{"id":1188,"date":"2018-01-03T11:58:49","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T11:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/qav2.petersons.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/masters-or-ph-d-graduate-degree-options\/"},"modified":"2018-06-25T11:30:44","modified_gmt":"2018-06-25T17:30:44","slug":"masters-or-phd-graduate-degree-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qav2.petersons.com\/blog\/masters-or-phd-graduate-degree-options\/","title":{"rendered":"Master&#8217;s or Ph.D.: Graduate Degree Options"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The two main types of graduate degrees offered are the master&#8217;s degree and the doctoral degree. In most fields, the doctoral degree is known as a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). In some specialized fields, the doctoral degree goes by another name such as a juris doctor (J.D.) degree in the field of law, or names such as Doctor of Physical Therapy or Doctor of Pharmacy.<\/p>\n<h2>Graduate Degree Timeline: Master&#8217;s or Ph.D. first?<\/h2>\n<p>Often students pursuing doctoral degrees complete\u00a0their master&#8217;s degrees first and then move on to their doctoral level work. Did you know that it&#8217;s possible to go straight for your Ph.D. without getting your master&#8217;s first? Many students don&#8217;t, but depending on your field, it could be a viable option that saves you time, money, or both. Things to consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Doctoral candidates often get more funding.<\/li>\n<li>Pursuing each graduate degree separately can take longer.<\/li>\n<li>You only have to go through the application process once!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Will the direct-to-doc option work for you? That depends. The best decision, master&#8217;s or PhD,\u00a0is the one that aligns with your personal, academic, and career goals (Learn more on\u00a0<a href=\"\/graduate-schools\/choosing-right-graduate-degree.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to choose the right graduate degree program<\/a>.).<\/p>\n<h2>Requirements Depend on Master&#8217;s or Ph.D. Graduate Degree Program<\/h2>\n<p>All graduate degree programs are different. Some schools require all students to begin as master&#8217;s candidates. Other schools will offer master&#8217;s status to some entering students, but Ph.D. status to others. When you attend a combined degree program, you complete master&#8217;s-level work as part of your doctoral requirements.<\/p>\n<h2>When to Go Directly to a Doctorate<\/h2>\n<p>Going directly for a doctoral graduate degree program is a good choice when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You&#8217;re completely dedicated to your area of study.<\/li>\n<li>You want to work in a highly competitive field and need top credentials.<\/li>\n<li>You plan to teach or research at the university level or study in a research-intensive field. While a Ph.D. is certainly no guarantee, it will get you that much closer to your goal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>When to Get a Master&#8217;s Degree<\/h2>\n<p>Getting a master&#8217;s first might be better if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your college grades aren&#8217;t strong enough to get you into a Ph.D. program.<\/li>\n<li>A master&#8217;s is the only graduate school degree you need to qualify for the job you want. This is often the case in secondary education, engineering, and nursing.<\/li>\n<li>You&#8217;re continuing your education as a means of changing careers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ph.D. or Master&#8217;s: Choice of Graduate Degrees is Up to You<\/h2>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>Regardless of which path \u2014 Ph.D. or master&#8217;s \u2014 you choose, it&#8217;s essential to research your options carefully.\u00a0Grad school is an exciting step, but it&#8217;s a commitment. Before you decide, find out more information on\u00a0<a href=\"\/blog\/category\/grad-schools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">graduate degrees<\/a>\u00a0throughout our site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The two main types of graduate degrees offered are the master&#8217;s degree and the doctoral degree. In most fields, the doctoral degree is known as a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). In some specialized fields, the doctoral degree goes by another name such as a juris doctor (J.D.) degree in the field of law, or names<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":5324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[625,626],"class_list":{"0":"post-1188","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-grad-schools","8":"tag-masters","9":"tag-phd"},"better_featured_image":{"id":5324,"alt_text":"","caption":"","description":"","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":2048,"height":1366,"file":"2018\/01\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash.jpg","sizes":{"post-thumbnail":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-270x180.jpg","width":270,"height":180,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-270x180.jpg"},"contentberg-main":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-770x515.jpg","width":770,"height":515,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-770x515.jpg"},"contentberg-main-full":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-1170x508.jpg","width":1170,"height":508,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-1170x508.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-stylish":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-900x515.jpg","width":900,"height":515,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-900x515.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-carousel":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-370x370.jpg","width":370,"height":370,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-370x370.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-grid-b":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-554x466.jpg","width":554,"height":466,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-554x466.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-grid-b-sm":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-306x466.jpg","width":306,"height":466,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-306x466.jpg"},"contentberg-slider-bold-sm":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-150x150.jpg"},"contentberg-grid":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-370x245.jpg","width":370,"height":245,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-370x245.jpg"},"contentberg-list":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-260x200.jpg","width":260,"height":200,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-260x200.jpg"},"contentberg-list-b":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-370x305.jpg","width":370,"height":305,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-370x305.jpg"},"contentberg-thumb":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-87x67.jpg","width":87,"height":67,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-87x67.jpg"},"contentberg-thumb-alt":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-150x150.jpg"},"thumbnail":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-150x150.jpg","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-150x150.jpg"},"medium":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-300x200.jpg","width":300,"height":200,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-300x200.jpg"},"medium_large":{"file":"michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash-768x512.jpg","width":768,"height":512,"mime-type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-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In most fields, the doctoral degree is known as a Ph.D.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/qav2.petersons.com\/blog\/masters-or-phd-graduate-degree-options\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Master&#039;s or Ph.D.: Graduate Degree Options - Peterson&#039;s\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The two main types of graduate degrees offered are the master&#039;s degree and the doctoral degree. In most fields, the doctoral degree is known as a Ph.D.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/qav2.petersons.com\/blog\/masters-or-phd-graduate-degree-options\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Peterson&#039;s\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/petersons\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-03T11:58:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-06-25T17:30:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.petersons.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/10124548\/michael-d-beckwith-575798-unsplash.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1366\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ben\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Petersons\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Petersons\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ben\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Master's or Ph.D.: Graduate Degree Options - Peterson&#039;s","description":"The two main types of graduate degrees offered are the master's degree and the doctoral degree. 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