======= Date Modified 26 11 2010 16:11:57 =======
Hi,
I'm thinking about applying to do a Masters in sociology soon, and would need funding. I've got a bit saved but nowhere near enough. And I don't know where to look. What are my options?

I'm aware the research councils may help - I'm planning on calling the ESRC. After this I don't have a clue? I've been working for the last couple of years since uni and don't really know how it works...

And obviously I'd rather look into grants rather than loans. I may be able to get a Career Development Loan but I've still got my SLC loan to pay back and don't really have a career.

Any advice would be MUCH appreciated :)

Hi Ian. It's quite tricky to get funding for a masters on its own, although some people manage it. It's probably more common to get a 1+3 scholarship, which funds both the masters and the PhD for people who already know that they want to do both, but they are pretty competitive and I'm not sure if they do them in your subject. Most of the people in my year got a career development loan for their masters ( I think Barclays do one, and another bank but I can't remember which!). Just be careful with these, because they often demand that you start paying it back just a couple of months after you graduate, which can be a bit tricky if you're not working. Probably the best thing to do would be to contact the department you are hoping to study at and ask them to point you in the right direction- they are more likely to have an idea about subject-specific funding. Hopefully there might be someone on the forum who can be a bit more helpful than me! KB

Cheers, that does sound like useful advice!

At this stage I'd just be looking to get masters fuhding... don't get me wrong, I'd love to do a Ph.D in the future but am not planning it all out just yet. I don't even know what specific course I want to do for my Masters yet (I'm looking into it now). I just know I want to do something sociology-based, probably MA Sociology or something.

Which is a related question - anyone know the best universities for social science? Obviously universities specialise in different departments; I'd imagine there's quite a few that have excellent Sociology departments but I don't know which...

You will be incredibly lucky to get a funded MA in sociology. The ESRC doesn't fund stand-alone Masters so your only chance will be university / departmental scholarships. Check the Guardian education supplement every Tuesday but there won't be much floating around.
As for where is good: www.rae.ac.uk - check the tables for sociology.
But the MAs on offer are going to vary enormously from place to place in content, and many won't be MA Sociology, so you might want to think about what areas interest you in particular too to narrow it down. Perhaps think in terms of why you want to do a MA and where you want it to take you in career terms?

Hi Ian - I'm doing a MSc in a sociology/based subject (with psychology) and like others have said it is very difficult to get funding, the ones I've seen tend to be for international students or the odd student who is really good at a specific sport, that kind of thing. The other bank that does CDLs is the RBS, I didn't get approved for one though.

As for universities, it depends where you want to go really. If you're in London I would recommend Goldsmiths or LSE - it depends on what your specific interests are as well.

Hi Ian,

Just to reiterate what everyone else has said, it's extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get funding solely for an MA. I'm doing a funded MA in the social sciences at the moment, but I'm doing an ESRC 1 + 3, meaning I have to start my PhD in September/October. Lucky for me I want to do a PhD though!

Maybe consider other options, but keep looking!

button

Hi,

The AHRC do offer funding for Masters study: like all research council funding, this isn't at all easy to get, but - if your interests lie more in the 'arty' end of sociology/cultural studies and you're a strong candidate - you might find a Masters which is eligible for AHRC funding. As the others have said, the ESRC don't fund Masters study, only 1+3, and you don't sound all that certain about going on to a PhD yet. Another option which may or may not be of interest: the OU do social science Masters courses. This could fit around paid employment and spreads the cost (although the overall cost is no lower than doing it at a brick university - I think it works out at around £4500).

Thanks guys, that's really useful advice. :)

Perhaps the OU would work out cheaper in terms of living costs though... but I do want to move, so thinking more along those lines in the first instance.

I'll try the ESRC and AHRC, and maybe talk to Barclays and RBS too. Thanks for the ideas.

I'm aware it's going to be tough, but am hoping for the best cos I don't have much money :( I got a 1st at undergrad level and have relevant work experience/references, so I'm not expecting to get rejected, but the cost is the main issue.

I'm not in London and don't fancy going there. The main ones I was thinking of were Warwick, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow... I'm in the midlands though moving further afield does appeal.

One more issue... I do want to keep my options open so I can do a PhD later, and I've heard that if I get a Masters from a relatively un-prestigious university (e.g. Northampton) I might not be able to do a PhD cos I'd get rejected - so I should be looking only at really good universities. I know it's unfair but am aware that HEIs are notoriously elitist, so I suspect there is some truth in this? As a result, I've been looking up the league tables/Russell Group/RAE etc to work out which universities are the top ones, but am not sure how far down I can go. Any advice here?

(I'll post this in the general Masters forum too)

Thanks,
Ian

The University itself may offer a fee-waiver or at least a discount which you should apply for. It also depends where you live. I am Scottish and thus managed to get a carnegie-cameron bursary which paid my tuition fees for my MSc. There are similar schemes in other parts of the UK and you would need to do some research into what they are. I would contact the University and ask them where sources of funding are, both internal to them and external. With awards like the carnegie, they usually pay straight to the University so they will know where the money is coming from.

Also, have a look at your local authority, both where you live now and where you grew up. Sometimes they offer grants to help with travel expenses and the like. They usually aren't vast sums of money, maybe a few hundred or so, but every little helps.

There is funding out there that doesn't involve loans, you just need to hunt it down. Good Luck!!!