What is the difference between a master's and a Ph.D?

Answer 1

Master's or Ph.D.: Which Is Right For You? Just as there are many reasons people choose to go to graduate school, there are many options from which they may choose. If you have selected a field of study, you may be wondering whether you should get a master's degree or a doctoral degree. Here are some things to consider. TIME A graduate degree requires a significant investment of time. Master's degrees require less time than doctoral degrees. Typically a full time student can acquire a master's degree in about two years. A Ph.D. usually requires at least five to six years and many people take seven to nine years. MONEY The old adage 'time = money' was never so true as with graduate school. Since a Ph.D. takes longer to complete, it also requires more money. (Not that a master's degree is cheap either!) The flip side to this is that a Ph.D. may yield a higher salary upon completion and is therefore worth the increased cost long term. With both degrees, school costs money (tuition, fees, books, etc.). In addition, however, there is also a significant loss of money if the student is not working or is earning low wages through assistantships or part time employment. Many people find they must either live a Spartan lifestyle for many years, or they find themselves strapped with huge loans when they graduate. COMMITMENT Graduate school takes work. Most people are not going to argue with this. However, many students who drifted through college are surprised to find that graduate school requires a much larger commitment in terms of work and intellectual energy. Graduate schools are frequently very competitive. Students who are taking a full course load as well as teaching often find themselves overwhelmed. And of course, the many years of school required for a Ph.D. require perseverance on a scale above and beyond what undergraduates must contemplate. The difference between college and graduate school lies in the ability of the student to focus on their field and the subjects and areas that most interest them. While graduate school requires more work, most students find the work enjoyable since it involves an area in which they are very interested. PROS AND CONS So we know that graduate school requires time, money and commitment for both a master's and a Ph.D. So which should you choose? If all you want is a raise, a Ph.D. is probably not the road to choose. If you love learning in and of itself, and you want to pursue a career as a professor then the work required for a Ph.D. may be worthwhile. Master's degrees tend to be more career-oriented while Ph.D.'s tend to be more research oriented since they are preparing people for research-oriented careers. A master's degree has some definite benefits in that it requires less time and money than a doctoral degree, but will still set you apart from the crowd who only have a bachelor's. The master's degree can allow specialization within a field. The degree works especially well for those who have been working in a particular career for some time and hope to advance or gain new knowledge that will qualify them for a different position within their field. A master's degree can also be an excellent method of changing careers. For those who have been in the workforce and found that their career or undergraduate education are not leading them in the direction they would like to go, a master's degree can allow them to start in a different direction by gaining new knowledge and skills. However, there are things that a master's degree simply cannot do. For those who want to become professors, a Ph.D. is practically mandatory. Even for those few who can find teaching positions with only a master's, most schools want to see progress toward a Ph.D. A Ph.D. can also be helpful outside the world of academia in today's increasingly competitive job market. Businesses are searching for extremely qualified people who have demonstrated intelligence, perseverance and the ability to learn. A Ph.D. can open doors. One of the less tangible, though very important, aspects of getting a Ph.D. consists in the ideal of creating knowledge. Ph.D. work requires original research that contributes new information to the field of study. People interested in pursuing a Ph.D. should love their studies and be excited by the prospect of meaningful contribution. Still not sure what to do? To summarize, a Ph.D. may be worth it if you truly love your field, enjoy your studies, and want the benefits and prestige associated with the doctoral degree. If you are simply looking to change fields or gain a promotion or do not think you could maintain interest through at least five to six years of school, then a master's is probably a better choice. However, it is worth noting that you may be able to get more financial aid for a Ph.D. Since it takes longer, schools recognize that those trying to acquire their Ph.D.'s need more assistance than those who only want a master's degree. This adds an interesting dimension to the application process for two reasons. First, if you think you may want a Ph.D. but still are not sure, it is probably better to apply to the doctoral program. There is no penalty for changing your mind later and deciding to leave with a master's degree, and it increases you chances of getting financial aid. The second consideration is that the Ph.D. program can be more competitive, and applying to it rather than the master's degree program might decrease your chances of admission. If you are denied entrance to the Ph.D. program, you could ask them to then consider you for the master's degree program, but that may not be allowed.

