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going from Masters in new field to PhD app in same year?

Hi,

I hope to start a masters in a field different than my undergrad this fall (humanities to technical field). I am also interested in doing a PhD at some point in the future. Is it doable to apply for PhD over the course of my masters and get a conditional offer?

The problem is I don't have a good idea of a research topic yet and I would not have any references from academics in related fields until after I would have built those relationships over my masters year.

Assuming I can come up with a good research idea fairly quickly, is it possible to get references from professors I've only known for a few months and apply at the end of the year? Or more realistic doing to do a masters first and skip an academic year before applying for a PhD?

Reply 1

zombiejon

Best timing would be to apply during the final year of your Master's program. Or you could apply for a different intake. Depending on the schools you are interested in, PhD entrance dates can vary.

Original post by ZX32

The problem is I don't have a good idea of a research topic yet and I would not have any references from academics in related fields until after I would have built those relationships over my masters year.

Assuming I can come up with a good research idea fairly quickly, is it possible to get references from professors I've only known for a few months and apply at the end of the year? Or more realistic doing to do a masters first and skip an academic year before applying for a PhD?

Very possible. Just keep talking to some of the professors. As for skipping, it really depends on whether you find someone willing to accept you, or whether you get funding right away.