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Unlikely. At the bare minimum, you'd need at least a 2:2. You could try and get a place on a postgrad diploma, however, and if you do well, might be allowed to progress onto an MA.
Reply 2
Most Masters courses ask for a 2:1, a 2:2 at the very least. If you got a third, are you sure the academic route is for you? You would probably be better off going and getting some experience. What is your degree in?
Reply 3
Original post by tigermoth99
Unlikely. At the bare minimum, you'd need at least a 2:2. You could try and get a place on a postgrad diploma, however, and if you do well, might be allowed to progress onto an MA.


Nice tautology. But yes, even assuming you were eligible there'd scarcely be any semblance of a point: try getting a job.
Reply 4
Actually most Masters courses have unlimited places and if you can fully fund yourself they will be happy to accept you. It all comes down to money these days.
Reply 5
Original post by wollenzie
Actually most Masters courses have unlimited places and if you can fully fund yourself they will be happy to accept you. It all comes down to money these days.


Not true. The are plenty of Master's courses desperate for students, but they do reject people. People with thirds.
Reply 6
It may be possible to find somewhere which would accept a 3rd, maybe if you have some extenuating circumstances as to why you did'nt do better. For example, it is only recently that the UK government have said they will stop funding students who wish to take a PGCE who only got a 3rd in their degree. (Implying that at the moment people with 3rd's can do PGCE/Masters. But as others have said it may be a better option to do get some work experience instead.
Reply 7
Original post by Ice_Queen

Original post by Ice_Queen
Most Masters courses ask for a 2:1, a 2:2 at the very least. If you got a third, are you sure the academic route is for you? You would probably be better off going and getting some experience. What is your degree in?


My degree is in physiology and am contemplating doing a masters degree in public health(M.P.H), its is difficult to get any work experience here as so many graduates with better grades are unemployed, i do have the mandatory one year national service though but not in a health related field.
Reply 8
Thank you all for the insight, please am still expecting more.thanks.
Reply 9
Original post by jvcrim
My degree is in physiology and am contemplating doing a masters degree in public health(M.P.H), its is difficult to get any work experience here as so many graduates with better grades are unemployed, i do have the mandatory one year national service though but not in a health related field.



That doesn't answer my question :p: As a postgraduate student, I can testify that the workload doubles. Imagine all the work you did in your three years as an undergrad, and you do that in one year.

You can't use a Masters degree to try and 'redeem' your undergraduate. You would be better off getting any old job for the interim while you look for a better job. Things might look up soon. If you got a third, no offence but you're probably not going to excel in another degree - don't waste a year and however much your degree would cost.
MPH courses are probably one of the more difficult Masters courses to get into. I would say a lot of people coming onto those courses have previous experience in healthcare, and quite a few courses specify the need for experienced people. Sort of like an MBA. I don't think your chances would be very good at all without experience and a with 3rd class honours.

You could possibly do an Open University degree, or apply for distance courses where spaces are not so limited, though. Possibly even an MPH through the University of London external program, but I'm not sure how much they ration places.
(edited 13 years ago)
I would hope not.
Reply 12
Original post by jvcrim
As an international student from an English speaking African country, is it possible to gain entry in to a university in the United Kingdom with a third class degree in the hope of acquiring a master degree.


Try doing it at one of the post-92 "new" universities, they generally would take any and every international student for as long as you can pay.

Know of at least 5 who have 3rds or barely passed who are in Masters level courses in the UK.
Reply 13
Original post by Ice_Queen
That doesn't answer my question :p: As a postgraduate student, I can testify that the workload doubles. Imagine all the work you did in your three years as an undergrad, and you do that in one year.

You can't use a Masters degree to try and 'redeem' your undergraduate. You would be better off getting any old job for the interim while you look for a better job. Things might look up soon. If you got a third, no offence but you're probably not going to excel in another degree - don't waste a year and however much your degree would cost.


I think you are missing the point somewhat in that often people do a course and find they don't like it or its not for them. Some will leave and some will struggle through, generally the third classers.
Later on you do change your mind about what you want to do in life but if you have a third class degree under the circumstances I've stated you are stuck on two fronts: 1. you can't get help doing a 2nd undergrad and 2) You will struggle to get on a masters in your newly preferred subject.. However with work experience and the ability to fully self fund many Universities will let you in under the guise of dong the PGDiP first.
Having a third is not the end of the world by any means.
Reply 14
Original post by wollenzie
I think you are missing the point somewhat in that often people do a course and find they don't like it or its not for them. Some will leave and some will struggle through, generally the third classers.
Later on you do change your mind about what you want to do in life but if you have a third class degree under the circumstances I've stated you are stuck on two fronts: 1. you can't get help doing a 2nd undergrad and 2) You will struggle to get on a masters in your newly preferred subject.. However with work experience and the ability to fully self fund many Universities will let you in under the guise of dong the PGDiP first.
Having a third is not the end of the world by any means.


Ice_Queen did not suggest that a third was the end of the world, and I think you are missing the entire point of most of the replies given so far, which come from masters and PhD students.

Because of the intensity of a masters, a student who received a third - even if it was because they struggled on through a subject they disliked - is unsuited for masters-level study. It is a high-level academic qualification which places huge demands on the student, and if they were not sensible enough to drop out or move programme after a year or two, then I would question their suitability now. It has nothing to do with people's circumstances changing, or their interests shifting. Of course you are stuck on two fronts, but that is because of academic attainment. I would not complain about not being able to take pass plus (an advanced driving test) to lower my insurance if I failed my driving test in the first place. You are conflating two completely separate things.
It is most certainly not impossible, in sciencey stuff where there is less competition you might be able you get on a Postgraduate diploma (2/3 of a masters) and then if you do well enough you could complete the full degree.

It's what I did with my third class, don't let people tell you that you're necessarily not good enough, it's just not true.
Reply 16
Original post by Ice_Queen
That doesn't answer my question :p: As a postgraduate student, I can testify that the workload doubles. Imagine all the work you did in your three years as an undergrad, and you do that in one year.

You can't use a Masters degree to try and 'redeem' your undergraduate. You would be better off getting any old job for the interim while you look for a better job. Things might look up soon. If you got a third, no offence but you're probably not going to excel in another degree - don't waste a year and however much your degree would cost.


This isn't necessarily true. For my masters the workload lessened - I would say it's about 80% of the work I was doing at undergrad. I have a lot more free time now. :dontknow:
Reply 17
Original post by Itchynscratchy
It is most certainly not impossible, in sciencey stuff where there is less competition you might be able you get on a Postgraduate diploma (2/3 of a masters) and then if you do well enough you could complete the full degree.

It's what I did with my third class, don't let people tell you that you're necessarily not good enough, it's just not true.



pls can u put me thru on how u did yours and which university did you do yours..plzzzzzzzzzzzz
edit: nvm, just saw that this was a weird old bump from months ago
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 19
I know a guy who studied at reading university and he graduated with 48% and he couldn't do a master. So sussex university let him to do the postgraduate diploma instead of a master and after he finished that, he continue his master. So everything is possible!! You can do short courses for example at Birbeck to make better your CV. Moreover, you can do a master in a college like BPP, or LSBF.. And then apply to a better university.. You have choices even if you get third. Good luck..:smile: