I am finishing the second year of my PhD program this semester. I entered the program directly after my bachelors degree and do not have a masters degree. I am however unsatisfied with my experience so far and am strongly considering leaving. I would remain enrolled while applying and continue to do my research duties for which I am currently employed.
In my second year I have completed many courses and have the requirements (nearly) for a masters degree, so my preference would be to leave with a masters degree. I am not sure whether I will be allowed to receive a master degree however, and to avoid awkward situations with my supervisors, am trying to avoid bringing up my desire to leave until I have an offer in hand. My specific situation is that I have every requirement for a masters degree except for a single course. This course is not relevant to my research, and thus I would delay taking it until the end of my coursework if I were to finish my PhD, or I would have to take it before I left with a masters degree. The other confusing part about the situation is that leaving with a masters requires me to petition to do so, and would require approval from faculty. I believe if I have all requirements, this would be allowed, but I am not certain.
This point brings up my questions: How should I communicate my degree/education to potential employers? Furthermore, if I did get a job offer, it would take one more semester to complete a masters degree since there is one final course iI would take before leaving, that I wouldn't take unless I decided to leave. How should iI communicate this to an employer, and would they be understanding?
