bsc then msc then phd

BA, BSc, MA, MSc, PhD - what do they all mean?

BA, BSc, MA, MSc, PhD (and more) are abbreviations of British degrees.

They reflect the specific level and discipline of a qualification achieved at university.

While most courses are conducted on a full-time basis, there are options for part-time, distance learning and other flexible learning arrangements.

Here is a breakdown of some of the most common qualifications and ones that Aberystwyth University offers.

• BA = Bachelor of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences;
• BSc = Bachelor of Sciences;
• BENG = Bachelor of Engineering (Software, Robotics and Physics);
• LLB = Bachelor of Law.

Achieved after 3 to 4 years of study. The extra year (for a 4 year course) can be from a year studying abroad or a year working in industry.

Integrated-Masters:

• MARTS = Masters of Arts;
• MBIOL = Masters of Biology;
• MCOMP = Masters of Computer Science;
• MENG = Masters of Engineering;
• MMATH = Masters of Mathematics;
• MPHYS = Masters of Physics;
• MSCI = Masters of Sciences and Humanities.

4 years course (3-year Bachelors, 1 year Masters) that enables you to secure a loan for the full duration rather than having to fund a Masters degree separately.

• MA = Masters of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences;
• MSc = Masters of Sciences;
• MBA = Masters of Business Administration;
• MPhil = Masters of Philosophy: Advanced research Masters degree;
• MRes = Masters of Research: Contains some taught and research elements;
• LLM = Masters of Law.

Achieved after graduation from Bachelors level, usually 1-2 years duration.

• PhD = Doctor of Philosophy: for a range of disciplines.

Achieved after graduating from Masters level, usually 3-8 years duration.

A wide range of Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Further-Research courses – across the Arts and Sciences – are available at Aberystwyth.

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

What's the correct way of writing a higher education title (MSc or M.Sc.) [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Should I write “PhD” or “Ph.D.”?

I see that PhD is written PhD while the undergraduate degree is written B.Sc.

What's the reason for this?

Should I write the Master of Science MSc or M.Sc.?

Is Scott Aaronson's CV inconsistent listing his degrees as "B.Sc." and PhD"

• abbreviations

• 1 You will find that PhD Ph.D. BSc B.Sc. MSc and M.Sc. are all found. The question linked to handles this for PhD/Ph.D. but the answer covers the rest. The only thing to add to it is to be consistent, so PhD and BSc or Ph.D. and B.Sc., but not one form together with another in the same piece of writing. –  Jon Hanna Commented Feb 3, 2013 at 1:29
• @JonHanna Thanks. Reason for asking is that this looks inconsistent (B.Sc. + PhD) scottaaronson.com/vita.pdf –  Niklas Rosencrantz Commented Feb 3, 2013 at 1:59
• I agree. If they were to ask the same question here, I'd advise them to pick on or the other unless they had a good reason for being inconsistent (I can't imagine one, but it's good not to assume). –  Jon Hanna Commented Feb 3, 2013 at 14:27

This is strictly style manual stuff. American English generally prefers using periods with abbreviations, and British English generally prefers to omit the periods. Both are "correct", but which one is acceptable is a matter of who is accepting it. It's not grammar or spelling, merely a punctuation convention.

I always omit the periods for academic degrees. If a publisher wants the periods, it has copy editors that can insert them. If it's for your university, check the university's style manual. If there's no manual that you must use, be consistent about including or omitting the periods. It's strictly personal preference unless otherwise indicated, or unless doing it one way or the other causes confusion.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged abbreviations or ask your own question .

• Featured on Meta
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites
• We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
• Announcing a change to the data-dump process

Hot Network Questions

• Highlight shortest path between two clickable graph vertices
• Passive Construction - Standard Form vs. Non-Standard Form
• Passport validity when entering Israel
• Should I be worried about this giant crack?
• how replicate this effect with geometry nodes
• Can you successfully substitute pickled onions for baby onions in Coq Au Vin?
• Can a "sharp turn" on a trace with an SMD resistor also present a risk of reflection?
• Version of Dracula (Bram Stoker)
• Why are swimming goggles typically made from a different material than diving masks?
• Can I use rear (thru) axle with crack for a few rides, before getting a new one?
• Looking for source of story about returning a lost object
• Explaining Arithmetic Progression
• Is it possible for a company to dilute my shares to the point they are insignificant
• What is the default font of report documentclass?
• How can I push back on my co-worker's changes that I disagree with?
• Can pedestrians and cyclists use the Channel Tunnel?
• How to determine if a set is countable or uncountable?
• How to remove a file which name seems to be "." on an SMB share?
• Why is global state hard to test? Doesn't setting the global state at the beginning of each test solve the problem?
• Why don't we observe protons deflecting in J.J. Thomson's experiment?
• Random Oracle in Fiat-Shamir Transform (from Katz-Lindell Textbook)
• What Christian ideas are found in the New Testament that are not found in the Old Testament?
• Is it OK to use the same field in the database to store both a percentage rate and a fixed money fee?
• Unperturbed Green's Function for an electron in an empty band

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Applying to graduate school
• Master’s vs PhD | A Complete Guide to the Differences

Master's vs PhD | A Complete Guide to the Differences

Published on November 27, 2020 by Lauren Thomas . Revised on May 10, 2024.

The two most common types of graduate degrees are master’s and doctoral degrees:

• A master’s is a 1–2 year degree that can prepare you for a multitude of careers.
• A PhD, or doctoral degree, takes 3–7 years to complete (depending on the country) and prepares you for a career in academic research.

A master’s is also the necessary first step to a PhD. In the US, the master’s is built into PhD programs, while in most other countries, a separate master’s degree is required before applying for PhDs.

Master’s are far more common than PhDs. In the US, 24 million people have master’s or professional degrees, whereas only 4.5 million have doctorates.

Table of contents

Master’s vs phd at a glance, which is right for you, length of time required, career prospects, costs and salaries, application process, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about master's and phd degrees.

The table below shows the key differences between the two.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

A PhD is right for you if:

• Your goal is to become a professor at a university or some other type of professional researcher.
• You love research and are passionate about discovering the answer to a particular question.
• You are willing to spend years pursuing your research even if you have to put up with a lot of dead ends and roadblocks.

A master’s degree is the better choice if any of the following apply:

• You want to continue studies in your field, but you’re not committed to a career as a professional researcher.
• You want to develop professional skills for a specific career.
• You are willing to pay a higher upfront cost if it means finishing with your degree (and thus being able to work) much faster.
• You want the option to study part-time while working.

The length of time required to complete a PhD or master’s degree varies. Unsurprisingly, PhDs take much longer, usually between 3–7 years. Master’s degrees are usually only 1–2 years.

Length of a master’s

Master’s degrees are usually 2 years, although 1-year master’s degrees also exist, mainly in the UK.

Most of the degree consists of classes and coursework, although many master’s programs include an intensive, semester-long master’s thesis or capstone project in which students bring together all they’ve learned to produce an original piece of work.

Length of a PhD

In the US, a PhD usually takes between 5 and 7 years to complete. The first 2 years are spent on coursework. Students, even those who choose to leave without finishing the program, usually receive a master’s degree at this point.

The next 3–5 years are spent preparing a dissertation —a lengthy piece of writing based on independent research, which aims to make a significant original contribution to one’s field.

Master’s degrees tend to prepare you for a career outside of academia, while PhDs are designed to lead to a career in research.

Careers for master’s graduates

There are two types of master’s degrees: terminal and research-intensive. The career prospects are different for each.

Terminal master’s degrees are intended to prepare students for careers outside of academia. Some degrees, known as professional degrees, specifically prepare students for particular professions; these include the Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees.

Other master’s degrees, usually Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Sciences (MS or MSc) degrees, do not necessarily lead to a specific career, but are intended to be a final degree. Examples include an MS in Communications or MS in Data Analytics.

