Is a Physics Masters Degree Useless? Considering the Next Step

[ChrisVer]

I call a phd the person who is working on their phd, not someone who graduated successfuly.
6.3 years is a lot, true...
As for what a phd focuses on, it's not uncommon i guess to hear that a phd spends more than 60% not working at their project.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I call a phd the person who is working on their phd, not someone who graduated successfuly.

That is not the usual usage.

 

[CrysPhys]

I call a phd the person who is working on their phd, not someone who graduated successfuly.

So, what do you call someone who has been granted a PhD?

 

[Charles Link]

To address the OP @radical negative , I think it is important to strive for academic excellence and learn all that you can, and learn it as well as you possibly can. Whether you manage to achieve the M.S. level, or Ph.D. level, or even beyond that, knowing the subject matter well is really more important than the degree level you happen to achieve. In some ways, it's similar to the letter grade you achieve in a class=as much as the G.P.A. is important, it's more important to have an understanding of the subject matter. If you do, the grades and the G.P.A. will usually take care of itself. And if you work very hard in graduate school, the M.S. and/or Ph.D. degree may also follow, but the emphasis should be on learning. A successful graduate student really needs to be very hungry to learn.

 

[Locrian]

That is one way to look at it. Another way is: So if it takes 2 years to get, it hasn't actually cost you any time. The marginal expenditure is relatively small.

That's how I felt about it. Getting a PhD is a significant loss from a net-present-value of income perspective. Now, if the person gets enough satisfaction from the work they'll be doing afterwards, then it could absolutely be worth it, but you're starting from a loss and trying to make up for it.

But the masters, on the other hand, allows someone to study much of the same material, finish quickly and start at a higher pay (than with the BS). The risk is lower.

For me that (Masters) was the sweet spot, but I can totally see how others would see physics as an all or nothing enterprise.

 

[ChrisVer]

So, what do you call someone who has been granted a PhD?

either postdoc (if he or she is still around in academia) or Dr (the title you get by obtaining the phd)...