Value of Masters Degree Received During PhD

[laborsabre]

Hi all,

I am a current 2nd year in my PhD program. My program allows PhD students to tack on a master's in the course of their PhD by doing a little extra work (sometimes no extra work depending on which fields you choose). I am weighing the cost benefit at the moment, and I am curious if there is any added benefit to someone with no intention of quitting the PhD. Put a different way, beyond the improvement of your outside option, does having an intermediate master's listed on your CV matter at all after you have a PhD/when you go on the market? From what I gather it seems to open some internship doors prior to graduation, but other than that the value added seems small.

All thoughts are appreciated.

[TenukiMario]

Don't have personal experience to back this up, but my guess would be that the Master's does not matter assuming you finish the PhD.

However, it would be very valuable if, for whatever reason, you end up dropping the PhD. Especially if getting the Master's is only a minor amount of extra work, I would definitely add it.

You never know what could happen over the next 4 years. You will greatly regret not getting the Master's if something unforeseen happens and you drop the PhD with nothing to show for it!

[startz]

Don't have personal experience to back this up, but my guess would be that the Master's does not matter assuming you finish the PhD.

However, it would be very valuable if, for whatever reason, you end up dropping the PhD. Especially if getting the Master's is only a minor amount of extra work, I would definitely add it.

You never know what could happen over the next 4 years. You will greatly regret not getting the Master's if something unforeseen happens and you drop the PhD with nothing to show for it!

This is good advice.

[tbe]

I agree also.

Out students earn the masters basically after finishing their second year in the PhD program. It really has little value if you finish the PhD. The only 'intermediate' value is if you want to teach at another university while doing your PhD (which I wouldn't advise), some schools require that you have a masters to teach.

[laborsabre]

I agree also.

Out students earn the masters basically after finishing their second year in the PhD program. It really has little value if you finish the PhD. The only 'intermediate' value is if you want to teach at another university while doing your PhD (which I wouldn't advise), some schools require that you have a masters to teach.

Thanks this is exactly what I was asking. I get the value from getting it to hedge against future uncertainty, but I was mainly interested if there is any additional value. In my case the cost was mainly sitting in a class for 2.5 hours each week and writing a 25 page paper. I have decided this is a minor cost, and I will get the master's. Thanks all.