Master's in the US
Hey guys! I need some help regarding the masters in US! How much are the tuition fees for doing a master's in the US for international students (on average)
Thanks
Thanks
That's a very broad question, to which the broad answer is: a lot.
You need to go onto the uni websites of the courses you're interested in and see what the fees are. It will vary widely both by uni and by course. AFAIK there are not different fees for internationals, the only differences I am aware of are that state unis charge lower fees for their in-state residents. You may also find a number of unis may not offer masters in certain fields, as the more usual progression in the US is a four-year bachelors followed by a five-year PhD, where the latter typically involves two years of coursework.
You need to go onto the uni websites of the courses you're interested in and see what the fees are. It will vary widely both by uni and by course. AFAIK there are not different fees for internationals, the only differences I am aware of are that state unis charge lower fees for their in-state residents. You may also find a number of unis may not offer masters in certain fields, as the more usual progression in the US is a four-year bachelors followed by a five-year PhD, where the latter typically involves two years of coursework.
Original post by Everdine123
Hey guys! I need some help regarding the masters in US! How much are the tuition fees for doing a master's in the US for international students (on average)
Thanks
Thanks
Almost all schools offer masters. It's very rare to go straight into PhDs. Universities cost wayyy more than in the UK though especially since most programs run for two years.
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In the USA we do a four year undergraduate degree and the masters degrees are two year programs. It is unheard of for someone to go from an undergraduate degree straight into a phd. A masters would be earned first.
For a resident it costs alot to do a masters so I would assume itd be a big investment to go for your masters here as an international student.
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For a resident it costs alot to do a masters so I would assume itd be a big investment to go for your masters here as an international student.
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I'm sorry, but with all due respect it is far from "unheard of" for people to go straight to PhD. It may be subject dependent, but for example many top unis in the US don't even offer a masters program in Economics - graduate work is straight to PhD. There are others where they do offer masters but where the faqs specificslly state that you do not need masters to apply for PhD. You may get a masters as a "consolation" if you drop out before finishing but that's not the same thing.
See for example the Harvard and MIT pages for economics PhDs, and the Columbia, Harvard and Stanford pages for politics/government PhDs.
See for example the Harvard and MIT pages for economics PhDs, and the Columbia, Harvard and Stanford pages for politics/government PhDs.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by sj27
I'm sorry, but with all due respect it is far from "unheard of" for people to go straight to PhD. It may be subject dependent, but for example many top unis in the US don't even offer a masters program in Economics - graduate work is straight to PhD. There are others where they do offer maetrs but where the faqs specificslly state that you do not need masters to apply for PhD. You may get a masters as a "consolation" if you drop out before finishing but that's not the same thing.
Ok, well thanks for making sure you included the minority and uncommon route. Whatever.
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Original post by smorga30
Ok, well thanks for making sure you included the minority and uncommon route. Whatever.
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What subject do you do?
My interest in graduate studies has been in these two fields, therefore they are the ones I am most aware of. I hardly think economics or politics students are a "minority". Furthermore given the cost of graduate studies in the US it doesn't seem to make much sense to me for an international to study there at a uni that is not well-known or regarded outside the US.
FYI from the Stanford FAQ for politics:
Is a master’s degree required for admission?
No, a master’s degree is not required for admission, although roughly one-third of our applicants have completed a graduate degree prior to application to the PhD program.
I would say a third is the "minority" compared to the two-thirds who go straight to PhD.
Original post by sj27
What subject do you do?
My interest in graduate studies has been in these two fields, therefore they are the ones I am most aware of. I hardly think economics or politics students are a "minority". Furthermore given the cost of graduate studies in the US it doesn't seem to make much sense to me for an international to study there at a uni that is not well-known or regarded outside the US.
FYI from the Stanford FAQ for politics:
Is a master’s degree required for admission?
No, a master’s degree is not required for admission, although roughly one-third of our applicants have completed a graduate degree prior to application to the PhD program.
I would say a third is the "minority" compared to the two-thirds who go straight to PhD.
My interest in graduate studies has been in these two fields, therefore they are the ones I am most aware of. I hardly think economics or politics students are a "minority". Furthermore given the cost of graduate studies in the US it doesn't seem to make much sense to me for an international to study there at a uni that is not well-known or regarded outside the US.
FYI from the Stanford FAQ for politics:
Is a master’s degree required for admission?
No, a master’s degree is not required for admission, although roughly one-third of our applicants have completed a graduate degree prior to application to the PhD program.
I would say a third is the "minority" compared to the two-thirds who go straight to PhD.
Hey whatever you want. Pump more money into my economy, I beg of you! All I was saying is I have never heard of anyone going straight into a phd. Ever. And since I was schooled here I think I know more Americans than you.
If you want to come and do that route, go for it. I was simply stating that as I am about to enter postgrad, along with a ton of other people I know, no one is going to skip a masters.
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Original post by smorga30
Hey whatever you want. Pump more money into my economy, I beg of you! All I was saying is I have never heard of anyone going straight into a phd. Ever. And since I was schooled here I think I know more Americans than you.
If you want to come and do that route, go for it. I was simply stating that as I am about to enter postgrad, along with a ton of other people I know, no one is going to skip a masters.
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If you want to come and do that route, go for it. I was simply stating that as I am about to enter postgrad, along with a ton of other people I know, no one is going to skip a masters.
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You probably do know more Americans than me, however given my work background I probably know a lot more Americans with PhDs in economics than you....
Btw I do hope you learn better reasoning skills in your masters than you have till now, coming back with a sarcastic "whatever" after being shown to make a demonstrably wrong statement is not going to cut it.
I'm done here, sorry for the drift OP, I hope you think clearly about the cost-benefit of doing a masters in the US. Good luck.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by sj27
You probably do know more Americans than me, however given my work background I probably know a lot more Americans with PhDs in economics than you....
Btw I do hope you learn better reasoning skills in your masters than you have till now, coming back with a sarcastic "whatever" after being shown to make a demonstrably wrong statement is not going to cut it.
I'm done here, sorry for the drift OP, I hope you think clearly about the cost-benefit of doing a masters in the US. Good luck.
Btw I do hope you learn better reasoning skills in your masters than you have till now, coming back with a sarcastic "whatever" after being shown to make a demonstrably wrong statement is not going to cut it.
I'm done here, sorry for the drift OP, I hope you think clearly about the cost-benefit of doing a masters in the US. Good luck.
Whatever. Whatever. Whatever. Happy? Lol.
People are so ridiculous on this forum. Yes, everyone wants an economics phd apparently! That's the only course the OP could possibly be referring to! I've had enough of this conversation. I answered the OPs question based of the majority of programs. Thanks for covering the other route!
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Original post by smorga30
Whatever. Whatever. Whatever. Happy? Lol.
People are so ridiculous on this forum. Yes, everyone wants an economics phd apparently! That's the only course the OP could possibly be referring to! I've had enough of this conversation. I answered the OPs question based of the majority of programs. Thanks for covering the other route!
Posted from TSR Mobile
People are so ridiculous on this forum. Yes, everyone wants an economics phd apparently! That's the only course the OP could possibly be referring to! I've had enough of this conversation. I answered the OPs question based of the majority of programs. Thanks for covering the other route!
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No. You answered based on a false assumption that the people you know = a representative sample of students in the majority of PhD programs. sj27 is generally correct: the majority of PhD programs in the US do not require you to have a Master's degree. What proportion of matriculated students do have a Master's degree is highly variable, even from year to year, across individual programs; however, there are some schools that specifically do not want applicants with Master's degrees, and some schools that specifically do but these are most certainly the minority. There are a few fields that I know of where MA's are very common, and desired (e.g. Comp Lit), I presume there are similar fields in the social and hard sciences (maybe Anthropology...where language skills are needed), but, in general, Master's are neither required, nor the norm, for PhD program entrants.
Most social science/humanities require a Masters and honestly, going straight to Phds for any of those programs are dumb. Though it might not be required, it's probably smarter as you'd be a bit more prepared especially in regards to your dissertation. Even for programs that don't require Masters to go into Phd, getting accepted straight after undergrad is slim, you'd have to have a full on resume with experience in the related field.
Also, tuition for international students don't really change for postgrad, it's just that you won't have access to as much funding from the schools themselves. Private schools tend to offer my scholarships/funding to international students that state schools though
Also, tuition for international students don't really change for postgrad, it's just that you won't have access to as much funding from the schools themselves. Private schools tend to offer my scholarships/funding to international students that state schools though
Original post by aodunewu
Most social science/humanities require a Masters and honestly, going straight to Phds for any of those programs are dumb. Though it might not be required, it's probably smarter as you'd be a bit more prepared especially in regards to your dissertation.
Once again, no they don't.
Most US PhD programs have a couple of years of Master's study integrated into the program and will let you claim a Master's degree after completion of PhD coursework. It's usually a choice - many people go straight through and don't claim their Master's; some schools don't bother offering it; some schools use it as a weeding out point for people who either decide they no longer want the PhD, or for people who aren't coping with the work/performing at a high enough standard. It is not 'dumb' to go straight to PhD, it's actually pretty normal - there are MANY schools who (unofficially) actively prefer PhD applicants without Master's degrees because it means that they are free to train them in THEIR method and approach, rather than have to get them to unlearn the approaches of other schools. In my program, usually between a quarter and a half of each year group has an MA. Often those with MA's are people who majored in another subject as an undergrad and so felt they needed more subject specific knowledge before applying to PhD programs.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by madamemerle
Once again, no they don't.
Most US PhD programs have a couple of years of Master's study integrated into the program and will let you claim a Master's degree after completion of PhD coursework. It's usually a choice - many people go straight through and don't claim their Master's; some schools don't bother offering it; some schools use it as a weeding out point for people who either decide they no longer want the PhD, or for people who aren't coping with the work/performing at a high enough standard. It is not 'dumb' to go straight to PhD, it's actually pretty normal - there are MANY schools who (unofficially) actively prefer PhD applicants without Master's degrees because it means that they are free to train them in THEIR method and approach, rather than have to get them to unlearn the approaches of other schools. In my program, usually between a quarter and a half of each year group has an MA. Often those with MA's are people who majored in another subject as an undergrad and so felt they needed more subject specific knowledge before applying to PhD programs.
Most US PhD programs have a couple of years of Master's study integrated into the program and will let you claim a Master's degree after completion of PhD coursework. It's usually a choice - many people go straight through and don't claim their Master's; some schools don't bother offering it; some schools use it as a weeding out point for people who either decide they no longer want the PhD, or for people who aren't coping with the work/performing at a high enough standard. It is not 'dumb' to go straight to PhD, it's actually pretty normal - there are MANY schools who (unofficially) actively prefer PhD applicants without Master's degrees because it means that they are free to train them in THEIR method and approach, rather than have to get them to unlearn the approaches of other schools. In my program, usually between a quarter and a half of each year group has an MA. Often those with MA's are people who majored in another subject as an undergrad and so felt they needed more subject specific knowledge before applying to PhD programs.
Yes. This. +1
You may also need to take a few undergrad prereqs concurrently if you're changing fields (I had to brush up on some upper level chem and bio) at the same time and that can affect costs if your upper level degree is different than the field you start out in.
It is tougher to transfer in graduate schools, though many phD programs offer funding whereas Master's tend to be work (Employers will sometimes pay for you to take courses - this is likely very limited for an international student) or loan/self funded. As an international student, you would do well to look into scholarships and TAships. Work hours are often limited and TAships tend to pay better than most jobs as well as looking nice on a CV/resume.
I do suggest getting in touch with a professor or mentor when you choose a program. Being known to a professor can help you get in on tasty, tasty not-loan fundings since they often have a say in departmental funding. Be sure to know what they study and let them know you're interested.
The costs of a Master's or phD vary considerably by school and region (as do costs of living. Look at the cost of living in NYC vs say, somewhere in Austin, TX) as well as what program you're interested in. I would disagree that going straight to a phD is dumb. It's simply for some people, and not for others, that's all. And sometimes you can come out of it with a Master's if it doesn't work out in most cases.
However, I do believe that I should warn you that a phD in and of itself can be very limiting, should you choose to walk that road. Humanities phDs are not 'stupid'. They are simply harder to sell and you'll have to hustle a bit more. Be prepared to learn to sell your skills and make connections.
We might be able to help you more if you'd let us know what subjects you're interested in. I also advise you think long and hard on what you want to study, not just the cost. US programs are much longer and a good chunk of them are research focused. Most schools do want to help you attend, after all.
It is tougher to transfer in graduate schools, though many phD programs offer funding whereas Master's tend to be work (Employers will sometimes pay for you to take courses - this is likely very limited for an international student) or loan/self funded. As an international student, you would do well to look into scholarships and TAships. Work hours are often limited and TAships tend to pay better than most jobs as well as looking nice on a CV/resume.
I do suggest getting in touch with a professor or mentor when you choose a program. Being known to a professor can help you get in on tasty, tasty not-loan fundings since they often have a say in departmental funding. Be sure to know what they study and let them know you're interested.
The costs of a Master's or phD vary considerably by school and region (as do costs of living. Look at the cost of living in NYC vs say, somewhere in Austin, TX) as well as what program you're interested in. I would disagree that going straight to a phD is dumb. It's simply for some people, and not for others, that's all. And sometimes you can come out of it with a Master's if it doesn't work out in most cases.
However, I do believe that I should warn you that a phD in and of itself can be very limiting, should you choose to walk that road. Humanities phDs are not 'stupid'. They are simply harder to sell and you'll have to hustle a bit more. Be prepared to learn to sell your skills and make connections.
We might be able to help you more if you'd let us know what subjects you're interested in. I also advise you think long and hard on what you want to study, not just the cost. US programs are much longer and a good chunk of them are research focused. Most schools do want to help you attend, after all.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Everdine123
Hey guys! I need some help regarding the masters in US! How much are the tuition fees for doing a master's in the US for international students (on average)
Thanks
Thanks
I have nothing to add to the comments already made, but thought you might find it also useful to go to www.thegradcafe.com. This is a great forum for all things US postgraduate applications. You'll get lots of further advice there.
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