Answer 2

The answer involves years spent getting an education and the level of mastery of the subject. A Masters degree indicates one has more education and skill in a subject area than someone with a college diploma. A PhD is a doctorate degree, indicating one has more education and expertise in a subject area than someone with a Masters degree. Someone who has obtained a PhD is referred to as Dr. Smith or Dr. Jones. Depending on the subject material, a Masters degree can take 2-4 years to obtain, and a PhD another 2-4 beyond that.

Answer 3

A Masters degree is usually a practical degree (or otherwise known as a "Professional" degree.) The Masters provides you with the tools to go out and do advanced work in the field of your degree. In essence, you have "mastered" the tools of your trade on a higher level (and more intensely) than a Bachelors degreed student, and can now put them to use. A Doctoral Degree usually prepares one to teach at a university level. It involves more in-depth thinking, discussion, and examination than the Masters programs. There is less emphasis on testing, and more on reading, writing, and thinking. A Masters program may require several Midterm and final exams, and perhaps several shorter papers. A Doctoral course might require no formal (i.e. homework to be turned in) work for an entire semester, but will require a 30-40 page paper on a topic at the end of the semester. Some programs require Masters students to write a thesis. All Doctoral programs require a dissertation, which can take anywhere from 1-10 years to complete (depending on the student and the school.) A dissertation is done to demonstrate that the writer has become an expert on the topic, and to demonstrate knowledge of the topic in an intense way. Masters programs can take from 16 months to 3 years to complete. Doctoral programs usually require 4 semesters of coursework, a qualifying exam (to be allowed to write your dissertation), and from 3-10 years to finish and defend the dissertation in front of a committee of professors.

Answer 4

A masters degree usually requires one year full time work, about 30-33 credit hours, after earning your bachelor's degree (usually considered a four year degree). The doctorate would require about 60 or more credit hours after the masters, for a total of 90 or so hours. The doctorate would require three to eight years to complete, depending on the particular program, the university, and the time the student has to invest in the classwork and dissertation research and writing that follows. The doctorate requires much more work! But it can be done.

Answer 5

Huge difference!

There are many different types of masters degrees and also Doctorates degree.

Take engineering for example. There is a master's of engineering(ME) and masters of science(MS).

For doctorates there is a Doctorates of Philosophy(PhD) and Doctorates of Engineering(ED).

MS degrees are more respected in the field and the same for PhD.

For MS you need to take ussually 40-60 more credits of courses and write a masters thesis. All masters programs are different. A masters thesis is not so profound and does not go in depth in realm of research. It more like an indepth research paper you did in high school. It researchs on what has already but done and investigates it... understands it. That's about it.

For PhD you do the same course work but you also have to propose an original thought to the area. First you have to take the Doctoral Qualifying exams. Depending on the school it can be all oral or all written or both. They test you the information you learned as an undergrad. Ussually its 3 exams in your major and one outside... depends on program. You ussually have just 2 trys at this otherwise your kicked out. Next you have the candicany exam which you will pick a board of professors and you will present to them what you propose to make your thesis topic. You should already have done research in this area before you go up! I mean extensive research with results too which will help convince them there is hope in your ideas instead of wasteing their time and money. The next thing is to complete your requirement which your research advisor requires of you. It could be publishing a paper in a major publication. He is the only person who can sign your PhD degree to you. Write your doctoral thesis which incorporates your original thought, discover, results, and so on. Then its time for your Doctoral Defense. you will have to present your research in front of professors of the department and anyone from the public that wishs to go. They will asks questions, maybe refute your ideas and so on. You need to defend and support your work and ideas. Survive is key. Once that is done your professor should sign you off and ur set.

You should have a paper published somewhere by the time you leave. Published paper make you a prime subject to the industry. More you have the better, the more you get paid.

Answer 6

I have a masters degree, it took me 3 years of post graduate study on a recognised course with a set syllabus. A PhD is usually 4 years of research into a subject which will add to the total knowledge base of humanity.

Answer 7

The master's degree is typically advance study that follows the bachelor's degree. The PhD, typically is the highest level of educational attainment that follows a master's degree. This once again is the typical educational process, however there are some areas, that not always follow this standard.