Sure, working with different people at different institutions is a good thing. But why achieve that via a second MRes? Surely having acquired one already, your thinking ahould now be more along the lines of 'well I could do my PhD *here* and then a Post-doc *there*...'

Have you thought of asking academics in your field whether it's a worthwhile enterprise to do a second MRes?

Thank you for your reply.
I have spoken with some people about this.
There have been differing opinions.
On the whole people have been against the idea.

As I understand it masters courses are generally to facilitate conversion from one feild to another and/or as preparation for a PHd/ Job in industry or to delay the onset of the big bad world....

if you already have an Mres and want to do a PhD well then do a PhD. I can see the value in doing an mres before a PhD but doing two im not so sure. Sounds to me like you are insecure and feel like your not sure that you have what it takes.? or you are not sure if you really want to do a PhD?

if you are sure you want to do a PhD then i wouldnt bother with ba second Mres

I think I am prepared enough to do a PhD.

I am also of the opinion that there is a wide range in the quality of PhDs. Whether I am in a position to do as good a PhD now as I would be after a second MRes, well that would depend greatly on the quality of the work done during a second MRes.

On the balance, I think I might be better off putting my energies into applying for a PhD programme and endeavouring to complete it as successfully as I can.

Thanks for your replies!

Just to warn you that, unless you're very lucky:
1. Your PhD will not be perfect
2. There will be problems that no amount of planning could foresee
3. It will not be what you expect.

Not trying to put you off - just trying to help you to be realistic. It sounds as though you're hoping that if you arm yourself with enough knowledge and experience beforehand, all will go smoothly with your PhD. The reality is that a PhD is a huge learning experience in its own right, and there's only so much you can do in advance to reduce the challenges with which it will present you. I think it sound like you've done enough preparation.

Good luck!

I have a funny question... I'm currently on my completion year of a PhD. I haven't got a masters but am greatly contemplating undertaking a professional masters programme after my PhD, mainly because I really want to work at this particular institution and not really on a post doctoral research capacity. I want to undertake a taught masters to gain the excellent experience the course offers. Is it frowned upon, or professionally suicidal to move backwards, as it were? It's a 2 year course at a prestigious academy. Any advice would be helpful.

Best wishes,

C

I'd just go straight ahead and do the PhD purely because studying costs alot of money and has an ultimate career aim which I'd like to get to sooner rather than later.

I can't see that having experience of such a wide variety of methodologies would be a significant enough help to offset the costs in money and time an MA would entail. 'Thesis' does mean defense of a premise so I think of methodologies as being a means to an end, rather than vice versa.

AS you said, finances play a major part in these decisions so I'd only do it if I had the money and the time.

Historybluff you can spend the rest of your life learning new skills, you're aren't going to acquire knowledge on a level above that of your first Mres, so that's no point doing another. Personally, and this isn't an attack on you, I view people who take degree just for the hell of it afaird of going into the world of work and this may be the view of employers. So it might easier to get onto a PhD now than after anther Mres.