<p>I am applying for a MSEE degree and on several of the applications for admission, there is a question asking for your ultimate degree intent (i.e. only pursuing a MSEE or eventually pursuing a PhD). </p>
<p>Is this question mainly for funding purposes? Right now, I only intend to pursue a MSEE degree, and this is what I will likely indicate on my applications. However, I don’t want to hurt my admission chances - will indicating that I only am pursing a MSEE degree rather than a MSEE + PhD hurt my chances?</p>
<p>I always thought it was the other way around… i.e. you have an advantage with only MSEE. That’s where the grad schools make their money.</p>
<p>I have heard that people intentionally sign up for PhD to get the free ride, then drop out once they have their MSEE. So I thought schools would like to have more MSEE students, since they usually pay a lot of money.</p>
<p>i agree with battlefrog. master only program is easier to enter than ma-phd program (always funded).</p>
<p>yet i personally havent heard anyone intentionally entering a phd program to just get a free master. and definitely avoid such a situation at all costs (your PI/mentor will simply hate you forever)</p>
<p>Of course the idea is not to be so obvious about it. It’s not like you’d drop out the day after you get your masters. lol But I personally know of people who have had no intention of getting a PhD enter a PhD program for the funding. That’s why some schools don’t even let you get your masters while working on a PhD.</p>
<p>Who says you’ll even have a PI? At least here, most PhD students come in with a TA. If they finish their MS coursework within one year (the time when TA’s run out), they can totally just graduate with an MS without having sucked up research funding. Seems fairly innocuous, disregarding that spot you stole from someone else who might have actually gotten a PhD.</p>
<p>Not only do I know some people who enter PhD programs just to get the funded master’s, I know people who aren’t even trying to get the master’s, but are there just for the recruiting and networking opportunities. For example, I can think of a few people who entered PhD programs and then withdrew without picking up any degree at all. But they don’t care because they got the job offer that they wanted.</p>