Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD
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Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD – Explained in Pictures

Ever wondered what is the difference between Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD?

This the the Best damn good explanation of What is PhD and while explaining that, you will know the difference in Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD. I have I have come across.

Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD

Imagine a circle that contains all of human knowledge:
What is PhD

By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little:
WhatisPhD2

By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more:
WhatisPhD3

With a bachelor’s degree, you gain a specialty:

WhatisPhD4

A master’s degree deepens that specialty:

Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD

Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge:

Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD

Once you’re at the boundary, you focus:

WhatisPhD7

You push at the boundary for a few years:

WhatisPhD8

Until one day, the boundary gives way:

WhatisPhD9

And, that dent you’ve made is called a Ph.D.:
WhatisPhD10

Of course, the world looks different to you now:

WhatisPhD11

So, don’t forget the bigger picture:

WhatisPhD12This was originally published at The Illustrated Guide to a Ph.D by Matt Might.

Now you know “What is PhD” and understood the major difference between Bachelors vs Masters vs PhD.

Are you ready to push the boundaries of human knowledge?

You might be undecided about studying PhD. Maybe this article inspired you to push the knowledge boundary.

If not read the following 2 articles.

Next, you have to understand timeline and steps to get a PhD degree.

Remember – You need passion and time commitment to do PhD. Don’t apply for PhD because you can earn more money.

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40 Comments

  1. The teaching of linear thinking as we have seen for centuries focusing in on one item of interest while many topics of research are related. In order for a person to find solutions to problems understanding matrices of related subjects leads to many doors of possibilities to finding solutions instead of satisfying a theory. Great diagram. While you see a circle, we should be visualising a globe. Life is not flat! Thinking should not be shallow nor linear.

  2. I’m just a 12 year old ensuring my future by knowing all of these stuff before I need to know it

  3. I m pursuing 2 yr MBBS and i want to know whether to focus on csir ugc net for doing PhD or ms or MD which one has a good payscale

  4. hiii every one i completed my btech in 2011 with 59.09% for these completing i spend 6 years 5months to complete it … … After that i started Mtech with in 2 years i have completed and i have a 3. 4 years of experience as a developer ….. now i want to do job in USA what was salary i can get for this profile …….. OR i need to study MS

    1. Do you have the talent with the Node.js and the Mongo DB? Is you have proven track record of doing needful? Do you have doctorate?

  5. Sorry. I would have to disagree. I only have my masters. But I have encountered so many doctorate individuals who know far less than me. Sorry to disappoint you and contradict your article.

    1. I think the big differnce, is that with masters you’ll only know more and more about more topics but not further than the human knowledge at the time. A PHD will mark you as someone that introduced something new to human knowledge that didn’t exist before, and that doesn’t imply the person knowing more or less, but that they pushed those boundaries.

  6. does buisness schools accept GRE scores?what if i give GRE and then apply in the universities?any possibility?

  7. I always thought it was “BS” for “Bull Shit”, “MS” for “More Shit” and “PhD” for “Piled Higher and Deeper”.
    Ah well…learn something new every day….

  8. hi….
    i am presently doing m.tech in gitam university.
    b.tech-74.21
    m.tech-9(cgpa) up to first year
    i am taking gre on october… i dont have publications
    is there any chance to get the phd admission or can i apply for ms program only…
    help me

    1. Accurate admission requirements are to be found on university websites, not on public forums such as these. If you can’t find it, contact the admissions department of the university you want to apply to. Masters degrees are not always a requirement for PhD programmes, but sometimes they are.

      Essential factors for PhD admissions: Again, check the websites. Research skills, vision and motivation are really important. You’ll need a research proposal.

    2. Hi Krishna!

      It’s good to hear that you are interested to pursue Ph.D program. In vast majority of cases, prior academic publications are not required for Ph.D admissions in case if you are applying for Ph.D programs after completing of masters or bachelors degree program. Although after joining in Ph.D program, a student produces ‘n’ number of academic publications. So producing a publication prior to Ph.D admission is not so mandatory.

  9. hello, I am working as asst. professor chemical engineering, want to do PhD in chemical engineering field , how would i get admission in UK/USA universities and what is the chances to get admission there and how much investment I need ?
    Please give full information regarding it.

    thanks.

    1. Full information is generally available on the websites of the specific universities. Admissions requirements, application processes and programme cost (I assume this is what you mean by “investment”) are all found on the websites of the respective universities. Chances of admission vary from university to university and not all universities put those statistics on their website, but if you put in some effort to go looking for it yourself, I think you should be able to find it.

  10. Hi There,

    I have 16+ Years and completed my DECE in 97, Btech (CMJU) in 2012 and Masters (Middlesex,UK) in 2013. I am looking for Phd opportunities in US for telecom field.

    Can you provide me some details of the good consultants in India who is good in helping such cases. Also what are all the other preparation I should take care.

    1. Neither. BSc is bachelor of science. Medical degrees are bachelor of medicine and surgery (MBBS, MBChB, BMBS, MBBCh etc depending on how you abbreviate Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae). You generally carry the title of “doctor” afterwards, though, even without a PhD.

  11. I am working as Asst Prof. In India with Highest qualification of Masters in Engineering. Masters in engineering is the course which does not belive only on semester patern but gives lot of exposour to research work. Now I am very interested doing research in the domain of Image Processing . What are the different job aportunities ( Excluding Education Industries) after PhD form USA in Computer Engineering ( specifically in Image Processing Domain) u can suggest???

    1. You will find most of the opportunities in research laboratories. After completing a doctoral program, it is very obvious that you would be involved in full time research. In fact many students go ahead for a post doctoral program as well and take up teaching jobs at the respective Universities.

  12. I am working as Asst Prof. In India with Highest qualification of Masters in Engineering. Masters in engineering is the course which does not belive only on semester patern but gives lot of exposour to research work. Now I am very interested doing research in the domain of Image Processing . What are the different job aportunities ( Excluding Education Industries) after PhD in Computer Engineering ( specifically in Image Processing Domain) u can suggest???

  13. Amazing post! Even though I don’t think I will pursue a Ph.D. , I really want to come close to making that dent in my life.

  14. WOW, this is an amazing and innovative way HSB. The post deserves more comments and appreciation. Keep it up 🙂

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