The pros
1. You will save time
If you can hear the clock ticking on your academic career and you are keen to get started on researching for your thesis, opting to forego a master’s degree will, more often than not, save you time. As a minimum, a master’s degree will take you one year to complete; however, some students need three years to complete their master’s education.
2. You will save money
The average annual cost of a master’s degree in the UK is £8,740; fees can vary greatly depending on the subject area, program and university. In addition to covering your tuition fees, you will also need to consider how you will support yourself while completing your master’s degree. For international students, the average cost is almost double what domestic students pay at £17,109.
3. You will enter the workforce faster.
While some PhD students enrol on a program through their thirst for knowledge and the opportunity to contribute to the field they are interested in, the majority of PhD candidates embark on the research to advance their careers. By skipping the 1 – 3 years that master’s degrees require, you will enter the workforce faster and obtain advanced positions in your field.
The cons
1. A Master’s Degree Prepares You for the Big Commitment of a PhD
As a PhD student, you are doing something that no one has ever done before; unlike your bachelor’s degree, there are no right answers, curriculums to follow or exams to pass with flying colours. You are creating completely original knowledge. By the very nature of your PhD, you will never find the answers to your hypothesis in a book or an academic article.
While studying for a bachelor’s degree, you will become familiar with general aspects of your discipline; your knowledge only becomes specialised through your graduation project or thesis. A master’s degree is a great opportunity to immerse yourself further into the field with its research-orientated approach. As a PhD student, you will be racking your brain within a specialised field for up to six years; being as prepared as possible is naturally highly recommended by academics who have experienced the process.
Furthermore, a master’s degree will allow you to find your feet in the process of postgraduate study, which is naturally far more complex than an undergraduate degree. Your master’s degree can either affirm you are on the right academic path or prove that you should be on a different one if you find the subject matter less appealing and interesting than you did while being introduced to it via your bachelor’s degree.
2. You Are Far More Likely to Be Accepted by Your First Choice
While you can absolutely become a PhD student without acquiring a master’s degree first, one of the biggest benefits of obtaining your master’s first is your chances for success with funded programs and your preferred courses.
When searching for a PhD course which doesn’t require you to hold a master’s degree, you will undoubtedly find that the options are slim pickings. And even if you do find courses with entry requirements that you fulfil, students with master’s degrees may still have the advantage over you. Even when master’s degrees are not a specified requirement, universities will still favour students with a master’s degree. A master’s degree will especially work in your favour if your bachelor’s degree grades aren’t above average; a master’s degree is one of the only ways to turn the tide in your favour.
Additionally, if you do your master’s degree at the same university you want to apply to be a PhD student, the connections you make with the lecturers and other staff members will drastically increase your chances of acceptance. You will be a familiar name and show loyalty to the university.
3. Master’s degrees are Essential if You Want to Break into a New Field
If you do not have the right academic background within a subject area, the chances of you being accepted into a PhD program are slim at best. So while it is possible for some people to do a PhD without a master’s degree, this won’t be the case if you have recently changed career paths and you are dipping your toes into new academic waters.
Tackling a new subject at a doctoral level, regardless of how interested you are in it, is no easy feat. It typically takes specialised knowledge to write a compelling research proposal, let alone a passable PhD thesis.
4. A Master’s Degree Can Reduce the Time Spent Completing a PhD
While some students can perceive spending years on their master’s degrees as a waste, this is often far from the case; during your master’s you will hone your knowledge on your definitive research topic and gather information on it. This can give you a multi-year head start on the doctoral students who have jumped straight from their bachelor’s degree into a PhD program.
