MPhil vs PhD: Difference and What to pursue after Masters?

What is a PhD?

The PhD or Doctor of Philosophy is one of the highest levels of degree that a student can achieve in his/her academic credentials. A PhD is a Doctorate degree, which can be attained through detailed research on a subject, following which the researcher is required to submit a thesis describing the result of his/her research. Usually, a PhD can be taken up after a Master's and an MPhil. So, students looking for what to study after a master's can consider a PhD degree.

However, in certain cases, students can pursue PhD after bachelors, as it is prevalent in the USA. As the name suggests, a PhD is a doctoral degree, and it is mainly pursued by those who are interested in a career in academics. There is no specific time frame for a PhD. However, it generally takes upwards of 3 years to complete a PhD, which can go up to 7 to 10 years. A PhD is usually undertaken under an academician, working under a university or otherwise, who is known to have enough research experience to guide the PhD candidate.

Advantages of PhD

A PhD is an extensive degree that offers a vast number of advantages to students. These include:

• Critical Thinking Skills: The extensive nature of a PhD degree helps students develop problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking skills.
• Intellectual Freedom: Students doing a PhD get freedom for intellectual exploration. This gives them the decision-making skills to select the field that they want to study.
• Professional Networking: Doing a PhD allows students to interact with renowned scholars worldwide.
• Career Opportunities: Students doing a PhD get a variety of career opportunities and can get better salaries.

Disadvantages of PhD

With so many advantages, there are also a number of disadvantages of doing a PhD for students.

• Mental and Emotional strain: Doing a PhD is a rigorous process that leaves students with self-doubt, mental pressure, and anxieties.
• No work-life balance: Completing a PhD degree does not allow a student to maintain a proper work-life balance.

What is an MPhil degree?

The Master of Philosophy, which is the full form of MPhil, is a structured research degree that allows students to take up research-oriented studies for 1 or 2 years. It is an intermediate degree between a Master's and a PhD and is sometimes seen as a first step towards a Doctorate. In an MPhil, students learn the fundamentals of research work and may actually investigate the research of others rather than taking up their own research. An MPhil degree is more common in the field of Arts and Humanities, with many universities offering it as a replacement for a Ph.D. So, students looking for what to study after a master's can consider MPhil courses.

Again, an MPhil degree is not necessarily a research degree. In cases like that of Cambridge University, MPhil replaces the one-year Master’s degree and has more coursework content. However, in other cases, the MPhil degree's structure is inclined more towards research or the study of it.

Advantages of MPhil

A Master's of Philosophy (MPhil) offers the following benefits to students:

• In-depth knowledge: Doing an MPhil gives students access to deep knowledge about a particular subject area.
• Research skills: MPhil is a research-oriented field, and completing it helps students gain an upper hand in research skills such as academic writing, data analysis, and literature review.
• Time-efficient: It is shorter than a PhD, which helps students gain an advanced degree without spending much time.
• Get mentorship from experienced mentors: Highly knowledgeable and experienced faculty members guide the students who do MPhil.

Disadvantages of MPhil

With these advantages, there are also some disadvantages to doing MPhil for students. These include:

• Limited Funding: As compared to PhD, there are fewer funding options available for students doing MPhil. This makes it difficult for them to secure financial support.
• Less career options: Students doing MPhil have limited career options, as compared to those who have done a PhD.
• Lack of original contribution: While the research that students do in MPhil holds a lot of value, it doesn't contribute anything new like a PhD thesis.
• Less rigorous evaluation: Students get less comprehensive feedback in their MPhil program, as the evaluation is not as strict as in a PhD.

Similarities between MPhil and PhD

MPhil vs PhD

Difference between MPhil and PhD: While the inclination of both PhD and MPhil is towards research, both are far from being similar degrees. Two of the major differences between PhD and MPhil are, of course, their lengths and content structure. The table below highlights MPhil vs PhD differences in terms of length, content, guidance, and more.

Difference between PhD and MPhil

After Master's Degree What Next: MPhil or PhD?

