Thanks for your honest appraisal. I knew about the funding cuts particularly in humanities, but wasn't aware of the overseas collapse.

I think one of my issues is that my previous career is almost entirely unrelated to my research interests, so I won't really be able to use the PhD to enhance my current career prospects. It is very much a switch in fields and I could be starting near the bottom of the ladder in my chosen subject.

I guess one plan would be to complete the Masters which would take me to summer 2015; then to consider my options nearer to that time.

Hi,
I'm about to apply for a good taught masters in English Language to begin October 2014. I got a first for my BA in 2006-2009 (and the prize), and have been waiting for a few things to drop into place before continuing. (I was studying full time and working part time at the Uni in various guises.)

So the plan is to do the taught masters, pin down my research interests to a PhD, then start that somewhere.

What, realistically, are my options career-wise? I will be almost 51 when I complete the Masters in June 2015 and would like to continue working in academia hopefully as a lecturer, but I have this nagging feeling that beginning a PhD at 51 I may have missed the boat despite age/employment legislation.