<br>
<blockquote> <p>most school's have stopped offering MA's....you receive an MA at some point during your PhD research- but as for separate MA programs, there aren't that many <<</p>
<p>Grad schools are for doctoral research. You're not supposed to just get a Masters and leave. That's just one step towards getting a PhD.<<</p> </blockquote>
<br>
<p>There is a lot of misinformation flying around here. Most colleges and universities that have offered Masters degrees still offer them, including Harvard.</p>
<p>A Masters is seldom a step on the way to a Ph.D. I do not know of a single Ph.D. program that requires a Masters for for admission. You almost always just need a BA/BS, and you go straight for the Ph.D. - no Masters along the way. The Masters degree is usually a terminal degree.</p>
<p>In some schools you can get a Masters degree as a sort of consolation prize if you flunk your oral exams or otherwise wash out of a Ph.D. program. I knew a couple of kids who did this when I was in grad school.</p>