PhD/PsyD Weekly Time Commitment in PhD Programs

[50MinuteHour]

I was wondering if anyone could share what their time commitment trajectory was like in PhD (not PsyD) programs. By time, I mean total time spent between coursework, research meetings, field placements, projects, teaching, etc...

Specifically, how many hours were you putting in during your first year, second year, third year, etc...? I would especially be interested to hear from those of you who have most recently completed your first and second years and know what the experience is like in programs these days.

Thanks in advance!

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[CheetahGirl]

Roughly: 45-60 hours per week for first 3 years, about 30 hours for 4th year (with one clinical placement and working on dissertation writing), then I kind of took a year off....and finally, while on clinical internship (and collecting dissertation subjects), 40-55 hours per week for 5th-year. This past 6 months, while only finishing my dissertation (so research and writing, no clinical work) about 20-30 hours per week (some weeks were busier than others, of course, depending on what was going on personally).

 

[50MinuteHour]

Roughly: 45-60 hours per week for first 3 years

Up to 60 hours?

 

[PsychPhDone]

Up to 60 hours?

Yes, sometimes (for me). Occasionally more. It lightened up later on.

 

[bcliff]

First year has been light so far. ~35 (sd ~5) hours per week.

 

[WisNeuro]

1st year was probably 40-50ish hour weeks. 2nd year was probably 60-ish consistently. 3-5 varied greatly between 30-65.

 

[President_LeslieKnope]

1st year: ~35-40; 2nd year: ~55-60; 3rd year: ~45-50; 4th year: ~35; 5th year (internship and with an already defended dissertation): 40

2nd year was by far the most difficult/time consuming year in the program

 

[Pragma]

Mine ranged from 30-80 hour weeks when you included everything.

Think of it this way:
GA/RA 20 hours
Practicum 20 hours
Classes/studying ? hours
Getting my own projects (dissertation, theses, comps, manuscripts, etc) done 10+ hours
Misc school activities ? hours

Sometimes weeks were light, sometimes I needed to do a ton as an RA and had exams or other big deadlines at once. There was a point in time that I regularly worked 60-80 hours. But I also pushed it to graduate in 5 years. If I took 6 years that would have lightened my load.

 

[bmedclinic]

1st year: ~35-40; 2nd year: ~55-60; 3rd year: ~45-50; 4th year: ~35; 5th year (internship and with an already defended dissertation): 40

2nd year was by far the most difficult/time consuming year in the program

This is probably the closest to my experience.
My first year I thought I worked 80 hrs ( I didnt actually, it just felt like it). Then my 2nd year, I think I had a better idea of what I was doing, but I actually worked more, and a lot more was asked of me. After that, it progressively eased up.

 

[Pragma]

Oh yes - defended dissertation = easy internship year - at least that's how it felt for me!