Swali zuri. Unaweza kupata PhD bila masters kama ambavyo unaweza kupata masters bila bachelor!. Southampton university kwa mfano wana kitu kinaitwa integrated degree(sio course zote) yaani mtu anaingia kuanza kusoma bachelor ya four years but kiukweli bachelor yake inakuwa ni three years ila mwaka wa nne unakuwa wa masters. At the end anapata masters but hapewi cheti cha bachelor anakuwa na cha masters tu (so inakuwa kama vile hajasoma bachelor). However, kuna baadhi ya vyuo ulaya unaweza kusoma masters ukiwa na diploma na mara nyingi ni zile za diploma za three years although za miaka miwili pia waweza kusoma masters kulingana na "content" ya diploma yako. I think journalism and mass comm ina-lead katika hizi degree.
Suala la kuruka kwenda PhD bila masters linawezekana si tu ulaya bali hata UDSM. Sio kweli kwamba ukiwa na first class pekee ndiyo utasoma PhD (a case of law pale UDSM kwa mfano) ila ni pale tu unakuwa umeregister kama mwanafunzi wa masters especially under thesis (not coursewok and dissertation) na wakati wa kuandaa thesis yako ukaona imekaa ki-PhD PhD (imevuka viwango vya masters masters) then utaipeleka department na department wakiipitia waka-confirm wanaipeleka senate na senate itakuruhusu ''kuvuka'' na kuwa PhD candidate (sio kukupa PhD hapohapo). Baada ya kukupa candidacy ya PhD, chuo kinafuta registration ya masters palepale (automatic cancellation). Kazi yako wewe ni kufanya thesis yako ya PhD na ukifanya viva ikapita wanakuaward PhD kama wanafunzi wengine wa PhD. Hivyo, at the end utakuwa na PhD bila masters.
Kwa vyuo vingine hasa South wao wakishakuona umefanya vizuri thesis yako ya masters wanaweza kukutongoza ili upublish paper kadhaa kama tatu hivi na vi-conference proceedings paper kadhaa then wanakwambia uvifanye viwe kitu kimoja (monography) then unapata PhD yako hata after 1 year. Ingawa hili linawezekana pia hata kama umeshakuwa awarded masters yako (hasa pia kama ulipublish zaidi ya paper walizokuwa wanazihitaji masters). This is also applicable hata EU na sehemu nyingine.
Kuhusu swala la division one form six (I assume ni NECTA na sio cambridge au IB) kupata admission havard, duke na vyuo vingine vya marekani inategemea na vitu vingi sana. Vyuo vya wenzetu wanaangalia mambo mengi sana ikiwemo lugha, uwezo wako kulingana na course unayokwenda kuchukua, cousre husika (masharti yanatofautiana), competition etc. Si division one pekee, hata two shida inakuwa competition hasa kwenye admission ya ''best'' universities kama Havard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, California Berkeley etc. But ukiwa na one yako nzuri, TOEFL nzuri sana, admission exam yao ukapass vizuri sana (incase wanataka ufanye paper), halafu ukawa financially muscular, unaweza kupata. Shida nyingine ni pale ambapo nafasi ni chache na unacompete na watu kutoka states zote za US, wako safi kila angle na hawajasoma system zaidi ya US inakuwa shida. Kumbuka mnacompete dunia nzima etc.
Sina experience ya bachelor but admission ya PhD economics havard au leading university in the world kama MIT huwa wanapokea 30 students au wakizidi sana 33 wakati walio-apply na wana sifa ni 900 kutoka kila sehemu duniani. GMAT yao kwa mfano ukitaka kusoma PhD au masters katika business huwa ni si chini ya score 730, au 740 na kuendelea kati ya 800!. Sasa hao ni wa maana kweli mdogo wangu?!!. BUT ASK GOD.YEYE NI KILA KITU.
