...and without a distinction at master's level? I've heard a lot of institutions will accept you for a PhD without a masters level distinction (which is great) but it's nearly impossible to get funding! I'm doing a masters at present and not likely to get a distinction or AHRC funding - would anyone like to take a guess at my chances of getting a lecturing post in Literature without a PhD? I'm recoiling from the idea of financial ruin caused by more self-funding...

Yes you can but below degree level.

Thanks very poor. I want to teach degree level tho so guess I'll just have to bankrupt myself. I hope you get richer as I get poorer x

I wouldn't really rate your chances very highly at all. I know people who have graduated with PhDs from my department and are having difficulties finding jobs. They have teaching experience, publications, and a four years of research behind them, and it's them you'd be competing against.

Sorry if this sounds rude, but think about it this way: how many of your lecturers don't have doctorates?

I didn't really expect an affirmative answer tbh - just wanted to ask. Actually a few of the proper Old Skool lecturers got jobs without PhDs, but I think the employment market was very different in those days.

Yes, depending on the area. Several Pharmacy Practice lecturers I know don't have PhDs (although they usually study for one whilst teaching, on a part-time basis).

your unfortunate to be in a field were it sounds very necessary to have a PhD to teach at third level and where funding for PhDs is likely to be a lot more sparse. i think this is true of most academic subjects. but for example, engineering is proabably one field where people can lecture with a masters+ ( lots of industrial experience ) ive come across such people but they would be rare enough. best of look with your studies!!

Hi Amy
Just something you may not have considered - the AHRB isn't the end of the road. A lot of institutions offer internal funding - which is tied into (the same as) the research boards. I know that my uni offers internal funding for PhDs in Literature at the usual rate, but in return you will have to teach for around 4 hrs per week (but this is great training if you want to do that anyway).
S

Oh and just in case you were wondering, most of the internally-funded PhDs I know don't have MA disctinctions, they have Merits, but just very good proposal ideas that the Uni is enthusiastic about.

I tried for about a year to get a lecturing job with just an MA - in the end I gave up and am now doing a PhD with teaching included. I found most job applications were asking for you to be in the process of writing up or having completed doctoral research.
On the good side, doing a PhD should open doors to get you the teaching experience if that's what you want to do eventually.

thanks x

Thank God I'm not the only one in this position. I've always wanted to go into lecturing (English Literature) and I recently completed my MA. I got a couple of Merits but no Distiniction unfortunately! Getting funding is difficult but it does depend on the topic you want to do you PhD on, any ideas?? I did not have the time needed to write a good proposal whilst I was doing my MA and I'm now doing a PGCE to get a teaching qualification... I'm hoping it wll help me in the long-term when it comes to applying for a lecturing post. Have you approached any universities?

Not yet. I'm only 1/2 way through my masters. I really don't want to do a PGCE, and I don't know how much help it'd be getting a lecturing post at HE level... As for the PhD funding, put something that's currently a big news/government issue (especially cancer, obesity or immigration) in the title and the AHRC should be flinging the money at you. Sad but true.

im starting my PhD in october. i want to go into lecturing and judging from staff vacany jobs on uni websites i have been trawling, i decided i needed a PhD. so spending 3years on my doctorate. for me, i felt a doctorate was essential to increase my chances. yes at my uni, there are lecturers with masters, but on speaking to my uni i was told that they've been there for many years and they now do not employ lecturers without PhD's (my uni is in the UK). im hoping to move to the republic of ireland later and checking staff vacancies on uni websites there confirmed to me i needed to do my PhD.