Requirement of M.S. before Ph.D in U.S.

saiarun

I am Arun. R. doing M.Sc in Physics(Specialization in Electronics) in India. I am intersted in doing ph.d in Nanotechnology in U.S.A. I have a few questions to ask.

a) Is M.S. a must before Ph.D, with my background of B.Sc & M.Sc(Physics) in Physics or can I directly apply for a Ph.D.(If I have a good GRE & TOEFL score.).

b) Are there any Ph.D qualifying exam after joining for Ph.D. in U.S. with coursework of 1 year or so. Does it involve any coursework?

c) In general, how much time does it take to finish
i) Ph.D if applied directly for it
ii) M.S. Integerated Ph.D.

Thanking you in advance.

Pengwuino

I've been told that you can go straight into the phd programs. I was told you would only want to go MS -> PHD if you want to get into a top top university (because you'd have better scores hopefully then the people who are straight out of their bachelors program).

Norman

First of all you should read:
http://www.physicsforums.com/journal...howjournal&j=2

That is ZapperZ's journal and is filled with everything you want to know.

I can give you what I know directly though:
a) No, some schools have direct Ph.D. programs where you go from a B.Sc. to a Ph.D.- some schools you get an MS along the way- some you don't.

b) All schools that I know of in the US have Qualifying examinations. These are exams that you must pass to continue in the Ph.D. program. It is the first big step in a Ph.D. program after getting accepted.

c) in the US from after a B.Sc. to Ph.D. it takes about 6 years or so on average.
I don't understand what parts i) and ii) mean so I cannot comment.

again please read and excellent article on this whole process written by ZapperZ:
http://www.physicsforums.com/journal...howjournal&j=2

Cheers,
Ryan

robphy

From what I know, few places let you apply for a terminal-MS if there is a PhD offered (although there certainly are exceptions).

imabug

Since an MSc and MS are essentially the same thing (Masters degree in Science), there should be no need for you to repeat unless you're switching fields, or the school you're applying to decides not to accept your current masters degree. If your GRE and TOEFL scores are acceptable, you ought to be able to apply to a PhD program. Don't bother with the MS, you'll already have one.

Dr Transport

Many schools will make you get a Masters on the way to a PhD regardless of whether or not you already have one....many places will not enroll you directly into th ePhD program, you'll have to repeat some courses and take their version of the qualifiers/comprehensive exams.

Gokul43201

An M.Sc in India is not recognized in the US. You will have to apply to a PhD program and most likely go through the coursework. It may be possible, in some Universities, to skip the coursework if you can take and pass the qualifier. Depending on the school, the group and the dept. policies, it could take you anywhere from 5 yrs to 7yrs to complete a PhD in Physics. If you applied to EE instead, you could finish in 4 or 5 yrs. There is no such thing as a PhD in Nanotechnology.

When you say you have a specialization in electronics, what do you mean ? Could you please elaborate a little on what you have done to claim this specialization ?

saiarun

By Specialization I mean I have taken extra 4 courses on Electronics in my final year. My university doesn't give the course as M.Sc(Electronics), instead M.Sc Physics (specialization in electronics).

Do I have to do a course work for Ph.D., even if I do M.S. in the same university (for M.S. integrated Ph.D.) or Ph.D. in some other university.

Thank you.

Gokul43201

In physics, the degree after a BS is simply a PhD. This usually includes a year or two of concentrated coursework. After completing this coursework, you may terminate your study and ask for an MS. So, in that sense, every PhD is an MS integrated PhD...except that there is no separate degree for the MS.

Pengwuino

Gokul are you sure about that. My university offers a Masters in Physics.

Gokul43201

Most Universities do offer an MS (at least on paper), but if you apply to the university for the MS program, the dept. will not likely support you. So what people do is, they apply for the PhD program and cut it short and bail after completing coursework and a research project.

Pengwuino

We don't even have a phd program... just the masters program...

loseyourname

The University of Washington offers a PhD in Nanotechnology. It claims to be the first of its kind.

Gokul43201

I stand corrected...but really, looking at the cartoons on their webpage, would you want to go there ?

saiarun

So I will go ahead with Ph.D. I will be writing Physics GRE , General GRE, TOEFL. Is this enough for getting into caltech, MIT or UC. Are there any other requriements to get into these top universities. Should I go & work for a Project in IISc or IIT for an year, before applying to U.S.

Thankyou

Dr Transport

That is not entirely correct. Both Universities I went to for graduate work supported students working on TERMINAL masters degrees. In the cases I am talking about the students were working on degrees to earn their permanent certificatin as high school teachers.

Gokul43201

Oh, that's unusual nowadays. At least, I don't know anyone like that at my University. The dept. will first (naturally) look out for its PhD students and only then look to support MS students...if it's rolling in the dough.

If you're an international applicant, you all but destroy your chances of getting admission by applying for an MS.