M. Sc. vs. Ph.D.

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I'm a student considering graduate school in physics and I'm unsure of whether I should apply for a program leading to M.Sc. or one to Ph.D. Initially I was led to believe by my college (University of Toronto) that most people get their M.Sc. first before getting their Ph.D. but then I saw this on one of their websites:</p>

<p>"Most students are initially admitted to the M.Sc. degree but continue on to the Ph.D. (this is a Canadian tradition, different from the U.S.A.)"</p>

<p>I am curious as to what this statement means. Does this mean that most people in the U.S. go directly to a Ph.D. program after undergraduate? If so, are people who apply to a Ph.D. program after an M.Sc. program looked down upon in some way?</p>

<p>Or does it mean that the M.Sc. program in the U.S. is just for those who don't plan on getting their Ph.D., i.e. is it just an easier degree for those who don't want to go on to become professors or research for a living.</p>

<p>Whatever it means, I'd like to know what career/academic circumstances would make one apply for a Ph.D program in physics and what circumstances would make one apply for an M.Sc. instead.</p>

2

<p>If you want to go straight to academia, I would go with the Ph.D.</p>

3

<p>In the US, you go directly into a PhD program from undergrad.
However, if you were to get a M.Sc. degree in Canada, that would NOT be looked down upon at all. But if you want to pursue a PhD in physics in the US, all you need is your BA/BS degree. </p>

<p>One thing to consider: If you didn't do as well as you hoped in undergrad, and your goal is to get into a top program in the US, then perhaps the MSc degree in Canada might give you a second chance to prove yourself.
But it REALLY is NOT necessary.</p>

<p>By the way, Toronto is phenomenal in physics, and all physics programs in the US will know how good a program it is.</p>