MA or PHD?

[BRAUN223]

What does everyone think is the best route: Getting a master's (in poli sci) first, or applying directly to a PhD (poli sci) program? I know some programs only offer PhD's, but I am just wondering whether or not it is worth it to have that master's degree under your belt before applying to a PhD program. Also, what are the best schools to get master's before applying for a phd?

[ampersand]

I'm speaking as someone who's going directly into a political science PhD after a bachelor's and a year of work experience. I think that if you have the qualifications to go directly into a PhD and you know it's what you want to do, then go ahead and do it. However, if you need to shore up some of your qualifications (low undergrad GPA, no research experience, etc.) or if you're not sure whether a PhD is right for you, then look at doing a master's first. Master's degrees are less likely to be funded, but if you find out that you don't like graduate work, it's a much lower time investment. As to which schools to apply to for a master's, it's difficult to give you advice on that without knowing your subfield and research interests.

[rising_star]

As ampersand said, it really depends on your background and your goals. There are many funded MA programs out there, it'll just take a good bit of searching to find them.