Hi,

I have a place on an MA starting this Oct and am in the process of finding out the results of funding etc. In the process of applying for funding i was encouraged to apply for various PhD funding awards starting this Oct too. Although I wasn't successful in getting PhD funding for this year, I am on the reserves list for several of these scholarships.

If i were to be offered either of these scholarships (fees and living exp) I would be going straight to PhD from BA. Does anyone have any experience of this? I am a mature student who has been in employment, then continued to work whilst studying FT at Undergrad. I got a first in my degree.

My main concern would be missing out on MA research training which would surely help for PhD research?

Thanks

Hey there

I did an MA and then the PhD and I have found it much easier to slip into than my colleague, who is a mature student and very bright but came straight from his bachelors. He hadn't heard of or had to grasp certain concepts that we all could take for granted and had a lot of reading to catch up on. His analytical skills were a bit lacking too. However, he is doing just fine and really enjoying his course! Maybe if you went straight to PhD you could ask your sup what kind of reading you may have to do to catch up over the summer? Generally though I think it is relative - do you feel up to the job? If so, go for it!

Your supervisor might well insist on / or advise you to take certain of the research training courses anyway. That's certainly what happens to people without a research training MA at my university anyway. I'm sure you could ask even if it wasn't their policy.

Don't underestimate the skills you've developed in the world of work. They are a major selling point for you and will counteract alot of the suggestions that not doing an MA will somehow inhibit you, it won't. If the world of work taught you time and project management then you're half way there. At the end of the day, a supervisor wants someone who they think stands a good chance of getting the job done rather than academic brilliance alone.

I think so much of this depends on the area you are proposing to study. I know within my dept that they don't like people starting a Phd that haven't done an MA, the MA, particularly the taught component teaches you a great deal, its seen as an apprenticeship almost for the Phd itself. I know that in the last year I have learnt so much and am far more capable of directing my research and my thinking in the right direction than I was after the BA. But then this is all personal and it also depends a great deal on the university itself.
Personally i don't think I'd want to have attempted a Phd without this extra year of focussed tuition.

Hi apleeds

I'm similar to yourself, mature student, big gap between BA and PhD. Like you I was recommended to just apply straight to PhD as that was what I wanted to do. I have no regrets. I do agree with what others have said, though... there have been times when I've wished I'd had a 'practice run' in terms of research techniques, especially data analysis but for the most part it's been okay and having a decent supervisor helps. I did take the research training courses at my university and they were a big help. I think most funded PhD courses now are 1+3 and the first year is a Research Methods course anyway.

Hello there Apleeds

Great to see you are progressing with your learning and life goals....

I was interested in the funding for your Masters degree...could you provide me with some info please regarding how and where to gain such funding for a masters please...

I have wanted to apply for a masters since graduating last year but with a mortgage and the cost of living in london ithis ambition has been put on the back burner....

Thanks in Advance

Mike

Hi,

I have just been offered a scholarship for PhD! Very exciting because i missed out on ESRC 1+3 despite scoring well, and the only MA funding I was offered was £2000 towards fees.

Great news, but now i'm worried about missing out on the MA.

Congratulations! I didn't do a Masters (I'm in the Sciences), and the first year was a very steep learning curve indeed, adn even now I'm finishing I'm still finding things that I could have done so much better with an extra year. Its also amazing how much your writing style and analytical skills develop in one year, so I'm sure an MSc would have been useful for me. However, work hard at it and you'll do fine :-)

Congrats, Hopefully you can speak with your supervisor and clear up anything beforehand that you feel you may need help in with regards to the research aspect. I'd agree that you get taught hopefully :) some useful aspects during a research orientated MSc, however i wouldn't let that deter anyone from applying or taking on a PhD.

Good luck and have fun :)

Regards Wolfe