MAs vs PhDs- Difference in when admission decisions are made?

[lit864]

Hi all,

Does anyone know if masters programs tend to notify you of acceptance/rejection later than PhD's? If so, when do they usually tell you? My husband applied to business schools and needs to tell them soon whether or not he is accepting, but I'm not sure when I can expect to hear from these programs.

Thanks!

[LongGone]

I need to know that too! :>

[RestorationJunkie]

I don't have any actual data, but I think MA deadlines tend to be after PhD deadlines, which would probably make the MA decisions later.

[harpyemma]

You might be able to find some data on the schools you've applied to by looking at past decisions on the results board. If School Y has in previous years notified PhD applicants 2 weeks before MA applicants, i'd expect a c. 2 week delay. Bear in mind also that most decisions seem, from last yr's dates, to be running late--perhaps due to bad weather and the fact that the MLA convention was in Jan this year (it's usually in Dec).

[stillthisappeal]

PhD applicants tend to get the nod before MAs, but it really depends on the program. The main reason for the different treatment has to do with the fact that PhD programs are more competitive than MA programs and admission committees want to get the best applicants for their PhD slots.

When I applied for my MA several years ago, I received my first notification (Kansas, waitlist) in mid-January. My last notification (Univ. of Miami, accepted) came some time around the first week of April. We have a long way to go. Expect to receive most decisions during the month of March.

If you feel pressed for time, it wouldn't hurt to call your program's graduate coordinator (not a faculty member) and ask about the committee's progress.