In research-intensive master’s programs, students take coursework intended to prepare them for writing an original piece of research known as the master’s thesis . Such programs are usually intended to prepare for further study in a doctoral program.

Careers for PhD graduates

As research degrees, PhDs are usually intended to lead to an academic career. A PhD can be thought of like an apprenticeship, where students learn from professional researchers (academics) how to produce their own research.

Most students aspire to become a university professor upon the completion of their degree. However, careers in academia are highly competitive, and the skills learned in a doctoral program often lend themselves well to other types of careers.

Some graduates who find they prefer teaching to producing research go on to be teachers at liberal arts colleges or even secondary schools. Others work in research-intensive careers in the government, private sector, or at think tanks.

Below are a few examples of specific fields and non-academic careers that are common destinations of graduates of those fields.

• Computer Science
• Lab Sciences

Many government jobs, including economists at a country’s central bank, are research-intensive and require a PhD. Think tanks also hire economists to carry out independent research.

In the private sector, economic consulting and technology firms frequently hire PhDs to solve real-world problems that require complex mathematical modeling.

Graduate students from the humanities are sometimes hired by museums, who can make use of their research and writing skills to curate exhibits and run public outreach.

Humanities PhDs are often well-suited to research and grant-writing roles at nonprofits. Since so much of research is funded by grants, PhD students often gain a lot of experience applying for them, which is a useful skill in the nonprofit sector.

There are a wide range of non-academic research jobs for lab scientists with doctorates in subjects like chemistry, biology, ecology and physics.

Many PhD graduates are hired by pharmaceutical companies that need to perform research to create and test their products. Government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also hire lab scientists to work on research projects.

Job prospects after graduation vary widely based on the field. In fields like management, computer science, statistics, and economics, there’s little underemployment—even graduates from less well-known programs can easily find jobs that pay well and use the skills they’ve gained from the PhD.

However, in other fields, particularly in the humanities, many PhD graduates have difficulty in the job market. Unfortunately, there are far more PhD graduates than assistant professor roles, so many instead take on part-time and low-paid roles as adjunct instructors. Even non-academic careers can sometimes be difficult for PhDs to move into, as they may be seen as “overqualified”  or as lacking in relevant professional experience.

Because career options post-PhD vary so much, you should take the time to figure out what the career prospects are in your field. Doctoral programs often have detailed “placement” records online in which they list the career outcomes of their graduates immediately upon leaving the program. If you can’t find these records, contact the program and ask for them—placement information should play an important role in your choice of PhD program.

Although PhDs take far longer to complete, students often receive a living stipend in exchange for being a teaching or research assistant. Master’s degrees are shorter but less likely to be funded.

Both master’s degrees and PhDs lead to increased salaries upon graduation. While PhDs usually earn a bit more than those with a master’s degree, in some fields, the wages are identical, meaning that no financial benefit is gained from going on to a PhD.

Cost of a master’s

The upfront cost of a master’s degree is usually higher than a doctoral degree due to the lower amount of financial aid available. However, increased salaries also arrive faster than with a doctoral degree, because people graduate much earlier from a master’s program.

Some master’s students do receive stipends for their degrees, usually as compensation for being a teaching or research assistant. In addition, many people complete master’s degrees part time while working full-time, which allows them to fund their living costs as well as tuition.

The cost varies significantly by school and program. Public schools are usually cheaper than private ones. Some master’s degrees, such as MBAs, are notoriously expensive, but also result in much higher wages afterwards that make up for the high cost.

The master’s wage premium , or the extra amount that someone with a master’s degree makes than someone with just a high school diploma, is 23% on average. Many universities provide detailed statistics on the career and salary outcomes of their students. If they do not have this online, you should feel free to contact an administrator of the program and ask.

Cost of a PhD

PhDs, particularly outside the humanities, are usually (though not always) funded, meaning that tuition fees are fully waived and students receive a small living stipend. During the last 3–5 years of a PhD, after finishing their coursework (and sometimes before), students are usually expected to work as graduate instructors or research assistants in exchange for the stipend.

Sometimes students can apply for a fellowship (such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Program in the United States) that relieves them of any obligations to be a teaching or research assistant. Doctoral programs in the US tend to be better funded than in the rest of the world.

Sometimes, PhD degrees can be completed part-time, but this is rare. Students are usually expected to devote at least 40 hours a week to their research and work as teaching or research assistants.

The main cost of doctoral programs comes in the form of opportunity cost—all the years that students could be working a regular, full-time job, which usually pays much better than a graduate school stipend.

The average wage premium for PhDs is 26%, which is not much higher than the master’s degree premium.

In the US, the application process is similar for master’s and PhD programs. Both will generally ask for:

• At least one application essay, often called a personal statement or statement of purpose .
• Letters of recommendation .
• A resume or CV .
• Transcripts.
• Writing samples.

Applications for both types of programs also often require a standardized test. PhDs usually require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which tries to measure verbal reasoning, quantitative, critical thinking , and analytical writing skills. Many master’s programs require this test as well.

Applying for a master’s

Master’s degrees programs will often ask you to respond to specific essay prompts that may ask you to reflect upon not just your academic background, but also your personal character and future career ambitions.

Northwestern University’s Kellogg Business School requires Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) applicants write two essays, one about a recent time they demonstrated leadership and the second about their personal values.

Who you should ask for your letters of recommendation varies by program. If you are applying to a research-intensive master’s program, then you should choose former professors or research supervisors. For other programs, particularly business school, current work supervisors may be a better choice.

Some professional master’s programs require a specific test. For example, to apply to law school, you must take the Law School Admissions Test, or LSAT. For business school, you must take either the GRE or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT).

Applying for a PhD

When applying for a PhD, your resume should focus more on your research background—you should especially emphasize any publications you’ve authored or presentations that you’ve given.

Similarly, your statement of purpose should discuss research that you’ve participated in, whether as an assistant or the lead author. You should detail what exactly you did in projects you’ve contributed to, whether that’s conducting a literature review, coding regressions, or writing an entire article.

Your letters of recommendations should be from former professors or supervisors who can speak to your abilities and potential as a researcher. A good rule of thumb is to avoid asking for recommendations from anyone who does not themselves have a PhD.

If you want to know more about college essays , academic writing , and AI tools , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.

College essays

• College essay examples
• College essay format
• College essay style
• College essay length
• Diversity essays
• Scholarship essays

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Avoiding repetition
• Literature review
• Conceptual framework
• Dissertation outline
• Thesis acknowledgements
• Burned or burnt
• Canceled or cancelled
• Dreamt or dreamed
• Gray or grey
• Theater vs theatre

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

This depends on the country. In the United States, you can generally go directly to a PhD  with only a bachelor’s degree, as a master’s program is included as part of the doctoral program.

Elsewhere, you generally need to graduate from a research-intensive master’s degree before continuing to the PhD.

This varies by country. In the United States, PhDs usually take between 5–7 years: 2 years of coursework followed by 3–5 years of independent research work to produce a dissertation.

In the rest of the world, students normally have a master’s degree before beginning the PhD, so they proceed directly to the research stage and complete a PhD in 3–5 years.

A master’s degree usually has a higher upfront cost, but it also allows you to start earning a higher salary more quickly. The exact cost depends on the country and the school: private universities usually cost more than public ones, and European degrees usually cost less than North American ones. There are limited possibilities for financial aid.

PhDs often waive tuition fees and offer a living stipend in exchange for a teaching or research assistantship. However, they take many years to complete, during which time you earn very little.

In the US, the graduate school application process is similar whether you’re applying for a master’s or a PhD . Both require letters of recommendation , a statement of purpose or personal statement , a resume or CV , and transcripts. Programs in the US and Canada usually also require a certain type of standardized test—often the GRE.

