Hello all. I have been following HSB since the past 3 months or so and it helped me immensely in almost about everything. I applaud the admin for this selfless and noble deed!
Read this post before continuing below – What Exactly is PhD?
I hope sharing what I know helps you out too! Like you, I am an aspirant for a graduate education too, starting next fall.
And just like the most of you, I was faced with the tough question : “Ph.D or MS?”
I am guessing most of you are aware of what these two terms mean.
PhD vs MS
MS is mostly a 2year course (however some universities can allow you a degree in less time than that, if some conditions are fulfilled, like completion of a project thesis and subject credits, for example).
But Ph.D is a variable-length course, with a minimum of 3.5 years and maximum of 7years mostly. It all depends on your work progress, thesis completion and approval of the same.
And another thing: unlike in India, both MS and PhD in US are termed as “graduate course” and not Postgraduate.
Your bachelor degree is “Undergraduate” course for them.
Now the biggie dilemma: MS or PhD?
Let me ask you a basic question: you must have planned for a higher education after your bachelors or other such equivalent course.
Why? Because you thought an added higher degree will give you a better edge over others (and I am not talking about people who do it just to get into US).
Very true! Similarly, Ph.D is obviously a higher and more valued degree than MS.
A common misconception is that PhD is done by only those who aspire for a career in the teaching profession. Wrong!!!
Nowadays, even R&D of reputed MNCs have started to prefer PhD scholars over a basic grad course. For those of you who are more bothered about the lucrative returns: yes, PhD will give you a fatter paycheck!
Pros and Cons
Alright now the pros and cons of the two. Beyond the fact that a PhD degree does have greater long-term benefits over MS, it has its own drawbacks too.
- First, it requires patience and a strong aptitude for research.
- Second, usually a university’s intake of PhD scholars is lesser than MS.
- Thirdly, the process is highly selective and generally requires a strong CV with some research publications in the related area (but not always; a buddy of mine got into Purdue 2years back without any research work; just a 9.2*cgpa and149o GRE score and a good BTP, didn’t get funding though).
And now the good part:
- PhD students get higher funding than an MS one and even if you do get into a university without a funding for the first semester, chances of your getting a scholarship from 2nd semester is higher than that in MS.
- Secondly, the credits required for completing PhD is far lesser (24) than MS so that ways, you can finish them off in the 1st year itself and then chill off, as most do (And by that, I don’t mean no-work-no-study, you have to work on your thesis!).
- Lastly, if your long term aim is PhD, then I suggest you to skip MS totally: it saves 2 years worth of time and money!
But then again, if you do get into an MS in US then getting into a PhD next in a good university is damned easy, in fact they prefer students from US universities for PhD.
Like, I am interested for PhD now, but I must kiss away any wishes of getting into MIT or Stanford or UCB, etc for that but if I go for an MS in some other univ (even if lesser ranked) now, there’s a tenfold chance of getting a chance of PhD in the above said univs after that.
But that is a big IF. If you do get a chance at PhD, just go for it!! Sometime in the future, you will be grateful that you did that, believe me!
The positives I mentioned attracted me and hence I am opting for PhD coming fall. I just cant wait to be done with my education ?
PhD and Professors
The above said, be careful when you do it. It is better to contact professors beforehand and communicate with them that you are interested to work for your PhD under their guidance.
And be very careful when you choose a professor. Check his profile, how many PhD scholars he has guided, what are his publications and awards, his project endowment, everything.
It is vital: it can make or break or career.
Remember there is nil value of a PhD degree if you have nothing commendable to show for it!
Don’t expect to be cooed and coerced and spoonfed in any kind of research work by your professor (be it MS or PhD); you have to work hard at it.
Everything said, I do realize the decision might still be confusing!
The pros and cons of each weigh each other out heavily!
When you apply for a univ, it requires you to specifically mention if you are interested for an MS or PhD.
Very rarely, univs like Purdue, for e.g. allow more than one option in your application or even evaluate your application for both degrees. It’s a tough call indeed! But who said it’s going to be easy??
Goodluck!
Following post was shared by a reader who requested to stay anonymous.
But, anyone deciding between PhD or MS, this post has highlighted several aspects of PhD that stands out from MS.
