<p>let's say you get denied from a phd program, do they automatically consider you for master's at that program or do you have to make another application?</p>
<p>No. What you apply for is what you get. Also, that would not be fair to those applying for the Masters program.</p>
<p>Let’s not disparage the Masters degree. It is an advanced degree. 1-2 year and then you’re onto making big money in industry (hopefully) vs PhD, which is also an advanced degree but with a strong emphasis on research. </p>
<p>I don’t know why you would apply for Masters if you get denied from PhD programs. It sounds as if you think it’s easier to get accepted. Maybe it is if you don’t have as many research qualifications, but if your dream is doing PhD level research you’ve gotta keep trying and go for that PhD.</p>
<p>Some programs will automatically consider you for their masters program, some won’t. Some also admit PhDs first, and then tell you the results so that you can subsequently apply to their masters program if interested. It may also depend on your field, and you would need to check with each program in which you are interested in applying.</p>
<p>Oh ok. But my point was why would you even want to do that? A master’s program is fundamentally different from a PhD. Depending on what shcool we’re talking about it is still essentially a rejection. Slap in the face, lol. “We’re not going to fund you but you can pay us a lot of money for 1-2 years for the degree you didn’t want!” :D</p>
<p>b/c…you can finish your masters there then go for the phd…</p>
<p>As has been noted, many schools will accept to their masters programs some of those who applied to their PhD programs. This is not a slap in the face - rather, it is simply an indication that while they may not have been quite good enough as PhD applicants, they are still worth giving a shot. Yes, funding opportunities will be fewer and leaner, but they will be better for a heading-towards-PhD masters candidate than they will be for a no-PhD-thank-you masters candidate. And (as Charlies noted), it gives you a great second chance at the PhD program along with a head start should you get accepted. For most people this is still not going to be the best choice, but the offer is neither insulting nor universally bad.</p>
<p>Exactly - sometimes the master’s acceptance is sort of a “trial basis,” and they want to give you a chance to see what you do before they offer you admission to their PhD program.</p>
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<p>That’s just not necessarily true. Someone who is pursuing a thesis-track master’s degree is doing all the right steps to prepare themselves for doctoral study. It is a shorter commitment, and if after writing the thesis, the student wants to continue to a Ph.D, he/she has a strong research record to base their application on.</p>
<p>An MBA/MEng is not a research degree, but an MA/MS often is.</p>