Do I need to have a Masters degree before applying to a Ph.D. program at Columbia?
Students can enter directly into Ph.D. programs at Columbia with only a bachelor’s degree. They then obtain the M.A. and M.Phil. en-route to the Ph.D. However, a significant number of students do complete a master’s or post-baccalaureate program before applying to a Ph.D. program at Columbia. This can be a good idea, particularly for students who have not done research in the prospective area of graduate study or for thoses who need to improve their academic preparedness or faculty support(i.e. letters of evaluation).
