MS vs. PhD in Ecology, Evolution & Behavior

[graceface]

Hello All!

I am currently trying to decide on a graduate program for this Fall, but I am still wavering on the PhD vs. MS quandary. My discipline is Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, and so far I have been accepted to both Master's and Doctoral programs in the United States which are comparable in terms of funding offers, research opportunities, program quality, etc.

So basically, I have a very difficult decision to make. I'm trying to figure out what employment opportunities are available in my field, based on level of education and I'm getting conflicting advice. Some say that having a PhD would make me overqualified for positions outside of academia, but then I have noticed that many universities in the U.S. are transitioning to solely offering doctorate programs in EEB...which makes me think that pretty soon a Master's degree alone would not be very competitive in the job market. I'm trying to keep my options open, and I know that academic appointments are very competitive for PhD holders, so in theory, I want to go for a program that will give me the best chance of getting a job after finishing.

My question is: is it worth getting a Master's in my field? Is it necessary? Is a PhD the way to go to increase my employment opportunities (or will it just reduce my options by way of making me "overqualified")? Am I crazy for thinking about going straight into a PhD from undergraduate?

Any insight would be incredibly helpful!

[Pitangus]

I am going straight from a BS to PhD. Personally, I want the PhD for the experience, though of course I will be keeping my future career in mind and doing what I can to make myself appealing.

I have encountered people with PhDs in EEB, Conservation Biology, Wildlife Biology etc. who work for agencies/organizations rather than universities. Some are "research scientists," others have taken on more administrative roles. I also know of people with MS degrees who also work as staff biologists/technicians at various agencies, like US Fish and Wildlife.

Theoretically there are jobs for people with either MS and PhD degrees, both in and out of academia, but of course there are limited opportunities for any type of position, and there is no way to say who will be hiring when you are applying.

Have you seen this info from the ESA? It's pretty simplistic, but it presents some basic job titles that you could investigate to find people who actually hold the position and see where they work.

http://www.esa.org/education_diversity/pdfDocs/careers-undergrad.pdf

If employability is your main concern, and you are not completely invested in the idea of a PhD, perhaps you could do the MS first. You might decide that you do not want more schooling and stop after the MS. You can then work for a few years and still pursue the PhD later if you feel that your current opportunities are not what you want. You say your MS offers have comparable funding, so at least you wouldn't be hindering yourself financially by choosing the MS over PhD at first.

[graceface]

Hey, thank you for the reply and for that link! Man, I love a good diagram.

In the end, I've decided to accept the PhD offer and worry about employment when the time comes. I think I knew from the start that I'd want to go for the PhD for the research opportunities and the experience, but all of the perceived expectations and demands were daunting to dive into right after undergraduate, not to mention all the hearsay about job issues...it all added up to make the decision very very difficult.

Thank you again for your insight and good luck with your graduate studies!