Where to go for Masters: Prestigious and expensive or Average and affordable? HELP!

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Always go for the best university. Don't let tuition fees stop you. For you I would say the best places for Masters would be Oxbridge, UCL, Durham, York, Warwick and Queen Mary.

Listen to this guy.

Masters applications can be less competitive than you might think, and if you have a 2:1 then there is no reason not to apply to all the top universities (not just Newcastle). Oxbridge might be a stretch (although not impossible) but you will have an outside shot at pretty much all the other top RGs.

Reply 21

Baula

Original post by ChloeRen

Hi,
In my final year at Northumbria studying Literature and Journalism and in a bit of a predicament.
I know after this year I want to do a masters in English Literature but I am worried about where.
My options:

1. Stay at Northumbria as they are offering 10 grand post grad loans and I would be eligible for alumni discount also of at least 25% as I know i won't get lower than a 2.1. Therefore my masters wouldn't cost more than 2 grand (i believe, however my maths skills are not to be trusted) and i would have the loan to cover that.

2. Try and go to Newcastle uni as they are obviously a much better ranking university especially for their English department. However, I would be eligible for NO discount and the masters would cost £5500. I think they might offer 2 grand scholarships but then I would still be needing 3.5, obviously money which i don't have and would have to find.

The bottom line of my problem is... Is it better to go to a higher ranking university and paying extortionate amount, or do I stay at Northumbria where I am settled and have financial perks?
I am torn as I am UNSURE of whether it is important to have a masters from a more renowned establishment??
I hope to move onto a PhD after my masters eventually, so would where I do a masters affect this?
...

Any advice is appreciated and I'd be so grateful for any help!! Feeling pretty clueless about this all! Hope I have made myself clear. Thanks. Chloe.

I had a similar situation when I was deciding on an MA. I opted for the better uni and stumped up the extra cash because their program (rather than the uni ranking) was much more interesting/exciting to me and fitted in a lot better with what I wanted to do. If you're considering going on to do a PhD, it may be worth you considering an MA by Research as this would demonstrate that you are capable of researching and writing up your own project. That said, I'm doing a taught MA and I know someone on my course has an offer to do a PhD :smile: