Yes, mastering out is a good thing; they've accomplished something and didn't waste extra time on what might be a futile endeavor. In my program you had to thr

Yes, mastering out is a good thing; they've accomplished something and didn't waste extra time on what might be a futile endeavor. In my program you had to throw together a thesis, but it was something available to anyone and not hard to do. I know a lot of 4th and 5th year students who wonder whether they should have done that, I know I did. They're data only shows attrition after 3 years, but it doesn't change much between 3 and 10 years in, so it definitely looks like the attrition comes at the beginning of the program for most people.