To Defer Again or Attend

[Meme9230]

I was accepted into graduate school for MS in Pharmaceutics with a specialization in Cosmetic Science in the spring. I could not attend due to the fact that I was completing a prerequisite course and working in the evening part-time which conflicted with my grad school classes. I decided to defer admission for a semester.  I am supposed to be beginning in September.  However, since deferring the program, I have decided that a second bachelor's in chemistry (BA) may be a better and more cost effective choice (my first bachelor's is in psychology), so I declared a major as a post-bacc student at the university where I was taking grad school prerequisites. I have already talked to the grad school about this, but I have not asked about deferring again because I would be done with the second bachelor's in December 2020, so I would have to wait until Spring of 2021 to begin graduate school which means I may have to reapply. 

I would like to break into the cosmetic industry  and ultimately become a cosmetic formulator and a science degree is a requirement. I currently have no experience in the field. Would it be smart to defer or decline admission to grad school and get the second bachelor's first so I can try to gain lab/work experience for a bit before grad school, or should I just go with the master's program? I have also played with the idea of possible taking a few grad school classes while getting my second degree, but that will require me to take out more student loans.  

[PsyDuck90]

I feel like if you were already accepted to a MA program, it means the school felt you have the potential for success. I don't know if doing a 2nd bachelor's is going to help too much since you are already accepted into a graduate program for what you want to do. I would just start the MA and make sure to take advantage of office hours/tutoring centers for any weak spots throughout the program. Otherwise, you are just pushing off the start of your career.

[Meme9230]

3 hours ago, PsyDGrad90 said:

I feel like if you were already accepted to a MA program, it means the school felt you have the potential for success. I don't know if doing a 2nd bachelor's is going to help too much since you are already accepted into a graduate program for what you want to do. I would just start the MA and make sure to take advantage of office hours/tutoring centers for any weak spots throughout the program. Otherwise, you are just pushing off the start of your career.

I understand what you are saying, completely.  However, the MS program is fairly new in comparison to the on campus program, and it is completely online. So, I feel like since I already lack experience, I also will be missing out on some hands-on experience. I have already taken chemistry through organic chemistry, and I have taken a number or biology courses that have included labs. So, I have some lab experience, but I don't know if it will be enough to get the job that I want after completing the program. I know that there are always internships as well, but I don't know if the graduate degree would give me a better chance at an internship to gain hands-on experience than the 2nd bachelor's in chemistry.  Also, the bachelor's degree is cheaper and can probably be finished in the same amount of time as the master's depending on how many classes I take a semester in either program.

[PsyDuck90]

Oh yeah, that changes things. I would definitely opt to not do an online pharma degree. At the graduate level, hands on experience is crucial. Your best bet is to probably then get the chem B and apply for better, in-person grad programs (whether MA or PharmD). Can you also look for BA/PharmD joint programs? I don't know where you're located, but I know they exist. I've had friends who have done them at various schools in the NY metro area. 

[Meme9230]

9 minutes ago, PsyDGrad90 said:

Oh yeah, that changes things. I would definitely opt to not do an online pharma degree. At the graduate level, hands on experience is crucial. Your best bet is to probably then get the chem B and apply for better, in-person grad programs (whether MA or PharmD). Can you also look for BA/PharmD joint programs? I don't know where you're located, but I know they exist. I've had friends who have done them at various schools in the NY metro area. 

The degree that I will be getting by doing the master's program is a Master of Science in Pharmaceutics.  I am not trying to become a pharmacist, so I am not looking into PharmD programs.  My interest is actually in cosmetic science. I do understand the importance on hands-on experience with this field which is why I am skeptical about starting a graduate program which is completely online. The on campus program is actually located in NY, though. I'm live in the south which is why I was interested in the online program or maybe a hybrid program to get hands-on experience. There are only a handful of programs tailored towards this field, and most of them are online or hybrid programs. Some are full on campus as well. However,  I think that most of the people that go through these programs either already have a science bachelor's degree or have experience working in the field.

