Should I Leave for a Master's Degree or Wait for a PhD?

  • Thread starter Thread starter irycio
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Master's
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the decision to pursue a master's degree abroad after completing a bachelor's in physics at Jagiellonian University in Poland. The individual expresses a desire for a more enriching academic experience, citing dissatisfaction with the current curriculum's reliance on textbooks and a lack of engaging lecturers. While recognizing that many European universities have stronger reputations, they also appreciate the high level of education at their current institution and the positive atmosphere. The main inquiry is whether to leave for a master's program or wait for a PhD, with a specific interest in fields like mathematical physics and numerical relativity. Recommendations for potential universities include Copenhagen University, Vienna University, LMU Munich, ETH Zurich, and ENS Ulm, with a consideration of studying in English or German. The individual seeks advice on the value of pursuing a master's degree abroad versus staying for a PhD later.
irycio
Messages
96
Reaction score
1
Hi everyone!

I'm now doing my 3rd year of bachelor's study in physics at Jagiellonian Uni., Cracow, Poland. As good the university at the national scale as it is, I'm considering going for my master's degree somewhere abroad. Now, the pros are pretty obvious - almoste every European university is better known than this one (in general, not necessarily in particular fields) and being mobile kinda looks nice in a CV. In addition to, I'm slightly disappointed with some of my courses being almost straight from the textbook, with almost or no personal addition from the lecturer - it's hence hard to find a 'scientific idol' ;).

On the other hand, however, the level all in all is I believe pretty high, compared at least to what some of my friends are being taught i.e. at the Birmingham Uni. (I'm only speaking of the bachelor's degree). Moreover, I kinda like the atmosphere of my university, and there is always a risk of ending up somewhere, where it's far from being that nice.

So the question is, would you recommend leaving for a master's, or would you wait for a PhD?
Also, if leaving, can you recommend some universities in Europe. I gues I'd be particularly interested in mathematical physics, GR, numerical relativity, (magneto)hydrodynamics and things like that.

Thanks in advance for all your responses.

Edit: A friend of mine talked me into applying to Copenhagen University and in combination with Niels Bohr Institute they seem to be pretty strong. I've been also considering Vienna University, given Ervin Schroedinger Institute nearby, but VU seems to be quite low in rankings.

Edit 2: The languages of study under consideration are English and possibly German. And Polish I guess ;).
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
ENS Ulm.
 
Thx for the suggestions, especially for Munich. But how about the other part of my question - is it worth it? I mean, leaving for a master's. Surely for PhD, but I do have doubts regarding master's.
 
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
Hello, I’m an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in both computer science and physics. I was wondering if anyone here has graduated with these degrees and applied to a physics graduate program. I’m curious about how graduate programs evaluated your applications. In addition, if I’m interested in doing research in quantum fields related to materials or computational physics, what kinds of undergraduate research experiences would be most valuable?
Back
Top