Going from MS to a PhD

[joro]

I've decided to first do a MS before going for my PhD. What should I be doing during my MS to help my PhD application?

[fuzzylogician]

I come from an entirely different field so this may not be helpful, but what candidates with MAs bring to the table in my field is experience working on an elaborate project over the course of 1-2 years. These are usually projects that with some work (or not) can be publishable, and are genuine contributions to the field. In addition, in a Masters degree you usually get to work more closely with professors, so you can have better recommendation letters. In some cases you get to be someone's RA or you get to TA, so that also goes on your CV. And you do more specialized courses and gain more experience than someone who is fresh out of college. All of these things help you narrow down what your interests are; you can base you choice of field on more than just "I took a class and liked it." Grad schools like that, because it means you have much better chances of doing well in a program and finishing it on time.

[rising_star]

Kick ass at your coursework. Start on your MS thesis as early as possible so that you'll finish in your 4th semester and be able to present on the research at conferences (1-3) during your second year.