What A Chemical Engineering PhD Is Like
A PhD is deemed the highest academic qualification one can achieve, with the exception of some very niche variants of a PhD. Standing for “Doctor of Philosophy” this highly esteemed qualification illustrates your ability to carry out original research and contribute to the advancement of human knowledge within your field.
What Is Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering is a branch of engineering which primarily focuses on the development, optimisation, and analysis of any type of process. One of the key differentiating factors of Chemical Engineering is Reaction Engineering and the use of Chemistry within engineering.
Chemical Engineering is often deemed one of the most difficult degree to obtain world-wide, and this is for good reason… It is incredibly difficult! The vast array of modules, topics, and principles across different subject areas makes learning a challenge.
Combining Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Engineering, and Biology, no other degree extensively explores all these subject areas in a single degree.
This makes Chemical Engineering one of the most diverse degrees in which graduates can enter almost any job market imaginable, with a vast range of diverse skills.
How Does A PhD Work
A PhD is not like other types of degrees (typically). While you can get taught PhDs, this isn’t the most common type. A PhD is a research project in which the objective is to develop something new within your field; this is why PhD holders are referred to as “Philosophers”.
A full-time PhD takes up to 3 years to complete. Comprising of an extensive review of the existing literature, this provides you with the solid foundation to which you can formulate your idea in which you wish to develop, essentially you are finding a gap within the literature.
This is super important as this is your opportunity to absorb as much information about your subject area as possible, giving you the knowledge to develop a suitable idea. This is of course easier said than done. At this point, most people suffer from “imposter syndrome” whereby they feel they are simply copying someone else’s work. So, if you are feeling like this, that means you are doing it right!
Halfway through your program you typically have to undertake what’s called a “transfer event“. This is where you give a short presentation or discuss with your supervisor and internal examiner what you have done so far and justify your choice for pursuing your chosen research direction. You must showcase that your work is original and will be to PhD level. Only after passing this can, you secure your degree classification as being a PhD. Alternatives would involve being demoted to an MPhil instead.
Once your thesis is ready for submission, you then have to prepare for the VIVA or sometimes called the defence whereby a set of examiners who are specifically selected to scrutinise your work and ask you a series of questions to help them understand if you did the work and if it meets the standard expected of a PhD holder. If you want to know more about preparing for this, do leave a comment!
My PhD Journey
My PhD journey begun in February of 2021, having graduated with a Masters of Distinction from the University of The West of Scotland (UWS). I decided to pursue my PhD in the field of Chemical Engineering at UWS.
Throughout my PhD journey so far there have been many twists and turns, especially when it comes to the scope of the research. Upon reflection of my initial proposal, my current thesis resembles very little; this is normal as during the literature review stage many more ideas come up.
My research is primarily focused on the extraction of lipids and high value biochemical compounds from various types of microalgae. You can find a list of my publications here. I have been developing a new extraction method which uses Switchable Hydrophilicity Solvents to extract lipids to be used for biofuel and potentially pharmaceuticals.
As of October 2024, all my research experiments have been completed (all 150 of them!), and now it is a case of analysing the data and drawing suitable conclusions. I must confess that the analysis and discussion of the results is arguably one of the most challenging aspects since you must show validation of your results and supporting evidence from previous literature.
Halfway through my PhD journey, I was appointed as a full-time lecturer at UWS and so I had to switch to part-time doing the PhD. This allowed me additional time to work on the thesis and enabled me to perform significantly more experiments and analysis which has made the thesis incredibly comprehensive!
Was Doing A PhD Worth It
To decide if a PhD is worth it, you must ask yourself, why do you want to do it in the first place? If it is simply to gain a higher-paid job in industry, then it is definitely NOT worth it. Having said that if you plan on working in academia, then it is essential. Perhaps the title of “Dr” is appealing, or referring to yourself as Dr X, then if that is the case I would advise you NOT to do a PhD as you will more than likely grow to hate it and not finish.
So would I say my PhD journey was worth it? For me ABSOLUTELY! I have worked in the private education sector for over a decade, and I knew I wanted to work as a lecturer at the beginning of my career and so it was the best decision I made.
Not only that I wanted to become an expert within my field particularly in microalgae for renewable energy and biochemical compounds as I have many business ideas which could greatly benefit from having a PhD!
A surprising element for me in recent years was the idea of moving and working in the UAE. Having visited Dubai and Sharjah in July 2024, it confirmed that the UAE is where I need to be, and so in order to become a lecturer in the UAE, a PhD is essential. This opportunity in itself makes my PhD journey worth it!
I think upon reflection, the niche in which you are invested in will influence whether doing a PhD is worth it. Chemical Engineering is so universal and applicable to almost every industry and so I always knew that there would be good job prospects at the end, regardless of the direction I took. Although business is where my heart truly lies and so I aim to use my PhD in Chemical Engineering to develop a global business in the renewable energy sector. So, if you have made it this far and wish to collaborate, please do reach out!
My Honest Advice
Deciding to pursue a PhD isn’t something you should take lightly. Make sure before you embark on this journey you fully understand the requirements and expectations of what is involved, and that you select your institution wisely as your supervisor will make or break the experience.
So many people who have negative experiences doing their PhD often don’t have a supportive supervisor or feel isolated with little to no support. So, make sure you do your homework on the supervisor and if you think you will integrate well within the team.
I understand personally the struggles, doubts, and hesitations students considering a PhD go through as I am the first member of my entire family to have gone to university and enrolled on a PhD program, which is why I would highly encourage people thinking of doing a PhD to reach out to me for advice, a chat, or just to share your ideas/experience knowing theirs someone always ready and willing to listen, no matter what stage you are at!
If you have done your homework, and you are convinced a PhD is the right path for you, then I would strongly encourage you to go for it and enjoy every minute of it! I wish you the very best in your PhD journey and for every success in the future!
Nicely written Callum, especially the point you madd about the literature review and the inevitable ’imposter syndrome’. I myself struggled at this point thinking I haven’t added originality to my work but thankfully my supervisor was there to guide me and put my fears to rest.
It is a worth reading post. your experience about Ph.D. chemical is really inspiring and to learn from.
I could relate it to situations I have faced.
I love the structure of your explanation.
excelente