I got a B.Sc in physics and by April 2013 i will be completing B.E. in Electronics Engineering, after this i am planning directly for PhD and Skip MS.Now i wanted to know which Universities in US are better for electronics and would my dual degree help to get admitted easily,also what time will be perfect to apply for GRE in my case.
PHD vs Masters degree in Material Science from Michigan Tech University- is PHD worth the additional time and money spent when entering the job market? and long term?
hi hsb,
i am a member of your family. i have completed my MCA in 2002 with distinction and worke din DELL for 2 yrs and recently completed my MBA in first class. I am 34 now. Is age a constraint to do MS ? Am i eligible to write GRE? Pl let me know . But I am interested in writing GRE . If I can write in dec when can i expect to go i.e., jun2012 / ?.
You can Write GRE and you are eligible. If you take up the Exam during December, though its the New GRE we talking about, the scores will reach the University before Feb 2012. “When can I expect to go?” – Not sure I understood.
hi…i did my b.pharmacy with a 70% aggregate and have good inter and 10th acdemics. i have a good practical knowledge compared to theory and my gre score is quite low ..is it possible that i’ll get a chance to do ph.d in a recognised university??
hi!
I am madhura , i have completed my MSc in biochemistry with distinction and i also have distinction throughout i.e 10th , 12th, BSc, MSc. But my GRE scores low it is between 920 to 1120,
please tell me whether i could get admission for phd in good university. I am interested in food technology, probiotics and related fields so which university i should prefer . And i don’t have any publication yet but i am working on it.
Please guide me.
Hello,
PhD in Integrated biology or synthetic biology, but my academic average is 76.4-graduated from Jordan- and my GRE is low ranged (900-1100; Quantitative rages 550-650, I still haven’t got my scores yet) but I think it’ll be hard to find a university to admit in such grades.
Who can kindly advise me to which universities to apply to, (Illinois preferable).
Or should i apply to an MS for now?
Thanks,
Hanna
I can help hanna, I am from Jordan and I’m applying for a phd, so I say just go for the phd
iam going to complete my graduate course in bpharmacy form India by 2012.i received scores from gre and toefl also.gre-1010.toefl-84.and i have an academic progress of 84%.i have an research article in IJEB.iam interested greatly in research.my doubt is wheather it would be better for me to pursue ms or phd( based on study level).kindly suggest me which option is best as soon as possible.iam gng to apply universities within 7days.
hi i m pharmcy student can u give me information how i can apply for usa
now i m in 3rd b pharm my %66 i m iranian student but i m studying in banglore thanking
Hi HSB,
I have completed my M.Sc degree in physics from Presidency College,(Now Presidency University)University of Calcutta in 2011. I have scheduled my GRE @November. Anyway, my question is, I have a poor GPA(I haven’t calculated it in the way the universities in US do, but I think it is just a bit more than 2.1 in the scale of 4) ow my question is, if I even score around 1200, or more than that, do I have a chance to earn a full funding from any university in US?I want to pursue a PhD in Physics.
Regards…
Parthib
Apply 4 M.S. instead of phd.
Dont worry about gpa. it shud b above 3.0 even if %age isslightly above 50% (around 55%).
Do research and go 4 a thesis option during M.S. and pursuing a phd won’t b a problem.
Alternatively, go 4 a phd in Calcutta or Delhi and apply for post doc positions after phd.
Hi HSB,
I just wanted to know some good universities working in solar energy. I have completed my undergrad in Metallurgy from NIT Trichy and have done projects in IISc in solar energy and also have 3 international publications. I hope u would let me know the necessary.
regarsd
try d canadian ones. they r d best in d power n renewable energy sector (hardcore power).
I Agree with AM. More in the Calgary area. I work for a Energy Trading Company that has its Operations in Calgary, Canada.
