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I graduated with my M.S. in physics, with a focus in Quantum Computing, (course-based M.S.) last December and aim on doing a career in research. Thus I'm very attracted to doing a PhD (within the US), the experience that I had in that program really cemented my interest. However my unimpressive GPA of 3.39 along with my absence in publishing my research in doing my M.S. I think puts me behind as red flag at many schools.

(Side-note: My undergrad institution had a notably poor physics department (most underfunded department, chairmen absent-mindedly cancelled courses, poor advisement (advised to take E&M while taking Calc 2. Not a joke.), courses randomly cancelled by Chairman, very small faculty pool that were very disconnected from global physics community, etc.), and so doing my course-based MS was sort of way of me redoing my bachelors as well as "really learning physics". In so doing though, I was very ill-prepared in taking graduate coursework at a good school)

However, I noticed University of Waterloo offers two research based Quantum Information-related M.S. programs (fully funded) that I thought about applying for:

  1. MSc Physics (Quantum Information): https://uwaterloo.ca/physics-astronomy/graduate-studies/msc-programs
  2. Perimeter Institute MS program: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/psi-masters-program

I hoped that these could serve as an opportunity to improve upon my "most recent education" GPA but also work as a means for producing a professional research thesis at a reputable institution, before doing my PhD. My thinking was that this could give me great preparation.

If I could explain my motivations well in my PhD personal statement for this, would admissions committees find it less suspect?

I appreciate any advice that anyone is willing to share. Thank you!

Qu-Bit 2022
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  • Is this specific to Canada? If not, where do you intend to do a PhD (country)? – Buffy Nov 26 '22 at 12:34
  • Hi @Buffy, I preferred to do my PhD in the U.S. Most of the institutions that I’m interested in are US-based (e.g. UMD, Stonybrook, UW-Madison, UC Berkeley, U-Washington as a few) but Waterloo and University of New South Wales I’m considering too. – Qu-Bit 2022 Nov 26 '22 at 14:40
  • Why not just apply to PhDs and see if you get in? Don't second-guess yourself before you've even tried. Just make sure you apply to a spread of departments, not just the famous/competitive ones. – astronat supports the strike Nov 26 '22 at 15:41
  • Hi @astronat, thanks for the reply. I applied to PhD programs for the past 2 years and found my lack of publications along with my lower GPA to be part of the issue. I intended on applying to both, for the chance that I’m not accepted into a PhD but am accepted into the less competitive MSc programs @ Waterloo’s, allowing me to improve upon my latest GPA and publication/research list. \

    But How valuable is a MS GPA on your PhD application? Is it a better use of my time to focus on finding other research opportunities & publishing rather than completing an additional MSc degree? Thoughts?

     – Qu-Bit 2022 Nov 26 '22 at 16:46

2 Answers2

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I doubt that this plan is the best for US doctoral programs. Most applicants only hold a bachelors degree and have little if any actual research experience. Therefore prior such experience is not expected.

Most places the first objective in the program is to pass qualifying exams and the program will provide necessary advanced courses to enable that. Thesis based research might not start until that is done, though that isn't true everywhere.

With a course based masters you likely have much, if not all, of the knowledge for qualifiers. An additional masters would probably just slow you down overall, as you would still need to find an advisor and a topic that is mutually acceptable.

This might be quite different in other countries and even in a few US programs. See How does the admissions process work for Ph.D. programs in Country X? for additional guidance.

Buffy
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As far as applying to another masters: I would research if you can even apply to those master programs because some institutions will not admit applicants that already have an equivalent degree in that field. Although, if you can, its not a bad idea to exhaust all your options and apply anyway as a fallback. If you do attend another masters program, it is important to explain why in your personal statement/statement of objectives when applying for PhD programs later on as redoing your physics masters may be questionable without valid explanation. Additionally, if you take a lot of the same coursework again and your GPA doesn't increase or it is lower then your previous masters degree, this may raise red flags about your ability to take high level graduate courses.

With regards to PhD programs, you should absolutely apply. But as mentioned in the comments, make sure you apply to a range of programs and not just the most famous ones as you don't want to limit yourself. Your GPA (assuming its on a 4.0 scale) is not as low as you make it seem; 3.4 is a little bit higher then a B+ average. Moreover, if you apply to PhD programs, you are allowed to discuss your career as scientist in your personal statement. Here you can often describe your situation and explain your previous research experiences (or lack thereof) while describing what fields of research you are interested in and why. Descriptions of requirements for applying to top universities, such as this one, state that previous research is not required. Just make sure you justify your interest in the subject. Does research experience help? Yes, but I have also met someone that got a B.A in Art and still managed to get into a STEM PhD program.

Lastly, taking the Physics GRE can help make you a stronger applicant. Just make sure that the programs of interest still take it as after COVID, some universities wont look at your GRE scores. I am not saying I advocate for GRE scores to predict applicant abilities, but it is another piece of your application that can help if you do well.

Getting another masters should not be your priority. If you don't get into PhD school, explore relevant careers outside of academia, such as industry or private/government labs. All of these experiences will help you build your CV and make you a better candidate.