Any PhD programs grant substantial credit for a master's? (cognitive)

[AllThingsBrain]

I'm in a PhD program and expect to get a master's this spring. I've looked into applying to different PhD programs that might be a better fit, but it seems nearly all require me to start over and even retake classes I have already taken. I want to be able to move on with research without much more coursework.

Anyone aware of any exception to this? My research area is cog neuro and generally falls within cog psych programs.

[t_ruth]

Many programs will work with you so that you won't have to duplicate classes; however, those early classes are an opportunity for the program to communicate their norms and to forge a bond between members of the same cohort. Even if some of the content is the same, it likely won't be an exact duplication. Starting over is tough, but even taking the exact same class again would result in more growth, as you would be taking it with different people and as a different/evolved researcher yourself (though again, it is unlikely that anything would be a complete duplication).