Masters by Research in English

Hey guys,

I'm debating whether or not to apply to do a Masters by Research in English. I was wondering if anyone had experiences of doing a masters in English language, linguistics or stylistics and could share them with me?

I'm really interested in cognitive stylistics which I'm currently writing a few essays on at undergrad level, but I'm worried about having to write a proposal in my application as I don't know what aspect of the subject I'd like to research for the whole year.

It'd be great to talk to others who have done or want to do something similar!

Ellie :smile:

Reply 1

PhoenixFortune

21

Original post by SHUGURU

Hey guys,

I'm debating whether or not to apply to do a Masters by Research in English. I was wondering if anyone had experiences of doing a masters in English language, linguistics or stylistics and could share them with me?

I'm really interested in cognitive stylistics which I'm currently writing a few essays on at undergrad level, but I'm worried about having to write a proposal in my application as I don't know what aspect of the subject I'd like to research for the whole year.

It'd be great to talk to others who have done or want to do something similar!

Ellie :smile:

I'm studying a taught MA in Bilingualism, so not an MRes. However, I have written numerous research proposals as part of my assignments, and have just submitted my dissertation proposal. If you have any questions I could answer, feel free to ask. :smile:

OP

Original post by PhoenixFortune

I'm studying a taught MA in Bilingualism, so not an MRes. However, I have written numerous research proposals as part of my assignments, and have just submitted my dissertation proposal. If you have any questions I could answer, feel free to ask. :smile:

Wow, I bet that's really interesting!! Thank you, I think my main worry at the moment is how specific my proposal needs to be, as I only have a week left to apply for the studentship I'd like. Since I'd be researching one thing for the whole year, I have no idea how specific/broad I can make the proposal or how many different things I'd be expected to include in one thesis. I don't know if that's something you'd know with your course?

Also, in more general terms I'd really like to know about your experience studying a Masters! Do you enjoy it? Do you find it very different to undergraduate studies? How many hours to you have in uni, and how many do you put in at home? What about the financial side of studying a Masters?

Thank you. :smile:

Reply 3

PhoenixFortune

21

Original post by SHUGURU

Wow, I bet that's really interesting!! Thank you, I think my main worry at the moment is how specific my proposal needs to be, as I only have a week left to apply for the studentship I'd like. Since I'd be researching one thing for the whole year, I have no idea how specific/broad I can make the proposal or how many different things I'd be expected to include in one thesis. I don't know if that's something you'd know with your course?

Also, in more general terms I'd really like to know about your experience studying a Masters! Do you enjoy it? Do you find it very different to undergraduate studies? How many hours to you have in uni, and how many do you put in at home? What about the financial side of studying a Masters?

Thank you. :smile:

Well I would suggest reading widely around the area you're most interested in researching, and then a research question should develop from the gaps you find in the literature. The general rule of thumb is that the more specific you can make your proposal, the more valid and understandable it will be to the admissions tutors. I would say to try to make your proposal as specific as you feel comfortable doing, but remember that you will have the opportunity to further develop and tailor your research in the first few weeks.

I'm really enjoying my Masters. My undergrad was pretty intense anyway (a NHS-funded clinical placement-based course) so I automatically find my current course quite straightforward in comparison. I have between 8 and 12 hours of contact time per week across 4 or 5 days, although I try to stick to a 9am to 5pm independent study schedule when I can.

I wouldn't have been able to afford to self-fund a MA without the postgrad loan, so I'm really grateful that it exists. The biggest expense for me by far is accommodation. There isn't a lot of choice of accommodation where I study, so this justifies the high cost. Everything else is reasonably affordable.

Hope that helps :smile:

Reply 4

Underdescribed

5

Original post by SHUGURU

Hey guys,

I'm debating whether or not to apply to do a Masters by Research in English. I was wondering if anyone had experiences of doing a masters in English language, linguistics or stylistics and could share them with me?

I'm really interested in cognitive stylistics which I'm currently writing a few essays on at undergrad level, but I'm worried about having to write a proposal in my application as I don't know what aspect of the subject I'd like to research for the whole year.

It'd be great to talk to others who have done or want to do something similar!

Ellie :smile:

hey! long shot that you're gonna see/reply to this haha but what did you end up doing?
I'm currently a second year undergrad and really interested in the stylistics stuff I've been studying, so I'm just curious really!
hope you're well xx

Masters by Research in English

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