PDGE & research masters at the same time?

maggie_cork

hey all

just wondering is this possbile: to do PGDE and to do a research masters at the same time?

probably a crazy amount of work needed for both so it is perhaps not possible?

Rosita

I'm doing the PGDE at the moment and while it is not as bad as I had been forewarned it is fairly full on. It is hard to see - between constant school attendance, assignments, exams, lessons plans and actual college attendance - where someone would get the time to do significant research on another project.

In my view, the only way you could another course alongside it is to be doing one or both badly/very badly.

belfield

... would be if you get spotted by the university. Most don't allow double registration while a student is on a PGDE programme. If you're caught, you have to pick one or the other and it gets messy. Finger pointing, fees being lost etc.

Dionysus

maggie_cork wrote: »

hey all

just wondering is this possbile: to do PGDE and to do a research masters at the same time?

probably a crazy amount of work needed for both so it is perhaps not possible?

It's possible: you need to get the support of your supervisor who writes a letter to the Academic Council.

As somebody who has been in a similar situation, what I would do is start my Research Masters while doing the PGDE. Then, officially register for the Masters next year. Having done a few chapters during your PGDE year, you will then officially do the Masters quicker. That looks good.

peanuthead

I know i couldn't do both in the same year well. The PGDE is a lot of work. Not academically hard but extremely time consuming.

maggie_cork

thanks to all for yer replies.. ya I knew alright that there was no possible way of doing both.. its just that someone said it to me in passing.

ive applied for the PGDE so fingers crossed that I get it!!


thanks again all

Powerhouse

Dionysus wrote: »

It's possible: you need to get the support of your supervisor who writes a letter to the Academic Council.

As somebody who has been in a similar situation, what I would do is start my Research Masters while doing the PGDE. Then, officially register for the Masters next year. Having done a few chapters during your PGDE year, you will then officially do the Masters quicker. That looks good.

Why would somebody need to get their supervisor to write a letter to the Academic Council if they are not actually registered to do a Master's?

Surely, in effect, all you are suggesting is getting a head start on the research work if possible, but any official contact with anyone on the matter is irrelevant if you are not registered to do the course?

Dionysus

Powerhouse wrote: »

Why would somebody need to get their supervisor to write a letter to the Academic Council if they are not actually registered to do a Master's?

Surely, in effect, all you are suggesting is getting a head start on the research work if possible, but any official contact with anyone on the matter is irrelevant if you are not registered to do the course?

She wanted to know could she do the PGDE and the Masters simultaneously. I'm telling her that she can and what she would have to do in that event is contact her supervisor/potential supervisor, who speaks with his head of department. The Heads of Department on both courses sign a form authorising it, the Academic Council agree and send the student a letter confirming that she can do both courses at once. At least that was how it worked when I did my research postgrad along with a diploma a few years ago.

Having confirmed that she could, in fact, be registered for both courses in the one year - i.e. answered her question - I suggested an alternative option which was, as you correctly said, that she should unofficially do the Masters while doing the PGDE and get a head start before officially enrolling on the Masters the following year.

Dionysus

maggie_cork wrote: »

thanks to all for yer replies.. ya I knew alright that there was no possible way of doing both.. its just that someone said it to me in passing.

ive applied for the PGDE so fingers crossed that I get it!!


thanks again all

Grrr. It is possible. I did it.

maggie_cork

oooh very sorry Dionysus.. i actually never saw your post.. sorry again!

how did you find doing both? was it stressful ?
do you mind telling me what u did ur masters in (general area)

Dionysus

maggie_cork wrote: »

oooh very sorry Dionysus.. i actually never saw your post.. sorry again!

how did you find doing both? was it stressful ?
do you mind telling me what u did ur masters in (general area)

I wouldn't do it again. Yes: it was stressful. I did my research postgrad in History, and doing the diploma added to the time it took me to do it. As I said, your smartest move would be to start your masters unofficially while doing your PGDE. Then register officially for the masters when the PGDE is over. I presume that when you say "research masters" you are in reality going to do the PhD. It is a waste of your time doing a 40,000 plus word research master when you can convert over to the PhD and submit an 80,000 word thesis for a doctorate.

Once you start writing you'll be beating the words away with a stick, so to speak.