Master's vs. PhD / Chances of getting in

Graduate School
1

<p>Hey there,</p>

<p>I recently came across this website and found it to be quite useful. After a whole lot of reading here and everywhere, I decided to express my sorrow about stuff that keep my mind unnecessarily busy. :) </p>

<p>So let me give the facts. I am going to graduate -hopefully- in December from Georgia Tech in ISyE (Industrial and Systems Engineering) with a GPA of 3.71 . My track was Operations Research/Statistics. I decided that I want to go to grad school in Fall 2010; MS looks like a given, but I cannot decide if I should pursue a PhD. I like learning/exploring/researching and teaching as well, but I am not sure if I am fit for a specific(and maybe limiting) academic environment especially when it's 6 years or so. I like learning for the sake of learning and I have a broad range of interests (from sociology to engineering). I may even apply to a specific program at Johns Hopkins which offers a joint program (phd in sociology and master's in applied math) </p>

<p>Things I know:</p>

<p>-It's easier to get into ms programs, but it's much harder to get funding compared to phd
-a terminal ms may or may not work towards phd in terms of having the already taken classes counted
-phd is research oriented
-phd can limit your job opportunities in the industry due to specializing/overqualification</p>

<p>You may say that if I'm not sure about phd, I shouldn't apply to phd since it requires solid motivation, but honestly I don't know yet. I believe that I have a solid interest though. I may as well like pursuing a phd. </p>

<p>I know this question has been asked several times, but I would still appreciate an answer as I have hopes about getting new ideas or idea modifications. </p>

<p>In addition, I was wondering what my chances are of getting into a top-tier school in ind. engineering, operations research, management sciences etc. I am currently studying for GRE since in any case I will at least go with a MS. I've been reading and doing some preparations myself, but time is approaching for me to set a clear goal and work towards it.</p>

<p>tools in my pocket:</p>

<p>-GPA: 3.71 at GaTech (which is ranked first in ind. eng.) actually my gpa was higher until this semester, but I had some issues this semester so it dropped a little bit.
-minor in international affairs (I know it's kinda random, but I was simply interested)
-undergrad research for two semesters. one in IE, one in Math(NSF funded REU). I may continue research this semester in humanitarian IE stuff
-I think I can get pretty decent recommendation letters due to my research activities etc.
-I also think I will be able to pull off good GRE scores (I hope). It is to be taken yet.
-one year of TA experience in Calculus and other teaching activities
-senior design finalist (senior design is a big deal at GaTech). worked with UPS.
-experience with relevant softwares/programming.
-other intellectual strengths/interests (e.g.,foreign languages) though I guess they won't be that helpful for a degree in my field except maybe showcasing my desire to learn.</p>

<p>So three questions:
1) master's vs. phd?
2) chances of getting in into top-tier schools in related areas (don't worry that I mentioned sociology; though I will be happy to hear any comments on that:) )
3) would it hurt that I have no significant work experience if I apply to master's? I feel like it's not a big deal for the fields I am interested in (master of science).</p>

<p>I plan to do my best no matter what, but of course, I appreciate input from experienced people. thanks a bunch!</p>

2

<p>I’m not an engineer, but I’m also looking to go to graduate school. I’ve asked the same questions as you many times for my own field (Mathematics), and my consensus is that the best reason to do a PhD is that it’s what you’d enjoy doing most for the next 5 years. A knowledgeable poster Sakky has suggested that to beat the overqualification issue, you may just not list your PhD. If you’re worried. But a lot of companies will take PhDs – I think my dad has interviewed some of them, and he says sometimes the interview is the testing point. If you’re overqualified truly, you probably should look for another job anyway. But being overqualified isn’t the same as overly narrow. And that’s what some companies are worried about. Here I’m talking about CS, but I’m relatively sure it applies more widely. If you show that you can actually do the jobs required, you’ll be fine – they just don’t want someone necessarily with such a strong, narrow personality who will want things his own way, and be unable to function as part of the team he’s being interviewed to be part of. </p>

<p>I’d stick to the Master’s degree if you’d rather start working earlier, and you can get a PhD later if you want. But if you’d rather spend 5 years right now and do lots of research, go for it. It’s truly a personal decision.</p>

<p>I don’t know specifically about engineering, but a 3.71 from GA-Tech sounds good. I’ve heard engineering graduate schools admit primarily on research, and that’s certainly what some engineering professors I’ve talked to at my school, which is a top grad school (as is evident, Berkeley), have said; I believe these professors actually had experience with admissions. Your GPA should be fine, as GA-Tech is a reputed school, and I think if you have solid research, letters of recommendation, and decent GRE (I don’t think the GRE is the most important factor), I’d rate your chances, with my limited knowledge of the engineering process, as pretty good for some good schools. </p>

<p>To help you decide master’s v. PhD, I suggest your thinking about if you’d like to research some narrow topic in depth. That could be the case even if, as you say, your interests are broad.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for you response. I really appreciate it. I guess one of the strongest and indispensable criteria for deciding is whether one likes research or not. I’ll still appreciate other people’s responding.</p>