It\u2019s not just more classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you ever wondered what the real difference is between a master\u2019s degree and a PhD is, but felt like it would be dumb to ask? You\u2019re not alone, and it\u2019s not a dumb question at all. Despite what many might think, a PhD (or doctoral degree) is not a more advanced master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, as college professor Dr. Ari explains, a PhD and a master\u2019s degree have fundamentally different purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGetting a master\u2019s and a PhD are very different from each other,\u201d she says in a TikTok video. \u201cWhen someone says, \u2018Maybe I should just keep going and get my PhD,\u2019 I kind of immediately know that they don\u2019t really understand the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nA PhD is not just \u201cmore classes.\u201d It\u2019s training to become a knowledge producer, not just a knowledge consumer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Master\u2019s = learning. PhD = producing.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA master\u2019s program is about learning knowledge. A PhD program is about producing knowledge,\u201d Dr. Ari goes on. \u201cIn a master\u2019s, you take classes, you complete assessments and assignments, you prove you understand existing research, maybe you write a thesis or do a comprehensive exam. In a PhD, your classes are the easy part. Your real job is to\u00a0identify a \u2018gap\u2019 in the literature. You design a study, you defend it to a bunch of experts, and you\u00a0contribute something new to your field\u00a0(theoretically).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the clearest way to explain the difference is through what Dr. Ari says about what each degree asks of the person earning it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA master\u2019s program asks, \u2018Do you understand what we already know?\u2019 And a PhD asks, \u2018Can you expand what humanity already knows about this thing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A PhD program tends to be all-consuming<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Ari also explains the lifestyle difference between the degrees. Master\u2019s degree candidates are generally balancing work and family life along with their program requirements. It\u2019s certainly not easy, but expectations are even higher for PhD candidates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPhD program, especially funded ones, really expect you to be all in, all the time,\u201d says Dr. Ari. \u201cResearch, conferences, publishing, teaching. It\u2019s a little different for each discipline, but for the most part, it\u2019s the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people understand that getting a PhD is harder than getting a master\u2019s degree, but it\u2019s not just simply about there being more or harder classes. It\u2019s really a fundamental difference in what you are doing: consuming knowledge vs. producing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can you get a PhD without a master\u2019s degree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Many of us think of the degrees in the U.S. college system as a hierarchy: associate\u2019s, bachelor\u2019s, master\u2019s, PhD, in that order. But thinking of them purely as rungs to climb on a ladder is a bit of a misnomer, as it ignores the differences in the degrees\u2019 purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In many cases,\u00a0you can get a PhD without ever getting a formal master\u2019s degree, just as many people get a bachelor\u2019s without getting a separate associate\u2019s degree first. (And, of course,\u00a0there are niche advanced degrees, like a J.D. to become a lawyer or an M.D. to become a medical doctor, which have different requirements and purposes than other doctoral degrees.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where things get a little more nuanced<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Some people pointed out that there are master\u2019s programs that are more research-based, thus more alike in nature to a PhD. However, others who have been through a research master\u2019s and a PhD program said they were still different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how people in the comments described it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFetal position crying is part of the journey of earning a PhD <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My master\u2019s was a breeze compared to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy PhD gave me PTSD.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m almost done with my PhD and I regret it :)\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust know that getting a PhD is literally academic hazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA PhD is quite literally the highest attainable degree; it\u2019s not something you just do. You will work. And you will nearly die. \u201cI\u2019m currently getting my Nursing PhD. No, I do not want to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh so this is why some professors are so strict about being called Doctors. Honestly yeah, I get it now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why when I see my PhD candidate friends crashing out, I leave them be. They deserve that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPhD Student here. This is accurate. Funded student. I had to adjust my entire life for research. It\u2019s worth it nonetheless\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s to the humans who help add to our ever-expanding knowledge as a species, even when it consumes their entire life to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can follow Dr. Ari on TikTok for more on college degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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