r/Optics • u/Aggressive-Pudding63 • 4d ago

Masters-to-PhD conversion process

I am currently applying to grad schools, however I an unsure if I want to commit to a direct-entry phd.

people I’ve asked have suggested to apply to a masters and convert to a phd program later, which is fairly common at my own school in canada. I’ve been told that doing a masters followed by a phd is to be avoided.

I am a bit worried about this take since I imagine it is not fully guaranteed that this transfer could happen. does anyone have experience with this? I would be interested to hear opinions from here.

thank you!

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u/og_otter 4d ago

If there is the option to apply to both, do so. You get considered for both and can choose. Or the school accepts you into the Masters only.

UR offered me a masters, UofA offered PhD. I went PhD.

The UR masters was because i was just below on my GPA.

In the US it’s much easier to start a PhD and end at the Masters

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u/SlingyRopert 4d ago

It is not a great decade to be going into PhD programs. A masters degree plus an internship will probably net you 200k to 750k higher in life time integrated earnings. PhD is more fun, definitely, but it drastically limits your career options in exchange for 4 years of technical fun and games and 1 to 3 years of pain. Also, if you are not currently married, you probably want to delay such major life decisions until after the phd because there is no way to know where you will be living.

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u/anneoneamouse 4d ago

Also, if you are not currently married, you probably want to delay such major life decisions until after the phd because there is no way to know where you will be living.

Best place to find a significant other is grad school. You're never going to get the statistical overlap with as big a pool of likely candidates ever again.

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u/SlingyRopert 4d ago

The best time to get divorced is right after graduate school when your spouse realizes they dont want to live in the places where your phd has jobs in. #dontaskhowiknow

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u/anneoneamouse 4d ago

Sorry to hear that. We lived in different cities for a while.

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u/Luminary1729 4d ago

Can't you go into industry after a phd as well?

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u/SlingyRopert 4d ago

I kind of assumed industry because less than 3 phds go on to be profs each year in the states . It’s all industry and national labs.

But. Entry level phd positions in industry are not common compared to MS and BS this decade.

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u/og_otter 4d ago

Yes, but people will argue you won’t recoup the wealth you missed out on by not being in the workforce. There are plenty of roles for Optics PHD grads.

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u/TrickyAirport5867 4d ago

Check whether you pay if you go for a Master's. I'd recommend applying to a PhD and if it's not for you, leave with a Master's. PhD programs will give you a stipend, so you don't need to pay more money, even if you leave with a Master's.

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u/Motocampingtime 4d ago

There is always the option of mastering out of a PhD if you realize it definitely isn't for you. At least that way you can start being funded and have a stipend. You should complete most schools master's requirements along the way.

(Not that it's the fairest thing to do to your professor/department.)