Many of you have likely never thought of pursuing the possibility of completing a Master’s degree before starting a Ph.D. Some of you might say, “But wait! Doesn’t a Master’s degree have to be a requirement when you’re looking to get a Ph.D.? What’s the issue? All it boils down to is the country you’re studying in.
Ways to skip the Master’s and go straight into the Ph.D.
In most European countries, Master’s degrees are required to be eligible for a Ph.D. The only way you are not required to have a Master’s degree is if your Bachelor’s degree requires at least four months to finish, which was the case before the introduction of the Bologna system.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular study locations around the globe and determine if you could earn a Ph.D. degree without graduating with a Master’s.
Go for a Ph.D. within the UK.
In the UK, You may be eligible to apply for a Ph.D. program if you are a 2:2 (aka Honours) Bachelor of Science. For instance, certain higher education institutions, such as the University of Liverpool, permit students to enroll in a Ph.D. course without requiring an advanced degree.
How to earn a Ph.D. in Germany
In Germany, You also have the option of a fast-track program that can lead towards the degree of Ph.D.; you can enroll in a one-year study program that will prepare you for a doctoral degree immediately after completing your Bachelor’s degree.
Learn to earn a Ph.D. in Canada
As in Europe, most Ph.D. degrees in Canada will require you to be a graduate of a Master’s. But, like Germany, they also offer the option of a fast-track that permits you to go to a Ph.D. after just one year of Master’s if it’s an M.Sc. kind of degree.
Do to earn a Ph.D. in Australia.
Australia is similar to the UK. If you have graduated with your Bachelor’s degree with an Honours degree or a double degree, you may still qualify to pursue a Ph.D. In general, you must have a Master of Research to enter doctoral programs.
Do for a Ph.D. within the USA
The most prominent exception is, however, the USA. It’s pretty rare to have students do an undergraduate degree before getting their Ph.D. This is because American universities do not require this as a mandatory prerequisite. In the same way, it’s also true that doctoral degrees in the USA are anywhere from 6-8 years, whereas studies in the EU are intended to last between 3 and 4 years.
Okay, I understand what you’re thinking about: ‘with the exclusion of EU countries, I’m unable to complete the Ph.D. with no Master’s degree. Do you see any reason why I shouldn’t pursue two more years of Master’s study? ‘
Plenty to choose from, we suggest. Here are the four most important reasons to inspire you to think twice about it. Before taking a more in-depth study of them, you should look into these schools we suggest if you’ve chosen to pursue a Master’s program:
- Northeastern University The US
- University of Winnipeg, Canada
- The Queen Mary University of London in the UK
- HEC Paris, France
- University of Cologne, Germany
- CQUniversity Australia, Australia
- Zhejiang University, China
1. A Master’s degree helps determine if you’re eligible to pursue a Ph.D.
In the course of an undergraduate degree, you’ll usually study the general aspects of your chosen area of study and will be able to specialize only in a small amount through the final project or thesis.
Even if you’re drawn to a specific study area or career choice, it is difficult to determine whether it’s the right choice until you are more immersed in the topic. Given that obtaining a Ph.D. without an MA requires at least six years of commitment, wouldn’t it be wise to know for sure?
Because it’s specialized and research-oriented, a Master’s degree will put you in contact with the subject matter you’re preparing to test your brain for a long time.
Suppose you’ve got the proper schedule of study, the proper drive, or even the time management abilities during your Master’s degree. In that case, these will be the most reliable indicators that you’re prepared for the next step of your career: a Ph.D. In addition, the Master’s degree will expose to you the concept of graduate school, which is more complicated than the undergraduate degree.
If you feel that the Master’s thesis is overwhelming and uninteresting and attractive as you had hoped it would be, then it’s probably not the best idea to pursue a Ph.D., at least not in the subject.
2. You’ll have better opportunities when you earn a Ph.D. as opposed to an MS.
If you’ve earned an advanced degree, you’re just two or one years more developed than a BA holder, but you’ll have more knowledge than you can utilize in your dissertation. Universities aren’t exempt from this. It’s well-known that universities that offer graduate degrees tend to prefer those with a master’s degree, even when a master’s degree isn’t an absolute necessity.
Another way that a Master’s can work to your advantage is when you do not have an above-average academic record. If you’ve earned less than average grades during your Bachelor’s degree, earning Magna cum admire (or near) of a Master’s degree will turn the tide in your favor.
Also, completing a master’s degree at the same school where you plan to achieve your Ph.D. is among the most effective decisions you could take. It’s almost a guaranteed pass to be accepted into a doctoral program. It shows your loyalty to the institution and gives you the best connections with faculty.
3. A Master’s degree is the only way to earn a Ph.D. in a brand new field.
It doesn’t matter where you’d like to pursue the pursuit of a Ph.D.; if you do not have the appropriate qualifications in an academic area of study, your chances of being accepted to be granted a Ph.D. are few.
If you plan to switch careers and pursue an area of study at the doctoral level, you’ll need an advanced degree program to prepare you for this. The Master’s degree will not just introduce you to your new study area. However, it does it with a greater degree of specialized knowledge.
4. A Master’s can help you finish doctorate programs faster.
Master’s degrees don’t just mean spending two additional years to further your training in some faculties, graduate schools, and departments. It can also give the time. Particularly for those in USA and Canada, however, not just the possibility exists to transfer a portion of the credits you earned in your Master’s program towards getting a Ph.D. This can significantly decrease the time it takes to on your Ph.D.
Even if credit transfers aren’t possible, a Master’s degree can reduce the time to earn a Ph.D. When you complete your Master’s program, you will have two years during which you will be able to choose an area of research that you are sure about and will undoubtedly collect a wealth of information regarding the subject. Once you have started your Ph.D., you’ll be one or two years ahead of your research compared with other doctoral students who went from Bachelor’s level to Ph.D.
If you’re not sure what to do, the most effective advice we can give you is to seek assistance. Talk to your professors, consult master’s or doctoral students, or anyone who has knowledge of academia but is also familiar with you for advice specific to your needs to help you. Make sure you choose wisely But don’t be overwhelmed, and keep in mind that there’s no reason not to change your decision!
