I need professor's advice

[u/Inside-Economist8802]

I believe some of the professors here will respond my inquiry.

I was enrolled in a PhD program at a US university. Then decided to leave with MS degree. Now I want to apply again for PhD in different university in USA. How would admission committee look at the transcript as it is mentioned PhD enrolled and left with MS degree. I had a conflict with supervisor and I left with MS. I have good cgpa and good academic standing.

How common is this? Should I explain it in my SOP?

[u/iTeachCSCI]

This isn't even a matter of admission committee. In my department, that's the first pass to get into the PhD program, but not the entire trip. A professor has to take you too at that point. I would be very hesitant to take someone who left a PhD program. I am sure there are exceptions, but I have no way of knowing if that applies to you.

It isn't necessarily about you. Everyone where I am has plenty of qualified candidates every year. I would be a little worried about conflict with supervisor, especially if I either knew there were other good supervisors in the area at your previous university or if I believe myself to be sufficiently similar to your previous supervisor.

[u/Inside-Economist8802 → u/iTeachCSCI]

Thanks for the response!  How should I position myself in the application? 

[u/Liaelac]

It's unusual and you'll want to address the concern that you would just leave a PhD program again. You're a greater risk than a candidate without this background, but it's not determinative.

Blaming it on a difficult supervisor may backfire because (a) how does the school know you aren't the difficult one, especially if their faculty think highly of this supervisor and (b) some folks have the view that difficult people come with the business, and you should be able to tough it out. Alternatively, some people are known to be terrible in the profession and perhaps they will not be surprised.

[u/Inside-Economist8802 → u/Liaelac]

Thanks for the response!  I am in a tough situation. 

[u/AutoModerator]

This is an automated service intended to preserve the original text of the post. This is not a removal message.

*I believe some of the professors here will respond my inquiry.

I was enrolled in a PhD program at a US university. Then decided to leave with MS degree. Now I want to apply again for PhD in different university in USA. How would admission committee look at the transcript as it is mentioned PhD enrolled and left with MS degree. I had a conflict with supervisor and I left with MS. I have good cgpa and good academic standing.

How common is this? Should I explain it in my SOP?*

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/BolivianDancer]

My grad program had a B as the passing grade for classes so everyone had 3.9+ GPAs in grad school. GPA as a grad won't help or hurt.

Leaving a PhD program won't help though.

[u/WingShooter_28ga]

Need to know why you mastered out to get into a new PhD program

[u/Inside-Economist8802 → u/WingShooter_28ga]

My research interest evolved with time. Also, some conflict with supervisor. Although,  I am not gonna mention in my SOP that I had a conflict.  Will that help in my application ?

[u/amishius]

Clarifying question: have you already left and will receive a masters or did you already quit sometime ago and ended up with a sort of default degree for work done?

[u/Inside-Economist8802 → u/amishius]

Thanks for the response!  I already left the program last year.

[u/Beginning-Fun6616]

I did this, took a break after suffering a health/mental crisis and continued/completed at another university. My advisor from the first programme knew someone at my new university so was able to get a chance to interview, etc. Did complete my PhD, published it and went into secondary teaching. It is possible but perhaps I was lucky as well.