Master’s or Doctorate? Five Key Things to Consider When Choosing a Chemistry Graduate Degree Path

by Wynne Parry

2. Where do I see myself?

Along with your professors, ACS Career Consultants are resources with whom you can dig deeper into your goals. The ACS ChemIDP tool is also a good resource. The self-assessments it offers can help you get a handle on how your combination of skills, priorities, and values translates into a career path. 

ACS Career Consultant Adam Myers has had many conversations with undergrads about their goals. “What I really bring things back to is, what do they want to do? What's their target job?” he says. “[That is] the biggest question they need to answer for themselves. And once they do that, then we can sort out a path.” 

Sometimes the position you are aiming for leaves little question as to the degree you need. If you want to become a tenure-track professor at a university in the US, for example, you’ll need a PhD. But, depending on what interests you and where you want to go, your options can be more nuanced. 

As a rule, a PhD prepares you to lead scientific research either on your own or with a team of other scientists, technicians, and possibly students. This path makes sense if you enjoy investigating the unknown and pulling together experimental data to lead cutting-edge work.

Graduates of Georgia Institute of Technology’s PhD program often leave their field of expertise and head into something new, says Kenyetta Johnson Taylor, Georgia Tech’s director of graduate studies.

Typically, though not always, a PhD will lead you to a technical career. Ironically, it may ultimately pull you out of the lab. It’s not uncommon for a lead researcher to spend more time with data and administrative issues than working with chemicals. If you love benchwork, but are less excited by research itself, a master’s degree may be a better choice. A master’s will usually focus your career on a particular field. It can also give you foundational knowledge you can use outside the lab or on the business side of a company.

A PhD is often seen as a qualification for leadership, but that doesn’t mean a master’s will prevent you from growing professionally. Depending on your company, you may be able to rise quite high on the career ladder, but it may take you longer and require some extra initiative.  

3. Do you have the time, money, and resources?

Don’t underestimate the time and financial commitment graduate school requires. A PhD typically takes 5 years—sometimes more, sometimes less. You can expect to spend 2 or 3 years getting a master’s degree. 

Then there’s the money. “A person really needs to look at, well, what is my life and my support right now? And how would that align with the demands of what a graduate program would expect of me?” says Sam Pazicni, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  

A PhD program in chemistry should cover your tuition and provide a small income, which you earn by teaching or working in a lab. That income is quite modest, much less than what you’d earn in industry and inadequate to support a family. What’s more, some programs discourage or even bar students from seeking outside work. 

Some master’s degree programs come with funding, but depending on your program, you may need to pay tuition plus living expenses, which can get quite expensive.

If you’re wondering what the difference in pay between a PhD and a master’s might be, according to the results of the ACS Salary Survey in 2021, new PhD holders earned on average $75,583, while those graduating with master’s degrees earned $50,493, about $16,000 more than those with bachelor’s degrees.

4. Understanding requirements of degrees

Understanding what will be required of you based on the degree program may help you finalize your decision. The structure and demands of individual programs vary, but they generally follow a few basic templates. 

PhD: Doctoral programs begin with coursework, then move into research that culminates in a thesis, which you formally defend. “Few PhD chemistry programs are exactly alike,” says Pazicni, adding that some programs have their own requirements, such as candidacy exams and teaching.

Master’s: These programs come in more flavors than do PhDs, with some focusing on research and others on work experience or coursework. 

Some master’s degree programs prepare students to work within a specific field. For example, Keck Graduate Institute’s Master of Engineering in Biopharmaceutical Processing focuses on the manufacture of therapies, such as vaccines, antibodies, and stem cells, derived from biological sources. Graduates go to work at both large companies and small startups, developing effective processes for making these therapies or working in their full-scale manufacture. 

Other master’s programs can offer an introduction to graduate school for students who may be interested in—but perhaps intimidated by—the prospect of working toward a PhD. The ACS Bridge Program helps enroll students into a 1- to 2-year Bridge Experience in a postbaccalaureate or transitional master’s program that provides research experience, advanced coursework, mentoring, and coaching to enable students to transition into a doctoral program.

PSM: Likewise, programs known formally as Professional Science Master’s (PSMs) like the forensics program at Florida International University, the applied chemical sciences program at Rice University, and the industrial chemistry program at the University of North Texas prepare students to enter the workforce by offering training in professional skills such as leadership, ethics, and financial management. Students enrolled in a PSM program may also complete an internship instead of a thesis.  

As you consider your options, keep in mind too that studying chemistry is not a life commitment to working in a lab. These degrees can open doors elsewhere. A master’s could support a career in patent law or public policy. A PhD may help you segue into a business leadership position. A master’s or even a bachelor’s degree can prove useful in adjacent fields, such as technical writing, regulatory affairs, or sales and marketing, says Joe Martino, an ACS career consultant. 

5. What if I’m not sure? Or if I change my mind after enrolling in a program?

If you’re stumped, or just need a break, you may be considering going straight to work after graduation, while considering your graduate school options. This approach, sometimes known as a gap year, has pros and cons, according to Joe Martino, an ACS Career Consultant.

It may give you a new perspective on the field and bolster your résumé, he says. You’ll also likely be earning more than you ever have before. But when it comes time to go back to school, say for a PhD, “all that goes away,” he adds.

If you’re already working, it’s possible that you won’t have to leave your job. Many employers help their employees obtain master’s degrees, and occasionally PhDs. However, these programs can come with strings. Evonik, the specialty chemicals company for which Myers works, offers a tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing master’s degrees relevant to their careers at the company. However, employees are generally expected to continue working full-time.  

Just as a master's degree can be a step toward a PhD, it can offer an off-ramp too. Students who don’t complete a doctorate may leave the program with a master’s degree instead.

If you’re struggling to come to a decision, that’s okay. Choosing a path for your future is a big decision, so don’t beat yourself up if the answer doesn’t pop out at you, Pazicni says. 

“I wish the students who were thinking more deeply about it or having that uncertainty would just realize that that's perfectly fine,” he says. “Just as it's perfectly fine that their friend knows what they want to do.”