Master's Degrees
In the U.S., nobody "studies" for a PhD. You work one.
For international students
This one is written for people coming to the U.S. from another education system. If you grew up here, you may already know most of it.
I used to think you needed a master's before you could get into a PhD. I planned my whole grad school search around that, and it was the biggest mistake I made.
Education systems are built differently from one country to the next. I had planned around the only one I knew.
The ladder I grew up with
Back home, the path is a straight line:
4 years
Bachelor's
The one thing that matters is studying. You pick your major the moment you apply to university.
2 years
Master's
Still mostly studying. There's usually a small thesis.
3 years
PhD
More studying, plus a doctoral thesis.
So when I started reading about grad school in the U.S., I assumed the same logic held. A master's leads into a PhD, and a PhD is mostly a deeper version of the same studying.
I was wrong.
Three degrees, three different worlds
4 years
Bachelor's
Trains how you think and lets you explore more than one field. You can change your major as late as your third year, double major, or add a minor.
1 to 2 years
Master's
Depends on the field. Mostly about going deep in one specific area to prepare you for a job.
3-5 years
PhD
It's essentially a job: research in a lab, work as a teaching assistant. Most of the learning is on you. A PhD in the U.S. exists to create new knowledge.
Applying straight to a PhD
Which is why you can apply to a PhD with only a bachelor's, as long as you can do research.
Very few people do a master's just to move up to a PhD the way it works back home. The ones who do are usually trying to build up their research record before they apply.
Putting your application together? Here's what a U.S. master's application includes.