After masters what next: Generally speaking, pursuing a Master's or PhD depends on the interest of the student. Both are research-oriented programmes and lead to different qualifications. Since an MPhil is intermediate to a PhD, many students pursue it as preparation for a PhD.

It has, however, been observed that MPhil degrees are mostly offered in the field of Arts and Humanities while STEM-related fields focus more on Ph.D. Further, MPhil courses are rare, and not all universities offer an MPhil degree, while most universities, especially research-intensive ones, offer research opportunities in at least some of the subjects. Hence, students wondering after masters degree what next can opt any of the degree either an MPhil or a PhD.

MPhil Eligibility Criteria

If you are thinking about going for MPhil after wondering after master degree what next. You must be eligible to apply for the MPhil course. Generally, the MPhil eligibility varies depending on the chosen university. However, the majority of universities require students to meet some academic qualifications, research capabilities, and language proficiency to be eligible for the MPhil course. Here are the common MPhil course requirements for students:

MPhil Requirements For Indian Students

• Aspirants must have a master’s degree in a relevant field to pursue an MPhil degree.

• Many colleges and universities also specify minimum GPA requirements to be eligible for MPhil courses. It is at least 55% in their post-graduation in the subject in which they want to pursue an MPhil degree.

PhD Eligibility Criteria

Candidates looking to pursue PhD courses must comply with the academic requirements and qualify for university-specified entrance exams to be eligible. Although the PhD eligibility criteria vary as per the chosen university, there are some basic qualifications required by the majority of institutions. Here are the common requirements for PhD courses for Indian students:

PhD Requirements For Indian Students

• They must have completed a master’s degree in a similar course or stream in which they aspire to pursue a PhD.

• They must have completed a 4-year bachelor's degree with at least 75% marks to pursue a PhD.

• Some colleges may also want students to complete an MPhil with at least 55% marks in a PhD course.

• There are some entrance requirements as well to be eligible for PhD course admission. For instance, students are required to qualify for the GATE exam to pursue a PhD in Engineering.

MPhil Entrance Exams

MPhil programmes in India are discontinued. However, securing admission abroad to MPhil courses often requires students to qualify for entrance exams. These exams measure the academic aptitude, research capabilities, and subject-specific knowledge of candidates who are seeking to pursue an MPhil degree in universities and colleges. Aspirants must take university-specific tests, subject-specific tests, and GMAT/GRE/TOEFL/IELTS to pursue an MPhil abroad.

PhD Entrance Exams

Candidates seeking admission in PhD courses must have passed the university-specified entrance exam to enrol. Here are some of the popular PhD entrance exams for students:

Popular Entrance Exams For PhD Courses in India

• UGC NET

• GATE

• JEST

• CSIR UGC NET

• ICMR JRF

• DBT BET

MPhil vs PhD: How to apply?

• For PhD, the best way to apply is by searching for research opportunities in specific departments and writing to them asking for opportunities.
• While a Master's is a must for many universities, many even accept bachelor's students, provided the student can show credentials that are impressive enough for the faculty members.
• PhD aspirants are required to submit a research proposal, and their doctorate depends on whether the research proposal is accepted and an academician at a university is willing to take the student under her.
• For application to MPhil, the requirements vary along with the universities. Since an MPhil degree does not require a dissertation, students are not required to submit a research proposal for the same.
• In fact, the process of applying for an MPhil is more often the same as for a Master's. However, the university will look into your research interest during screening.
• Also, as in a PhD, when you apply, it helps to have majored in the same subject that you wish to pursue your MPhil in.

Here are few ways to apply for PhD across the world:

• How to apply for Phd in the UK?

• How to apply for Phd in the USA?

Conclusion: Should I do an MPhil or a PhD?

After a master's degree, what next, MPhil or PhD? The decision whether you should do an MPhil or a PhD depends on your career goals, how much time you can devote, and the level of academic achievement you want to attain. If you don't wish to devote a lot of time and advance your career, then an MPhil is perfect for you. If you wish to attain the highest level in academics and become a university professor or researcher, then a PhD is perfect for you. Hence, it depends on candidate on after masters what next.