[PsyDuck90]

R&D jobs will still most likely want a PharmD, at least based on the experience of most of my friends who have gone the PharmD route. None of them actually work in a pharmacy. They all work in corporate lab settings. I would suggest searching the jobs you ultimately want and see what credentials they are asking for. Then go from there. All of my input is based on what friends of mine have done (and are very successful in lucrative careers), but I am in psych so I don't have 1st hand knowledge of that field. 

[Meme9230]

52 minutes ago, PsyDGrad90 said:

R&D jobs will still most likely want a PharmD, at least based on the experience of most of my friends who have gone the PharmD route. None of them actually work in a pharmacy. They all work in corporate lab settings. I would suggest searching the jobs you ultimately want and see what credentials they are asking for. Then go from there. All of my input is based on what friends of mine have done (and are very successful in lucrative careers), but I am in psych so I don't have 1st hand knowledge of that field. 

Okay, thank you for providing me with your input.  It is appreciated.  I am going to look into some PharmD programs and see what they have to offer. I have also been searching for potential positions and seeing what their requirements are, and I think that sometimes it just depends on the company. Most of them are looking for a bachelor's in a science field, but some say that a master of science is either preferred or a plus. I will continue to search, but for now I am leaning towards putting the MS on hold and getting the 2nd bachelor's since classes for that program start next week. 

[giftofGABA]

So while my experience isn’t in cosmetic formulation, I have previously worked in R&D formulation for a biotech company and I just finished a MS (in person) geared towards those wanting to enter the pharmaceutical industry and I’m about to start my PhD in Pharmacology. Normally I’d say just go for the masters where you already have been accepted but in your case I would stick with the 2nd BS in Chemistry UNLESS the online program has a program in which you can do an internship/ they can help secure you one in which case that might be the best option. For R&D positions they are really looking for the hands on experience so internships or research experience outside of your lab classes will be key. But in my experience the online only programs are mostly geared for people already working in the industry and looking to move out of tech roles and into higher positions or already have a science background and are looking for a switch in industries. I would say in your case do the 2nd bachelors and try to get some research experience in a chemistry lab. I disagree with the comment above to do a PharmD. While you can get R&D positions with a PharmD that’s pretty limited to pharmaceutical R&D rather than cosmetics, and especially so if you want to go into formulation work over clinical work. Plus it’s a lot of school and a lot of money and almost every person I know in formulation science whether it be on the pharma side or cosmetics side has some sort of chemistry background so it really wouldn’t give you any advantage. 

[Meme9230]

6 hours ago, giftofGABA said:

So while my experience isn’t in cosmetic formulation, I have previously worked in R&D formulation for a biotech company and I just finished a MS (in person) geared towards those wanting to enter the pharmaceutical industry and I’m about to start my PhD in Pharmacology. Normally I’d say just go for the masters where you already have been accepted but in your case I would stick with the 2nd BS in Chemistry UNLESS the online program has a program in which you can do an internship/ they can help secure you one in which case that might be the best option. For R&D positions they are really looking for the hands on experience so internships or research experience outside of your lab classes will be key. But in my experience the online only programs are mostly geared for people already working in the industry and looking to move out of tech roles and into higher positions or already have a science background and are looking for a switch in industries. I would say in your case do the 2nd bachelors and try to get some research experience in a chemistry lab. I disagree with the comment above to do a PharmD. While you can get R&D positions with a PharmD that’s pretty limited to pharmaceutical R&D rather than cosmetics, and especially so if you want to go into formulation work over clinical work. Plus it’s a lot of school and a lot of money and almost every person I know in formulation science whether it be on the pharma side or cosmetics side has some sort of chemistry background so it really wouldn’t give you any advantage. 

Thank you for your reply. I think that I am going to stick with the 2nd bachelors degree for now. I will probably defer graduate school if I can or decline admission if I can't.  The chemistry program also offers opportunities for undergraduate research,  so I will probably look into that. I will also be looking for internships and temp lab technician positions in my area as I'm completing my second degree.