Wait, you mean I have to make a decision eventually...?!

[ke6904]

Does anyone have an opinion on MA vs. MA/PhD programs? I was accepted to one MA that I was told had a 90% chance of going directly to a PhD at the same program, and I was also accepted to a MA to PhD program. There are a lot of factors I'm considering between the two, but I've been thinking a lot  about the advantages/disadvantages of going straight to a PhD or being able to get that terminal M.A. first.. Any advice??

[back2black]

I think the upside of being able to get a terminal master's along the way is that if you decide you want to pursue a different career path, you will still have completed an MA degree. If you're taking about Delaware, I also heard that they use their MA program to feed into their Ph.D program, so the 90% chance of getting in upon completing your master's seems legit. I mean what if you decide you want to move on to a different program to complete your Ph.D, at least you'll have that option after finishing your MA and being able to take that degree with you (this then makes you automatically qualified to teach too).

 

On the other hand are you certain that the other program, the MA to Ph.D program, does not have an option for you to use the coursework you will complete to get a terminal MA in the event that you decide you don't want to go through with the Ph.D? Maybe you can inquire about this in order to be certain.

 

With all of that said, I think your fit with both of these schools is going to be really important, because in either case it sounds like you are going to be spending the next decade of your life in this school, so ultimately, if it were me, I would figure out which program really feels right to me. What faculty will you be working with? How do the funding offers and teaching opportunities stack up against each other? If the fit is right, then you'll be happy and want to stay, and the pros and cons of having a terminal MA won't really matter much. Best of luck with your decision making process! 

Edited March 7, 2014 by back2black

[ke6904]

I think the upside of being able to get a terminal master's along the way is that if you decide you want to pursue a different career path, you will still have completed an MA degree. If you're taking about Delaware, I also heard that they use their MA program to feed into their Ph.D program, so the 90% chance of getting in upon completing your master's seems legit. I mean what if you decide you want to move on to a different program to complete your Ph.D, at least you'll have that option after finishing your MA and being able to take that degree with you (this then makes you automatically qualified to teach too).

 

On the other hand are you certain that the other program, the MA to Ph.D program, does not have an option for you to use the coursework you will complete to get a terminal MA in the event that you decide you don't want to go through with the Ph.D? Maybe you can inquire about this in order to be certain.

 

With all of that said, I think your fit with both of these schools is going to be really important, because in either case it sounds like you are going to be spending the next decade of your life in this school, so ultimately, if it were me, I would figure out which program really feels right to me. What faculty will you be working with? How do the funding offers and teaching opportunities stack up against each other? If the fit is right, then you'll be happy and want to stay, and the pros and cons of having a terminal MA won't really matter much. Best of luck with your decision making process! 

 

All good points. And yes,  I was talking about Delaware.. they do have the tendency to favor their M.A. students for the PhD program. I'm going to be visiting both schools (the other is Stony Brook) in the next few weeks, so hopefully that will give me a good sense of fit. My mentor got his PhD from Delaware, so he's strongly swaying me toward that program..