Outside the US, PhD programs usually also require applicants to write a research proposal , because students are expected to begin dissertation research in the first year of their PhD.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Thomas, L. (2024, May 09). Master's vs PhD | A Complete Guide to the Differences. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/graduate-school/masters-vs-phd/

Is this article helpful?

Lauren Thomas

Other students also liked, when to apply for graduate school | month-by-month timeline, how to write a statement of purpose | example, how to write a graduate school resume | template & example, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

• Masters vs PhD – Differences Explained
• Types of Doctorates

The decision of whether or not to pursue a Masters or PhD (or both) after you complete your undergraduate studies is not necessarily a straightforward one. Both are postgraduate degrees but are different in terms of the academic experience and the career paths taken afterwards.

In short, a Masters degree involves a year of study, primarily through taught lectures and a final dissertation research project, whilst a PhD (also referred to as a doctorate degree) is a three-year commitment of independent research on a specific subject.

There’s more to it than that, however – read on for more information.

What Is a Masters Degree?

A Masters degree is the next level of education after the completion of an undergraduate degree, commonly known as a Bachelors.

These degree levels are often referred to in terms of cycles so that a Bachelor’s is a first-cycle degree, a Masters is a second-cycle and finally, a PhD is the third-cycle of higher education (and the highest).

Masters degrees demand an intense period of study, usually centred around a core series of lectures and taught modules, coupled with coursework assignments and exams, followed by the completion of a contained research project usually taking students 3-4 months to complete.

These types of degrees are attractive to recent graduates who want to delve deeper into their specific field of study, gaining some research experience and more specialised knowledge beyond what an undergraduate degree can offer.

Equally, some pursue a Masters degree program in a subject that is only tangentially related to their Bachelors degree, helping them gain a broader depth of knowledge.

These degrees also serve as a significant stepping stone for those already in employment who want to progress their current career development and earn a higher salary. They can also be an excellent method for helping in changing careers completely by learning new skills and subject knowledge.

What Is a PhD Degree?

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the highest academic degree that can be awarded and is the third and final cycle in the progression of higher education.

A doctoral degree is earned on the basis of producing a significant, independent and novel body of work (a Thesis) that contributes new knowledge to a particular research topic.

These are research degrees that are a significant investment of a candidate’s time, resources and energy and are all but a pre-requisite for anyone considering a career in academia, such as eventually becoming a professor.

There are some exceptions to this, such as those with a medical background who may earn an MD (Doctor of Medicine), which is the equivalent of a PhD.

Doctoral degrees can also have a significant positive impact on career development outside of academia, especially in fields such as engineering, business and finance that have a high demand for highly qualified and capable people.

A graduate student engaged in PhD study is commonly known as a PhD student, PhD candidate or doctoral student.

What are the Benefits of a Masters Degree?

There are several reasons one might consider doing a Masters degree rather than a PhD in their graduate education. These include:

• It takes approximately a third of the time to do compared to a doctorate degree and costs less too.
• It’s a good way to differentiate yourself from those that hold only an undergraduate degree without having to commit to a substantial research degree.
• The end goal is more career-focused as opposed to research-focused. For example, it is practically an ‘easier’ route to changing or progressing your career if that aligns with your professional goals.

What are the Benefits of Doing a PhD?

You may continue on into a doctoral program after a Masters or you may even dive straight in after completing your undergraduate studies. So, what are the advantages of completing this third-cycle?

• You’ll have developed a wealth of transferable skills at graduate school, such as effective communication of complex concepts, multi-tasking time-management and the ability to adapt to and solve unexpected problems.
• A doctorate helps to establish you as an expert within your chosen subject area; your work will hopefully have furthered the knowledge in this.
• It will open up career paths and teaching positions within academia that may otherwise be very difficult to get a hold in (although these career paths will still be very competitive).
• You can add the title ‘Dr’ in front of your name!

Which Degree Is More Impactful: A Masters or a PhD?

On paper, the answer should be clear: A doctorate degree is the highest degree you can earn, so has more impact than a Masters, which in turn has more impact than a Bachelors.

The reality is that the size of the impact (if any) really depends on the subject area and the career path you choose (if the measure of impact is how it positively improves your career prospects, that is).

For someone with aspirations of becoming a professor, a PhD will be of greater value than a Masters alone.

Equally, it’s also possible that someone with a PhD entering a different field or one that doesn’t require a PhD may find that their degree has no bearing on their career or in some cases may even be seen as a ‘negative’ with a concern of the person being ‘over-qualified’ for a position. There are many scenarios in which professional experience would be more valuable to an employer than a doctorate degree.

Check out the links below to our interviews with Prof. Debby Cotton and Dr Nikolay Nikolov to read their experiences of when a going through a PhD program has had a clear benefit (Prof. Cotton) and when it hasn’t been helpful (Dr Nikolov).

Do You Need to Have a Masters to do a PhD?

This really depends on the university, department and sometimes even the project and supervisor.

From a purely application process perspective, some institutions may formally require you to hold a Masters degree relevant to the subject of the PhD project before you can enter their doctoral program.

In another scenario, most universities are unlikely to accept candidates that were awarded below a 2:1 (in the UK) in their undergraduate degree but may consider someone who has ‘made up’ for this with a high-grade Masters.

Lastly, some universities now offer PhD programmes that incorporate an additional year of study in which you would complete a Masters degree before carrying directly on into a PhD project. As you’d expect, even if a university doesn’t formally require you to hold one, a Masters degree can help separate you from other applicants in being accepted on the project.

Check out our detailed guide to doing a PhD without a Master’s .

Why Do a Masters before Your PhD?

Even if you don’t need to have one, it could still be beneficial to begin your postgraduate study by doing a Masters first before you embark on your doctorate journey.

As mentioned previously it’ll help you stand out from applicants that don’t have one, but beyond that, it’ll give you a taster of what research life could be like, especially if you stay at the same university and department for your PhD.

The one-year commitment (in the UK at least) of carrying out a Masters first, and in particular your research project, will help you better understand if this is truly something you want to commit the next three or more years to.

You’ll learn some of the skills of independent research, from performing detailed literature searches to more complex, analytical writing.

At the end of it, you should be in a stronger position to consider your options and decide about whether to continue into a PhD at graduate school.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Masters Degree?

In the UK, a full-time Masters degrees take students one calendar year to complete: The programme of study usually starts in September, the final research project the following April and final project viva around August. Part-time degrees are usually double the time.

How Long Does It Take to Get a PhD?

In the UK, most PhD projects take 3-4 years to complete , as reflected by the majority of funded projects offering stipends to cover living expenses of about 3.5 years.

For many reasons, projects may end up taking longer to complete, however. This might be because of difficulties in collecting enough data, or if the project is being done part-time.

Which One is More Expensive to Do?

As you’d expect, as a PhD takes three times as long to complete as a Masters degree, it will cost you more to do as far as university fees are concerned.

Another thing to consider is that many PhD projects come with some level of funding equivalent to a low salary, which may cover the cost of tuition fees and living expenses, whilst it is usually more difficult to obtain funding for Masters study.

Conversely, a Masters graduate may progress into a higher (versus PhD funding) salary sooner whilst a PhD student will endure three years of a comparatively low income.

A Masters vs a PhD: Conclusion

If you’re considering continue further graduate study after your undergraduate degree, the question of doing a Masters vs a PhD is likely to come up. They are both considered an advanced degree, each with their own advantages.

There are benefits to doing either of these graduate programs or even both of them; your decision here can be easier if you have an idea of the career you want to follow or if you know you have a love for research!

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Difference Between a BSc & MSc

Both a BSc (bachelor of science) and an MSc (master of science) are higher education degrees awarded in scientific subjects. Undergraduates who attend college or university and major in a scientific subject will typically be awarded a BSc degree, while MSc qualifications are reserved for those who complete additional postgraduate study. An MSc is a higher level of qualification and is often used as a stepping stone toward the acquisition of a doctorate.

