Financing an MA

Hi,

I am concerned about financing an MA. I have a while to go before I have to apply for it, but would rather have the facts at my disposal sooner rather than later. :smile:

I've heard that you can apply to the Arts Council (may've got the name slightly wrong) for funding, but am guessing only the very top students qualify. I am not yet sure whether I am going to obtain a 2:1 or a first (hopefully it won't be below that though...)

How much does it take to get the funding? And if you don't get it, what are your options? Also, how much does it cost to do the MA?

Thanks!

Reply 1

apotoftea

19

Tuition fees can vary from £3000 to £6000 and obviously courses such as the MBA are much more. Does depend on where you go - London is more expensive typically, not to mention costs of accomadation/living expenses.

Funding wise - you're proposal/acedemic ability will come into focus. A lot of universities have their own scholarships but obviously go to those who are the best students.

A lot of people go part time over 2 years and work to fund their Masters. Working part time plus doing a full time course would be quite hard to do but obviously people do it.

The cost/funding is certainly one my main worries about going onto postgrad. However, undergrad student loan hasn't been spent yet...

Reply 2

Fazorme

Research Councils, as you say, do help the very best (www.rcuk.ac.uk). If you're an Arts student, the AHRC (www.ahrc.co.uk) if the one for you - they will pay tuition, and give a grant for living etc. But they only award to a small percentage, tha vast majority (but not all) of whom will have First class degrees as well as strong research plans and proposals.

Aside from self funding, the majority of students who don't work for it all will get what's called a Career Development Loan, available from only 3 (I think) banks in the UK. This is a loan which can be taken out with no interest for 1 - 2 years, available from £300 - £8000. You have to start paying it back as soon as you graduate from your Masters.

Fees vary, depending on taught, research and university. Bristol taught M.A.s are £4000, but I think Durham is only £3200. Then you have to live - accom, etc

Reply 3

Drogue

19

IIRC, the AHRC is like the ESRC, in that they only award funding for research, so your MA has to be part of an MA+PhD route, in order to get funding. You can't get research council funding for a standalone MA. A few universities offer scholarships, but these are very rarely full scholarships, and only to the very best students.

The vast majority of MA students fund it themselves. Sad, but true. As for cost, depends on the course and university. The fee tends to be around the £3000 mark, as that is what research councils will fund if part of an MA+PhD scholarship, however for some subjects at some universities, it is often much higher.

Reply 4

Alan Smithee

LSE for example. They are thieving *****.

Reply 5

The Boosh

17

judging by your berkely status i guess you are not british (?) which means you will pay the top end on the fee scale. as drouge said, unless you want do go down the research route (and therefore will have to do a masters in research training - which may not be what you are after) than research council options arent really for you. also, for international students, the research councils dont pay beyond fees, so you will have to have funds to live off for a year (rent, food, etc).

i would start by looking into departmental scholarships (on university websites and maybe jobs.ac.uk) rather than national awards, bank loans and awards from your own country.

Reply 6

Fazorme

The AHRC will fund standalone Master's (I know Oxford's M.St English has just under a 50% success rate). Having said that, they do so for those who apply making it clear they intend to move onto D.Phil - where you have to apply all over again

Reply 7

hobnob

14

Fazorme

The AHRC will fund standalone Master's (I know Oxford's M.St English has just under a 50% success rate). Having said that, they do so for those who apply making it clear they intend to move onto D.Phil - where you have to apply all over again

As far as I know, those are the vast majority, though, because the faculty normally doesn't allow you to go straight on to a DPhil. As a standalone degree, the MSt probably isn't all that useful.

Financing an MA

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you