MSci vs MSc?

I believe MScis are integrated masters, ie undergraduate degrees. You study for four years and get an MSci in the end. An MSc is a one/two-year postgraduate degree. An MSci is like a MBio (Master of Biology), MMath (Master of Mathematics), MChem (Master of Chemistry), MPhy (Master of Physics), etc. This is why an MSc can only be independently funded at the moment. If you read an MSci as a second undergraduate degree, I don't think you can take out student loans for it either.

In addition to the above, an MSc doesn't 'lead on to a PhD' directly, it's a stand-alone qualification in its own right. If you've only got a BSc it may help with a PhD application, as it demonstrates masters-level learning and research as a step-up from BSc, though an MSci would equally provide that background.

One last question! Am I right in thinking that you cannot do a Masters in anything you liked? As in, I could not waltz up to the University of York (for example) and say 'I have these qualifications in these subjects and this amount of experience, I would like to do a Masters in ______' and they would accommodate me. You have to do the Masters programmes that are available to you, much like an undergraduate degree?

Thank you again

Thank you for your replies! I'll do some digging around of my own but what Little Toy Gun writes makes sense on my own understanding of it. What Duncan2012 has said as well is interesting, I believed the MSc was what GCSEs is to A Level, like a prerequisite.

One last question! Am I right in thinking that you cannot do a Masters in anything you liked? As in, I could not waltz up to the University of York (for example) and say 'I have these qualifications in these subjects and this amount of experience, I would like to do a Masters in ______' and they would accommodate me. You have to do the Masters programmes that are available to you, much like an undergraduate degree?

Thank you again

Thank you for your replies! I'll do some digging around of my own but what Little Toy Gun writes makes sense on my own understanding of it. What Duncan2012 has said as well is interesting, I believed the MSc was what GCSEs is to A Level, like a prerequisite.

One last question! Am I right in thinking that you cannot do a Masters in anything you liked? As in, I could not waltz up to the University of York (for example) and say 'I have these qualifications in these subjects and this amount of experience, I would like to do a Masters in ______' and they would accommodate me. You have to do the Masters programmes that are available to you, much like an undergraduate degree?

Thank you again

You can only do a masters in whatever a university offers, and not all universities offer every course. In taught courses, modules are usually offered in the most important areas. You have to do a project/dissertation which allows you to focus on an area of your own interests, providing the university is able to find someone to be a supervisor.

If you want to do something unique or very unusual you might need to fund yourself through a PhD, but you'll still need academic supervision from the university.

You need to be applying to a specific course with specific content and goals in the end, and the same applies to a doctoral course (though to a lesser extent).

Certainly for a taught course yes. And you may need to have an undergraduate degree in a related subject.

Certainly for a taught course yes. And you may need to have an undergraduate degree in a related subject.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply to my posts again! I will consider the information you have all provided me, and realise some specific goals and specific plans. I'm not a very specific person so I hope I am somewhat successful.
Hope you all have a great rest of your day

Hi everyone, happy Monday!

I have just completed my first year of a BSc course and I am toying with the idea of doing an MSci or an MSc. Who better to ask than the devotees of The Student Room?

I honestly don't know much about the difference between them aside from the MSc must be funded independently of the Student Finance system. And that an MSc leads on to a PhD? Um.

If any of the people who clicked this could give me some notes or info on either an MSc or MSci I would be very grateful! Thank you

(in addition if this is in the wrong section go ahead and move it )

They are exactly the same thing.
the only difference Msci is taken from the start. I myself am starting biomedical science at UWE with an msci which means integrated masters.
I have just left sixth form so I am saying I will do the masters alongside my undergraduate if I get the grades to do this.
So if I get a 2:1 within the first 5 years I get to start the Msci programme at the same uni-the same course.
an msc is also a masters. But you go somewhere else to do it. Let’s days I did my biomedical science degree at Bristol then chose to do a masters with an msc you have to apply somewhere else let’s say I chose keele that would then be msc in biomed and my bsc at UWE.
I hope this has explained x

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