Bachelor's degrees (sometimes referred to as baccalaureate degrees) are awarded to college students who complete a full 4-year undergraduate curriculum. Most students enter a bachelor's degree program immediately after graduating from high school, although mature students may begin studying for the qualification in later life. To enroll into a BSc program, students must usually possess a high school diploma or GED, SAT or ACT test results, a high school transcript, letters of recommendation and relevant application essays. BSc degrees can be completed at state universities, private colleges and via distance learning programs.

A BSc will be awarded to students majoring in a modern subject like computer sciences and a classic science subject like chemistry. Mathematics majors are also awarded a BSc. Students majoring in analytical, practical, experiment- based subjects earn a BSc, while those majoring in theoretcal, essay-based or artistic subjects such as philosophy, art or history earn bachelor of arts (BA) degrees.

Students who've completed a BSc degree may decide to continue studying for an MSc degree for a variety of reasons. Many wish to further broaden their understanding of their chosen academic field or seek to specialize in a more specific area than they could while completing their BSc. Others choose further study as a way to improve future job prospects, enable a career change or develop job-specific skills, while there are even some who opt to stay on at university to avoid having to join the workforce.

Students seeking to enroll into an MSc degree program must possess a BSc in a relevant field. An MSc can be awarded in subjects ranging from traditional theoretical scientific study to practical subjects such as engineering or agricultural science and offers a far greater depth of training than a BSc. MSc courses feature far less classroom teaching than BSc courses with the emphasis instead placed on original research and the development of personal ideas. To complete an MSc, students must usually complete a thesis focusing on their chosen area of study.

Academic or Professional?

MSc programs may be tailored toward improving a student's professional prospects, but some are designed to simply act as a bridge between the BSc and eventual doctoral study. Students must choose a program carefully with this in mind. Those who wish to eventually study for a doctorate must choose a specially designed MSc program, while those seeking to improve their career prospects should opt for a program designed to improve their practical skills.

Related Articles

The Explanation of Major & Minor in College Degrees

Dual Masters & PhD Programs

M.F.A. vs. M.A. in Interior Design

BA & BSC Degree Difference

ThD Vs. PhD

BA Vs. BS in Mathematics

Schools That Offer Degrees in Hermeneutics

Difference Between Doctor of Arts & Doctor of Philosophy

• Penn State University: Baccalaureate degrees

Mark Elliott is a British, NCTJ-trained journalist with experience in print, online, television and radio. He has worked for the BBC, BSKYB and a number of national and regional newspapers. While specializing in sports, he has experience in news, politics and history. Elliott has over three years of journalism experience.

Is a PhD Harder Than a Master’s Degree?

• Katie Baker
• July 31, 2024

Embarking on postgraduate education is a journey marked by dedication, persistence, and a thirst for knowledge. The pursuit of a Master’s degree and a PhD represents two distinct paths in this journey, each with its own set of challenges and rewards. While the question of whether a PhD is harder than a Master’s degree is subjective, understanding the differences can help prospective students make informed decisions. 

Though there is a common consensus that PhDs are more challenging than master’s degrees, there is no short or easy answer to “Is a PhD harder than a master’s degree”. Ultimately, it all comes down to your work ethic, personal abilities, the area of study that piqued your academic interest, the program you apply for, and the institution you study at. Nevertheless, this page will help to determine whether the PhD path is right for you.

 Along with answering the question of whether a PhD is harder than a Master’s degree, we will give you a realistic idea of what to expect if you undertake the PhD journey. However, it is important to note that everyone will experience the two very distinct academic experiences differently. Accounts of people, depending on their field, finding their MSc degrees aren’t unheard of, though, for the majority of academics, the challenges of a PhD are infinitely more psychologically strenuous. 

For example, if self-motivation and the ability to creatively work with your intuition to develop brand-new information that can’t be found in any textbook, journal, or meeting with your academic supervisor isn’t something that you feel will come naturally, you will likely find the experience daunting. On the other hand, if you struggled to feign enthusiasm and motivation for your marked assignments during your MSc, the freedom of a PhD may suit your academic skills more. 

However, generally speaking, many find PhDs harder due to the time and effort required in addition to the research focus in place of the emphasis on coursework. The prospect of undertaking a three to four-year commitment (or six to seven years if you are studying part-time) can also take its toll on doctoral students. Timewise, the one to two-year duration of a Master’s degree can feel like a drop in the ocean, especially for students who need to consider other demands on their time, such as part-time work to support their studies or caring responsibilities. 

Differences Between a Master's and a PhD

Intensity and scope.

A Master’s degree in the UK typically spans one to two years and is often course and coursework-based, involving modules, exams (depending on the field of study), and a dissertation at the end of the MSc. It’s designed to deepen your knowledge in a specific field. In contrast, a PhD is a more intensive research-focused program. It requires you to contribute original knowledge to your field, culminating in a substantial thesis.

Independence and Expectations

Master’s students often receive more structured guidance and support and have clearer benchmarks throughout their academic experience. PhD candidates, however, are expected to work more independently, developing their research questions and methodologies, and directing the course of their study with occasional guidance from a supervisor.

Emotional and Intellectual Demands

PhD programs almost always demand a higher level of intellectual engagement from doctoral candidates. You are expected to be a critical thinker, an innovator, and a problem-solver. This intellectual rigour, combined with the long duration and the pressure of original contribution, can be emotionally taxing, and it can potentially lead to burnout and an off-kilter work-life balance.

Questions to Consider Before Pursuing a PhD

By contemplating these questions, you will ascertain if undertaking a PhD is the right decision for you. Additionally, you will be better placed to overcome any adversities during your study, as you will know what you are working towards and why the blood, sweat and tears shed along the way were worth it.

Why do I want to pursue a PhD?

Understanding your motivation – whether it’s a passion for research, academic career aspirations, or the pursuit of personal growth – is crucial.

Am I prepared for the commitment?

Reflect on your readiness to dedicate several years to intensive research; contemplate how you will support yourself and bring harmony to your work-life balance. 

How will this degree advance my career?

Consider how a PhD will benefit your professional trajectory in your chosen field in terms of the job roles you will be qualified and educated for and the salary potential of the positions you are interested in filling.

Overcoming Challenges and Maintaining Mental Health

It isn’t a given that completing your PhD will be the most challenging experience of your life or even the most challenging experience of your academic or professional life. However, it is crucial to be aware of the resilience you will need to adopt to tackle the challenge ahead of you when you are accepted into a PhD program. 

Developing Resilience

Resilience is key in a PhD journey. Challenges such as research setbacks, critical feedback, and the pressure of originality are common. Building a support network, including peers, mentors, and family, is vital. As is ensuring that you have the tenacity to overcome adversity. 

Time Management and Setting Boundaries

Many doctoral students make the fundamental mistake of burning the candle at both ends or treating their PhD as a sprint instead of a marathon. Effective time management can prevent burnout and improve your experience as a PhD student. Setting realistic goals, creating a structured routine, and knowing when to take breaks are essential skills.

Seeking Support

Even though PhDs require a certain degree of independence, you will never have to endure the experience alone or resist seeking support. Universities in the UK offer various support services, including counselling and academic support. Engaging with these resources can help you manage stress, maintain mental health, and diminish the arduousness of any PhD program.

Final Thoughts

You might also like.

The Best London Boroughs for Home Study

Students have much to consider when viewing and moving into their student accommodation. As well as the feel of the home, it is important to

Undergraduate degree vs postgraduate degree: key differences

Going to university and choosing the right educational path are likely going to be some of the most important decisions in your life. This means

Do You Get Paid for a PhD?

