Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

PhD?

(edited 10 years ago)

It's much less common in the Humanities than the Sciences. My PhD application wouldn't have been considered unless I'd had either a Masters or a few years of relevant professional experience in my field.

It would probably be even more difficult to go straight from undergrad to a PhD in an unrelated Humanities field. Winning funding would definitely be an issue.

Reply 2

LostRiot

Talk to your undergraduate supervisor about it, they will know how good you are as a student and how likely it is that you could go straight to a PhD. In an arts subject, getting funding will be your problem, its very limited, MA or no MA, but if you're doing something as an undergrad that could follow through into a PhD, then it may be possible, again, only your supervisor can give you a good answer. They'll be happy that you're thinking if further education btw.

Reply 3

madamemerle

Original post by LordVoldemort1

Is it possible to pursue a PhD right after an undergrad degree?

Lets say, to pursue a PhD in english lit. right after an LLB degree?

Or would you need more qualifications, such as a masters.

I'm confused... you didn't do an undergraduate degree in English but you want to skip the (pretty much compulsory, in the UK) Master's stage and do a PhD in it?

...

I think it will be next to impossible to do so in the UK system, and wouldn't advise it in any system - you would, necessarily, have only the vaguest sense of the shape of the discipline.

Reply 4

hobnob

Original post by LordVoldemort1

Is it possible to pursue a PhD right after an undergrad degree?

Lets say, to pursue a PhD in english lit. right after an LLB degree?

Or would you need more qualifications, such as a masters.

If you do not need any other qualifications, would it be wise to then pursue the PhD?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Is that what you actually want to do or just a randomly chosen example? If it's the latter (which I suppose is more plausible), it would be more helpful if you posted your actual subject(s), because in some subject areas doing a PhD without doing a master's degree first is quite common, whereas in others it's highly unusual and some departments won't permit it at all.
If you really are asking whether it would be possible to go from an LLB to a PhD in English, though, the answer would almost certainly be no. English is one of those subjects for which it's rare for people to be allowed to go straight from BA to PhD; with an undergraduate degree in an unrelated subject it's extremely unlikely.