In the United States, master’s and doctoral programs have a lot of overlapping requirements. Whether they showed up with a master’s already or not, a Ph.D. student will typically complete all of the master’s degree requirements in the beginning stages of their own degree. This ensures the student possesses the relevant knowledge when they reach candidacy, but it also allows for the option of “Mastering Out” once the master’s degree requirements have been met.
Master Out
(v.) to exit a doctoral program with a master’s degree
A Ph.D. student could have any number of reasons for mastering out…
- the laboratory or PI was a poor fit for them
- the program or university was a poor fit for them
- a change in career goals
- a change in life or family circumstances
- a change in financial circumstances
- a job offer they could not pass up
- a change in health, physical or mental
- a change in priorities
Mastering Out is not failing.
Of course is it true that sometimes a person was simply not doing what they needed to do, likely not listening to the advice of their professors, and they needed to leave the program. However, the vast majority of the time, the Ph.D. student who chose to Master Out simply decided that continuing to pursue their Ph.D. was not the best option for them at the time.
Nevertheless, while Mastering Out can feel like quitting, it is not without achievement. It still requires intense amounts of coursework, independent research, writing, and the output of a proper thesis. It is a master’s degree with extra work behind it which remains unseen. (For example, I studied for, took, and passed Ph.D. level written and oral qualifying exams before I decided to Master Out… which were much more intense than the master’s level exams. I had also done significant work on my dissertation proposal, including the literature review, experimental design, outlining the document itself, and beginning the draft.)
Why I Mastered Out
I decided to Master Out when I was about three months pregnant with my first child. I was making good progress on my Ph.D. and some of my committee members were confused about why I decided to leave the program. My major professor tried to get me to stick around, assuring me that I could be a mother and pursue my doctorate with success. I agreed with him! I could do it! … but I did not think doing it was worth it.
When my husband and I felt it was time to open ourselves to growing our family, I assumed that I would take a semester off and get right back to my dissertation research. I intended to remain on an academic career track and looking ahead, I saw post-quals Ph.D. work as the best time to have kids! After all, I was mostly only responsible for myself and with TA funding, I wasn’t even bound by research contracts. Being absent a semester didn’t seem like a big deal for a Ph.D. student compared to a postdoc or professor.
But after carrying my son for a while, imagining the future felt a lot different. Instead of seeing the most flexible time of my career, I saw…
- 50-60 hours per week away from my child
- a gigantic childcare bill, more than my whole TA salary
- difficulties pumping breastmilk during the day
- constant struggles with guilt, for not being all-in to my research and for not being present for my child
I also began to learn that research shows mom’s presence in the first three years of a child’s life are critical….
- for bonding and establishing healthy attachment
- for building identity
- for establishing a sense of security
- for mental health throughout life
And on top of all of these objective, compelling reasons, I knew deeply that God was asking me…
- to recognize that others’ expectations are a poor thing to base my life on
- to be grateful that he provided my husband a job that could financially sustain our family
- to put my pride away for the sake of my son’s thriving
- to trust him with this CV gap, knowing that he is the one who provides jobs
I could do it! … but I did not think doing it was worth it.
By no means do I intend to say that every scientist-mom should choose what I chose, or that my choice is the right choice for everyone. Life is far too nuanced for that. This was what I knew was the right choice for my family, especially after seeking God in prayer and through his word for answers.
Mastering Out Can Come with Grief
Even when Mastering Out is without a doubt the best decision, and even though that degree is still so well-earned, Mastering Out can involve a lot of emotional labor.
Some of the emotional labor is preaching the truth to yourself as you face the pressure of lies.
- the lie that you let down your PI/committee
- the lie that you disappointed the family/friends who were proud of you
- toxic academia’s (false) label of this as a “consolation prize”
Other emotional labor involves handling loss.
- the loss of a future you have seen ahead of you for years
- the loss of pride that came with being “Dr.” one day
- the destruction of an identity… who am I now?
The emotional labor that was most taxing to me personally was being unsure of what was to come now that life didn’t look like I thought it would. Sure, I Mastered Out to raise my child, but there will come a day when my children no longer need me all day. While a parent is a parent forever, a parent is not only a parent forever.
If you are considering Mastering Out for a different reason (and there really are so many possible good reasons), you will likely face different challenges around the decision than I did. Nevertheless, I believe it is helpful to be aware that emotional labor surrounds any choice like this one. The hard, negative feelings do not indicate that the decision was a bad one! They only indicate that the decision was an important one.
My Partner/Lab Mate/Friend Mastered Out. How Can I Help Them?
If you’re reading this blog post because someone you care about Mastered Out or is thinking about Mastering Out, on behalf of that person, thank you! By caring enough to Google what they are going through, you have already demonstrated that you see them and want to support them.
Unlike losing a job, quitting a job, or dropping out of college, since most people never attempt a Ph.D., most people also don’t have a clue what it means to Master Out. Since they don’t know what it means, they also don’t know how to talk about it. If you have gathered anything from this post, let it be this:
Mastering Out can be a good and wise thing, but it is almost always a hard thing.
If I could go back in time and have coffee with my past self right after she switched to the Master’s program, this is how I would talk to her:
- Emphasize the achievements. Any amount of graduate school is an achievement. Scientific research is an achievement. If a qualifying exam was passed or a proposal was defended, those are achievements. Making the wisest decision for your future is also an achievement. Not falling for the sunk-cost fallacy is an achievement.
- Affirm the hard. Again, just because something is good and wise does not mean it’s easy.
- Encourage, encourage, encourage. The Ph.D. is not the only path to a fruitful, meaningful career. The good qualities in you, your skills and strengths, do not vanish when you transition to a new context. You will likely flourish even more after Mastering Out if that’s what you believe is best for you and your family.
If you’re a Ph.D. student considering Mastering Out, or know someone who is, I hope this has been helpful to you!
Do you have experience Mastering Out (or even just considering it)? Please share about it in the comments! What led you to think about it? What influenced your decision?
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