Do You Get Paid for a PhD? For many students who don’t have the luxury of never worrying about money, one of the main considerations

Enquire with us

We are here to help and to make your journey to UWS London as smooth as possible. Please use the relevant button below to enquiry about a course you would like to apply, or to clarify any questions you may have about us and our admission’s process. After you submit your enquiry, one of our advisers will get back to you as soon as possible.

Navigating the transition from BSc/MSc to PhD

Feb 21, 2024

By Alexandra Shattock, a third-year PhD student.

Author Biography:

Alex completed her BSc in Biomedical Science at the University of Birmingham and then went on to gain her MSc in Reproduction and Development from the University of Bristol. She is now in the final year of her PhD focused on improving canine assisted reproduction to expedite canine Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) translational research, at the Royal Veterinary College.

Completing a PhD can be a challenging time in anyone’s career and a time when you are committed to a job and location for up to 4 years (UK). Here is a compilation of advice for navigating the transition from BSc/MSc to a PhD from a third-year PhD student. Disclaimer: every PhD is very different; this is just one experience of a UK lab-based PhD.

Gaining experience before a PhD:

A useful tip, mainly for lab-based PhDs, is not to dismiss the usefulness of 4-6 week lab projects that your university may offer over summer periods or for your dissertation during your BSc/MSc. In these projects, you’ll usually work closely alongside a PhD student or be taught techniques by a supervisor in a much more hands-on way than you will usually get during a PhD, especially generic lab skills such as pipetting or tissue culture that will be invaluable to you during a PhD. You can also gain insight into how different lab groups function; and start to work out what type of supervisor-student relationship you’d work best with. I didn’t realise how useful the skills and techniques I’d learnt during these projects would be until I needed to use one of these techniques during my PhD that no-one in my immediate group had experience with.

Choosing a project:

As every PhD is different, it can also be challenging to work out if a particular project is for you. Finding a suitable PhD project is a very personal choice based on what career path you  want to go into. If your goal is to work in a niche field, you may prioritise a PhD based on the relevance of the project title. On the other hand, if you’re wanting to leave academia and head into industry, you may prioritise the skills that you will gain during the project (e.g., learning a range of lab techniques, or learning a specific technique that is highly regarded in industry/other fields, such as bioinformatics).

Another important thing to consider is whether you will fit in well with your primary supervisor’s style of supervision, and with the existing team. I’m a firm believer that your colleagues make or break a job, and a PhD is, at the end of the day, a job. This is obviously very difficult to assess before starting the PhD, but is something that you can try to gauge by asking questions in the interview. A colleague of mine asked in their interview if they could contact any current members of the group to gauge whether they would fit for both the existing team and supervisor. I think this is a fantastic way to work out how well you’ll fit into a group before committing to a move.

Skills to acquire during your PhD:

Another skill I didn’t realise could be so important during a PhD is networking and asking for help, particularly asking for help from academics that are outside of your research group. I’ve always been quite bad at this, but it’s been a skill that I’ve had to work on during my PhD, as it is an essential path to learning new techniques and skills. I’ve also found that most academics, regardless of how senior and/or scary they may seem, are very happy to collaborate and to share their expertise in the field with people that want to learn. A great example of this is SRF’s mentoring scheme, where a range of senior academics have offered their time and expertise to any SRF member that would like advice on how to advance their career (see the mentoring page for more information: https://srf-reproduction.org/srf-mentoring-scheme/ ).

A final note:

On a final piece of personal advice, try not to link your self-worth with your PhD. I’ve found this instrumental in reducing the pressure I put on myself and being able to pick myself up again when something in the lab doesn’t work.

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

View our privacy policy here.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

BSc, MSc, PhD vs. B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D

ODO prefers Ph.D. over PhD in US English. But at the same time, there is no B.Sc. and no M.Sc. entry in OED, which leads me into thinking that there is a mismatch: Ph.D. is typically written with periods, but MSc and BSc without in the US English. Am I right? Which forms are most widespread in the US? And in the UK?

• american-english
• british-english
• abbreviations

In the US, the Associated Press style uses periods: B.S., M.S., Ph.D., M.D. , etc. However, other sources may use a different style, (e.g. PhD).

B.Sc. and M.Sc . are not the usual degree abbreviations in the US. Instead use B.S. and M.S.

• 2 To complete the answer, add that in British usage, no periods: PhD, MSc MA BSc BA and so on –  James K Commented Mar 24, 2018 at 23:29

You must log in to answer this question.

• Featured on Meta
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites
• We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
• Announcing a change to the data-dump process

Hot Network Questions

• Is the Shroud of Turin about 2000 years old?
• Is it possible to add custom Social Media accounts to contacts in the Contacts app?
• I am a fifteen-year-old from India planning to fly to Germany alone (without my parents accompanying me) to see my relatives.What documents do I need?
• how do I frame text so that it also moves to the next page if it is too long?
• Chord definition misunderstanding
• Is it possible for a company to dilute my shares to the point they are insignificant
• Sun rise on Venus from East or West (North as North Eclliptic Pole)
• \includegraphics not reading \newcommand
• How would Earth's plants change in this speculated Earth-like planet?
• Home water pressure higher than city water pressure?
• What sort of impact did the discovery that water could be broken down (via electrolysis) into gas have?
• Why is global state hard to test? Doesn't setting the global state at the beginning of each test solve the problem?
• Can I repair these deck support posts, or do I need to replace them?
• C - mini string lib
• how replicate this effect with geometry nodes
• Reconstructing graph given the set of second neighbors
• Does gluing two points prevent simple connectedness?
• Can I use rear (thru) axle with crack for a few rides, before getting a new one?
• Why are swimming goggles typically made from a different material than diving masks?
• Who gave God the name 'Jealous' as referred to in Exodus 34:14?
• How to \AddToHook{begindocument}{<code>}, but avoid the log of font initialisation in l3build testing?
• One IO to control two LEDs. When one is lit, the other is not
• Fast circular buffer
• Would it take less thrust overall to put an object into higher orbit?

• - Google Chrome

Intended for healthcare professionals

• My email alerts
• BMA member login
• Username * Password * Forgot your log in details? Need to activate BMA Member Log In Log in via OpenAthens Log in via your institution

Search form

• Advanced search
• Search responses
• Search blogs
• Which research degree...

Which research degree should I do—MSc, MD, or PhD?

• Related content
• Peer review
• Shehan Hettiaratchy , research fellow
• Division of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA

Got a career or related problem that needs answering? Can't find the right person to point you in the right direction? Log on to the Advice Zone ( www.bmjcareers.com/advicezone ) for reliable medical careers advice. You can post a question or see if one of our 300 advisers has already answered a similar question. Here is a selection of questions and answers posted on the site.

You should think carefully about what kind of research degree you want. If you want only a taste of research or are doing it only to improve your chances at a specialist registrar interview, go for the MSc. This is usually a one year taught course with an experimental project and is a good way of learning the basics of science. If you wish to do more detailed science and are considering a career in academic medicine, then think about a PhD. This will mean more time commitment (at least three years) and more intellectual commitment. The compromise degrees are the MD or MS. These usually require two years of work and therefore permit more in-depth research than the MSc. The MD or its equivalent is popular among medics. When deciding which degree to go for you should check all the various regulations and also the fees that may be entailed.

At the end of the day the choice is up to you. The key questions are: why are you doing research and how much time and energy do you want to commit to it?

PhD right after B.E./B.Tech/BSc vs MSc/MS

• July 28, 2023

Surendra Padamata

Many people out there have this question in their mind as to whether one can do a PhD in physics right after their engineering degree, is it possible, how to go about it, is it a viable option compared to MSc and lot more. I hope to clear some of those concerns here in this article. I hope you enjoy reading it and find it useful and informative, 1,2.3..initiate!

Disclaimer: This article also applies to people who recently did their or are doing BSc in physics. Please kindly note, this is my point of view that I formed, after my recent experiences and journey going from B.E Mechanical and minor in physics to PhD in physics.

