Assistantships

[schoolpsych1]

I am actively applying and looking for assistantships at my school. I am in the masters program but they have funding to some degree for them too. I was surprised how many students went into the PhD program and then decided after obtaining their masters, to leave and work with just that.
I felt that although it seemed dishonest and uncomfortable, that to get funding, that was the way to go.
Is this something that goes on more than I realized? I know at some universities (like Yale) they will give a masters degree at some point but look down on anyone that leaves with just that. To me getting a PhD is a long term serious commitment and I wondered if I am just being naive?
I did waiver back and forth, but thought an EdS degree was what I would want more at this point.
Any thoughts on this, I have heard it at more than my school and wondered if I was just "out of the loop" just leaving undergrad.

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[RejectClinical]

I am actively applying and looking for assistantships at my school. I am in the masters program but they have funding to some degree for them too. I was surprised how many students went into the PhD program and then decided after obtaining their masters, to leave and work with just that.
I felt that although it seemed dishonest and uncomfortable, that to get funding, that was the way to go.
Is this something that goes on more than I realized? I know at some universities (like Yale) they will give a masters degree at some point but look down on anyone that leaves with just that. To me getting a PhD is a long term serious commitment and I wondered if I am just being naive?
I did waiver back and forth, but thought an EdS degree was what I would want more at this point.
Any thoughts on this, I have heard it at more than my school and wondered if I was just "out of the loop" just leaving undergrad.

Lots of schools no longer give terminal masters as a result of this practice. Did these students sign up for the ph.d. and then decide that they no longer wanted the degree or did they know all along that they wanted to leave with just the master's degree?

 

[schoolpsych1]

Some said they changed their minds, they could do what they wanted with the masters, others insinuated they always felt that way.
I can't be deceitful, but it does make you feel a little funny complaining about money and they will have the same thing paid for.
I feel the schools should make them pay them back if they change their minds, at least half of the tuition.
I didn't think it was that rampant until I was on another site and saw posts regarding it.Maybe it's the economic times, I don't know.

 

[pdxpsy]

I was under the impression this was frowned upon and stringent penalties could be assessed for failure to complete the doctoral program.

It does seem terribly unfair.

If the practice reaches a critical mass, I imagine schools will take appropriate measures.

Many people are feeling pressure to enter the work force sooner than later. Prospects for careers in academia are increasingly scarce and tenuous. Perhaps schools need to look at these trends and adjust accordingly?