PhD applicant but willing to accept terminal MA?

[Chiqui74]

I posted this on the History forum but I figure it probably fits better here.

Some of the schools to which I am applying ask if the applicant is willing to consider a terminal MA. I am not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I'd like to go to a particular school regardless (assuming it's with funding) although I am most intersted in the PhD, so I'm inclined to select yes. On the other hand, I'm concerned that by stating I'm willing to be considered for a terminal MA the committee would default to that or not take my PhD interest seriously.

If you have gone through this, or are currently going through it, how have you handled it?

[peachypie]

I have not been in this situation, but I also thought ahead that what if I were not to get into a program.  My thing was that I absolutely felt it was necessary to get a PhD so I was not considering an MS.  If you are not really wanting a terminal masters as opposed to a PhD not to mention it would be odd they wouldn't let you do a MS with the intent to continue on.  I think you need to sit down and evaluate what it is you want and if a terminal masters is acceptable to you as an outcome than select accordingly.  I'd caution you to hope for a funded masters, typically if they are going to offer you a masters it will MAYBE come with some funding but very rarely is it entirely funded.  If that is something that wouldn't work for you, then again select accordingly. 

Personally, from what you have said... I would go with not accepting a terminal masters.  I however am not sure how a committee factors that into decisions of who is extended a PhD or masters invite. 

[Crucial BBQ]

A "terminal Master's" either denotes something that is more-or-less a professional degree (such as MBA, MFA) or is at the highest level of education offered at the school for what-ever specific program (the school does not offer a Ph.D. in that discipline).  Perhaps, if your plan is to go into academia, if you would consider a Masters of History Education? 

 

Is this application specific to the program or Department?  Or is it a campus-wide "generic" application?  

 

You can still get into a Ph.D. program from a terminal Master's program, the name doesn't really mean much.   

[Chiqui74]

It's a specific program's wording.  What they mean is "are you willing to accept accept admissino into the MA program, which does not continue into a PhD at this school,  rather than thant he PhD (which gets an MA awarded along the way)?"

[Crucial BBQ]

My ex GF applied to seven Ph.D. programs.  five denied her, one denied her to Ph.D. but offered admission to their Master's program, and the last asked her if she was willing to accept an offer to their Master's program.  The second she said yes they denied her to the Ph.D. program and gave her the info on how to proceed into the Master's (this was during her phone interview with them, I was in the room). 

 

Last year one of the programs I applied to (Ph.D.) told me I was denied into that program but would have admitted me into their Master's program had I taken the time to explain a few things (my GPA) in my SOP.  Heck yeah I would have accepted that offer.  

 

Frankly, if you are going to apply anyways you might as well indicate that you are willing to go for the Master's.  

 

I'd get in touch with the program director and ask if the Master's is absolutely, 100%, terminal.  

[juilletmercredi]

I did not go through this myself but I have a friend who I met in graduate school - she was in art history and had applied to the PhD program at our university, but was admitted to the MA program instead.

 

Generally, speaking, I would say that if you do get admitted to the terminal MA program rather than the PhD program you probably will not get offered funding.  There may be some exceptions, of course.  But I think if they were going to fund you, they would probably just admit you to the doctoral program. Applicants who get denied from the doctoral program but admitted to the MA program are generally being told that they are great, but borderline, applicants who need more preparation before being a good fit for the doctoral program at that particular program (or others).

 

I don't think, however, that the school will take that as an indication that you don't take the PhD seriously.  After all, you are applying for the PhD, not the MA, right?  It's not uncommon for students who want a PhD to get an MA along the way - in fact, it's very common in your field, it seems.  So I think the university will just see it as dedication - if deemed unready for a PhD, you are willing to do a terminal MA in the interim to improve your chances.  I don't think it impacts your admission to the PhD program at all - just if the department considers you not ready for their PhD but a good fit for their MA, it allows them to consider you at that time rather than denying you outright.

 

As for my friend - she had originally intended to continue on to a PhD in art history, either at our university or somewhere else.  But some time in her second year, I think she decided she had enough, and now she works in our university's city in a mostly unrelated position that she likes a lot.  Not sure if that's relevant!