Hi all,

I'm just coming to the end of my undergrad and should graduate with a really strong first (touch wood!). I'm thinking about doing a PhD and my lecturer has suggested I register for an MPhil and then upgrade to a PhD at the end of the 1st or 2nd year - this way it'll save me laying out a fortune on fees for a Masters as well as a PhD.

Has anyone else done their PhD this way? Will I be at a disadvantage in the future if I don't get a Masters separately to my PhD??

Any advice appreciated! Thanks

:-)

In the UK, it is more often than not a case of registering for an Mphil, and then upgrading. EVERYONE has to upgrade. So, that's nothing new actually...

(exceptions may be there, but the norm is this I suppose)

There are some who so not have a masters when they enter, (science people I think). If you are arts social science, be prepared for a lot of catching up to do. About science, I really dont know.

good luck

Perhaps it is different in the sciences, but I think the MA is a good bridge You could do the MA in one year, even part time. I nearly did this - I had to wait for a suitable final module to complete my set! - I found that it was really useful. However maybe the most important thing is to decide the area you wish to study, and this may then allow you decide which is the best way forward. :-)

While it is true what your lecturer said but it depends alot on you. A PhD is a big jump from a Masters which gives you an idea of what it's like doing a PhD so for an undergrad it would be a big leap as it's totally different! What you do is very individual and can be very isolating and not to mention the stress of actually doing a PhD! Having said that it's different for everyone, most people who do a Masters find the transistion alot easier as they are more prepared and have more of an idea of what is expected. No if you have a PhD it supersedes a MSc so it doesn't matter. A Masters helps you focus and see what areas you are interested in as what you study at undergrad so broad!

I'd agree, its possible to do a Phd straight off, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it - the leap from BA to Phd would be absolutely mindblowing imo. I'm finding it a hard enough transition from MA to Phd but the MA gives you valuable experience and training - my sup said to view it as an apprenticeship for the Phd. It's kind of a halfway house, but gives you a taster of what a Phd might be like. I know of several of my peers who did the MA and decided that there was no way that they were ready for or committed enough to do the Phd. Had they not have done the MA it may well have been that they'd have got a few months in a dropped out anyway, so at least they have their MAs and can move onto Phd when they are ready to go for it.