Hello,
I am from Biotechnology department from NIT Rourkela. I appeared my GRE and my range of scores wre 1130-1280. My CGPA is 8.26 and I am the third ranker of department. I have done projects in Tezpur University and through SURGE program IIT-Kanpur. Can you please suggest any college where I can get as a Phd???
each univ has a dedicated site with all info. check them urslf n see which matches ur profile
HI,
MY CAREER :
10TH/SECONDARY =50%
12TH/HR.SECONDARY =53%
B.S CGPA =2.39 OUT OF 4
M.S CGPA =2.75 OUT OF 4
WORK EXPERIENCE = 11 YRS IN Pakistan
GRE SCORE = not given
TOEFL = no given
SUGGEST ME THE COLLEGES IN ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER OR IN CS FIELD.AND TELL ME ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT WOULG GET FOR THI PROFILE
THANK YOU!
nothing can be said
I heard that only A Post graduate (In India,Need to complete 10+2+(3/4)+2 i.e 18 years of his education) Can Do PhD .. Is this True??
thats true only for India. US/Canada/Aus require 16…u can go for phd directly aftr bechelor’s
i am b.pharm student,,..i have completed my b.pharma from rajiv gandhi university,i am in dilemma that what should i prefer???either in m.s or pharm D…from which university if yes than….and would i get scholarships???
even i have the same question and completed my b.pharm from rajiv gandhi university..guys plz suggest what are the best courses for further to have good job oportunities..
reserach that urslf! u urslf should know if u want MS or Mpharm
I’m no Saint but I learnt this lesson in a very Hard way. Lost my Time / Money. Focus on building your knowledge or your research area. Studying for Job, in other words Money will land you in a Job but you will be lost over few years of Experience. If you are looking only for a Job, You migh as well get a Killer Resume and Hunt for a Job. My Brother is a Ph.D in Pharma. He focused on research since his M.Pharm. He got his Ph.D in less than 3 Years. Its in the attitude, Everyone needs Money but keeping that has a goal blinds you from seeing a Larger Life. Money will flow eventually but its the matter of Attitude. I study for making Money and gained little knowledge with no further growth. I study for Knowledge, Money flows over time but I gained a lot of knowledge and my growth is limitless. Its in the Attitude.
Greatly Said……………………
hi……….
I am Laxman Tawade having age 23 years.i have completed my B.E. with first class but my academic record is not that much excellent. i am planning for MS in FALL 2012. uptill now ,i have published 4 research paper in international journal and 1 in international conference to my own credit. curently i have worked as REVIEWER for 4-5 international journal , 6-7 IEEE sponcered interantional conference and worked as program comitee member of 6-8 international conference. Currently i am working as member of some international reserach society like 1. International Association of Computer Science and Information Technology (IACSIT). 2. Affilate member of signal processing for communication and networking technical comitee… 3. academy and industry research collabartion center(AIRCC).. i am having experience of working my reserach project in RELIANCE,INNOVATION LAB,INDIA. so wheter above mentioned work will helpful for getting schloarship in MS……I am giving my gre exam in dec 2011 with full preparation and confidence……so please tell me what should i do……..i am also somewhat confused about MS AND PHD
ur acad recrd is damn good n u can get a scholarship via that BUT…havent u been reading up abt GRE on HSB as well as ETS???? it has been clearly and repeatedly mentioned everywhere that if u want to go for fall 2012, u have to take GRE before november 2011??? there’s no way u can apply for anything before spring 2013
Dude U can apply to MIT , UCB etc irrespective of ur GRE/TOEFL score . from where u have done ur BTech ??? its matters a lot . if U r giving GRE/TOEFL in dec 2011 , U cant go 4 fall 2012 but u can apply to europe and canada.
how much important is the University rank? as in, should u give more weightage to the course content or the university rank? i found a course that coincides very closely with my interest (basically psychology related) but the university rank is 50th or so. how should i interpret that? worth it?
course content. anything that appeases u n keeps u happy is worth it
hi….
actually i hv a small doubt……. i completed my bpharmacy in india and nw am ready to take up my pg… so if i continue my pg here in india and thn can i try for phd thre in us??????? will it be ok or its tough to contuinue like that????? pls anyone reply me …send it to my email plssssssss….
y not??
but do consider d option of going for phd after ur bpharm. though I dont know much about ur area, I am saying so because our pg (MTech for us engineers), has almost nil value in the US so people with an aim to study there usually skip MTech
hey gayatri,,i have the same dilemma..but it is for sure you for phd soon after b.pharma..and can u tell me your university u did ur b.pharmacy.
kims college i know but i dont know what is necessary toffel gre or ilets
If you want to go to US only and want to do phd then it’s better to go after your B.Pharm only…
ok, i have completed my Msc Biotechnology with average mark and . now i am trying to go for Phd, but i do not have good research experience.
should I go for Phd or MS.
