Should I get a PhD or an MS in computer science?

[qat]

So I'm in a bit of trouble with my PhD, and I might not be able to continue, but if I'm proactive about it there's a good chance I'll be able to graduate.

 

However, the department offered me the opportunity to do a coursework-based MS in lieu of a PhD.  It wouldn't be funded but I could apply for TAships and stuff.

 

I'm legitimately torn between these options because

 

1) I won't get to do a lot of coursework during my PhD, and will probably not learn as much.  I don't think I know a lot about my field (not enough to get a good job), which is why I went to grad school in the first place.

2) The MS would take another two years, but the PhD would take much longer, and I'm kind of sick of this place honestly.

3) I kind of just wanted to get an MS in the first place, but my dad was like "no you should apply for PhD programs, and then if you want you can drop out later"

 

However,

1) If I got a PhD, I would have a PhD

2) which would give me more access to interesting work in the future

3) and during the PhD itself I would be working on interesting problems

 

What do you think I should do?

 

Thanks

[Vene]

 I'm kind of sick of this place honestly.

That statement right there, it makes me think you need some time away from school. This isn't a criticism, there's a lot more to the world than academia.

[MoJingly]

 

1) If I got a PhD, I would have a PhD

 

 

I wouldn't think this way.  "PhD" doesn't really mean much by itself, and it won't necessarily get you farther than an MS... that is, depending on what you want to do. Your field might be different than mine, but unless you KNOW the PhD will help you with what you want to do, there's no problem in leaving with the MS.  A master's degree is not a consolation prize.  It's still a higher education. Get out, get a job, get your bearings, and figure out whether you want to continue on. 

[juilletmercredi]

1) Coursework is not the way you learn stuff in a PhD program, so it's okay that you won't be taking a whole lot of classes.  There are a lot of other ways to learn what you need to know.

 

I think #3 for the cons is the biggest reason that makes all the other ones invalid.  You don't want a PhD; you were pressured into getting a PhD by your father, who honestly gave you bad advice.  You can always go back later for a PhD if you decide that you really want one - but honestly, dropping out of a PhD program is harder (emotionally and professionally) than most people think it is.  I did not drop out of my program but I wanted to, in my third year, and I wrestled with the decision for the entire year and had to go to therapy to deal with the stress and havoc it was wreaking in my life.  (Plus my job applications were unsuccessful.  If I had found a job I probably wouldn't have a PhD today.)

 

I think that it's a myth that the PhD open doors to more interesting work.  It's just a different KIND of work.  If you have a burning desire to do research in computer science, and you really want to LEAD a research team and write grants and/or compete for funding and resources in other ways, and you want the independence and autonomy that comes with being a doctoral-level scientist - go for it.  But if you just want to work in the field of CS doing something interesting, you can totally do that with an MS.  In fact, you can still do research with an MS, it'll just be under the direction of a PhD.

 

Also, let me be the one to tell you that the high of simply having a PhD does not last long and is totally not worth torturing yourself for 5-6+ years for if you don't need it for what you want to do.  I just finished mine, I thought I would feel euphoric and elated, and actually I just felt relieved and kind of numb.  I'm happy I'm done, it feels nice, but the sense of accomplishment is not proportional to the amount of work that went into completing the degree.  Moreover, most of the happiness comes from the fact that I now have access to the kinds of jobs I'd always dreamed of doing.