Talk to your support network, eg. your friends and family. They are the ones you rely on most during your PhD for emotional support (parents can also be a source of financial support).
If you’re looking for more advice, be sure to check out our article with advice for PhD students. Are you sure a PhD is the right decision for you? Search PhDs in Biological and Medical Sciences to find the Ph.D. that’s right for you.
Can I get a doctorate without a master’s?
Well, it’s possible to get a PhD without a master’s degree, but it’s very rare. You can enter a doctorate directly after graduation, some people will even enter programs with college credits but no completed master’s degree. That said, a master’s degree will always require complete courses taken as part of your doctoral program, but this is not the case in all cases.
In some cases, institutions offer a five-year program where the first two years will be spent qualifying for a PhD and also earning a master’s degree, and then the remaining three years will be spent on research of programs. While the usual route is two years for a master’s and four years for a doctorate, this saves you a year.
Career prospects
Masters degrees generally prepare you for a career outside of academia, while doctorates are designed to lead to a career in research.
There are two types of masters: terminal and intensive research. Career prospects are different for each of them.
Duration
A typical master’s program lasts approximately two years full-time. However, there are accelerated programs that can be completed in about a year.
In general, a doctorate requires five to six years of study, teaching and research. However, it can take up to eight or nine years for some students to graduate. With this significant time investment, you need to know if a PhD is right for you before you start.
Top reasons why USA is better to get a PhD:
There are several reasons why USA is a great choice for PhD studies:
A PhD in the US takes longer to complete than one in the UK. This way you will have more time to adjust to your classes. The extra time can be the difference between survival and success.