APPLYING FOR A RESEARCH DEGREE
Universities offer a range of research degrees, the most
common of which are M Phil and PhD. In comparison with US Universities, the UK/
Australian/NZ M Phil and PhD are almost exclusively research-based with only a
small element of teaching, usually in relation to specific research
skills. Thus, students accepted on to
these programmes will spend most of their time undertaking research, either
independently or as part of a larger team.
This research will be guided by one or two supervisors-academics-who are
specialists in the students chosen subject.
Each University and each department or school will have its
own policies and procedures for admitting students to research degrees and you
should check these carefully before applying.
There are also some general points, which you might like to consider if
you are planning to apply for either an M Phil or PhD.
A successful applicant for an M Phil or PhD will need to
demonstrate academic excellence and the potential to undertake independent,
original research. Academic excellence
usually means a good first class honours degree (Bachelors level) and possibly
a similar level of performance in a Masters degree. Many departments will insist on a Masters
degree prior to acceptance but some will consider outstanding students straight
from a Bachelors degree. If it is not
clear what would be expected in your chosen subject,
contact the relevant University department to enquire prior to application. You may also be asked to take an English
Language test (IELTS or TOEFL) but other tests such as GRE are not usually
required.
In addition to academic excellence, you also need to
demonstrate your research potential.
This is usually achieved by writing a research proposal, which outlines
the type of research, which you wish to undertake. Before you start to produce such a proposal
you need to think carefully about what really interests you – if successful you
will spend the next two or three years working on this topics so you must be
committed to it.
Once you have identified something, which is of interest to
you, the next stage is to identify a University department and members of staff
who share your interests. An MPhil or
PhD. Requires supervision from a specialist academic and unless your chosen
departments has such a specialist they will not be able to supervise. Read University or department prospectuses
carefully to identify there research specialisms and if you are not certain
whether they can offer supervision, you might consider contacting them with an
informal enquiry.
Once you have identified an appropriate department, you
should prepare a research proposal. This
document should usually be between 1000 and 2000 words in length. It must specify a particular topic, identify
an interesting research question and explain why the chosen topic is
original. You should also include some
discussion of relevant research to date (from existing literature) and some
indication of how you would expect to undertake this research. Thus, a typical research proposal might look
something like this:-
- Introduction
Statement of the research topic,
why it is important and why it is original.
- Review of relevant previous research
Overview of existing theoretical
and empirical works relevant to your topic, identifying, where relevant, the
gaps in existing knowledge.
- Research Methods
Outline the way you expect to
- Expected Contribution
State briefly how you expect the
results of your research will contribute to knowledge in your chosen subject.
Your research proposal needs to
demonstrate that you understand your subject area, that you are familiar with
relevant literature and that you can identify an interesting and important
topic for research.
You will then complete the
university application form (available from us)
and send this to us along with a copy of your research proposal, copies
of your transcripts for bachelors and masters degrees (if relevant) and references
form academics who have taught you. If
you have taken an English Language Test, include a copy of your results. If you provide all that information, your
chosen department will be able to evaluate your application and give you an
answer within a month or so.
Should you have any other queries,
please do not hesitate to contact us.
Good Luck
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