Postgraduate Studyin Humanities and Social

Sciences

University of Kent at CanterburyCareers Advisory Service

The slides from this talk are at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm

This talk will cover …

• Types of postgraduate study• Questions to ask• Choosing where to study• How to apply• Funding issues

TYPES OF POSTGRADUATE STUDY

• Research degrees• Taught Masters

degrees• Postgraduate

diplomas and certificates

• Professional training

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH DEGREES

• M.Phil or PhD• Length: from one year for Masters to

at least three for PhD• Work independently to prepare a

thesis• Your supervisor will advise and guide

- who you choose is very important• Original research expected

TAUGHT MASTERS DEGREES

• Higher degrees by taught course & dissertation• MA, MSc, LLM, etc• Usually academic, but may be vocational ...• ... eg MA in Human Resource Management or

Librarianship• Length: one calendar year (September - September)• Seminars, coursework and exams over the academic

year• Followed by a dissertation prepared over the summer

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMAS & CERTIFICATES

Normally vocational, such as:• PGCE (teaching)• GDL/CPE (law conversion course)• Length: up to one calendar year• Seminars, coursework and exams • You may have the option to "upgrade" to a

Masters by producing a dissertation

PROFESSIONAL ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

• Professional qualifications essential or useful to employers

• ACA (chartered accountancy)• ACIB (banking)• Normally taken while working full-time and

studying part-time • May be day release, block release or evening

study• Employers will often pay your fees and give

time off for study and exams

QUESTIONS TO ASK

• Why do you want to do a postgraduate degree?

• Do you know what you want to do after it?

• Are you good enough?• What type of postgraduate study is most

appropriate for you?• Where will you study?• How will you fund your study?

WHY DO A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE?

• For interest in the subject? • As a career move?• To add something extra to your CV?• Because your tutor has

recommended it?• To keep on being a student? • To put off making a career decision?• To avoid unemployment?

ARE YOU GOOD ENOUGH?

• You do not have to have a First to get into postgraduate study or research …

• … but it does help when it comes to getting funding …..

• … even though funding cannot be guaranteed, however good your degree

• A “good” 2.1 is usually expected

WHERE WILL YOU STUDY?

• Continue at Kent?• Study elsewhere in the UK?• Study abroad?

CHOOSING WHERE TO STUDY

• Use league tables and research assessments - but with caution!

• Ask your tutors• Visit other universities and talk to

current postgraduates• Useful websites linked from

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm#Info

HOW TO APPLY

• No UCAS equivalent for postgraduate academic study

• Each university will have its own application form

• Academic reference is important• No overall closing date, but you may need to

apply early - in the first term of your final year• Early application especially important to be

eligible for funding

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm#How2apply

APPLICATION FORMS

Usually quite straightforward!• Personal details• Programme of study• Personal statement• Research proposal (for research

degrees)

You may also be asked to enclose a CV

PERSONAL STATEMENTS

• Why this programme of study?• Why this university?• Relevant undergraduate studies • Other relevant experience • Skills• Career aims/future plans

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm#AppsInts

RESEARCH PROPOSALS

• Outline your proposed area of research• Why is it relevant/worthwhile?• What previous research has been carried

out on this topic (if any)? What can you add to this?

• How will you approach the research? What methods will you use?

Consult with academic staff in your area of study

WHAT DO SELECTORS LOOK FOR?

Apart from your current degree, they will look at:

• Your motivation. Why this course? this university?

• Your skills: critical analysis, time management, written communication

• Your referee’s report

FUNDING!or, Where Will the Money Come From?

"The types and sources of funding for postgraduate study are many and varied. They are, however, rarely sufficient, either in number or in the level of support awarded"

FUNDING CAN BE DIFFICULT ...

