Grades of MAs

Tupamaros

Hi,

Just wondering something. Some people's masters seem to be you get the masters and that is it, there is no grading of it like undergrad where there is a 1.1 and a 2.1 etc

I'm doing a Politics MA and I'm wondering are these graded or do you just get the masters. And if they are graded, what would be needed to get a Phd offer generally?

Ostrom

Tupamaros wrote: »

Hi,

Just wondering something. Some people's masters seem to be you get the masters and that is it, there is no grading of it like undergrad where there is a 1.1 and a 2.1 etc

I'm doing a Politics MA and I'm wondering are these graded or do you just get the masters. And if they are graded, what would be needed to get a Phd offer generally?

It depends on the department, but grading for taught M.A. theses would be the norm. If the thesis was by research (M.Litt), then grades (as far as I know) are not typically specified. PhD applications aren't fixed, it depends on a number of measures - your overall M.A. and undergraduate grades, quality of your research proposal, suitable supervision etc. From experience, a 2.1. recommendation is usually specified for entry to phd courses, but you will typically register as a research masters student first before applying for upgrade, although this may have changed since my registration with the new taught programmes.

Also, there are no further increments to a first class honours award (i.e. as with 2.1, 2.2).

pow wow

With my politics MA we were given a grade equivalent to a first, 2:1 etc. in percentage terms as well as the corresponding classification (Merit, Distinction etc.). That was a taught MA with a thesis component.

Tupamaros

efla wrote: »

It depends on the department, but grading for taught M.A. theses would be the norm. If the thesis was by research (M.Litt), then grades (as far as I know) are not typically specified. PhD applications aren't fixed, it depends on a number of measures - your overall M.A. and undergraduate grades, quality of your research proposal, suitable supervision etc. From experience, a 2.1. recommendation is usually specified for entry to phd courses, but you will typically register as a research masters student first before applying for upgrade, although this may have changed since my registration with the new taught programmes.

Also, there are no further increments to a first class honours award (i.e. as with 2.1, 2.2).

Sorry what do you mean by that?

VALIS

There is only one increment to a first, a 1H, as opposed to there being 1.2s etc.

Tupamaros

VALIS wrote: »

There is only one increment to a first, a 1H, as opposed to there being 1.2s etc.

I see, thanks, this was also the case for my undergrad:)

Tupamaros

pow wow wrote: »

With my politics MA we were given a grade equivalent to a first, 2:1 etc. in percentage terms as well as the corresponding classification (Merit, Distinction etc.). That was a taught MA with a thesis component.

Yeah mine is a taught MA with thesis component also!

At masters level is it 1.1 = above 70% and 2.1 = above 60%?

pow wow

They used the same grade boundaries as undergrad for mine anyway so I'd assume they're fairly standard.

Odysseus

Mine was a research MA and was awarded without distinction, no grade.