r/PhD•
gopackdavis2

Reattempting a PhD after leaving with an MS

Seeking advice-academic

I am leaving my PhD program this semester with an MS. I am burnt out, and I don’t think a leave of absence is going to fix that. I also need to work in industry to get a better feel for the type of career I want to pursue, however, I do truly love research. The reasons for leaving my program are mostly personal, but I’m not a good fit here at this point in my life.

I know that I want a PhD because I want a career in research and I want to (as of right now) pursue academics. Does anybody know what the pathway back into academia is like? As a chemistry PhD, would my only option be to completely start these five years over if I stayed in the US?

Thanks in advance for all the help

Posted Mar 14, 2026, 12:32 AM UTC

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