I’m just about to enter into my final year of a four year AI and Computer Science BSc. I’ve made up my mind that I really wish to carry on with my education, but I’m not entirely sure of the direction that I should follow (I was sure that I wanted to do a PhD).
I’m about to start on my dissertation in a very technical area (automated theorem proving). Ideally, if I were to do a PhD, I’d like to research in this area or another area in computational logic, as it fascinates me. My supervisor has given some hints that I’d be accepted onto a PhD programme in his department if I did the dissertation well.
However, I have some reservations: the area is dominated by pure maths students, and, although I’ve taken more than a few courses in logic (and plan to take more this year), I can’t help feel that I’d be at a disadvantage if I were to move straight into a PhD programme in the area, being an AI + CS student. If I’m only going to be given relatively “easy” tasks to do with my PhD, or tasks that maths students won’t touch, then I’d sooner not bother.
However, I’ve noticed a few adverts around for a European MSc in Computational Logic. I seem to fit their entry requirements (I have a “basic” understanding of AI, logic programming and mathematical/computational logic). The MSc is taught in English, the programme being two years in duration, spending one year each at two partner institutions across Europe (the ICCL at Dresden, co-ordinating). I believe that if I applied, I’d have a decent chance of being accepted (I’m on course for a first, if I keep my marks up).
So, here’s the questions:
Has anybody heard anything particularly good/bad about the MSc programme? Has anybody here moved from a CS BSc straight into a PhD programme (if your programme is in theoretical CS/AI, then even better)? How did you find it? Would you recommend an MSc first? Does anybody else have any pertinent advice?
It doesn’t sound like your problem is MS or PhD, but rather if you would fit in well with the research group at your current university.
In my somewhat dated experience, those who come in for terminal masters get the kind of assignments it sounds like you don’t want. (I went straight to a PhD program, but in computer architecture.) Are you worried that you couldn’t keep up with the maths people? If not, do you have a glimmering of a dissertation topic? Good professors want diversity among their students, so the fact that you have different strengths than his other students should be a plus, and might let you do research that they couldn’t.
Another thing to think about - not staying at the same university has its advantages. You get one mindset there, and you get a very different one at another university. When I was in your shoes staying put seemed very appealing, but I’m glad in the long run that they more or less kicked me out.
And you should be looking at a wide range of schools also, not just two. Ask your professor for the names of some people working in this area, and, if you haven’t already, look for names of people doing interesting work from their papers. Then send out some emails. You might turn up a great potential advisor and a great school.
Well, if by “terminal” you mean my education would stop at the Masters degree, that’s not what I had in mind. I’d take the Master’s degree (hopefully) as a step onto a PhD.
I’m in two minds about it. I’ve been told specifically by my Director of Studies to move elsewhere. Unfortunately, Edinburgh, where I’m at now, is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, for the particular subject I’m doing my dissertation on.
I’ve been doing some research on graduate CS programs in the US, and it looks like most of the master’s programs fall into two categories:
Programs that you apply to as a master’s student, where the assumption is that you will not be continuing on to a PhD.
Programs that you apply to as a PhD student, where the master’s degree is something you earn either along the way or as a consolation prize for not being allowed to continue as a PhD student after some point.
You may want to make certain that the master’s program you have in mind isn’t one of these two types.
In my experience, those on the PhD track get money. Those on the MS track don’t. (It might be different in the UK.) As ultrafilter said, once you pass the quals, getting an MS on the way to a PhD is usually pretty trivial. (A relatively short thesis on a fairly constrained topic.) Some departments don’t even require a thesis. But in both departments I’ve been in, the PhD students have all the status, and the MS students are considered revenue sources.
Now, it is not impossible to move after the MS if you don’t like a place, or for some other reason. I moved because my advisor died on me and no one else in the department was interested in what I wanted to do. But it helped that I had passed my quals and my orals already.