In the US, it is different. You get into grad school with a strong bachelors and are expected to get your masters on the way to your PhD. Some people come in with masters, but the vast majority from the US are applying right after their 4 year bachelors and are expected to take graduate-level physics courses and rotate with groups for 1-2 years before starting their thesis work.
> mainland Europe is that you will find it difficult to impossible to get onto a doctoral programme without a Master’s
Not true in the US at all. It is very rare for a student to finish in 3-4 years here in the US unless they are absolutely stellar.
> mainland Europe is that you will find it difficult to impossible to get onto a doctoral programme without a Master’s
Not true in the US at all. It is very rare for a student to finish in 3-4 years here in the US unless they are absolutely stellar.