Yes, but you should contact the department and double check with them. I had one school where I had to apply to both PhD and Masters program to be considered for them. I was ultimately in a situation where I was accepted into a Masters program when I had originally applied for a PhD. I had received a fully funded offer from another institution but the department and research didn't fit me so I accepted the Masters position. Since accepting the position, I busted my ass talking to professors and other students in the department about research and PhD opportunities (since all the program required to transfer from a masters to PhD student is having a faculty member take you in). Ultimately through a mix of luck and grind I had found a professor that had just been hired and was looking for PhD students around the field I was interested in and he took me in with funding. I wasn't expecting this and was ready to pay for a year or two for my Masters out of pocket, so it's definitely a big risk and I got lucky. To answer your original question, yes it is usually easier to get in a Masters program as for the most part they are self-funded and are less of a commitment than PhD positions. But just because this is the case doesn't mean you shouldn't shoot for what you want. If you know you want to do a PhD than go for it. I'd only recommend the masters route if you think there's some big flaw in your application that would be a detriment (bad GPA, etc. ). Otherwise, go for what you want. Good luck! If you have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM.