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In this guest blog, our writer describes the process of leaving a PhD programme, having been told by their supervisor that failure was inevitable.

When I started my PhD journey, I was bursting with excitement, ready to dive into research that could potentially revolutionize my field. Three years later, I found myself standing on the other side of the academic divide, gaining not a degree, but a deep understanding of why my PhD had crashed and burned. Here is my story—not a tale of defeat, but a narrative about lessons learned the hard way.

The Beginning: A Dream Too Big to Fail

I chose my topic with starry eyes and high hopes. It was ambitious, perhaps too ambitious: solving a fundamental problem in my field (planetary physics) with a novel approach no-one had tried before. My supervisor had warned me to start smaller, but I was stubborn and naive. I wanted my work to matter, to stand out, and my way into international conferences was based on exciting abstracts and poster designs.

While my research proposal promised a lot (too much, in hindsight), my first year was genuinely promising. I conducted preliminary experiments at the Oxford Planetary Spectroscopy Facility, dove into the literature, and attended conferences in the UK and USA where I introduced my ideas and I did not get laughed off the lectern. My confidence soared. Little did I know that this would be the high point of my PhD.

The Middle: Cracks in the Foundation

The trouble began in my second year when the scope of my project started to overwhelm me. My methods did not produce the ground-breaking results I had hoped for. Months of experiments failed to replicate even basic benchmarks. Doubts began creeping in, but I pushed them aside, convinced I just needed to work harder. Without results, however, I had no more material to test out at conferences and I began to grow a little more insular. I stopped attending seminars, workshops, and fell out of the esteem dynamic that had helped to keep me buoyed in the first year of my project.

This was my first big mistake: ignoring the warning signs. I could have pivoted my research focus or redefined my goals, but I refused. Pride and fear of judgment from my supervisor and peers kept me locked in a cycle of unproductive work.

The Supervisor Dynamic: A Relationship Gone Awry

By my third year, my relationship with my supervisor had become strained. She was supportive at first, but as my progress stalled, her patience began to wane. The meetings I did attend were tense. Feedback felt increasingly more like criticism, and I became defensive, further eroding our communication. Here’s where I made another mistake: I stopped asking for help. Instead of being honest about my struggles, I tried to shield my failures, thinking I could fix everything on my own. This isolation only deepened my problems.

Hitting the Wall

By the end of my third year, when the project was meant to have culminated in a final draft thesis, it was clear that my project would not yield publishable or even minimally defensible results. The pressure mounted as my funding ended, and I was faced with a stark choice: cobble together a subpar dissertation or walk away.

While it was not an easy decision, I chose to leave the programme and it felt like a personal and professional failure. I had to tell my parents what had happened and they could not understand what seemed to be an elective PhD failure. But I knew that submitting a half-baked dissertation was no solution and there was no way I could defend the thesis before leaders in my field. My supervisor told me that if I submitted what I had written so far, I would fail the PhD and end up (at best) with an exit qualification (effectively another research master’s award—not something that will open academic doors).

You may have heard the myth that a PhD is ‘impossible to fail’ and that myth proliferates because the data on material PhD failures is scarce. Universities typically do not publish this information as it is not something they wish to advertise. The statistics on PhD failure are, in addition, unhelpfully obscured by the high attrition rates in PhD programmes. Had they continued in their studies, many more PhD students would add to the statistics on PhD failure. For context, here’s an overview of PhD attrition/failure rates in various countries:

United Kingdom: Approximately 19.5% of PhD students do not complete their studies. This includes 16.2% who leave their programmes early and 3.3% who actually fail their viva examinations (Discover PhDs).

Europe: A survey by the European University Association found that 34% of doctoral candidates fail to complete their thesis within six years, with many likely dropping out entirely (Times Higher Education).

United States: While specific failure rates are less clear, it’s estimated that between 40% and 50% of doctoral students do not finish their degrees (Springer).

In academia, a PhD represents the height of intellectual success. Being a Doctor of Philosophy showcases not only your deep subject knowledge but also that you have made a significant contribution to research. Yet, achieving a doctorate degree is no mean feat. Although a rare occurrence, and while I only avoided on-paper PhD defeat by walking away from the doctorate entirely, the reality is that failing a PhD is possible. So, whether you are just starting out on your PhD experience or are currently tackling its challenges, it is necessary to understand why PhD failures occur and how you can prevent it from happening to you.

How To Pass Your PhD

Poor Relationship with your Supervisor

The relationship you have with your supervisor can make or break your PhD. You need a supportive, communicative supervisor who can provide guidance and constructive feedback, as well as motivation. A strained or unhealthy relationship may result in inadequate feedback, questions going unanswered, and ultimately, an unguided thesis.

Nurturing a strong, positive relationship with your supervisor should be a priority from the very beginning of your journey. Clear and open communication is vital: express your uncertainties, ask questions, and seek clarification when required. If you are still applying for PhDs, it is even better to scope out supervisors who are a good personality fit for you. Schedule Zoom meetings with a few potential supervisors to see whether you really vibe with them and whether they have the wisdom and experience to marshal your (probably lofty) ambitions towards a successful and bounded thesis.

Your relationship with your supervisor is also subtly evident to your examiners. A simple mention of your supervisor in your acknowledgements shows that you appreciate the support and guidance you have received, and that your supervisor is supportive of your research and believes that you can pass your PhD. This leaves a good impression and imparts confidence to your examiners.

By contrast, if your acknowledgements fail to mention your supervisor, your examiners will see this as evidence of a frosty relationship and potentially a thesis that has not been blessed or given the green light. This can cause diplomatic relations issues between supervisors and examiners. Most examiners have a professional working relationship with other scholars in their field, and this will no doubt include your supervisor. You put both your supervisor and examiners in an awkward position if you elect to submit a thesis that does not have supervisory blessing, and it will be the rather vexed task of your examiners to see whether that theory is true and for what reasons.

If your relationship with your supervisor is consistently problematic and becoming untenable, then it may be worth considering a change in supervisor. You can discuss this with your department, faculty, or dean.

Lack of a Clear Research Focus

We all understand that a PhD thesis is about contributing original and significant knowledge to your subject and achieving that requires answering a focused research question. Many candidates begin their PhD research with a broad range of ideas and struggle to refine them. If your research question is not well-defined or if it lacks relevance and originality, your thesis may come across as incoherent, unfocused, and more like a master’s thesis. Examiners may view this as a failure to meet the scholarly standards expected of a PhD.

It is helpful to work with your supervisor early on in your journey to develop a specific and relevant research question. It is also worth seeking feedback regularly from your academic community (e.g., peers with more research experience) to ensure you are on the right track and that your focus remains clear. Feedback also helps you to identify and correct any mistakes or gaps in your research before they become serious. Be willing to shift your focus if need be and don’t take feedback personally.

Your examiners will want to have a strong understanding of your research focus and originality from the abstract. If you do not state your original contribution to research here, you are suggesting to the examiners that you do not understand the difference between a master’s dissertation and PhD thesis.

Similar can be said for your introduction and conclusion, which are important because they address the main discussions and aims of the thesis. Some PhD candidates do not write enough in these areas, leading examiners to believe that they do not understand the value and significance of their work. Others may submit a short conclusion because they have run out of words or steam. You might feel tired of writing by the time you reach your conclusion, but you must make sure that you are dedicating enough time, words, and effort to really impress your examiners.

Despite being towards the end of your thesis, your reference list or bibliography is often scrutinized by examiners before they even begin reading the bulk of your research. Here, examiners are not only looking for the perfect use of a referencing style but also that you have included publications from the last two years and from a range of scholarly sources. This proves a deep understanding of your subject and that you are au fait with the very latest research knowledge.

Poor Writing and Organisational Skills

Some students fail their PhD simply because their thesis is not of an acceptable length or linguistic quality. While it is obvious why linguistic quality would imperil a PhD result, examiners scrutinize length because it suggests that the thesis is short in ideas. Formatting is also highly regarded. If your thesis looks messy and inconsistent, then it suggests a rushed submission and a lack of effort or pride in your writing. Please make sure your work adheres to your respective institution’s guidelines.

As you write the thesis, keep your examiners and their assessment criteria (quality and originality of research) in mind. Try to identify areas that may arouse concern and amend them. Seeking feedback from more experienced faculty members may also strengthen the standard of your work. Do not wait until your viva to defend weaknesses in your thesis.

Moreover, some PhD candidates struggle with procrastination and time management. Without proper planning, it is easy to fall behind on research and writing, which could affect the quality and completion of your thesis. Many academic institutions offer workshops and library resources on academic writing and research. There are also plenty of self-help resources online.

What Happens if I Fail My PhD?

If your PhD result is one of failure, or you are not permitted by your supervisor to submit your PhD owing to failures in meeting the relevant academic criteria for the award, you may be asked to implement corrections or given a ‘revise and resubmit’ outcome, which extends your journey to obtaining a PhD and may lead to a final non-passing decision if the revised work does not meet scholarly standards. You may be offered an exit award, like an MLitt or an MSc, but this effectively shuts the door on a career as a lecturer and would need explaining on a CV, as it is unusual and not the intended outcome of the programme.

The Aftermath: Finding a New Path

It has been a year since I left my PhD, and I have found a fulfilling role in industry. The skills I developed during my research—critical thinking, problem-solving, resilience—are invaluable in my current job. While I didn’t earn the title of “Dr.,” I gained something just as important: perspective. If you’re struggling with your PhD, remember this: you are not alone, and failure does not define you.

Lex Academic are highly experienced in PhD corrections and our bespoke editing services can help you to improve and consolidate your research and obtain your doctorate degree. You can contact us or check out our webpages for more information.