Monday, April 16, 2012

A Masters Degree Or A Doctoral Degree: What Is The Best Choice?

There are various degrees open to people entering graduate school. The most common degrees pursued by students are master's degrees and doctoral degrees. And what would be the difference between these degrees?

There are serious commitments required when it comes to work, time and energy regardless of whether you do the masters or the doctoral degree. Taking on a graduate degree can get competitive and overwhelming at times. Students find this to be especially the case if they are keeping their careers and pursuing full-time study.

The more career-focused masters program is great for people looking to get a raise a work. A doctoral degree opens up graduates to research-rich careers. A PhD is a fundamental requirement for becoming a professor.

Masters degrees do set people apart from those with bachelor's degrees. This degree is beneficial to those who have been in a career for a while and seek to expand their expertise. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to attain a masters degree in order to pursue a doctoral degree.

An extremely valuable component of doctoral degrees is their knowledge creation ability. Doctoral degrees have a requirement for original research that allows individuals to contribute new knowledge to the field. A doctoral degree is attractive to those who have a love for study.

It takes more time for someone to do masters than to complete a doctorate. Masters can be obtained in two years, full-time. A doctorate degree, however, will take more years than that.

PhDs are more costly because they take longer to complete. A great thing about doctorate degrees is that they afford the students who complete them a much higher salary. Many students then agree that the worth of a doctorate degree offers more long term benefits.

The financial aid options also vary between the two programs. Less financial aid is made available to students of the masters degree. Full scholarships usually go to students in PhD programs.

Both degrees offer the students the opportunity to explore subjects that they are interested in. While graduate school work is quite a lot, it is fun because it involves a subject of interest to the student. Perseverance is an almost natural result of this enjoyment.

Online, there are more masters degree programs than there are PhDs. People who love learning would be a good fit for the doctoral degree. The masters degree is the better option for people looking for promotions at work or career advancements.