POSTGRADUATE
1
POSTGRADUATE
Choosing your research topic and institution The United Kingdom’s research base is exceptional. •
it contributes almost a tenth of the world’s research output.
•
it ranks first in the world in the number of citations and number of papers per million dollars invested, and fourth in the number of papers per researcher
•
the UK share of the most cited 1% of papers increased by 63% between 1996 and 2001; and
•
the degree to which UK citation rate outperforms the rest of the world increased by nearly 50% in the same period.
This reputation for excellence is one of the many reasons why you should consider coming to the United Kingdom (UK) to do postgraduate research. You can specialise in a wide range of subject areas and you will leave with a prestigious qualification that will add to your knowledge and help your career.
Checklist: Why should you choose the United Kingdom for postgraduate research?
• • •
you can specialise in a wide range of subjects
• •
UK qualifications are internationally acceptable and audited by government-supported bodies
you can follow your programme in the sort of institution that best suits your needs strong links exist between academia and employers, making much research directly relevant to the world of work
you may be able to get a scholarship or fellowship.
www.educationuk.org
POSTGRADUATE
1 What can I study? How should I start to choose my research topic and institution? A good place to start is the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) www.hero.ac.uk/rae/index.htm. This is an official assessment conducted every five years and gives a ranking, by subject, for research at each institution. The last RAE was carried out in 2001 and graded research from 1 (lowest) to 5* (world class research). For more information, refer to Quality issues in this series. As important as finding a department that matches your interests is to find a professor or tutor who is willing to supervise your work. The best chances of this arise when a supervisor has published work relevant to your interests and so will be in a good position to supervise your research. It is important to find out who is the most widely read and respected person in your field of interest – often you may already be familiar with these people through their articles published in journals and periodicals. The good news is that the RAE has led most departments’, particularly in medicine, science and technology, to specialise in research areas in which they excel and to discontinue supporting weaker research.
Checklist: Choosing a research degree
•
ask for advice from the tutors who taught you as an undergraduate or postgraduate, especially those with research interests with relevance to your chosen specialism
•
check your selected universities’ websites via www.educationuk.org for details of research activities
•
contact the relevant departments in your selected universities to request details of their research activities
•
see whether it would be possible to contact alumni from the university to which you are thinking of applying.
Checklist: Choosing your institution
•
is the staff profile and size of department right for you? You might prefer a large or small department, or you might want to work with a particular academic, or group of academics.
•
how good are the institution’s academic facilities and resources? What computing facilities does it have? Are there links with relevant institutions/other bodies close to the university?
•
have you looked at the university’s web site, prospectus and department brochures to make sure your chosen programme is well supported with facilities and resources (such as laboratories and libraries)?
•
have you read publications by the department’s staff?
2 Entrance What qualifications will I need? Entrance requirements vary greatly, so you should contact the institution you would like to attend. If you are not sure where you want to go, you should obtain several prospectuses. As a rough guide, you will need:
•
an outstanding academic record, with proven academic achievement
• •
usually, a first degree in the same subject as the postgraduate degree you intend to take generally, a Master’s degree (a taught Master’s), an MPhil (Master of Philosophy) or MRes (Master of Research)
CHOOSING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC AND INSTITUTION
2
POSTGRADUATE
• •
evidence that you know something about research procedures
•
evidence of good writing and communication skills, especially with humanities and social science doctorates.
some experience of working alone on a research project is very useful
Are there any formal English language qualifications? Yes. This will usually be an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) grade 7.0, a TOEFL score of 600 or equivalent. Check with individual institutions for details.
Types of research degree The UK Doctoral Degree was traditionally awarded on the basis of a thesis containing original work. Most students are now expected to study a range of taught courses, receive training in research techniques and complete a thesis containing original work. Entry to a Doctoral Degree is generally dependent on the successful completion of a Masters level qualification although some institutions do offer an integrated four year masters/doctoral programme. Additionally, some doctoral programmes (for example, the professional doctorate and the New-Route PhD) place increasing emphasis on training students for the world of work.
What postgraduate research degrees are available? The most prestigious is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is the highest academic award for which a student can be registered. But there are several others.
Duration
Summary
Special requirements
Comments
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD or DPhil)
Three+ years
Research programme ending in a dissertation or thesis of 70,000 – 100,000 words (shorter in science).
Your dissertation or thesis must present original findings that are, in principle, publishable.
The UK PhD will enable you to produce original research, which could be a great help to your career. It could also help you to become one of the world’s leading experts in your chosen field. You will receive training in methodology and practice. This is especially important if you want to follow an academic career.
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
Two+ years
Research programme ending in a dissertation or thesis of 50,000 – 70,000 words.
Your dissertation or thesis must present original findings.
Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MSc) by research
Usually one year
Research programme ending in dissertation of
Your dissertation should present some original
CHOOSING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC AND INSTITUTION
3
POSTGRADUATE
15,000 – 40,000 words. Master of Research (Mres)
Usually one year
Taught Doctorates (Deng, DMus, DEd, DBA, DClinPsych)
New Route Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) www.newroutephd.ac.uk
research.
Designed to give students training in research, as a preparation for a PhD or for a research-related career in industry.
A very particular kind of Masters programme, oriented towards research, but with some taught elements.
As well as taught components of the programme, you would produce a thesis of about 40,000 words. Four years
A programme of formal coursework is combined with a research project.
New PhD programme offering a mixture of research and taught elements. May also include professional skills.
What issues should I consider as an international student?
•
Entry requirements are high so international students could be asked to take a taught postgraduate course in the UK before they start a research programme.
•
You might be able to do a joint PhD programme in the UK and your own country. Usually, you would spend a year of your study in the UK. If there is already a link between your ‘home’ university and a UK university, this is quite easy to arrange. If not, you should approach a UK university.
• •
If you need a visa you will need to have an acceptance letter from your chosen institution.
• •
If you are applying for a scholarship, apply at least a year before the course starts.
It is virtually impossible to arrange financial support once you have left your own country. You should arrange this before you leave and you will need to provide evidence for Immigration authorities that you can cover the costs of your proposed study.
If you intend to bring your husband/wife and family, you may have to find accommodation outside the institution. This should be done well in advance of the start of your course.
CHOOSING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC AND INSTITUTION
4
POSTGRADUATE
3 Next steps Checklist: Your next steps 1
Once you have decided at which universities you would like to study, and have chosen a suitable topic for your research, check with the departments to see if there is a closing date for your application.
2
Give yourself plenty of time to consider your options. It is advisable to apply to more than one institution as you may not get a place on your preferred course.
3
Prepare your research proposal. This should be a short (perhaps two-page) summary, based on research in your field. If a professor has finance for research to be carried out under his or her supervision, it will be advertised in the national press, usually the Times Higher Education Supplement (www.thesis.co.uk).
4
Apply direct to the institutions (forms are available from them). On the www.educationuk.org website you can find a list of institutions that offer Postgraduate and Further Education online applications. (Go to ‘Course Search’ and ‘How to apply online’) See Applications in this series for further information.
4 Where can I find more information? British Council Education information Website www.educationuk.org For further information, you can find details of your nearest office at www.britishcouncil.org/homecontact-worldwide.htm which includes links to all our country web pages and a worldwide address book giving contact details for all offices.
EducationUK Scotland Website www.educationukscotland.org
New Route PhDs Website www.newroutephd.ac.uk
Postgrad: The directory of graduate studies www.postgrad.hobsons.com
British Academy (Humanities and Social Sciences) 10 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AH Telephone +44 (0) 20 7969 5200 Fax +44 (0) 20 7969 5300 Email
[email protected] Website www.britac.ac.uk
Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Chilton Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 0QX Telephone +44 (0) 1235 445 000 Fax +44 (0) 1235 445 808 Email
[email protected] Website www.cclrc.ac.uk
Prospects: Postgraduate directory www.prospects.ac.uk
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1UH
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1UJ Telephone +44 (0) 1793 413 000 Fax +44 (0) 1793 413 001 Website www.esrc.ac.uk
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 413 200 Fax +44 (0) 1793 413 201 Website www.bbsrc.ac.uk
CHOOSING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC AND INSTITUTION
5
POSTGRADUATE
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1ET
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1SZ
Telephone/Fax +44 (0) 1793 444 000 Email
[email protected] Website www.epsrc.ac.uk
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 442 000 Fax +44 (0) 1793 442 125 Website www.pparc.ac.uk
Higher Education & Research Opportunities in the United Kingdom (HERO) Website www.hero.ac.uk
The Royal Society (London) 6-9 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AG
Medical Research Council (MRC) 20 Park Crescent London W1B 1AL Telephone +44 (0) 20 7636 5422 Fax +44 (0) 20 7436 6179 Email
[email protected] Website www.mrc.ac.uk Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Polaris House North Star Avenue Swindon SN2 1EU
Telephone +44 (0) 207 451 2500 Fax +44 (0) 207 930 2170 Email
[email protected] Website www.royalsoc.ac.uk
The Royal Society of Edinburgh 22 – 26 George Street Edinburgh EH2 2PQ Telephone +44 (0) 131 240 5000 Fax +44 (0) 131 240 5024 Email
[email protected] Website www.royalsoced.org.uk
Telephone +44 (0) 1793 411 500 Fax +44 (0) 1793 411 501 Website www.nerc.ac.uk
While every effort has been made to ensure that the information given here is correct and up to date, the British Council accepts no legal liability for its accuracy, currency or completeness. June 2004
British Council classification. Postgraduate (green) 5/1-3
© British Council 2004 The United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
CHOOSING YOUR RESEARCH TOPIC AND INSTITUTION
6
