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need guidance, question about MSc(master's) programs

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:29 pm
by dpplgngr
Hi, I'm from Turkey, I completed my undergrad and currently doing MSc(thesis about GR) in the top Uni of my country. Comparing myself with the profiles I think I don't have good chances to get accepted in, say top 50, schools. But I really want to, so my questions are,

if I go to another MSc programme in a prestigious University will it increase my chances to get phd?
Would being self-funded increase my chances to be accepted in a MSc programme?
Which uni.s(worldwide) offer seperate masters program (so far I could only find Imperial Colleges Msc in Quantum Fields).
Is getting into a MSc programme easier than getting into PhD?
Does all of this make sense or am I being delusional?
As a final note, I want to work on hep-th or gr-qc.

Thanks for comments in advance.

Re: need guidance, question about MSc(master's) programs

Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:44 pm
by YellowXDart
It's hard to assess your chances without reviewing your whole profile. Important things would be your PGRE score, TOEFL if English isn't your first language, research experience, and GPA. If you go into another Master's program and do well, it will definitely help your chances. Terminal Master's programs in the US are rare, and the majority of them will not fund you. Nobody is going to tell you where to find these programs, you should do a search yourself on google or in this forum (it has been discussed before). Getting into a Master's program in the US is definitely easier than getting into a PhD program, but only because these schools tend to be much lower ranked and don't have to provide funding. Another thing to keep in mind is this: it is NOT the end of the world if you don't end up in a top 50 program. Who you work with and how hard you work will be significantly more important in your career as a physicist.