Hi;
I’m studying a master degree in 100+ usnews ranked school. I’v completed more than 1 year. But I feel the university ranking is low. Shall I change now?
if I change I will loose many courses since most universities only transfer 3 courses. I’m a bit confused, not sure what to do?
What field are you in and what are your future plans? Will you be applying to PhD programs, looking for a job, looking to get a promotion, etc.?
And how is your master’s funded? Are you paying for it, or do you have scholarships/assistatnships?
And, most importantly, besides ranking, is there any other reason why you want to transfer? Are you happy with your program? Are you still getting a lot out of it?
Unless there’s a more pressing issue, I wouldn’t recommend changing programs just because you don’t think the ranking is high enough (especially since you’re already half-way done). Transferring would inevitably lead you to taking more time to complete your degree, and especially if you’re paying for all this yourself/taking out loans, that doesn’t seem to be very wise.
This also really depends on your future plans. If you’re applying to PhD programs down the road, it’s usually more important to have good, quality work than to have a name-brand degree. And it depends on your field, too. Sometimes you just need the master’s to fit the requirements, especially if you already have work experience in the field.
Thank you…
I’m studying computer science … I’m planning to apply for PhD in another university. I have a sponsor where my master degree is funded and this is an issue if I change since my sponsor, most likely, will not agree to pay for the un-transferred courses.
The reason I like to transfer ,as as I said, the ranking which I’m afraid will effect negatively on my chances of getting accepted on a good PhD program.
One good point about my current university is my thesis adviser … he is good.
If you’ve already completed a year and your plan is to apply for PhD programs, I don’t see the point in trying to change programs. You’ll probably have to start over from the beginning or almost the beginning, and you’ll incur a lot of debt. The ranking of your MS program doesn’t matter a whole lot for PhD programs.
Your research experience, grades, and the letter from your advisor are the most important things a PhD program will look at in your application. Stick with your current school and then assess the situation when you apply this fall or next for your PhD.
Thanks for all of you … I feel better now.