Masters/Research?

[RedheadAblaze]

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I intend to apply to a couple of Masters' programs in addition to PhD programs. Are the Masters' programs similar to PhD programs in that you should find professors with similar research interests?

 

[erg923]

Ideally, yes. However most not operate on the mentor model of training.

 

[LivingOffLoans]

I intend to apply to a couple of Masters' programs in addition to PhD programs. Are the Masters' programs similar to PhD programs in that you should find professors with similar research interests?

It depends on the program, but because master's programs do not emphasize research the way Ph.D. programs do, more than likely you will just be assigned an advisor.

Like erg923 said, ideally, you would match yourself with a mentor with similar interests who offers you the opportunity to conduct research with her/him. I was incredibly fortunate to have this experience in my program by accident, where my advisor just happened to be the person I would have wound up wanting to match with at some point. We did research together. I learned a lot; and yes, it does help guide you toward preparing applications and such if you're considering a Ph.D.

Maybe you could ask programs in advance before applying to them if you're able to suggest your own advisor, this way you can pair yourself up with someone doing research that is already in line with what you aspire to do in a Ph.D. program? That would be a good way to go about things.

 

[RedheadAblaze]

Thank you both!

 

[InNae]

Our (general-ish) masters program doesn't automatically admit/match students to/with particular faculty, but a thesis is required. I've had several absolutely outstanding masters students who contacted me prior to enrollment or soon after, took initiative and really learned and were productive in my lab. These students are now in very strong doctoral programs or well on their way to becoming highly competitive. I've also had masters students who don't seem to understand that their courses plus a token effort in lab are insufficient preparation for a doctoral program. I guess what I'm saying is that if YOUR goal is a doctoral program, reach out to faculty, work hard and show initiative. There are no guarantees in the current doctoral application climate, but you can really boost your chances by basically acting like a doctoral student already. Unless the lab really is at capacity, I've never known a faculty member at my institution to refuse to take on a strong student who is motivated and willing.

 

[RedheadAblaze]

Our (general-ish) masters program doesn't automatically admit/match students to/with particular faculty, but a thesis is required. I've had several absolutely outstanding masters students who contacted me prior to enrollment or soon after, took initiative and really learned and were productive in my lab. These students are now in very strong doctoral programs or well on their way to becoming highly competitive. I've also had masters students who don't seem to understand that their courses plus a token effort in lab are insufficient preparation for a doctoral program. I guess what I'm saying is that if YOUR goal is a doctoral program, reach out to faculty, work hard and show initiative. There are no guarantees in the current doctoral application climate, but you can really boost your chances by basically acting like a doctoral student already. Unless the lab really is at capacity, I've never known a faculty member at my institution to refuse to take on a strong student who is motivated and willing.

Thank you for your advice! Do you have any suggestions for how to do that? Should I reach out to faculty members before applying? And it doesn't really matter if their research interests match with a faculty member's? I've had a difficult time finding appropriate programs, so I'm not sure if I should just temporarily back off on my own research interests.

 

[LivingOffLoans]

you can really boost your chances by basically acting like a doctoral student already.

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