I've been studying towards an MPhil in English Literature for a few years now, and have encountered a number of problems with the university (big gaps in supervison). As things stand, I have good supervision, and have until the end of June 2011 to submit. I also have 30 ECTS from an exchange programme I did at the beginning of the MPhil.

However, after about 25,000 words so far, I have lost all motivation to finish the thesis, and I frankly hate looking at it now. I also no longer care about what i'm writing about. The finished article should be 50 - 60,000, and the thought of doing any more makes me ill.

I'm weighing up the idea that I could either submit a shorter thesis and try for research MA (combined with my ECTS), or settle for a PGDip and make it into an MA at a later time and at another uni?

I realise the best thing would be to just finish the damned thing, and I still have that option open of course. But I don't care about how it looks on a CV, nor do I intend to go for a career in academia (the whole process has put me off!). I really only pursued my MPhil subject out of my own interest and (then) passion for the subject, but I feel very tempted to leave in the best way possible to preserve my mental health, whilst still having something to show for it.

Any suggestions apart from the obvious?

Thanks

Well, I can empathize with both your concern about the value of an MPhil, and your bad experience of university administration.

I chose from the outset to do an MPhil, as I had no option of funding anything else. I now wish I hadn't bothered. Firstly, a lot of work goes into writing the research thesis (50,000+ in my case), and at the end of it people either don't know what it is, or think you have failed a PhD. An MA would have been quicker and easier, and far better recognised by employers or universities around the world (MPhils are a dying degree).

I'm still writing up my thesis, but I feel incredibly negative about it, because I have also suffered at the hands of very poor university administration. I had 13 months without a supervisor, i've had to personally chase everything even vaguely administrative, and I may as well not exist to my department: i've not had a single email from them that I have not instigated first. Because of their delays, i've also had to work seasonal jobs, effectively making it a part-time degree. They recently gave me an extension to make up for their previous slackness, but too late to in any way make up for their treatment of a student who gave them over £3000 for what?

I'm hoping for both our sakes that an MPhil is something to be proud of, that will be acknowledged by employers and academic institutions in the future.