Thesis or No Thesis MTS?

[Teddy Bear]

A TT Canadian school has, this academic year, changed MTS requirements. It offers students the opportunity to graduate with 36 credits or to add another 6 by taking a thesis (better prepare them for Ph.D.programs) and then graduate. Would you choose to remain in school for another semester to write a thesis? 

[sacklunch]

I doubt it will make much, if any difference. Many folks will be applying the same time they begin the thesis, so there isn't much point if that's your timeline. On the other hand, if your timeline is such that you will have finished the thesis, or completed a substantial bit by the time you apply, and you don't have a suitable writing sample, then yes I can see the advantage of staying on for the thesis. In general, however, a thesis will be much longer than the required sample. In short, there isn't a clear answer and in my experience such options offer no lesser/greater success rate for doctoral admissions. We tend, naturally, to torture ourselves over these sorts of options/paths, while the people reading your application will skim over what seemed to us some essential bit of our training. The best path forward is to talk to current doctoral students and faculty at the specific schools you're interested in and just simply ask what stands out (*note this will vary from scholar to scholar within one department). Make sure you reach out to current doctoral students at the schools you're applying to. They are always ready to spill the beans. 

Edited October 6, 2022 by sacklunch