Read what PhD topics the department have available and call them up. For science related PhDs you don't usually specify much in that place in online forms. Sometimes nothing, sometimes something like "I would like to work with X in Y research area".

Don't wait and don't email. *Call* them. I went through this a couple of months ago. They said they'd get back to me over the weekend or early the following week (after an interview on a Friday. Every time I spoke to them they said they'd know by such and such day. I'd then call again on that day. My situation ended up being slightly different because they managed to find additional funding but I'm sure the fact that I kept calling (not being pushy but just being really keen) helped matters. You're not going to lose anything by calling.

I don't know what its like in Education as a research area although I can guarantee you that getting a PhD with a 2.2 and a Masters is perfectly possible. I've managed it (in a tough subject area too) and I know of several others. :)

You can transfer between some fields relatively easy but not between others. In Physics some fields are significantly harder to get into than others and post doctoral positions are harder to find. For example, astrophysics is a tough subject to get into - there's a lot of competition. This could be due to how much funding there is available. Geophysics, on the other hand, is a lot easier to get into. This is probably because of the sheer amounts of money available thanks to all the oil and gas companies.
You *may* be able to transfer over to Astrophysics if you're coming from a field of Biophysics where you worked mostly on computer simulations and you were going to an area of Astrophysics that's mainly based on computer simulations. Otherwise it'd be pretty tough.

Have you already got a place in a different field and are having second thoughts?

The repayments are steep on the CDL, however, if you play it right then its not too bad. What's incredibly good about the CDL is that firstly, you don't have to make any payments until two months after you've completed the course (so that's 14 months without having to pay anything). Secondly, the government pays your interest in those 14 months so you don't have to make up for it after that time. Thirdly, unlike most loans, there's no charge to pay it off early so the best thing to do is to take out a regular loan after 13 months, the best one you can find in terms of interest with a payment schedule you can afford and then use that to pay off the CDL. Even if you *don't* need a CDL, if you get it and shove it into a high interest bank account for the year, you can make up to £500.

Most masters courses only ask for a minimum of a 2:2 and I know people that have got onto them with a third. There's really not all that much competition for masters courses these days anymore because nearly all of them have to be self funded. Generally speaking, if you can pay, you get in. I know three people who are doing Masters courses right now who got 2:2s in their undergraduate degrees. One guy I know got a third too.

You will need to do the GRE exams before you can get a PhD in the USA. You'd also need to take some kind of English test and have a certificate ready so that you can prove that you can work in English. To start a PhD in 2009, you'd have to take the GREs this Summer - August/September I believe. Keep this in mind because while most people will be thinking about PhD applications etc at the end of the year, if you need to take GREs then you have to start thinking about it a *lot* earlier. My understanding is that the US Universities will readily give good funding to good foreign students and the VISA applications are given pretty easily to people with educated background (especially if you can get an MSc).

If it is a job for the business side of things, they're more likely to pick a business graduate over a design graduate but given someone that was both, that person would come up top trumps. Similarly, if you were to apply for a business job not in the design industry then a business masters graduate would be better than a business undergraduate. Also, if you decided to go into marketing then having an applicant who is well versed in the business side of marketing *and* understands the design side would really be a plus.
Basically, if you can afford to do it, it sounds like a great idea. :)

Hope that helps!

Hi mcghee85,

I haven't done an arty or business undergraduate or postgraduate course but seeing as no one else has replied (it is quite a small target audience) I thought I'd let you know what I think. I *do* have some experience from the design industry, however.

A business and marketing masters is a very good thing to have for pretty much any job applications and it would really open up other paths to you. Any jobs in the creative industry that are more business suited (i.e. the kind of jobs you sound like you want) will *definitely* like the look of an applicant who has a qualification in design AND a major qualification in business.

I'm afraid its very unlikely without an honours degree. You can sometimes get in with a third if you ask nicely and plead your case but without an honours degree its very unlikely. Sorry. :(

I know a few people who have done both an undergraduate masters course and are either on or have finished a postgraduate masters course. They all agree that their postgraduate courses were miles better. In the defense of undergraduate masters courses, however, they do get the same funding as undergraduate degrees and a lot more students tend to be on them. Firstly, a lot of them aren't interested in postgraduate work and so treat the masters year as an undergraduate year and secondly there are a lot more students on the courses meaning the lecturers and supervisors can't give as much attention to each student.

Although there are such things as undergraduate masters courses, they're not equivalent to a postgraduate masters. From what people in admissions have said to me, a postgraduate masters course is more impressive than an undergraduate course mainly because the manner in which people are taught is quite different. In my experience, the postgraduate masters I'm doing is far more 'grown up' than both my undergraduate degree and the final year of several of my friend's MSci courses. In my friend's undergraduate MSci year they were very much treated as one of the crowd and their projects were pretty much a waste of time whereas in the projects we are working on in my MSc, we're working in the same research groups and alongside PhD students.

Thanks pero12, what kind of funding did you get, was it research council or bursary funding?

In response to Adem, the masters courses are well respected and do usually ask for at least a 2:2. However, both of them had some issues that arose during their undergraduate degrees and were treated rather badly by their undergrad Universities. After looking at their individual circumstances, they were allowed admission to the course and are doing far better. In my experience so far in my masters course, its a hundred times better than my undergraduate course was with a hell of a lot more support and general interest in the students. Both universities are well respected.

I'm only going to be applying to places with funded PhDs so that's a relief!! Guess I'd better get back to the application things and the stress about personal statements. Honestly, why can't they just ask for a C.V. and judge us on an interview. I have no idea what to fill up a whole personal statement about!!

Well one of them is a year into a two year postgraduate one where they did all of the modules in the first year and got a merit I think. The other is halfway through a full time masters and in the courseworks has got marks in the 80s and 90s. However, obviously exams and project work will probably bring that down somewhat.

My understanding is that you're not eligible for STFC funding if you have a 3rd. 2:1 or 2:2 + Masters fine, but third's a no go even if you got a distinction in your masters. I'll suggest they have a look for bursaries and the such, that sounds like the best bet prior to the self funding part time 7 year long route!!