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Taught vs Research Masters - Advice

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  • 05-07-2012 7:44pm
    #1
    cq1984
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭


    What would people consider the best to do?

    I am leaning towards the Research but wouldnt mind hearing what other peoples views are?


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    #2
    dyl10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭dyl10


    Assuming you're in Art/Humanities/Social Science, it's a tough call and there are pros and cons.

    A lot of MLitts do not have a GPA and this could hinder your PhD application,
    depending on your background (your BA etc.) previous to this. However, the opposite is also true depending on your background.

    If you're at a good level already you should be able to do enough good work in your research masters to get some stuff published which would be very strong for your CV no matter what you do.

    If you are fairly set on doing a PhD after your masters you should then consider the extra time it will probably take to do the research masters.

    Is there funding available for either?
    What's your plan after?


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    #3
    cq1984
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭cq1984


    Thanks for the reply.

    I have a BA and a Post Graduate, I am hoping to do a MA to get into a management position in my area of work.

    I wont be considering a PhD after.

    I will be looking into funding, I doubt I'll get any especially with the way things are at the moment.


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    #4
    TAlderson
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭TAlderson


    All the advice I've been given (and I am about to start a taught masters) is that if you want to eventually do a PhD, a taught masters will help you more. At the end of the day, if you write a masters thesis and a PhD thesis, not many people will really look at your masters thesis, so you're better off getting the training during your masters to prepare you for the PhD.

    If, however, you don't want to get a PhD, a research masters might be better, because then you'll end up with a substantial thesis that you can point to along with your research experience. You'll also probably have a better chance at funding for the research masters, since generally it's easier to find funding for research than for taking classes.

    Do you want to do anything with this masters specifically, or do you look at it just as a requirement to advance? If you're looking to get an MA to advance, and not necessarily for the future training, you might want to do a taught masters, because you could go part time or finish it in a year full time. A research masters would take longer, and while the hours would be a bit more flexible, you might find yourself doing a lot more work just to get a degree. So if you're just looking to get an MA to put it on a resume, you might want to try a taught masters that you can finish in a short amount of time.

    -Tyler


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