PhD after B.E./B.Tech:

Yes! One can do a PhD in physics right after your engineering degree. You see most universities in US, Canada and very few in Europe, UK, Australia and Japan have 1-2 years of coursework during their 5-6 year PhD typically. In India, the topics that are usually taught in our class 11 and 12 and introductory physics in the first year of undergraduate degree are mostly equivalent to BSc Physics degrees in the above countries I mentioned. So it won’t be huge leap into a completely new world which you can’t get comfortable with.

But to get admitted and aim for good universities with a great professor working in your field of interest and obtain good funding (which is approximately, 1500$ USD per month after taxes and can save at least 600-700$ USD per month after expenses), one need to either start collaborating and working with on campus physics professors or if it’s a purely engineering college, do take a gap year and obtain a research position, get experience(it’s strongly advicable for the former scenario too), reference letters and then apply to the universities. More on the applications, please refer to my other article , which has a link to a nice video too on a talk that I gave to my alumnus institute, BITS Goa, juniors.

Next, on various eligibility requirements and some potential draw back taking this route, in US universities, you can directly apply as I said in the above paragraph but in most European and few Canadian universities, where professors admit you rather than the physics department as a whole, they strictly require an MSc in physics(on a personal note, I couldn’t get into Perimeter, Max Planck because not having an MSc degree), so if you are fine with joining US universities and fine with letting go few very great potential opportunities, then yeah PhD is the right way to go about.

Compared to MSc/MS:

The other route one can take is, MSc/MS and then PhD, the advantages would be, it would increase your chances in getting admitted to great universities with great programs, you can choose to not to do the some of the basic courses in your first 1-2 years of PhD and use that extra time to do more research and potentially graduating in 4 yrs in US and Canada and may be also publish more research papers and journal articles, which could help in your future hunt on post-doctoral positions (but please take the second point with a pinch a salt as some universities don’t let you skip the basic courses during the first 1-2 yrs of your PhD and it depends on the personal capabilities of doing quick and effective research to be able to do produce quality and quantity of papers). PhD would also be an obvious economically viable option, as you are guaranteed of being paid unlike MSc/MS where very few places pay and in limited amount and numbers.

But an MSc/MS will also help opening a lot of great and decent opportunities in EU, UK, Australia and Japan! Also it’s best you do an MSc/MS when you don’t know your area of interest, as PhD can sometimes be very specific and ask for your specific interests and while admitting, they see if you have any previous research experience in that field.

Disadvantages would be potentially wasting money (especially MS, I agree some EU universities have no fee but they don’t fund your living costs which amounts to be expensive) and time (because mostly you might have to re-do courses during your first 1-2 yrs of PhD) while doing it, where it can be spent doing a 1 year research assistant-ship and then applying for PhD directly.

Conclusion:

Who should go for phd directly:.

If you believe your fundamentals in physics are strong or at least decent, have figured out your area of interest and have enough research experience(if you are doubtful about it, then talk to your seniors who have gone to do PhD in physics or post it on the Facebook groups like MS in US/blogs etc like physics after engineering, by sharing your profile) and also have financial concerns, but remember you might have to take a 1 year gap, where in you would get paid very little to none, but if you work hard, it will pay up later due to great amount of funding in US, EU, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan.

Who should go for MSc/MS:

Very new to physics, not clear about your research interests, don’t want to miss out on potential places like Perimeter, Max Planck and many other great EU places, have the financial back up, want to increase your chances of being admitted to top schools in physics, then go for it!

Thank you making it to the end, hope this article helps you make your decision and was fun to read, as always if still something is not clear please do refer to other articles and FAQ on the physics after engineering blog and if still not clear you can always email me.

I am always happy to talk to physics enthusiasts and wanna be’s, help clear questions/concerns you may have and also open to talk and discuss about physics in general, philosophy, anime and my research area gravity and specifically computational and theoretical astrophysics.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Profession or Passion; My Journey of Self-Discovery

Some elements may be stressful for some people. I am neither exaggerating nor creating things. That’s what happened to me. Journey to IISER The 2020 IAT (IISER Aptitude Test) was

Cracking the JAM: A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Exam Prep

Introduction “In science, the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not to whom the idea first occurs”. I’m referring to this quote here because I feel it

Applying abroad for a PhD in Physics

Hi! My name is Surendra Padamata, a recent B.E. Mechanical and Physics minor undergraduate from BITS Pilani K.K. Birla Goa Campus, India. I am currently working at ICTS-TIFR and IGC,

Prologue: Many people out there have this question in their mind as to whether one can do a PhD in physics right after their engineering degree, is it possible, how

Online resources for Astronomy/Astrophysics/Cosmology

Authors Shruti Pandharipande Rimsha Arif  Organizations website International NASA’s website is a great resource for news and information about current and upcoming space missions, as well as a wealth of

Medicine or Natural Science in Biology? Differentiating between a MBBS degree and B.Sc/ BS degree

Basic Idea The first point of differentiating between these fields would be to understand the basic idea of them. Biological sciences is a branch of natural sciences that involves studying

Physics Conferences/Seminar International and Indian

This Blog is written by- Shruti Pandharipande an enthusiastic and motivated undergraduate physics student. Her interests are piqued by astronomy, astrophysics, and particle physics. She is a firm believer in

Preparation for DSE – Sanchit Singhal

Note: This post caters only to the preparation of DSE Probability A list of topics you must know is Permutation & Combinations, Conditional probability which includes the gambler ruin problem,

Travelling Europe for a Master’s Degree: The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship

Interviewee – Sailee Pradeep Sakhalkar Interviewed by Damayanti Dasgupta Transcribed by Nandini Sinhal Formatted by Sandhya Sathiaseelan 1. Why is this Erasmus Mundus Scholarship considered important and who can apply for

Socialise with

From a BSc to a PhD?

I'm at the end of my second year as a BSc Psychology student, and I'm pretty sure that I'm heading down a career in academia (I have experience of it in a few different capacities, from doing a bit of casual research in my department to having an 18-month internship currently running alongside my degree doing research at the Anna Freud Centre in London). So now I'm starting to think about postgraduate courses. My main concern about doing a Masters is the cost, and I'm also quite keen to get stuck into doing my own research, rather than being taught more stuff. Hence my (preliminary) plan is to skip the Masters and go straight onto a PhD. Is it common for individuals to do this? Is it even possible? Do you need a 1st to do so? I averaged at 69% last year but my module marks were a bit all over the place, and it's difficult for me to tell how I'm going to do this year as the exam period is so tough in our department. I guess I'm just asking about the feasibility of going straight to a PhD, and also, not just about being accepted onto a PhD, but dealing with the transition of being 'babied' at undergrad. to doing it all myself at postgrad. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you for your time!

To be honest, regardless of your overall grade at undergraduate level you'll most likely need to do a masters before gaining a funded place on a PhD. If you are prepared to fund yourself that might be a different matter.

Hi there, I think that you need to do the masters first. I have a 2.1 and a 1st with my 2 degrees, and a post grad cert. Still i cannot get accepted on a phd. the feedback is you need to have the 'research skills' from the masters programme to be able to do a phd. So best advice and I'm in the same position, is do the masters then your be able to get onto a phd no problem. best of luck

Hi there! Im a psychology PhD person so can tell you a little about the experiences of myself and my fellow psychology people. To skip the masters isn't impossible. I have a friend who was able to do this. However, she worked hard as a research assistant with the guy who she ended up being supervised by for her PhD. And when she was working on her PhD still had to carry on some of her assistant work on top of doing her PhD work. My own experience is that I did do an MSc and funded this via a graduate loan, which I paid back over a period of 5 years. Obviously its not ideal to have to get into debt to fund your career, but sometimes you have to be willing to make sacrifices if you really want something. And I think that in psychology were quite lucky as there seems to be many more funded PhD studentships than in other subjects. I have friends who are doing humanities PhDs and its been much more difficult for them to get a funded PhD. Having said that, there is some funding out there for Psychology masters courses, but id recommend doing some research and applying for this as early as possible. It might also help to spend a couple of years working as a research assistant between masters and PhD as this enables you to learn the ropes and maybe give you an apportunity to get some publications under your belt. This will mean that you'll increase your chances of getting a funded PhD studentship. Hope that helps!! Good luck!

