MA vs PhD?

[leica818]

I am feeling a bit conflicted at the moment:

I was accepted into a nice MA program with tuition waiver and stipend, and I was also accepted into a decent PhD program with a lot of funding. The MA program offers a good bunch of faculty, half of which have overlapping research interests with me and are all looking to accept graduate students. This school does not offer a PhD program, however, so I would have to leave to pursue a PhD afterwards, should I decide to. The PhD program I was accepted into, the faculty list is not as interesting to me as the MA program's. My question right now is, which do I choose?!!? I've heard that a lot of PhD programs do not accept the MA coursework, and a student with an MA would have to start over again should he/she decide to pursue a PhD (2 years for the MA + 5 years for the PhD = 7 years total), does anyone have experience with this? Also, does the name of the school matter? The faculty members of the PhD program came from good schools, but their research interests just don't align quite as well...

I accepted the MA offer for a few reasons: I am unsure of where I will be in two years and where my interests lie. I am unsure of what my "calling" is (see next paragraph). I like the faculty at the MA program a lot better. I hate to admit this, but I feel like I am choosing an MA program because I prefer to take baby steps rather than leap. I truly feel that this MA program is the right decision for me at this moment, and it's a decision I would be comfortable with, but I just can't help but think the "what-if's..."

I have also been told many times that graduate study is for people who know what they want. To what extent do you find this true? Did you come out feeling like you wasted 2-6 years when it didn't (or maybe it did!) work out?? Did this decision affect the rest of your life? Honestly, I am certain that I want to be in behavioral neuroscience and do research, but I am unsure of whether I would like to have my own lab or drown myself in research.

One last thing I would like to point out is the move. If I choose the MA program, I will have to move states. If I choose the PhD program, I will move an hour away from my current location. All the academic issues aside, staying for the PhD program is the best because I wouldn't move very far, I wouldn't have to change states, and I wouldn't have to leave my significant other. Should these things be taken into consideration? Did you consider these issues when you relocated for school?

I feel like this is a redundant question, as no doubt many of the people here have addressed an issue like this prior to this thread, but it doesn't hurt to ask, I spose, especially when so many of us are in this decision-making process.

Thank you to all who take the time to read/respond. This is a really trying period, something I did not expect.

[carlyhylton]

I am feeling a bit conflicted at the moment:

I was accepted into a nice MA program with tuition waiver and stipend, and I was also accepted into a decent PhD program with a lot of funding. The MA program offers a good bunch of faculty, half of which have overlapping research interests with me and are all looking to accept graduate students. This school does not offer a PhD program, however, so I would have to leave to pursue a PhD afterwards, should I decide to. The PhD program I was accepted into, the faculty list is not as interesting to me as the MA program's. My question right now is, which do I choose?!!? I've heard that a lot of PhD programs do not accept the MA coursework, and a student with an MA would have to start over again should he/she decide to pursue a PhD (2 years for the MA + 5 years for the PhD = 7 years total), does anyone have experience with this? Also, does the name of the school matter? The faculty members of the PhD program came from good schools, but their research interests just don't align quite as well...

I accepted the MA offer for a few reasons: I am unsure of where I will be in two years and where my interests lie. I am unsure of what my "calling" is (see next paragraph). I like the faculty at the MA program a lot better. I hate to admit this, but I feel like I am choosing an MA program because I prefer to take baby steps rather than leap. I truly feel that this MA program is the right decision for me at this moment, and it's a decision I would be comfortable with, but I just can't help but think the "what-if's..."

I have also been told many times that graduate study is for people who know what they want. To what extent do you find this true? Did you come out feeling like you wasted 2-6 years when it didn't (or maybe it did!) work out?? Did this decision affect the rest of your life? Honestly, I am certain that I want to be in behavioral neuroscience and do research, but I am unsure of whether I would like to have my own lab or drown myself in research.

One last thing I would like to point out is the move. If I choose the MA program, I will have to move states. If I choose the PhD program, I will move an hour away from my current location. All the academic issues aside, staying for the PhD program is the best because I wouldn't move very far, I wouldn't have to change states, and I wouldn't have to leave my significant other. Should these things be taken into consideration? Did you consider these issues when you relocated for school?

I feel like this is a redundant question, as no doubt many of the people here have addressed an issue like this prior to this thread, but it doesn't hurt to ask, I spose, especially when so many of us are in this decision-making process.

Thank you to all who take the time to read/respond. This is a really trying period, something I did not expect.

I'm assuming that the Master's is in a field that would best fit with your end research goals...

I don't have any experience with this at all, and I'm not even sure if this is something one would want to consider, but does the PhD program offer a Master's en passant in case you chose not to pursue your PhD? Might be something to consider.

Also, if you were to do your Master's and find that it wasn't transferable to a PhD program in the states doing your PhD in Canada might save you sometime (although I assume the distance would be further than 'moving states'). In Canada a Master's degree is a prereq to a PhD, which takes 3+ years after your Masters (i.e. it is transferable).

Why not contact schools/profs at schools you might want to pursue your PhD at after your Master's and ask them how your Master's program would transfer? I assume this is something that would vary (perhaps considerably) so it might be worth contacting schools. The replies you get here will be anecdotal.

Ultimately go with your gut feeling, what will be the best 'fit' for you, I think.

Good luck with your decision (especially with regards to the distance/your significant other, I assume that'll be tough and something you have to decide for yourself!) and congrats on your acceptances!

Edited April 5, 2011 by carlyhylton

[leica818]

Thanks Carly! Contacting the schools is a great idea, I'll try that to see what they say