Getting funding for PhD with 2:1

Hi guys, had a question about getting funding for a Social Science PhD - wondered if anyone could share their experience / expertise?

I'm doing my Masters right now in a Social Science subject, and am set to get a distinction, but I only got a 2:1 in my Bachelors degree. I understand that funding for PhDs is insanely competitive at the moment, and wondered if not having a First in my bachelors degree might preclude me from a reasonable chance at getting funding?

Any insights welcome!

Thanks

Reply 1

WoWZa

Sure dude! Just relax, yet show enthusiasm, genuine interest and prepare well for it.

Reply 2

Craghyrax

Last time I checked you weren't a Social Scientist, Wowza :lolwut:

Not that that comment would be particularly realistic for any discipline's PhD funding...

Original post by strugglingpostgrad

Basically don't get your hopes up. If you get a distinction then that will make things easier, but nobody can count on getting PhD funding in this climate, even if they have a first. If you are serious about getting a PhD then you need to be open minded about the things you may have to do to get there.
You may have to take a year out to reapply if unsuccessful the first time round.
You may have to consider doing your PhD in another country (such as America) which has more PhD funding available. You may need to invest effort into doing other things to prove yourself, like getting work from your Masters published, entering essay competitions, presenting at conferences...

In the Social Sciences you stand a slightly better chance if you apply for a PhD that is predecided by the department. If they are advertising a specific studentship for a very specific research question, and if that happens to match your subject background (eg dissertation areas and such) then it's a good idea to go for that sort of thing, as most people I know who have gotten PhD funding with a 2.1 applied for a pre-set PhD that was advertised. You find out about these by signing up to things like FindAPhD.com and checking things advertised on department websites very regularly.

Another important strategy (which applies equally to people who do have stellar grades) is targetting your proposal to a particular supervisor. Funding allocations often heavily depend on how well you are matched to the supervisor's interests. You need to prepare for investing time in emailing potential supervisors at a range of departments and altering your proposal according to their suggestions.

Finally in my view you can think critically about the competition. Top students will probably try to apply for the best Universities and departments in their subject area. That means that those places will probably be attracting the best calibre of students and when it comes round to funding allocations there will always be better people than you to consider. You should consider setting your sights lower and applying for places that maybe aren't that well regarded. Don't compromise on the supervisor match - that's critical - but if you find a very well suited supervisor at a mediocre University, give that a shot - it might be that they don't have many better students competing for those funding awards, and this would act in your favour so long as you were successful in showing that supervisor that you were committed to the area and had relevant experience and ability.

At the same time though, apply for jobs and be prepared to work for a bit. You might also be in a situation where you win part funding only and have to pay part of it yourself. It's definitely not something to rely on! Think of it as the lottery.

Reply 3

strugglingpostgrad

Great,

Thanks Craghyrax - that's really useful. God I wish I had taken my first degree more seriously!

Cheers

Reply 4

indigocrayola

All i can say is persevere!!! The funding situation is likely to get worse, as the price of undergraduate study goes up.

I got a 2:1 for my Geography BA, but am on track for a distinction with my Geography MA. I've just won a full PhD studentship at Queen Mary university and it was the originality of my proposal, as well as evidence of first class marks that the head of graduate admissions told me were the main strengths of my application. Check departmental selection criteria on the website of the institution you are applying to and work hard to impress your potential supervisor. Without the support of a supervisor, your application will struggle to get noticed. GOOD LUCK!!!

Reply 5

WoWZa

Just to say my PhD is a social science discipline.

(edited 12 years ago)

Thanks everyone!

Original post by WoWZa

Just to say my PhD is a social science discipline.

From things you've said elsewhere I got the opinion it was something like a cross between Business Studies and Marketing. Anything along those lines will be alot more easily funded due to investment by corporations. That's exceptional and can't be generalised to other Social Sciences.

Reply 8

WoWZa

It's not in that, and it's just an interest =P The PhD is a social science one.

Reply 9

hobnob

Original post by WoWZa

It's not in that, and it's just an interest =P The PhD is a social science one.

I wouldn't have guessed that either. Any particular reason why you seem so intent on keeping it a secret what your PhD is actually on? :confused:

Reply 10

Overmars

From my experience, I'm not sure how much difference your first degree makes. If you nail your masters (and I mean finish in the top 5% of your department) then the university is likely to fund you. Going elsewhere and getting funding might be trickier. I know the Economics departments at Cambridge and LSE base their PhD funding pretty much on masters performance alone. It might be different for other social sciences.