I would like to say thank to get suggestion.
thanks.
Thanks! The post motivated me again! I was considering to do a PhD from US as for sure it is my long term goal. I wrote to a professor at Colorado State University, and to a professor at University of Washington, but got no replies. I had gone through their research papers, tried to relate my undergraduate research work to those, but seems like I could not get them interested enough. I understand that my CGPA is not really bright (7.24/10), but I have one paper published in a good American journal. Moreover I have an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, but applying for Atmospheric Sciences ( Even though they say they encourage Engineering applications, I can understand that an undergraduate degree in atmospheric Sciences will be given more priority). I had quit my job after one year in Qatar and came back to India. I was really looking forward to get into the area of climate dynamics with a PhD, but seems like dreams got too high as of now and I should consider applying for MS first. I wonder if I had been making the right decisions at all… HSB had been giving really useful directions so far.. I wish I could get some advise.
kaushik, dont get disheartened if a couple of profs dont reply. I myself had to send out scores of mails before a handful finally replied, that too mostly a casual flippy reply. So keep up your hopes and keep mailing. Yes, though they say that u can change ur major stream, yet they prefer candidates from a similar undergrad major and its really tough to get profs interested in such cases, but never lose hope. if u have done some work on atmspheric dynamics, emphasise on that when u mail them. If u havent, but you really want to change to that, go for MS first..getting that in ur case will be easier than phd
Thanks a lot AM! That was really helpful! Do you think it is impolite to mail more than one professor in a department, because there are more than one professor who do similar work. I wish I could send E-mail to another professor, but I’m a bit hesitant wondering if they would find it inappropriate. And yes, I do understand that I should rather do MS first.
Thanks for your advise,
Regards
Kaushik
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER EVER MAIL 2 PROFS FROM THE SAME UNIV SIMULTANEOUSLY (forget same deptt!!)
Profs can get to know you have been mailing more than one and it creates a negative impression that u are desperate. do a thing. when u go through a univ’s faculty list, write down the names, research area, email-id and short points to be highlighted in your mail to her/him. Mail one during their duty hours (remember the time async), wait for a few days (dont expect replies on weekends), if they dont reply, u can:
1) mail them again. dont mail more than twice
2) now mail another prof from same deptt/ same univ
do attach a short CV when u mail them which highlights your research & academic acquisitions , do not keep redundant info like HSC SSC %, cocurriculars, etc
this should work
Oh Thanks!.. that was really helpful of you!! I haven’t mailed them again… I’ll do that! And yes I did mention a few credentials and gave them the link to my website if they wish to see my detailed CV. Haven’t attached any files yet because I read some professors don’t like attachments in the very first mails.
Regards
Kaushik
thats a wise thing, but do attach a short concise CV…it ensures profs that u are serious. GL
Thanks.. best wishes for you too!!
please help me i have cpmpleted my bachelors in physiotherapy and pursuing my master in the same which will be over in May 2013. I want to fly US in sept 2013 for admission in Business school, can i get it in top 10 schools i dun full work exp but have part time and also extra curricular activites like and won prize at All India level for devising health policy and so on…
Can you guide me whether to take GRE / GMAT cz for Harvard they require GRE score
If they need it, then take that exam! Infact, appear both
but then tell me whether its better to do Phd in health management directly since i have done my masters in India or i should opt for masters n den do ??? Indian masters degree is not recognised or is it?? i am doin masters in physiotheraoy
I which branch of Physio, and from which University you are doing your Masters?
Ok here is another question that naturally arises after reading this blog. MS – Thesis vs. MS – Non-Thesis (both short term and long term benefits & also career/pay-check benefits).. shed some light HSB..
Alright..lets talk about this tomorrow.
MS with thesis is generally given more relevance and weightage than without a thesis one. Coz it shows the person has an aptitude for research. And if u complete your thesis well, it has both “career/pay-check benefits”. Usually MS without thesis is of fixed duration but those with one depends on you: it terminates the day you submit your thesis ( courtesy buddy at Lawrence Tech)
I would like to thank the person who shared his views regarding MS/phd. I am an Msc student, planning to go for a phd, most probably in germany, after this ends. I want to know that, is GRE mandatory to do a phd in the US..? aint toefl scores acceptable..?
And what is the minimum score in GRE upto which students are admitted, apart from the CV. ?
I would be really thankful if i can get these answers.
Welcome
The majority of the US univs require a GRE score but GRE is NOT mandatory in SOME univs or in some cases, some chosen programmes of some univs. For eg, MIT’s EECS deptt, univ of Saskatchewan do not require a GRE score (but u cant escape from TOEFL)
Some univs specify a cutoff for GRE based on previous year’s average scores of admitted applicants, however, if you have a strong CV, considerations to a low GRE may be allowed. In very very rare cases is GRE totally pardoned.
Skipping GRE shouldnt be your idea, it will simply drastically narrow down your options to a few not-so-good univs. If you do want to skip it, you might want to look to Canada or UK or Australia; they dont usually ask for it
GL!
HI HSB,
I got PhD admission (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) in University of Utah without Any Assistanship. I have defered the admission to Spring 2012. Please kindly suggest me to go for this even with out assistanship. is there any chance for me of getting any assistanship after joining this university. Please kindly suggest me in this regard.
Thanks,
Sanjeeva Kumar.
go for it! Its good. And yes, getting funding from 2nd sem is damned easy for PhD people. It will cover up your investments in the first year too
Hello Sanjeev, I am a civil engg undergrad at thapar. Please guide me on the opportunities MS can offer , i.e. Is the job market in civil in US(or Germany) good enough to absorb an MS or is it a trash thing to do .
hi,i am the worst student with a very low marks,completed intermediate , undergraduate degree BA(bachelor of Arts)below average,Completed first year and second year MA (master of arts) in Geography with average marks,but thesis is to be finished this year…currently studying in australia Master of urban planning of one year course..six months to complete,i am 29 years old male from Nepal,i am very hopeless coz i cant improve my concentration for studies…always watching fantasy movies and badly engaged myself in legal entertaining world since two years..gonna marry soon to get rid of this..so my question is .i am like this…however i have big interest to do my PHD in geography…i know i cant go anyfurther at this stage..coz i have not any good record..and need extra energy to overcome my bad habit rather ..concentrate to get good marks…and get credits for PHD…plz plz..i am frustrated …can u plz give me direction what can be done to finish my pHD..is there any direct process to get PHD after finishing my six months ..remianed to complete both master degree in geography and planning….
hey satya,u from mt.everest right..u must be brave enough to overcome it..and get PHD soon..good luck
dunno abt phd in geo but i can suggest you 1 thing: dont get married now unless you settle down n stabilise urslf first!
GL
Thanks a lot..Your is post is very helpful..DO you have any idea about how to proceed for PHD after Masters. I mean do it require any entrance exams ?
And you mentioned that “there’s a tenfold chance of getting a chance of PhD in the above said univs after that.” how is that possible?
Your academic standard will improve after completing MS in US. So, you would have better chance of getting admit in top schools.
+ MS will give you exposure towards research.
it is possible coz of the reason hsb gave + coz recos from US profs have far more weightage than a foreign country’s. obviously, if d prof knows ur recommender, he is assured ur app is not BS + he is also assured that u are trained and oriented well according to their norms of research
Yes, you’re very much right. I also intend to do my MS and PhD from US and I’m of the same opinion adding something more that almost every US university considers a PhD application for funding by default. UT@ Austin, UW@Madison, U of I Urbana-Champaign, UCLA etc. That’s very nice thing. While filling in UC Santa Barbaras’s graduate application I encountered option for both MS and PhD but if one aims to get PhD as long term goal then no need to apply for MS.,directly apply to PhD program.
Finally good observation and hope it helps lot all aspirants to get graduate degree from US.
Best Wishes
Mir Muhammad Lodro @ EE Department Sukkur IBA Pakistan
If i get my MSc(1year) degree from UK, will i be able to get admission for PHd in US and wat will be the chances of getting scholarship!!!
Very good question… lemme think about it…
Good question. I too want the same answer.
scholarship depends on how well ur cv impresses ur prof. n of course u can get in2 phd aftr MS