both of you guys are forgetting, the instituition where the degree was taken matters a lot.

sorry but no matter what employers and people setting course entry requirements think, but a 3rd at some institutions is better than a 1st at others.

who the better, a guy who gets 3rd from cambridge and needed to get 3 A grades to get in, or someone who went to an ex poly who only needed to 2 E's to get in?

the guy with 2 E's and a 1st is not better than the guy with a 3rd from a top university and 3 A-grades at A-level no matter what people think. the guy with 2 E's only achieved a 1st because he was competing against students of a similiar standard as his, i.e. a very low standard.

one of my first questions, should i approach a lecture to ask if we can propose something together, that way i have some control over the proposal and also make sure i'm the best candidate for that proposal, but run the risk of it being turned down ?

or wait till a proposal is chosen, but then i have a problem that a proposal could be chosen of which i would be an unsuitable/unqualified/unexpereniced candidate to undertake ?

i'm guessing its probably the former, so in which case, do i try to tailor the proposal to my strengths,thus im the best candidate for that proposal, but run the risk of the proposal being turned down as not relevant to the departments interests?

or tailor it more to the departments interests, but then run the risk of me not the ideal candidate?

help me, i want that place!!!

Theres one funded place available in my department and i have been told the arrangements for it.

basically each of the lecturers have to submit a proposal and then a proposal is selected and then i beleive left with that lecturer to sort out.

however if they wish, a lecturer can submit a proposal in conjuction with a student, and if it is picked, then the student is chosen at the same time.

i beleive the department is preferring to select an internal candidate and will only advertise if they cant find someone suitable.

one of my major problems is that i have a third, however i done quite well in my masters exams, the only other students off the course to achieve a distinction, had a third and a 2:2 at undergraduate level, so in theory there is no superstrong competition who i have no hope of beating.

it is very hard, probably next to impossible, but not totally impossible, its being in the right place at the right time

very true, golf pro, i achieved my 3rd a fair few years back, im pretty sure aswell as the instituion they look at the age of your degree (if they dont, they should!).

which is another problem for employers aswell and for graduates, in that as every year passes and degrees/A levels get given out like candy, it is devaluing the hard work a lot of us put in many years ago.

I'll Help, i think its one of the great shames these days, that if recieve a low degree classification, that your degree is next to useless in the world of work, yet it still has some value in the world of academia.

the main problem, seems to be employers, who have more or less put a blanket 2:1 across the board before you can even apply.

this results in people like me, who have very high A-levels, degree from a top university and in a very difficult subject, yet someone with 2 E's at A-level can go on a media studies course at a low university and be eligble for the same position.

I use to blame employers for being so narrow minded, but speaking to friends and contacts in recruitment/HR departments, its seems the problem is that with so many graduates about they need some criteria to just reduce the volume of applications they recieve.

i'll send you an email caroline

hi very poor, for a start, research councils consider funding for masters from 2:2 upwards, unlike phds which is 2:1 upwards, however in both cases there is always exceptions, which as you seen from one of my threads.

it might help, if you say where you been and actually where you want to go (as in future goals) to get practicle help here, a str8 forward question saying "i want funding" doesnt go down to well here.

things might seem bleak and impossible at the moment, but once you set your goals, they can be done. my only advice is dont be going down the postgraduate route for the sake of it, go down it because you know what you want to do and you are not going to let anything get in the way.

i'm at salford, the course is operational research and applied stats, i got a third from imperial, a girl on the course got a third from york. the min requirements are 2:2.

hope this helps

oh nearly forgot, the min requirements for my course were 2:2 aswell

which uni did you goto ?

if you went to a decent uni, the vast majority of masters will accept a third if the min requiremnts are 2:2

a very good tip for you though, is to speak to the admissions tutor before applying, as it doesnt create a good impression if they think you havnt read the entrance requiremnts! it also a good oppurtunity to sell yourself for when they consider your application.

if its any help, i got a third, and am on a funded (yes funded!!) stat masters

I have faced this similiar situation with regards to funding of my masters, i.e. i have a third, uni wants to give it to me, but are worried about the research council (with the added complication of applying midway through course!), the end result was i am funded for my masters.

so please no knockers on this thread, to many times this forum has told me things are not possible only for me to achieve them,

so far i have got on masters with a 3rd (despite the course requirements being a 2:2), then i got funding, i have basically been told there is a phd there for me if i want to do it. all of which i was told i didnt have a cat in hells in chance of doing, now i just have to achieve the holy grail of funding, but importantly i do have the uni's backing for this.

I know this is an often asked question, however i'm not asking if its a realistic proposition, but is there anything that prevents it being a possibility ?

the reason is that i have asked to do a phd at my current uni, i asked "will i get on a phd?", the answer was yes, "will i get funding" again the answer was, i then pointed out to the admissions tutor that i had a third, at which point he said the answer to the second is probably a no.

anyway after some discussion, ive been told they will consider me if its allowed within the rules of EPSRC, so is it within the rules.

I'm beginning to wonder if i have done the right thing doing a masters. I dont know this for myself yet, but going by somebody elses experience who is in the same boat as me, I'm thinking this maybe the case.

Me and a friend, both got thirds for our undergraduate degrees, yet we are both heading quite confortably to getting a distinction in our masters. My friend is applying left right and centre for jobs at the mo and all she is getting is knock backs with the explanation "we dont accept people with less than 2:1"

Ive yet to find this out myself, but if it is really the case i'm going to feel quite hacked off for doing a load of work for nothing.

I was referring to the fact he has posted in the masters forum for a Phd relevant question

i seriously hope you dont want to practice in this country, if you have trouble reading and writing english, then you are going to cost a lot of people their lives