Postgraduate Options - Taught and Research Programmes

Postgraduate programmes can be divided into two sections. Taught and research-based programmes. Before you choose the right postgraduate programme it is important that you understand the differences between the two.

Taught Courses
Taught course are exactly that, taught. During your programme a set amount of time will be given each week to seminars, tutorials and lectures. The programmes consist of set modules and units that are continually assessed through exams. A 10-20,000 word dissertation is usually given towards the end of the course as one of the final assessments.

Postgraduate Taught Degrees include:
Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Education (Med), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Theology (MTh), Master of Law (LLM), Master of Research (MRes), Master of Social Sciences (MSocSc), Master of Music (MMus), Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip), Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert), Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE), Diploma in Social Work (DipSW)

Research Degrees
Research programmes are often found in Master degrees and doctorates. They are often assessed on just one piece of individual research. Research Masters usually last two years and students are expected to produce papers of around 40,000 words. Doctorates, usually last for three years and require a lot more work. During your Master or Doctorate your supervisor will be help in guiding the direction of your research. It is therefore extremely important that you uncover how this supervision will go ahead at the beginning of the programme.

Postgraduate Research Degrees include:
Master of Philosophy (MPhil), Doctorate of Philosophy (DPhil), Doctor of Law (LLD), Doctor of Science (DSc), Doctor of Literature (DLitt), Doctor of Engineering (Deng), Doctor of Education (DEd)

For more advice on postgraduate programmes contact the National Postgraduate Committee at: www.npc.org.uk