What do I need to do to apply for MA? Tutor isn't helping

Hello all,

I registered with my philosophy tutor that I wanted to do a masters, he said my grades were a solid 2:1 with a potential for a 1st (especially because I achieved 1sts in my other subject). My tutor told me just to look at universities and see which one appeals to me, but now what do I do? My tutor seems kind of unconcerned and won't help me. He also suggested I apply for an AHRC grant. I need to know more, can any philosophy or arts masters students tell me how you got in?

Furthermore, is it as competitive as undergraduate application to a Russell Group university? Most of the places my tutor suggested were in that grouping.

Reply 1

Alan Smithee

Is it that difficult to work out?

Serious question...

Reply 2

Gwai

Well if you have looked at universities and decided which ones you're going for, it's simple: apply to them. Look at the AHRC website too, it's got all you need to know. Should be ok for getting into the courses themselves with 2.1, but the AHRC is a pain in the ass to apply to and your chances are slim unless you get a 1st.

Reply 3

katebush

Hello! It can certainly seem a bit bewildering if you're looking at lots of places. Key thing to remember is that there's no UCAS for postgrad, so you need to apply to each university separately. usually you have to send transcripts with your grades from undergrad, and then two or three references, and make a statement aobut why you want to do the course and what would be original/exciting about your topic.

another useful thing to remember is that you should try and apply early, even if universities tell you they accept appliations into the spring; often the places go on a first-come-first-sered basis, or through gathered fields, meaning that if you apply towards the deadline, there may be very few places left.

The big bug bear for postgrad is less getting offered a place than getting funded to do the course.

Postgrad is extortionate without funding- Oxford, where I am, tell you you must have £12,000 a year to be here, or they won't accept you- even if you have been offered a place by a faculty here. You will apply to the AHRC in Spring of next year, but don't worry about that yet.

Hope all this helps!

Reply 4

etherised

Yeah, you have to be very proactive when applying for postgrad places. I found it was helpful to send off for the printed prospectuses - it's somehow much easier to take in the information from them, and often they provide checklists of everything you need to send in.

Presumably you have some idea of what area of philosophy you want to specialise in? So armed with that knowledge, start thinking about which universities you might want to go to. You'll have your own criteria - mine are, roughly: excellent reputation for research in my subject (English); near a big research library; preferably relatively near London. Anyway, then check all their departments to see if they have staff whose interests align with yours. Having a supervisor who's interested in your projects is hugely important, especially if you think you might want the masters to proceed to a PhD. (In fact, it's so important that if there's any academic you admire hugely and whose interests dovetail with yours, then you could do worse than simply to follow them...)

It's much *less* competitive to get the place than for undergrad. But, as everyone says, it's the funding that's the problem.