Are master programs easier to get into then PhD?

[columbia09]

If so can anyone elaborate on this? How much easier is it? Are they more forgiving if you have a low GRE score ?

[bsharpe269]

Based on my experience (I am finishing up my MS and applying for PhD), MS is much much easier to get into. The main difference here is that you are paying to get a masters (school makes money) and you are being paid to get a PhD (school looses money). That makes masters much more forgiving.

[GeoDUDE!]

Based on my experience (I am finishing up my MS and applying for PhD), MS is much much easier to get into. The main difference here is that you are paying to get a masters (school makes money) and you are being paid to get a PhD (school looses money). That makes masters much more forgiving.

 

Sorta. 

 

First off, GSR and TAs are employees, that ultimately make the school more money than they cost (Research grants have overhead and TAs teach courses that undergrads/grads might pay for). The reason these positions are more difficult to get is because there are limited number of them.

 

Second, its interesting, that my current Earth Science department does not admit anyone without funding, MS or PhD. This is common for many top tier programs, though there are professional masters degree programs that students can pay for at other schools. So while you might be able to pay for a masters of geology, it may not be researched based but class based. I know Colorado School of Mines allows students to pay for a Thesis based masters. 

 

But the idea behind it is that a student who is doing a research degree is there to do research, and shouldn't need an outside job to sustain him/her. 

 

I think it really depends on the school: top programs have more spots for PhDs because they would rather fund someone for 5 years vs 2 years. 

 

For my MS, I went to a lower end school that forgave my low gpa (3.05), but at that school you actually must have a MS before you do a PhD. 

 

I would say that the criteria for admitting a masters student is lower, but I don't know if that makes it actually easier to get admitted into a funded position, as there are plenty of excellent students who do not get in. 

 

It's hard to say, probably easier, but not as much as you would think since the earth science industry (oil and gas) loves people with masters. 

Edited November 15, 2014 by GeoDUDE!

[columbia09]

Yea all my programs I applied to fund their master students if admitted. I know VT doesn't admit students if they can't fund them whether it be PhD or masters.

[GeoDUDE!]

Yea all my programs I applied to fund their master students if admitted. I know VT doesn't admit students if they can't fund them whether it be PhD or masters.

 

FWIW my friend is a PhD student at VT (he loves it btw), and he had a low GRE, i think somewhere in the mid 150s on both. He also had a masters degree when he applied.  

[columbia09]

Yea I did worse in the GRE then him lol. But the criteria must be different for a PhD program vs a masters program. Someone applying to a PhD program with a masters probably has a lot more experience in research then someone applying right out of college as an undergraduate.