Masters then PhD?

[Flux2]

Hi, I was wondering what the pros and cons for doing Masters first then going for a PhD.

I'm currently considering going for a Masters first then a PhD because I don't think I'm competitive enough to go to a top school.

[biotechie]

Hi Flux!

 

I ended up doing a MS before my PhD studies for several reasons. I was changing from microbiology to mammalian molecular biological systems due to a lab I had joined my junior year. I felt that my GPA and lack of background knowledge would not put me where I wanted to be, and I wasn't sure if I was cut out for PhD studies. I did my MS, and it taught me that I love my field and that I'm ready to dig deeper. I had more experience than my peers at applications and by interviews I had manuscripts in progress as well as tons of presentation experience. The lab experience has been a big help during my rotations in my new PhD program and the coursework from my MS gave me a strong background that is helping me with my classes. I know I would not have survived a PhD in a new field without my MS experience.

 

That being said, funded masters degrees like I had are hard to come by. That's a lot of debt you could accrue when you might be able to get into a PhD program with your current grades. Doing your MS simply to get into a "top" school bothers me. Yes, there is something to a name, but you really need to be focusing on your research interests and on potential faculty mentors. Some of the best faculty aren't at those top 20 schools that everyone applies to. I picked out the PIs I was interested in and then looked at requirements and time to qualifying exam completion and graduation. I don't think I even looked at ranking until after I applied. Do yourself a favor and consider those things above where the school ranks.