Can I get a masters degree if I drop my PhD? I am an undergraduate right now, looking to apply to Grad schools. I am just confused about the kinds of degrees offered by graduate schools. Some state they have a &quot;M.S, M.S/PhD, and PhD&quot; programs. I have read a lot that students who quit their Ph.D in between after realizing that the program is not for them can leave with a masters but is this available for (almost) any PhD program or just the M.S/Ph.D program? Does a university that simply states an offering of a &quot;Ph.D&quot; program also allow students who quit in between to leave with a masters?
My field (economics) in the US generally works the way you're describing - you can quit in the middle of your PhD and leave with your masters.  At my program, once we completed some number of graduate credits (I think it was around 2.5 years worth) we simply filled out an application on the student management portal for a masters, and they awarded it.  It was like five extra minutes of work, so I think all of my classmates did it.  They called it an &quot;incidental masters degree&quot;
That said, PhD programs frown heavily on entering a PhD with the goal of leaving in the middle with a masters degree.  They offer funding to PhD students with the goal of putting quality applicants on the job market, which masters students can't do.  Conversely, students who enroll in a masters program not only aren't funded, they usually pay a lot in tuition.
It does make for a nice consolation prize for the few classmates I have who never finished though, since they at least come out of the program with a masters.