reinforce inequality,” the report states.

The spatial divide mirrors the economic one.

The evil genius of Apartheid was the segregation project, as it allowed the Government to not only separate people based on arbitrary categorisations, but through this create material differences between the communities to reinforce the idea of actual racial differences, said Tessa Dooms. These racial classifications also encouraged the idea that the different groups needed to compete for basic human rights, dignity and economic opportunities, she added.

“The Apartheid government didn’t just give people categories, they gave real live material meaning to those categories,” said Dooms, Director of Programmes for Rivonia Circle during the panel discussion. “As long as those categories mean something in the world, we still have work to do, to undo Apartheid, to undo colonialism, to decolonize.”

To do this, Dooms recommended practical vision as to what a decolonized South Africa would look like, being very specific about the results wanted. She also called on the privileged groups to do the heavy lifting of helping to create more equality. Until those with privileges work to broaden access to them, the cycle will continue, Dooms added.

“We cannot leave creating a more just world to the people who are most affected by injustice,” she said. “It’s not fair, it’s not right and it won’t work.”

Taking concrete action

Globally, South Africa’s post-Apartheid long walk to freedom has garnered an international reputation as a leader in global efforts to combat racism. In 2001, South Africa hosted the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR), which resulted in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA). The DDPA is a roadmap, providing concrete measures for States to combat racism, discrimination and xenophobia and related intolerance.

One of the big recommendations was to have each country create its own National Action Plan (NAP). The plan is a means through which governments locally codify their commitment to taking action, with concrete steps on how they will combat racism. South Africa launched its plan in 2019, with OHCHR ROSA providing technical assistance. This assistance took many forms including participation in the consultations that led up to the final NAP and helping to set up support structures for its implementation, and support for research and other work to help develop systems for data collection on issues related to the NAP.

“Human rights play crucial role in dismantling racism by providing a framework for addressing and rectifying historical injustices, promoting equality, and ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and with dignity,” Noko said

Various other sectors have pioneered innovative approaches to chip away at Apartheid’s remnants. Corporate and governmental diversity programmes, such as B-BBEE, and the Employment Equity Amendment Bill of 2020, aim to promote diversity and equity in the workplace.

Ratsomo of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said these and other efforts to address the underlying issue of what to do about that still exists in the country are key to taking it down. Everyone must  learn, speak up, and act on racism, racial discrimination and related intolerances, she said.

“The beginning point to tackle and dismantle systemic racism is to understand that being anti-racist does not only mean being against racism,” she said. “It also means being active and speaking out against racism whenever you see it happen. The more we understand racism, the easier it becomes to identify when it happens, which allows us to speak out and act against it when we see it happening.”

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