Mastering out of PhD - Need some Guidance!

[MixmastaChemist]

Hello everyone!

 

I am entering my second year in a chemistry PhD program and after being here for about a year, I've quickly realized the PhD is not for me. I've given this a lot of thought, and I am certain that I want to "master out". I'm nearly halfway done with a non-thesis masters and I plan to join the Navy after graduating. But here is the rub: I am afraid to "show my hand" so to speak and tell professors and essentially the department that I want a masters instead since they are the ones providing me with a TA position and paying for my tuition. Does anyone have any experience being in a PhD program and then "mastering out" with their tuition waivers and TA positions being revoked for the remaining semesters to obtain the masters?

Edited May 31, 2019 by MixmastaChemist

[Sigaba]

18 hours ago, MixmastaChemist said:

I plan to join the Navy after graduating. But here is the rub: I am afraid ....

Honor: "I will bear true faith and allegiance ..." Accordingly, we will: Conduct ourselves in the highest ethical manner in all relationships with peers, superiors and subordinates; Be honest and truthful in our dealings with each other, and with those outside the Navy; Be willing to make honest recommendations and accept those of junior personnel; Encourage new ideas and deliver the bad news, even when it is unpopular; Abide by an uncompromising code of integrity, taking responsibility for our actions and keeping our word; Fulfill or exceed our legal and ethical responsibilities in our public and personal lives twenty-four hours a day. Illegal or improper behavior or even the appearance of such behavior will not be tolerated. We are accountable for our professional and personal behavior. We will be mindful of the privilege to serve our fellow Americans.

Courage: "I will support and defend ..." Accordingly, we will have: courage to meet the demands of our profession and the mission when it is hazardous, demanding, or otherwise difficult; Make decisions in the best interest of the navy and the nation, without regard to personal consequences; Meet these challenges while adhering to a higher standard of personal conduct and decency; Be loyal to our nation, ensuring the resources entrusted to us are used in an honest, careful, and efficient way. Courage is the value that gives us the moral and mental strength to do what is right, even in the face of personal or professional adversity.

Commitment: "I will obey the orders ..." Accordingly, we will: Demand respect up and down the chain of command; Care for the safety, professional, personal and spiritual well-being of our people; Show respect toward all people without regard to race, religion, or gender; Treat each individual with human dignity; Be committed to positive change and constant improvement; Exhibit the highest degree of moral character, technical excellence, quality and competence in what we have been trained to do. The day-to-day duty of every Navy man and woman is to work together as a team to improve the quality of our work, our people and ourselves.

These are the CORE VALUES of the United States Navy. https://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=193