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Spare Change?

  • 30-12-2009 06:45PM
    #1
    Denerick
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,485 ✭✭✭


    I've looked into a lot of funding opportunities for postgrads, but the budget for the Irish Research Council for the Arts and Humanities appears to be slashed, and unless you get a first in your degree in Trinity, the chances of getting a scholarship are extremely slim to say the least. (I hope to get a good 2:1) The problem with me is cash, cash, cash! Even supposing I do somehow, majestically get a job next year, I won't be able to afford the up front masters fee (Which is seven and a half grand for my course) I want to do a research masters in History in TCD.

    How did you go about your postgrad. funding? Was it a struggle? What is it like doing the course without funding?


Comments

  • #2
    theredletter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 301 ✭✭theredletter


    Hmm.. the problem here is your degree standard, I'm afraid. Anyway you could pull off a low 1.1? That would make things easier for you, I'd say.

    I know TCD has a few internal scholarships, you should ask the graduate office about that. If you're doing the MLitt (or whatever TCD call it) you might be asked to tutor which could be a nice source of income. Some departments in some universities have tuition scholarships, usually two. You could ask the History department are they giving these out, but in some universities they are open to all incoming students so that would be a major challenge seeing that history is a popular subject so the competition jumps up.

    Since you're doing research, you could try to get part-time employment somewhere, or even do part-time teaching in a VEC secondary school (because you don't need a HDip in Ed to teach there). I'm not sure about history, but you could look for a job in a museum or something that's related to your field?

    My degree is being fully funded (with a ****ty living stipend), so I think hearing from someone who has done it without funding would be better for you. I do know I have a LOT of friends who took out a 10,000 bank loan for their MAs. This could be an option for you too... But since it's a two-year degree, and the fact that you may convert to PhD, you might need to consider that one carefully.

    Happy New Year,

    Red


  • #3
    claire h
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,056 ✭✭✭claire h


    Think you mean taught masters if it's seven and a half grand. (Modern Irish History, I'm guessing, if that is the case? Would love to know how they price those things, other history MPhils in Trinity are under six grand.) Being a research student (either masters or PhD) is something like five and a half grand per year, and under four if you're doing it part-time. So good news if you did mean research, I guess, as it is a bit cheaper...
    (http://www.tcd.ie/Treasurers_Office/fees/PG_0910_New_Entrant_0910.pdf)


  • #4
    robp
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭robp


    theredletter wrote: »
    Hmm.. the problem here is your degree standard, I'm afraid. Anyway you could pull off a low 1.1? That would make things easier for you, I'd say.

    I know TCD has a few internal scholarships, you should ask the graduate office about that. If you're doing the MLitt (or whatever TCD call it) you might be asked to tutor which could be a nice source of income. Some departments in some universities have tuition scholarships, usually two. You could ask the History department are they giving these out, but in some universities they are open to all incoming students so that would be a major challenge seeing that history is a popular subject so the competition jumps up.

    Since you're doing research, you could try to get part-time employment somewhere, or even do part-time teaching in a VEC secondary school (because you don't need a HDip in Ed to teach there). I'm not sure about history, but you could look for a job in a museum or something that's related to your field?

    My degree is being fully funded (with a ****ty living stipend), so I think hearing from someone who has done it without funding would be better for you. I do know I have a LOT of friends who took out a 10,000 bank loan for their MAs. This could be an option for you too... But since it's a two-year degree, and the fact that you may convert to PhD, you might need to consider that one carefully.

    Happy New Year,

    Red

    I wonder if a low 1.1 would even be enough for a scholarship nowadays in the humanities. There must be quite a few students around these days with firsts considering futher postgraduate degrees yet the number of scholarships is as low as ever.


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