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

• Postgraduate fees are set by universities, not the Government

• Currently:– postgraduate fees start at approx. £3500

a year for UK/EU students on full-time academic courses

– But can be more - £25,000+ for some MBA courses

– International student fees start at around £10,000

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?• The Browne review’s recommendations on

university fees and funding did not include any changes to PG funding …

• If undergraduate fees rise to £6-9000, will postgraduate fees rise correspondingly?

• Many PG fees are already higher than UG fees• As well as fees, you need to consider the

costs of maintenance and study expenses - travel to libraries or to carry out interviews, cost of producing thesis, etc

WHERE THE MONEY WILL NOT COME FROM

• Your local education authority• The Student Loans Company• Funding will not come from

anywhere automatically

(PGCE courses are an exception to all the above)

WHERE THE MONEY MIGHT COME FROM

• Research Council Studentship

• University Studentship• Loan• Savings• Earnings• Charity• Sponsorship

THE RESEARCH COUNCILS (and similar bodies)

• Arts & Humanities Research Council www.ahrc.ac.uk• Economic & Social Research Council www.esrc.ac.uk

These fund students resident in England & Wales (there are separate funding bodies for students from Scotland and Northern Ireland)Awards pay fees + maintenance (£8500 - £15000 approx.)Students resident in other EU countries may receive a fees-only award

Funding applications and deadlines

For both AHRC and ESRC:• Awards are made to universities, not individuals• Universities submit applications on students’

behalf: you apply to the university and they apply to the appropriate Research Council

• Nominations for awards are submitted between February and May

• Need to apply to universities by the end of January

UNIVERSITY STUDENTSHIPS

• Aimed at encouraging research – not usually available for taught courses

• Sums vary but often similar level to Research Council studentships

• May include a requirement to teach part-time

• Eligibility varies• Check with the universities you are

applying to• www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate/

index.html

OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING

Earnings• Undergraduate teaching -

sometimes a requirement of university studentships

• Research Assistant - posts are relatively rare and do not occur regularly

• Other jobs, unrelated to your studies, full or part-time (Over half of postgraduates are part-time students)

OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING

Charities

• Can rarely fund all your postgraduate expenses• Many do not make grants directly to individuals• Use resources such as “The Directory of Grant-

Making Trusts” (Templeman Library- per LB 2338.D4), “Funderfinder” and “Student Money”

• The Educational Grants Advisory Service can help shortcut the search process

Links from www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm#Funding

OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING

Loans• Professional & Career Development

Loans www.direct.gov.uk/pcdl

• Bank loans

Sponsorship• not common, and only likely if your

degree can be shown to be relevant to an employer sponsor

STUDY ABROAD

• Why study abroad?– To study at a world-renowned university?– To specialise in a particular area?– To improve your language skills?– To prepare for an international career?– For financial reasons?

www.prospects.ac.uk/studying_abroad.htm

FINANCIAL REASONS!

• ENGLAND $5,234 (£3,300)

• USA Up to $50,000• CANADA $3,693• AUSTRIA $821• BELGIUM $586• DENMARK FREE

• FINLAND FREE• FRANCE $241• GERMANY $0 - $1,660• GREECE FREE• SPAIN $1,275• SWEDEN FREE

Figures from Reuters, December 2010: http://reut.rs/eZzaAR and from www.studyineurope.eu/

FINDING OUT MOREDirectories and websites such as:

• Prospects Postgrad www.prospects.ac.uk/links/PGstudy

• www.postgrad.com• Guardian

www.guardian.co.uk/education/postgraduates

• Find a Masters www.findamasters.com• Careers Advisory Service website

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm

TO CONCLUDE ….

• Start planning early!• Think about your

answers to those questions

• Think about the funding possibilities

• Seek advice from current postgraduates, academics and careers advisers

THE END …. …. of this presentation

-the beginning of your postgraduate career?

If so, “more research is needed”

The Careers Advisory Service

At the end of Keynes driveway

Open 9.00 am - 5.00 pm, Monday - Friday

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/postgradmenu.htm

www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm