Ph.D. in Paleontology: Get a Masters First?

Not sure this is the ideal place on this forum to post this, but here goes.

A little background on me: I’m still working on my undergraduate degree (B.S. in Geology) but I’ll be a senior very soon and preparing to take the GRE and apply to graduate schools in less than a year. I currently have a GPA of 3.33, and am working to bring that up a little in my remaining few semesters. Not stellar, but good enough. I have a promising research opportunity for this fall lined up. I’ve also been involved with my university’s geological museum and the museum manager as a volunteer in the collections and now a paid employee. With all this in mind, I don’t think I’ll have much trouble getting into a least a couple schools (assuming I score well on the GRE), but like many before me, I am questioning as to whether or not I want to jump straight into a Ph.D. program or potentially stay at my current institution to gain a M.S. first.

I know exactly what I want to study (fossil fungi/fungal palynomorphs), and have located a few schools that have faculty who may be suited to my rather unusual research interests. I am aware that I’ve picked a difficult field in terms of both finding places to study and finding employment post-graduation but I am really passionate about paleontology and committed to getting a Ph.D. despite the uncertainty. So it’s not a question of SHOULD I get a doctorate, but WHEN should I get a doctorate.

In the geosciences, would a gap year truly be beneficial? Or a masters degree first?

I’ve seen suggestions to do a masters first or take time off, or both. Other advice says that a masters is not crucial en route to a doctorate in the geosciences. Most geoscience departments will, and do, admit students to doctoral programs without a masters degree for that matter.

Would I have fairly good chances of being accepted to a doctorate program in geoscience with only a bachelors and some relevant work and research experience?

I want to be a strong candidate for potential programs and get into a suitable school. But I also don’t want to take too much time getting started on the doctorate either. I’m just hoping to get a little input to aid me in my decision though I may have already answered a couple of my questions myself already.

A PhD is usually funded (in fact, you should not embark on one unless you are offered funding). If you get a masters first, you will likely have to pay for those 2 years. If you get into a PhD program, you essentially get paid for those 1st two years while earning your masters (often TAing for one or both years). So don’t go the masters route unless you have to.

I’d say a big challenge may be GPA — I wouldn’t have expectations for top programs with a 3.3.

My GPA being lower than I’d like is why I’m actively pursuing other avenues that would strengthen my application to any program. It’s my understanding within my field that research experience and excellent recommendations are more important factors and can offset a lower GPA.

As I already said, because of my interests, I have a limited number of schools to apply to with suitable research activities and faculty. Most are probably not places most people would consider top programs, but that’s really the least of my concerns, falling far below quality of faculty, compatibility with my research interests, and association with paleontological collections and museums.

@mycelia01- welcome to the forum! - You should definitely apply right away to see whether you are admitted to the programs you want. However, if you have an option to do a Masters degree at your current university with a special program (BS/MS dual degree) that would provide you reduced tuition then this could be a viable fallback position if you are not admitted right away. The MS courses could give you a chance to improve your GPA and demonstrate the ability to do the graduate level coursework. Of course if you do not have access to any special programs, and the MS would cost too much, you might want to take a year off and do field work that could give you an edge in your future applications.

It’s true that in the sciences, research experience and letters of recommendation can outweigh a lowish GPA - and if yours are very strong, programs may be ready to overlook the 3.33, especially if your major GPA or last 60 credits GPA is higher. However, if you’re just beginning research experience next semester as a senior, your research experience won’t be very strong in comparison to other students’ - most successful PhD students in the science have about 1-2 years’ worth of research experience before applying (i.e., they start in at least their junior year if they are coming straight from college).

To that end, staying at your current institution and getting an MS isn’t a bad fallback option. You may also want to explore a few other MS programs that might suit your needs and are good as springboards into PhD programs. I agree with xraymancs that you should still apply to some PhD programs that are a really good fit for you - you never know - but the MS, in addition to allowing you to improve your GPA and demonstrate your ability to do graduate-level coursework, will also give you time to get more research experience.

I will actually be finishing my junior year this fall, so still have about a year and a half left to gain experience before I graduate.

Unfortunately, although dual degree options exist for other departments, I don’t believe a dual BS/MS option is offered in Geology and Geophysics. I wish it was. I may be able to at least take a couple graduate courses as a senior.

Thanks for the input!