Heya,

I'm looking for some advice on funding issues in regard to an MA and a PhD for my partner and myself after we have finished our BA(hons) degree in Criminology. We are expected to get 2:1's and we are both very much interested in research. Criminology isn't just about crime, and has major parts from other disciplines incorporated into it, including social policy, research and politics. We have conducted some independent research through a scheme our university runs with two of our lecturers, which will be presented and published in the student journal, and has the potential to further research. What options have we got in regard to obtaining funding for both a research masters and then a PhD, or just the PhD. I've read on the forums that funding is obtained from supervisors on masters courses for PhD, how does this happen? Also what kind of grades would we need to get 1+3 funding?

Thanks for any help!

Sarah

Hi Sarah, where have you done your undergraduate degree, also was it just criminology or joint honours with another discipline? Have you just finished your second year or have you finished your whole degree? Well done for everything you have achieved so far and good luck with your results - I'm waiting for mine at the moment and its horrible!
I have an offer for an MSc in Psychosocial Studies, I think that generally, and with the social sciences in particular, you would need to have a Masters degree (even with a really good UG result) to be accepted to do a PhD, thats what I've been told anyway as the Masters provides you with good research experience and ensures that you are totally committed to the subject. You can get funding from the ESRC for both Masters and PhD, but it is really competitive - a lot of people fund the masters themselves then get +3 funding or a studentship (or something similar) for the PhD. Your current tutors will be the best people to talk to about this. Have you seen any courses that appeal to you?
Also remember that you are doing this for yourself only, not your partner as well.
Good luck, and I hope I've helped! Nx

Heya!

We're both doing single criminology and have just completed our second year. Thank you for your advice about the masters, it helps to be realistic when applying for funding and doesn't mean that we wont/can't get funding for the PhD. We was looking at essex, which have a range of research courses which look appealing to what fields we want to go into - me more in social policy area and criminal justice policy, whereas my partner wants to pursue a comparative criminology approach and culture. We're both really career minded and ambitious, while sharing similar interests, so we're both doing this for ourselves and eachother, as we always support and encourage eachother, and work well as a team acedemically (through the independent research we've nearly finished)

I hope you get great results and really enjoy your Masters! We get ours in a week!

Thank you so much for your help, it's been great,

Sarah