The Student Room Group

Can i do a phd in UK ? i have a msc(1st class) + 3rd class BSc degree

I will be getting a 1st class MSc in Engineering Geology from a Sri Lankan university soon (one of the top unis in the country and i consider myself extreamly lucky for getting selected for the course after a getting a 3rd for my BSc) but I made a mess during my BSc and got only a 3rd class..i did my BSc (Geology) in England (bristol)..Prior to that I managed to get 3A's and a B for ALs and 9A s for GCSE

+ these i have one year experience in working as a Geologist in Sri Lanka


However i am so concerened about the 3rd class degree i got and I feel that its going to prevent me from having a good career in any developed country..What are my possibilities ? Can I do a PHD in UK/USA/Aus with my qualifications ? Will that make up for my 3rd class BSc degree when it comes to employment ?
Depends what you're asking. If you're self funding then they're unlikely to reject you no matter what. Money is money.
If you're applying for a scholarship then it might mean you seem less desirable than other applicants, obviously.
Original post by Synthesize
Depends what you're asking. If you're self funding then they're unlikely to reject you no matter what. Money is money.


That's not generally true. Any reputable University has minimum postgraduate entry requirements, which typically include a 2nd class degree (although allowance might be made if you have a Masters Degree).

It will typically be up to an individual supervisor or research group whether or not to take you a person on. They generally won't gain much financially themselves, so it's only in their interests to accept those who will make a contribution and not require too much extra help.
Original post by almostmaybe
Any reputable University has minimum postgraduate entry requirements, which typically include a 2nd class degree (although allowance might be made if you have a Masters Degree).

2nd class degree, reputable, oxymoron
Original post by Dharshana
I will be getting a 1st class MSc in Engineering Geology from a Sri Lankan university soon (one of the top unis in the country and i consider myself extreamly lucky for getting selected for the course after a getting a 3rd for my BSc) but I made a mess during my BSc and got only a 3rd class..i did my BSc (Geology) in England (bristol)..Prior to that I managed to get 3A's and a B for ALs and 9A s for GCSE

+ these i have one year experience in working as a Geologist in Sri Lanka


However i am so concerened about the 3rd class degree i got and I feel that its going to prevent me from having a good career in any developed country..What are my possibilities ? Can I do a PHD in UK/USA/Aus with my qualifications ? Will that make up for my 3rd class BSc degree when it comes to employment ?


It's certainly possible that you will accepted on the basis of your masters degree, assuming the quality in Sri Lanka is broadly comparable to the UK. You will need to contact individual supervisors and Universities. However, be warned that funding for non-EU students is scarce and you may not be competitive for the opportunities that do exist.
Original post by Synthesize
2nd class degree, reputable, oxymoron


If you're suggesting that no-one with a 2:1 or even a 2:2 can go on to do a PhD in a good group then you're wrong.
Original post by almostmaybe
If you're suggesting that no-one with a 2:1 or even a 2:2 can go on to do a PhD in a good group then you're wrong.

No, they absolutely can and that EXACTLY my point that you are proving. The University system is so watered down that people with 2:2 are able to get onto PhDs. Like I said, money is money, they are clearly not taking the best of students on PhDs now if you can get on with a 2:2 or even a 2:1. It is not hard to get a First.
Original post by Synthesize
No, they absolutely can and that EXACTLY my point that you are proving. The University system is so watered down that people with 2:2 are able to get onto PhDs. Like I said, money is money, they are clearly not taking the best of students on PhDs now if you can get on with a 2:2 or even a 2:1. It is not hard to get a First.
I was asked if I wanted to convert my masters and start a PhD instead.

In politics.

I'm a Biology graduate and a redbrick was willing to offer me a place on a PhD programme in politics.

No wonder 50% of people who start a phd don't finish it.

They have actually upped grade reqs since the olden days though. There's a long line of nobel prize winners who did their phds without getting a first. I would say though, that unless you are doing a notoriously difficult programme (Camb NatSci, etc) that these days you should question whether you are passionate enough about your subject to go on to do a PhD if you have not managed to get a first. They'll do near **** all for your future employment prospects and anybody smart enough to get one is also smart enough to earn twice as much in other sectors. You have to really love your subject, and the people that love their subject tend to get firsts.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Llamageddon
You have to really love your subject, and the people that love their subject tend to get firsts.

This.
Original post by Synthesize
No, they absolutely can and that EXACTLY my point that you are proving. The University system is so watered down that people with 2:2 are able to get onto PhDs. Like I said, money is money, they are clearly not taking the best of students on PhDs now if you can get on with a 2:2 or even a 2:1. It is not hard to get a First.


Well, I think it's open to debate whether the current number taking research degrees is too high. But as long as the current levels of funding are in place (bearing in mind that a small minority of UK PhDs are self-funded, especially in the sciences), having an arbitrary cut-off saying that only people with a 1st class degree are allowed to do one doesn't make much sense.

Since the majority of students don't get a first, even at the most selective universities, clearly it is not all that easy, especially if you are simultaneously contributing more widely to university life. The difficulty of getting a first is not constant across different degree subjects and universities, and the difference between getting 69 and 71 is not all that significant.

You are also making the assumption that the students who perform the best in exams in their undergraduate courses are those best suited to being independent researchers, which is somewhat questionable. Performance in final year or Masters project is very relevant, as is a general understanding of, and commitment to, spending three or four years of your life doing research.
They got a Third, by the way.
Reply 11
Original post by Synthesize
They got a Third, by the way.


you sound butt-hurt
Original post by a10
you sound butt-hurt

You sound devoid of intelligence.
Reply 13
Original post by Synthesize
You sound devoid of intelligence.


Bruh, just because someone was successful in obtaining a first class masters degree after getting a third class doesn't mean that they are a total failure and shouldn't be allowed an opportunity....
Original post by a10
Bruh, just because someone was successful in obtaining a first class masters degree after getting a third class doesn't mean that they are a total failure and shouldn't be allowed an opportunity....

I think you're misunderstanding my statement of how university might see it as my opinion. I also don't understand why I would be butthurt that someone got a 3rd class degree, care to elaborate?
Original post by Synthesize
No, they absolutely can and that EXACTLY my point that you are proving. The University system is so watered down that people with 2:2 are able to get onto PhDs. Like I said, money is money, they are clearly not taking the best of students on PhDs now if you can get on with a 2:2 or even a 2:1. It is not hard to get a First.


You sound like you don't know how the University grading system works - a 2:1 is higher than a 2:2. Do you even go to university? How can you say it's not hard the get a first? It definitely is a lot of the time, especially from a good university.

OP - I think your 1st class Masters shows that you are motivated and dedicated to your subject. A lot of the time when applying for a PhD, motivation is more important than grades (as well as whether you can get funding and whether you get on with the leader). Regardless, if you are doing a PhD purely because you think employers will turn you down when they see your third, I strongly recommend that you don't embark on a PhD. This is 3-4 years of intense immersion in your subject, which, by the sounds of it you are just doing for the sake of your CV. So many people who start PhDs don't complete them because they aren't passionate enough about the subject, or because they see their classmates go off and earn money and decide they are bored. Try to get a job first, send out some applications and see what happens. These companies are just as likely to take you on for a job as a university is likely to take you on for a PhD.
Reply 16
HI. I got a 3rd class Biomedical science degree as well from the UK. Got my Masters from Sri Lanka. 9years after my Masters I am trying to apply for a funded PhD. I feel like an incapable person after the 3rd always doubting myself in everything I do. Let's try applying we have nothing else to lose.

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