<p>Are you required to go for a BS and Masters in the area you want to get a PhD in? I've barely though about grad-school, but I'm going for my BS in Electrical Engineering and was wondering what I was limited to.</p>
<p>You normally do not have to get your MS first. Many programs allow you to go straight for your PhD. </p>
<p>You can get a masters or a PhD in a field different from your BS. It is usually a related field, for instance with an BS in engineering you can probably get into a grad program in any engineering or science related program. Of course it helps the more closely related to the two fields are. You may have to take some undergrad classes in grad school to catch up if there are any gaps in your knowledge.</p>
<p>Just a quick question. How do we people with BS’s compete with those with MS therefore having a few publications in getting admissions to grad schools?</p>
<p>I imagine the role of an MS in admissions depends on how well one did in undergrad. If someone did poorly/mediocre in undergrad then did well in their MS studies, I don’t know that that necessarily puts one above someone who did really well during their undergraduate studies, especially considering that a lot of undergrads take grad courses and do graduate-level research projects. However, if someone did really well in both undergrad and MS studies, then I think that probably puts that person above someone who did really well in just undergrad. But I think that case is probably rare, because MS degrees are usually either a) terminal, or b) an option to make up for undergrad for PhD admissions.</p>
<p>Most people that get a MS typically do a course-based one, so they shouldn’t have any advantages over you for publications.</p>
<p>Just as a note - MS programs don’t mean “therefore more publications.” They’re not automatic. Whether or not you do research with professors determines whether you get publications. And technically, any Joe Blow off the street can perform research and get publications, although more realistically they are completed within the confines of educational programs and universities or institutes. With that said, if you want publications, you can get them as an undergrad if you do enough legwork. You can also choose to get them during your MS, but you don’t have to and most don’t.</p>
<p>Cheers dudes. That clears something up.</p>