Firstly, thank you for all of your replies! You've been really helpful, so thank you. Snelison, it's great to hear from a Psychology PhD student! The internship I'm currently on is basically the role of research assistant in the sense that we have to carry out the study ourselves, do lit. reviews, and a lot of the write-up as well, and for those who put enough effort in, there's a chance of getting published (fingers crossed!) I know I'm doing this at the same time as my undergrad., but do you think it might help at all? The reason I asked about potentially skipping a Masters was because I know someone who has done so, but now I think about it more, it seems to have a lot to do with the PhD supervisor system; the guy I know has remained at the same institution he did his undergraduate degree at, so he obviously knew the lecturers well and so I guess they were more willing to take him on without a Masters. I'll look into the graduate loan thing, and other ways of self-funding a Masters, so thanks for the heads-up on that. You're right; it does seem like sacrifices have to be made in this area, but I truly can't imagine doing anything else with my life now, even though I know it's a tough route to go down. Is it possible to work part-time whilst doing a Masters, or is it a full-time commitment? May I ask what your Masters was in- i.e., was it in the more specific area of psychology that you've ended up doing your PhD on, or did you just do a Research Methods Masters or something like that? A friend of mine who is looking for a research assistant post has been saying that she's been struggling to find one despite being a very good student- but, saying that, she's only got her BSc and not a Masters, so that might be the key. I'm starting the third year of my degree in September, so I plan on doing my research and deciding where I want to apply by the end of summer- is this the right sort of timeframe? I know postgrad. applications can be a bit labour-intensive and I don't want it to detract from my third year work too much. Thank you once again for your help! I really appreciate it.

Hello Llacerta, I'm currently a second year PhD student in Psychology and I was having the same thinking as you a few years back. I'll try my best to answer your questions under different headings so it is as clear as possible. Academic In our department we have one PhD student who went from BSc to PhD and coped with the transition very well. She did study her BSc at the same University and that appears to be in line with what others have said. I know at our University, the guidelines are very strict. Even if you have an MSc in a related field or within Psychology/Research Methods from a different University you must complete two Postgraduate Statistics modules. This is to ensure skills in Statistics meet University requirements. I was very fortunate as I studied my MSc at the same University so did not need to complete these modules. It was tough for other students in my year to complete both of these alongside the full time commitments of the PhD. It is worth checking with Universities you apply to whether they have a similar system in place. As for entry requirements, I know many funded PhD studentships I looked at require an MSc. There are also some courses that require the MSc with Merit or Distinction. I know at my University, if you do not have a 1st at UG then you must have a 2.1 with a minimum of a good Merit in the MSc. I'm self funding my PhD as I wanted to work part time alongside it to improve career prospects and my MSc is in Developmental Psychopathology. Luckily, this MSc included 4 modules in Research Methods and 2 modules in Statistics so I met the research requirements. I believe most people have a MSc in Research Methods when applying for funded PhD studentships. Funding for PhD I have found this works in two ways. The first is that you apply for a funded studentship with a set supervisor on a set project that has been awarded a research grant. These are often advertised on jobs.ac.uk. The second is approaching a supervisor (or sometimes they approach you) with a research idea, applying for funding with a research council (normally ESRC for Psychology) and seeing of you are awarded a studentship. Both of these methods are very competitive but then what isn't these days! I have applied in both of these different methods. The first I came second place for the award which was very upsetting at the time but I didn't want to study full time anyway. The second method was with the ESRC, you get points awarded to you for your background, supervisors background and scientific merit of the proposal. Each of these are awarded a grade from A+ to E-. We achieved an A- in all three categories, however due to limited research funding, only the A+ (and not even all of them!) candidates received funding. Funding for MSc There are many graduate loans or career development loans that can be applied for now with local banks. If you are certain you want to apply for a PhD after the MSc, you can always look into ESRC 1+3 funding. This will cover both your MSc and PhD funding. I studied for my MSc full time and worked part time at the weekends which was doable. I did take a loan out and I have paid around 40% off in the last 2 1/2 years. If you really want to do the qualifications and progress in your career, then this is certainly one way to do it. When to apply - PhD All funding bodies have different deadlines, I applied for MRC/ESRC studentship that had a deadline of December (starting in the October), ESRC had a deadline of April and open competition was around June. Specific studentships open appear soon after award dates so it is worth knowing when those are. When to apply - MSc I applied for two MSc courses during my final year of my BSc. I believe one had a deadline of March and the other accepted applications until the August so it does differ quite a bit. I applied to one MSc in the April and had an interview within the month. I was sent my offer letter within 2 days of the intervi

It appears my last message was too long! To finish my section on when to apply for an MSc. I was saying that I was offered a place 2 days after my interview and 9 days after I finished my BSc so things can happen really quickly. I hope this helps! I think there are many different routes to follow after graduating from Psychology and it is not always clear what one we want/need to follow. I know after I finished my BSc I was interested in the DClinPsy so was also building up my clinical experience. I even completed a year in the NHS between my MSc and PhD which included a clinical PG (Cert) so you never know what lies ahead :-)

Wow, thank you so much, PsychBrainiac! You're right, there does seem to be many different routes one can go down- I mean, I knew it was a complicated process, but I don't think I quite anticipated how complicated it can get... You've answered all of my questions, so thank you. I have just one more quick query- I have spied a four-year programme at a couple of universities that sound amazing, incorporating both a Masters and a PhD, but unfortunately studentship places are very limited. I figure it's worth a shot, but is it possible to make several applications to the same university? For example, I might apply for the four-year programme and also a Research Methods Masters, since it's unlikely I'd get into the former. I know I've said thank you a lot, but you've really helped clarify the whole process for me! Seems like I've got a lot to think about this summer.

My pleasure! I'm really glad you have found this information useful. Yes, I was in exactly the same position 4-5 years back when I knew what wanted to do (or at least thought I knew!) but not too sure on how to go about it. After some looking around and research, I'm sure you will be absolutely fine. As far as I'm aware, yes, you can certainly apply for more than one course or scheme at any one University. I applied for the open competition at RHUL as well as applying with a potential supervisor through RHUL for another source of funding. It is certainly possible and as long as the schemes are similar in content, you will appear to have a set idea about how you wish to continue your career development. Good luck and keep us updated!

Ah, okay, that's good to know! Funny that you mention RHUL- that's where I'm a current student! You don't happen to be doing your PhD there at the moment, do you? Thanks once again!

Unfortunately no, I'm not too far away though as I'm studying at Reading :-)

Hello again fellow Psych PhD Forumers! It looks as though PsychBrainiac has provided pretty much all the relevant info. Great post! What i would add also is that it important to make sure you do stuff (either MSc or assistant posts) that you're going to find interesting. My MSc was Philosophy of Mental Disorder at KCL. It wasn't something i did because i thought it would help my career particularly, I just did it because it sounded fascinating, and it didn't disappoint! Also you cant rule out the influence of chance. Often our career trajectories go in the direction they do simply from being in the right place at the right time (or being in the wrong place at the wrong time unfortunately!). But with perseverance and resilience we can all get to where we want to be!! :-)

Post your reply

Postgraduate Forum

Masters Degrees

PhD Opportunities

Postgraduate Forum Copyright ©2024 All rights reserved

PostgraduateForum Is a trading name of FindAUniversity Ltd FindAUniversity Ltd, 77 Sidney St, Sheffield, S1 4RG, UK. Tel +44 (0) 114 268 4940 Fax: +44 (0) 114 268 5766

Welcome to the world's leading Postgraduate Forum

An active and supportive community.

