Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Clarification on MA and Phd
#1
So I've noticed many Phd programs will allow you to transfer in 9 credits. But I've also noticed that out of the 60 credits required, half of the courses were taken for the Masters program. So is a Phd just 30 credits above the Masters degree or should one skip the Masters and go straight for the Phd if that is their goal?
MA in progress
Certificate in the Study of Capitalism - University of Arkansas
BS, Business  Administration - Ashworth College
Certificates in Accounting & Finance 
BA, Regents Bachelor of Arts - West Virginia University
AAS & AGS
Reply
#2
I think it varies. I know traditionally, with science, most students go straight from an undergrad degree to phd. They typically only award a masters if the student is unable to complete the phd. I have seen some programs where it is worded that a phd requires 60 credits with 30 allowed from a masters and i've seen some that just say 30.
Currently studying for: Still deciding.

Done!
2020 - Harvard Extension School - ALM IT Management 
2019 - Harvard Extension School - Graduate Certificate Data Science
2018 - Harvard Extension School - Graduate Certificate Cyber Security
2016 - WGU - MBA Mgmt & Strategy
2015 - Thomas Edison State College - BSBA Marketing & CIS
Reply
#3
it also matters if the program is online. For whatever reason, I have rarely found any online doctorate programs that allowed entry without a masters first- I'm going to guestimate that number to be >95% of the time. OTOH, on the ground doctorates almost never require a masters, it's more typical for you to go directly from undergrad to doctorate.
Reply
#4
cookderosa Wrote:it also matters if the program is online. For whatever reason, I have rarely found any online doctorate programs that allowed entry without a masters first- I'm going to guestimate that number to be >95% of the time. OTOH, on the ground doctorates almost never require a masters, it's more typical for you to go directly from undergrad to doctorate.
I agree with this. (although I'm not sure about the >95% part) I think the reason is that online PhDs are not designed for traditional academia-bound students and are for students with very specific mid-to-late career goals, which makes already having an advanced degree make more sense.

Master's degrees generally function as either stepping stone/consolation prize degrees on the way to a PhD or are professional degrees like the MBA/MFA. In many fields such as Economics, Engineering, Education, etc. a Master's degree can also function as a quasi-terminal degree for industry practitioners who require an advanced degree but are not involved in academia. The amount of time/effort required to complete a MA vs a PhD is huge. A bit of extra coursework (usually research seminars and the like) is only part of getting a PhD, which requires a substantial amount of research far beyond what is required for a MA thesis/capstone. There's a reason why most PhD programs are (at least partially) funded - the commitment is much bigger and extensive involvement in academia is required for at least a few years.
CPA (WA), CFA Level III Candidate

Currently pursuing: ALM, Data Science - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (12/48, on hold for CFA/life commitments)
MBA, Finance/Accounting - Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2015
BSBA, General Management - Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, NJ, 2012


Reply
#5
I think part of it might also have to do with the types of majors that are typically offered as online doctoral programs. They tend to be in things like business and education. An online PhD in most of the liberal arts fields (math, science, social science, and humanities) is hard to find.

My PhD program is traditional, but it requires a master's. I can't recall if most criminal justice and criminology doctoral programs require a master's degree, but they are rare as online programs.
Graduate of Not VUL or ENEB
MS, MSS and Graduate Cert
AAS, AS, BA, and BS
CLEP
Intro Psych 70, US His I 64, Intro Soc 63, Intro Edu Psych 70, A&I Lit 64, Bio 68, Prin Man 69, Prin Mar 68
DSST
Life Dev Psych 62, Fund Coun 68, Intro Comp 469, Intro Astr 56, Env & Hum 70, HTYH 456, MIS 451, Prin Sup 453, HRM 62, Bus Eth 458
ALEKS
Int Alg, Coll Alg
TEEX
4 credits
TECEP
Fed Inc Tax, Sci of Nutr, Micro, Strat Man, Med Term, Pub Relations
CSU
Sys Analysis & Design, Programming, Cyber
SL
Intro to Comm, Microbio, Acc I
Uexcel
A&P
Davar
Macro, Intro to Fin, Man Acc
Reply
#6
Yanji Wrote:I agree with this. (although I'm not sure about the >95% part) I think the reason is that online PhDs are not designed for traditional academia-bound students and are for students with very specific mid-to-late career goals, which makes already having an advanced degree make more sense.

Master's degrees generally function as either stepping stone/consolation prize degrees on the way to a PhD or are professional degrees like the MBA/MFA. In many fields such as Economics, Engineering, Education, etc. a Master's degree can also function as a quasi-terminal degree for industry practitioners who require an advanced degree but are not involved in academia. The amount of time/effort required to complete a MA vs a PhD is huge. A bit of extra coursework (usually research seminars and the like) is only part of getting a PhD, which requires a substantial amount of research far beyond what is required for a MA thesis/capstone. There's a reason why most PhD programs are (at least partially) funded - the commitment is much bigger and extensive involvement in academia is required for at least a few years.

Ok,then 99% Smile Seriously, I've never even found 1. But, I don't spend "all" my time researching lol. I'm sure there are some...somewhere.

Does anyone know of an online doctorate program that doesn't require a master's degree for admission?
Reply
#7
Dakota State University's Doctor of Science in Information Systems. There's another one I saw, but I can't remember it right now.

Edit: I think I remember the program. It was Clemson's PhD in International Family Studies or something like that, but they no longer offer it online. Courtesy of the other forum, I've found a couple of more schools. Union Institute and University doesn't require a master's, but they're in the process of teaching out a couple of their doctoral programs. Fielding Graduate University does not require a master's degree for any of its doctoral programs. I think there are many distance learning programs in the UK and Australia that don't require a master's.
Graduate of Not VUL or ENEB
MS, MSS and Graduate Cert
AAS, AS, BA, and BS
CLEP
Intro Psych 70, US His I 64, Intro Soc 63, Intro Edu Psych 70, A&I Lit 64, Bio 68, Prin Man 69, Prin Mar 68
DSST
Life Dev Psych 62, Fund Coun 68, Intro Comp 469, Intro Astr 56, Env & Hum 70, HTYH 456, MIS 451, Prin Sup 453, HRM 62, Bus Eth 458
ALEKS
Int Alg, Coll Alg
TEEX
4 credits
TECEP
Fed Inc Tax, Sci of Nutr, Micro, Strat Man, Med Term, Pub Relations
CSU
Sys Analysis & Design, Programming, Cyber
SL
Intro to Comm, Microbio, Acc I
Uexcel
A&P
Davar
Macro, Intro to Fin, Man Acc
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)