Ok it all sounds cryptical to me. I am a french student in landscape architecture, but in a Ecole d'ingénieur, which of course has no equivalent in the UK. I found a tutor and a topic in Sheffield, in landscape architecture. And he told me that I might have troubles with my diploma (although it is a Master degree, a sort of Msc in Engineering) and that I should have to do an extra year MRes and do my PhD in a 1+3 kind of way. Now, I would really appreciate a second opinion. Is it possible to make a PhD in a social science with a Msc? I also want to add that I have professional (well, training) experience in research. Doesn't it count at all?

Are you looking for funding? If it's ESRC then yes you do need to have a recognised social science research MA (if you go to the ESRC website then there's all the information on what they do and don't accept - but I have a friend with a DEA from Sciences-Po and they didn't accept that for a Politics PhD...).

alright, so it's not so much for the university than for the council that gives the funding? My tutor says he wants to ask the AHRC. I guess that works the same. thank you for your reply :)

i have to do an MRes too, to get the ESRC funding (apparently you have really bad chances applying for a +3 if you haven't done a research council approved MA). i am currently finishing a german MA, but decided to go for a 1+3 application in order to get the funding. it worked.

the Mres seems to be THE ticket these days, esp here in the UK. I did the Mres having been advised by my supervisor and I havent regretted it. Basically the Mres equips you for research, if not that means having to do taught research modules during your PhD. Looks like the research council looks favourably at those with the Mres when it comes to funding.