Steps to get a Ph.D.

[TauKappaEpsilon]

Can anyone tell me what the requirements to get a Ph.D. are? Can you go straight from your undergraduate studies to your Ph.D. work or do you need to get a masters in between?

 

[Gibonius]

It depends significantly on your program. There will almost inevitably be a thorough description on the websites of the schools you may be interested in.

I went straight from undergrad to PhD, as is relatively common in the sciences. I had to take six classes, complete and defend a thesis proposal, write and defend a proposal unrelated to my thesis work, then write and defend the thesis. Many advisers will also have unofficial requirements, like publishing a certain number of papers.

 

[L'Incandescent]

+1 to Gibonius. Different fields have very different requirements. But yes, you can go straight from undergrad to a Ph.D. program. In some fields an MA is practically useless except as a stepping stone to a Ph.D. In fields like that, you'd typically go to an MA program first if you think it'll help springboard you to a higher-quality Ph.D. program. In fields where the MA has value on its own, people often choose not to go to a straight-to-Ph.D. program as a way of hedging their bets: if it turns out the aren't as committed as they thought, or if they can't compete well with their peers, they won't have lost so much time.

 

[JayJay]

As has been mentioned, it's not uncommon to go directly from undergrad to a Ph.D. program for many, if not most fields. Check the admissions requirements for the area of interest.

 

[dfagdfsh]

for a lot of humanities PhD programs you 'get' your MA after the first two years, but it's not like there's a graduation ceremony.

 

[Gibonius]



for a lot of humanities PhD programs you 'get' your MA after the first two years, but it's not like there's a graduation ceremony.

I'm pretty sure if I had dropped out after my intro to candidacy exam, I'd have left with a masters, but I never confirmed that for a fact.


Also, it's good to note that basically nothing from the masters program will transfer over to the PhD. You'll basically be starting fresh with all the other new PhD students, and will take right about the same amount of time. Getting the masters to make sure you want to get into the field is not without cost, in that sense. I know a couple people who came in with masters degrees, spent 4+ years working on their PhD only to hear that they weren't good enough to finish and got booted out with a second masters. That's brutal when it happens, six+ years total just for masters degrees.

 

[sns23]

but don't get a PhD just for the sake of getting a degree.

 

[JayJay]



I'm pretty sure if I had dropped out after my intro to candidacy exam, I'd have left with a masters, but I never confirmed that for a fact.

For many who don't complete the Ph.D. the master's becomes the consolation prize.

 

[Arthur PE]

a typical PhD program, my school, electrical engineering
The Doctor of Philosophy Program in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a research degree leading largely to careers in teaching and research in academia and in industry.
Students who have an M.S. in electrical engineering, or a related area, and pass the Ph.D. Preliminary Exam are admitted to the Ph.D. program. After a student has been formally admitted, a faculty program committee is established for the purpose of advising and approving an appropriate plan of study for the student. A minimum of 72 credits, including 18 credits of research, beyond the B.S. degree is required.
The Ph.D. student is expected to pass a comprehensive exam and complete a dissertation embodying an independent and original investigation of a problem of significance in his or her major area of specialization.
The validity and contributions of the dissertation work are then defended in a final oral examination.
Completion of the Ph.D. degree usually takes three years beyond the M.S. degree.

so it looks like a masters is required or earned along the way
takes 3 years after the masters
minimum of 72 credits (after a BS) at 24 credits/year, 3 years plus dissertation/18 credits of research, so at least 4 years full time post BS

there are usually 2 master programs
one educational/research that leads to the PhD
one for practical/industry that does not

seems like a master is preferred, but not required, but more stringent requirements
Exceptionally well-qualified students may be permitted to enter the PhD program without an MS degree provided that:
1. The request to transfer an MS student to the PhD program without an MS degree should be initiated by the students’ thesis advisor in a letter submitted to the graduate coordinator.
2. The decision to approve the request is the responsibility of the graduate coordinator.
3. To be eligible for transfer, the student should have completed a minimum of 15 credits of graduate course work at Pitt and have maintained a minimum QPA of 3.5.
4. To demonstrate the ability to conduct research and publish results, the student should have submitted a paper to either a journal or to a conference.

here's the whole package, your school has one too I'm sure http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147493750

 

[Gibonius]



but don't get a PhD just for the sake of getting a degree.

This for sure. It's not a unanimously positive decision. You lose a couple years at low (if any) pay and restrict your future job prospects. You may improve them, but fewer jobs will be open to you. Nobody wants to hire a PhD to be a technician.

Look at the numbers: salary, employment numbers, debt or stipend levels during your studies. Look at your rational for pursuing the degree. Don't do it just because you want to stay in school. Make sure your chosen studies actually make you more employable beyond "Well I have a PhD." You're turning yourself into a specialist, make sure it's in something worthwhile.

For many who don't complete the Ph.D. the master's becomes the consolation prize.

Yup, one of the reasons the value of the masters degree is somewhat degraded in many fields.

 

[idfnl]

The university of phoeniz 'getcha a doktorate' thread