I've just started my MA in english with the sole purpose of wanting to go on and do a PhD and lecture. Then i read it can cost £6000 a year to do a PhD(!)
Can anyone please give me an idea of tuition fees and how likely or unlikely it wuld be to get funding and whast sort of grade they are looking for if so, eg. 2:1, 1st?

Many thanks

Tuition fees depend on whether you are an EU/UK or oversees student. Also fees depend on the field. I guess science PhDs cost more that humanities as they have experiments, expensive material etc.
Mine (PT) costs around 1300 pound per year.
I can't advise about funding, as I am self-funded and haven't looked for any source of fundining.
Finaly, the grade depends on the university, the department, the competion etc
(I had a first degree 74,9%, so I guess it is about 2:1, and two masters in completely different fields)

======= Date Modified 22 Oct 2010 09:04:48 =======
Hi, I'm doing a science PhD and my fees are £3500 a year and I am a UK student, I am on a fully funded studentship so fees are covered by that. My funding is half from the university and half from a research council. However as I am in the sciences I can't advise on funding for English but I'm guessing you would apply to the relevant research council. I applied for a fully funded studentship where the funding was already secured. With regards to fees I think the amount that my institution charges for my PhD is the same for all subjects, but I'm not entirely sure.

I have a first class BSc and MSc distinction but I know people who are doing PhD's with a 2:1 batchelors and/or a merit/pass at masters level.

Hope this is of some help :-)

======= Date Modified 22 Oct 2010 09:37:57 =======
For English you'd be looking at funding from AHRC - the Arts and Humanities Research Council. I applied to them for funding my part-time PhD. Back then (2004) only about 20% of applicants won funding. Humanities PhD funding is very scarce and incredibly competitive. Only the very best applicants and research projects get funding. You should aim to do well in your MA. I had a distinction in my Masters, which made up for my having a 2-1 in my BA, but I also had relevant Research Assistant to boost my application.

There are other funding options at university, such as internal awards, or (rarely) outside bodies, like Carnegie scholarships where I am (Scotland - they are only open to Scots). But these are rare too. Humanities PhD funding is much scarcer than science PhD funding. It's why many humanities students self-fund.

The cost of a PhD varies by university. At my university it's 3400 pounds per year for full-time home students. Part-timers pay a pro-rata rate. I was self-funded in my first year, but applied to AHRC during that year, and won funding for the rest of my 6-year PhD.

I am part time and my fees are £1800 per year (social science) - I reckon I spend near to that on top in books, materials and going to conferences which is essential (I was lucky this year to get funded to go to a conference in Malaysia but it still cost me a few hundred pounds - there is really limited funding in the university I work in so we've all got about £400 this year for conferences which hardly covers the cost of a conference in the UK let alone one further afield (next year there is one in Oman and I woudl hav eliked to have gone to a symposium at the Grand Canyon this autumn)). I also need to do fieldwork - this summer I did a combined family holiday and preliminary research trip to the US - has it just been a research trip it would have been about £1500 for two/three weeks (as the transport and accomodation wouldn't have been shared between 4).

The other cost (which I am amazed no one has elluded to is the blood, sweat and tears (especially the tears)) A PhD is not something to be embarked upon lightly.

======= Date Modified 22 Oct 2010 10:14:02 =======
I spent very little extra on books and conferences definitely weren't essential in my history PhD. I went to one, but even that wasn't required. I won a travel award from the conference organisers to pay for my 2-week trip to Canada. My department also gave me a travel grant.

But I did spend a lot on copies of archival material, so photocopies, microfilms, etc. But still not that much.

And because I was part-time I didn't have to consider living expenses as well. Thankfully. The tuition fees were the main cost, which luckily AHRC took care of after the initial year.

And AHRC now pay a stipend (maintenance grant) to part-timers as well. That change in rules (levelling the board between full-timers and part-timers) was introduced near the end of my PhD. Because my husband works I didn't need this, but used it towards other expenses. Other part-time history students who have to work less than a full-time week to fit in their PhD would definitely have benefited greatly from the new maintenance award available.

Thanks for all your swift replies :) I'm doing the MA part time as i am a single mum. I'm abit scared at continuing my MA if i can't then go on to do the PhD because they didn't like the research project or i can't afford to do it. I love my course but it's hard juggling it with my 6 month old. I am worried i'm going to pay £15,000+ just so i can be a lecturer. My MA is £4800 over 2 years :-O

I'm afraid there's no guarantees we can give you, unless you're already on a 1+3 Masters+PhD option (funded) which you're not. You have to see where things will lead. But if you do finish the Masters it will open up opportunities for you. Hopefully a PhD, and certainly other things. For example you could do a PGCE/PGDE in education to allow you to teach or lecture, including in colleges or universities. Not all lecturers have PhDs.

If you do want to go onto a PhD you should seek advice quite early on in your Masters course from staff at your university about funding options and what projects would interest you. This doesn't commit you to staying at that university, but gives you lots of tips on how best to apply. It also gives you time to start honing your research proposal, which you'll need if you want to apply to AHRC.

Good luck!

Thanks for your help :) what's the difference between an MPHIL, DPHIL AND PhD?

======= Date Modified 22 Oct 2010 10:54:02 =======
An MPhil is a lower level research degree. So not as long a thesis. Not as advanced as a PhD.

PhD and DPhil are pretty interchangeable. Oxford give out DPhils not PhDs for example.

thank u- my uni say its a Dphil in renaissance studies for example. So if you do a PhD/ Dphil it's in a subject specifically - i thought you go to the univerity and discuss your proposal rather than applying to do a specific reserahc degree. As you can tell i am in the early stages of looking into doing this

Different universities have different ways of managing things. It's likely that Renaissance Studies is the over-arching subject you'd be in, but you'd have a more specific research topic you'd be working on yourself.

My degree was registered (at Registry) as a PhD in history, but I was researching a specific topic within that field.

Also there can be a difference if you apply to an already-defined PhD, perhaps as part of a larger research project academics are working on already. There the topic might already be defined. But more commonly in humanities you'd be coming up with your own topic.

Wow -you've been so helpful! Thank you very much :)

That's really clarified things. I've literally just set up a regular amount of money to go into a savings account i've lablled phd savings and the same amount for my daughters savings incase she too wants to go to uni as am apprehensive as to what the removal of the cap will mean for her (and me) lol.

Touching on an earlier point about MPhil and PhD - it was explained to me that the MPhil requires you to investigate a topic and demonstrate a solid understanding of the research methods involved. The PhD involves all of this but also requires you to make an original contribution to knowledge. Obviously this contribution can be achieved in a variety of ways - new theoretical insights, new methods, old methods but in a new field / context (all dependent on your subject discipline of course).

I found this distinction between the two terms useful and it is being able to identify your potential 'original contribution' that becomes key in a PhD application. Having said that, at my university every one registers as 'MPhil with possibility of transfer to PhD'. The MPhil does not tend to be awarded but at the mid way point (ish) you must demonstrate that your project moves beyond the MPhil remit, makes a contribution, and is examinable within the upper timescales of the PhD.

Occasionally, some students do decide to exit with MPhil (perhaps ran out of steam) or maybe the project has just run its course or not practicable in the timescales and the PhD seems unlikely (this is rare though so it is not all doom and gloom).

:-)