ayending1 Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Does it sound dishonest or even immoral because the current program "wastes" funding on me and how does people from the program which I gonna apply to think about me?
TMP Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Go to a program that you intend to graduate from. It's very difficult to "transfer" PhD program unless there's a real academic reason for doing so- or you didn't get funding and need to apply to a PhD program with funding.
Averroes MD Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 You can always take the master's and apply afresh. I knew someone who did this, but he had a really good reason to do so (as his supervisor left the university).
Katzenmusik Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 Yes, I had a friend who did this. He had entered a low-ranked PhD program, decided to leave with an MA, then re-applied to PhD programs. He ended up at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. The professors at the low-ranked place supported the move. There had been some faculty changes that meant the student wouldn't necessarily have a solid dissertation committee if he continued along at the low-ranked place. Also, a sense of demoralization about the career prospects for PhD students from this program had started to set in, since hardly anyone ever got a tenure-track job. So the profs were happy to write letters and help the student move.
navyblackmaroon Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 I did that. I was at a barely top 25 program, got my MA, reapplied, and then was accepted into a top 5 program. However, my decision was based on the fact that my research interests had changed so much that my previous program was not a viable option anymore. My advisors supported my decision and wrote me letters of recommendation. I was able to make the case that there was an obvious fit issue and that my project required me to go somewhere else. I know other people who have done the same thing. Their reasons, however, were very diverse: faculty member left, uncertainty of tenure for a potential advisor, feeling socially (and racially) alienated from their program/campus location, etc.
GradSchoolTruther Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 Does it sound dishonest or even immoral because the current program "wastes" funding on me and how does people from the program which I gonna apply to think about me?Most Ph.D. students don't finish, so there is a lot of so-called "wasted" funding out there.
Averroes MD Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 Most Ph.D. students don't finish, so there is a lot of so-called "wasted" funding out there.Really? Most? What's the percentage? Just curious.
GradSchoolTruther Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 Depends on the field.http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2014/08/abds_all_but_dissertation_ph_d_candidates_who_can_t_quite_finish.html
dr. t Posted October 16, 2015 Posted October 16, 2015 It would be interesting to see such numbers broken down by school ranking. Also, useful!
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