Support and advice from your peers.

Your postgraduate questions answered.

Use your experience to help others.

Sign Up to Postgraduate Forum

Enter your email address below to get started with your forum account

Login to your account

Enter your username below to login to your account

Reset password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password

An email has been sent to your email account along with instructions on how to reset your password. If you do not recieve your email, or have any futher problems accessing your account, then please contact our customer support.

or continue as guest

Postgrad Forum uses cookies to create a better experience for you

To ensure all features on our website work properly, your computer, tablet or mobile needs to accept cookies. Our cookies don’t store your personal information, but provide us with anonymous information about use of the website and help us recognise you so we can offer you services more relevant to you. For more information please read our privacy policy

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

What is the advantage of doing an integrated Masters course over a Bachelors and then Masters? (UK.)

I am on an integrated Masters in Physics course, otherwise knows as MPhys. This means that after my third year I will not be awarded with a BSc, but will graduate after 4 years with an MPhys. At my university (and I assume others as well), doing a 4th year after graduating with a BSc then gives you an MSc instead of an MPhys.

I am coming to wonder if there is any advantage to this. It complicates things massively if I want to change university to complete my Masters. Surely it would be advantageous to do a BSc, and then if you want to change university to complete an MSc there will be no complications.

There are only 2 possible advantages I can think of:

An MPhys is harder than a BSc+MSc and is therefore more highly regarded by employers and

There is no longer the need to apply for a 4th year at university.

The second is an obvious one, but is the first true? Are there any other advantages? I am thinking of transferring to the BSc in case I decide I want to go to a better university to complete my Masters.

• united-kingdom

• In which country? In the US, a Bachelors is typically 4 years with another year beyond that for the MS, and there is no guarantee that the same school will readmit you for the MS. –  keshlam Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 20:31
• Sorry, I should have specified - I am in the UK. –  ODP Commented Jul 20, 2015 at 21:00

3 Answers 3

An integrated masters such as an MPhys is an enhanced undergraduate degree where the final year will include level 7 courses and a substantial project. It will typically be accredited and meet the academic requirements for registration for chartered status (CPhys in this case).

An MSc is a postgraduate degree also with a substantial project and level 7 courses. It will often be more specialised in nature than an undergraduate degree and may or may not be accredited such that it will add the necessary academic requirements for chartered status if the student also has completed an accredited BSc.

In the UK there will typically be a difference in fees between the two cases and there is currently (although this may change or may even have changed already - you should check) a difference in funding available. Government backed student loans have only been available for undergraduate degrees.

For engineers in industry I do think that generally the integrated Masters is looked at more highly but of course it depends on the institution. If you goal is to get chartered status then I would advise the integrated Masters rather than a separate MSc provided you are staying in the UK. If you go abroad the separate postgraduate MSc is understood better and so probably easier to have accepted.

• It would seem that, in general in the UK, the MPhys would be more highly regarded in the physics community, but I want to go into finance so maybe not so much. Also, looking at the 3rd year of the MPhys it looks harder/more demanding than the final year of BSc. –  ODP Commented Jul 21, 2015 at 17:02

The main reason for doing a four year course is that (at least when I was a student) was that you would only get a government loan for your first degree. Therefore you did not have to worry about finding extra funding to do a masters. However, apparently from 2016-17 this will be changing so you can get a loan for a master's in a similar way to undergrad degrees. I don't no what effect this will have on the popularity of four year courses.

Another advantage, as you said is that you do not need to apply separately for an MSc course. In my opinion this is a minor issue and it should be noted that most places in my experience will make you move to the BSc course if you are not on target to do well (2:1) in the 4 year course by the end of the 2nd year.

I would say that your first point is not correct. If any thing the opposite is true and a separate BSc + MSc is viewed more highly. This is not an issue if you are looking to work in the UK but in the rest of Europe combined courses such as an MPhys are not well understood and may put you at a disadvantage.

However, other than that there are very few disadvantages to doing an integrated course. Most places run a parallel BSc course with the first two years having similar/identical content. If this is the case it should be easy to switch down to the BSc up till the end of your second year if you want to do a MSc elsewhere/not at all.

• This is what I was going to say. The other advantage of an MPhys is that the final year is only 120 credits, rather than 180, and so you finish in June rather than September (this is why MPhys could be less respected than an MSc). This can actually be very important when trying to go on to something else (eg doing an MSc could prevent you starting teacher training the following academic year, as you often need to start at the beginning of Sep, and cannot be a student on another course at the time). –  Jessica B Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 18:26
• Sorry, just spotted that this is an old question that got bumped. –  Jessica B Commented Dec 30, 2017 at 18:27

I took a similar course but in computer science. As far as I could tell, the course was not any more difficult, but the aside from the fees issue noted by other answerers, the advantage is that you may graduate at the beginning of summer, rather than the end . Typically, in an MSc, September until May or June is spent on taught coursework, and the summer is spent on a dissertation, leading to an autumn or winter graduation. In my integrated course, the dissertation was completed by May or June for a summer graduation, and to allow for this, the work was split over the two final years of the degree, and the number of credits of taught courses I was required to take in the final year was less than it would have been for the MSc. I don't know if this is the case for all integrated courses, but it was an advantage for me, as I got some time off between completing my masters and starting my PhD.

As you noted, you won't be able to change university for your masters. But many integrated courses allow you to transfer back to a BSc if you change your mind. You should obviously check how early you need to do this (ie, it might be that you need to decide before final year, not during).

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged masters degree united-kingdom bachelor ..

• Featured on Meta
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites
• We've made changes to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy - July 2024
• Announcing a change to the data-dump process

Hot Network Questions

• Does the overall mAh of the battery add up when batteries are parallel?
• Do linguists have a noun for referring to pieces of commendatory language, as a sort of antonym of 'pejoratives'?
• Is the Shroud of Turin about 2000 years old?
• What might cause these striations in this solder joint?
• Can the speed of light inhibit the synchronisation of a power grid?
• Passive Construction - Standard Form vs. Non-Standard Form
• How to remove a file which name seems to be "." on an SMB share?
• Can I repair these deck support posts, or do I need to replace them?
• Unperturbed Green's Function for an electron in an empty band
• Reed-Solomon error count if errors cannot be corrected
• Reference request: "Higher order eigentuples" as generalized eigenvectors?
• Are Experimental Elixirs Magic Items?
• How to raise a vector to powers contained in a vector, change the list into a product, and do this for all the lines of a matrix, efficiently?
• Who said "If you don't do politics, politics will do you"?
• Does my AC vent air from the room to outside?
• Rate of change of surface area is acting weird
• One IO to control two LEDs. When one is lit, the other is not
• Is there anything that stops the majority shareholder(s) from destroying company value?
• Why are swimming goggles typically made from a different material than diving masks?
• Home water pressure higher than city water pressure?
• I am a fifteen-year-old from India planning to fly to Germany alone (without my parents accompanying me) to see my relatives.What documents do I need?
• In TNG: the Pegasus, why is Geordi in the first meeting with the Admiral?
• Can I use rear (thru) axle with crack for a few rides, before getting a new one?
• How soon to fire rude and chaotic PhD student?

Get the Reddit app

A subreddit for discussions about Indian higher education, research, admissions process, career advice, resource sharing, and similar topics.

I'm confused. what should I opt for BSc physics (hons) or BA ( econ + maths )?

myquals: 12th graduate

so I have 2 options: I go for the BA program from DU or BSc physics from some central university. I want to opt for BSc physics but I'm not sure about its scope. And I'm from a middle-class family so I'm not sure if I'll want to / can afford to pursue the research field. And are there any opportunities in the BA program?

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue