It’s not just more classes.
Have you ever wondered what the real difference is between a master’s degree and a PhD is, but felt like it would be dumb to ask? You’re not alone, and it’s not a dumb question at all. Despite what many might think, a PhD (or doctoral degree) is not a more advanced master’s degree.
In fact, as college professor Dr. Ari explains, a PhD and a master’s degree have fundamentally different purposes.
“Getting a master’s and a PhD are very different from each other,” she says in a TikTok video. “When someone says, ‘Maybe I should just keep going and get my PhD,’ I kind of immediately know that they don’t really understand the difference.”
Master’s = learning. PhD = producing.
“A master’s program is about learning knowledge. A PhD program is about producing knowledge,” Dr. Ari goes on. “In a master’s, you take classes, you complete assessments and assignments, you prove you understand existing research, maybe you write a thesis or do a comprehensive exam. In a PhD, your classes are the easy part. Your real job is to identify a ‘gap’ in the literature. You design a study, you defend it to a bunch of experts, and you contribute something new to your field (theoretically).”
Perhaps the clearest way to explain the difference is through what Dr. Ari says about what each degree asks of the person earning it:
“A master’s program asks, ‘Do you understand what we already know?’ And a PhD asks, ‘Can you expand what humanity already knows about this thing?’”
A PhD program tends to be all-consuming
Dr. Ari also explains the lifestyle difference between the degrees. Master’s degree candidates are generally balancing work and family life along with their program requirements. It’s certainly not easy, but expectations are even higher for PhD candidates.
“PhD program, especially funded ones, really expect you to be all in, all the time,” says Dr. Ari. “Research, conferences, publishing, teaching. It’s a little different for each discipline, but for the most part, it’s the same.”
Most people understand that getting a PhD is harder than getting a master’s degree, but it’s not just simply about there being more or harder classes. It’s really a fundamental difference in what you are doing: consuming knowledge vs. producing it.
Can you get a PhD without a master’s degree?
Many of us think of the degrees in the U.S. college system as a hierarchy—associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, in that order. But thinking of them purely as rungs to climb on a ladder is a bit of a misnomer, as it ignores the differences in the degrees’ purposes.
In many cases, you can get a PhD without ever getting a formal master’s degree, just as many people get a bachelor’s without getting a separate associate’s degree first. (And, of course, there are niche advanced degrees, like a J.D. to become a lawyer or an M.D. to become a medical doctor, which have different requirements and purposes than other doctoral degrees.)
Some people pointed out that there are master’s programs that are more research-based, thus more alike in nature to a PhD. However, others who have been through a research master’s and a PhD program said they were still different.
One thing everyone agreed on is that getting a PhD is no joke
Here’s how people in the comments described it:
“Fetal position crying is part of the journey of earning a PhD 😫. My master’s was a breeze compared to it.”
“My PhD gave me PTSD.”
“I’m almost done with my PhD and I regret it :)”
“Just know that getting a PhD is literally academic hazing.”
“A PhD is quite literally the highest attainable degree; it’s not something you just do. You will work. And you will nearly die. 😂”
“I’m currently getting my Nursing PhD. No, I do not want to talk about it.”
“Oh so this is why some professors are so strict about being called Doctors. Honestly yeah, I get it now.”
“That’s why when I see my PhD candidate friends crashing out, I leave them be. They deserve that moment.”
“PhD Student here. This is accurate. Funded student. I had to adjust my entire life for research. It’s worth it nonetheless…”
Here’s to the humans who help add to our ever-expanding knowledge as a species, even when it consumes their entire life to do so.
You can follow Dr. Ari on TikTok for more on college degrees.
