MS or PhD? What field?

A very common question that bothers everyone. There are a few people who have very strong feelings as to what they want to do.

I would say, it all depends on how you want to see yourself 10 years down the lane. A Masters is more general than a PhD. So, choosing a university for PhD is tougher than for Masters. Unlike the Masters where you see the general rank of a Department, for a PhD you need to see who is working in your area in that particular department and how known is he in the field.

If you are very sure that you do not want to pursue research later in your life, apply for a Masters. Choose a wide field that you are interested in. The reason to choose a field is to apply to the good schools in that field. In case of Computer Science, if you are interested in Artificial Intelligence, there is no point applying to a school which is very good in Systems but has no faculty working in Artificial Intelligence.

If you are very particular about research, it is a straight choice to apply for a PhD. This way, you would not waste that extra time which you would if you apply for a Masters and then follow it with a PhD. Though you would decide on your PhD thesis/problem after 1 year of grad school, it is very important to decide on a broader field early enough. There is no point going to a school very good in Graphics and then realizing that you are not very interested in Graphics.

If you are interested in research but not quite sure, you are in the toughest situation.

1. You can always do a Masters, see if you are interested enough to probe further in the subject, and then apply for a PhD. Advantage - No commitment. Disadvantage - Lesser chances of funding, and probable loss of time. If you apply for a PhD after Masters, your work during Masters matters more than from where you got your Masters.
   
   
2. You can apply for a PhD. If you realize that you can not do it, you can opt out of the program - a risky step. Advantage: Higher funding chances, No wastage of time. Disadvantage - Risk and commitment.

It is all subjective. Your financial position, your interest level in doing research, your ability to cope up without funding. There could be people (like me) who can not risk the chance of joining a university without funding. But many others with similar financial backgrounds take the risk and sail through pretty easily.

I would like to add something here. Getting into a top school for a PhD program is much tougher than getting into the Masters program. It might be a different story about being funded - it might be easier for PhD students in such schools to be funded. But, remember, one has to get admitted before getting funded.

To sum up, straighten your priorities - interest in research, financial need for funding, general personality. Decide on how you want to see yourself 10 years down the lane and make a choice whether to apply for MS or PhD.