Choosing a Route
Postgraduate study at Lincoln is divided into two areas, taught and research programmes, and the route you choose will determine how you learn. What type of programme is right for you depends on a number of factors, including your current stage of study and your career aspirations. For example, if you鈥檝e recently graduated with an undergraduate degree, you may wish to progress to a taught Master鈥檚 in a related subject area to further develop your knowledge, or study something completely di铿erent to change direction. Both options can strengthen your career prospects.
Teaching at Master鈥檚 level is similar to that of undergraduate study, with a set timetable of lectures and seminars, while research programmes involve more independent study.
Taught Programmes
Our full-time taught postgraduate programmes normally take 12 months to complete and comprise three main stages. The 铿乺st two stages are Postgraduate Certi铿乧ate and Postgraduate Diploma, which consist of a number of primarily taught modules that are individually assessed. The third stage, the Master鈥檚 level, usually consists of an individual research-based project supervised by an academic with expertise in the subject area. Part-time study options are also available.
Research Programmes
Research courses o铿er a tailored, supervised research programme and are suited to students wanting to undertake a research degree focused on a speci铿乧 area of study.
MA/MSc by Research are Master’s-level programmes normally take one year full-time or two years part-time to complete and don’t usually include lectures or seminars. They can provide a good foundation for those who want to progress to an MPhil or PhD.
An MPhil is a research degree that can be part of a PhD or a standalone quali铿乧ation, and is generally considered the most advanced Master’s degree you can take. It should comprise a substantial piece of research that demonstrates comprehensive knowledge and critical understanding of its topic.
A PhD is a doctoral research degree and is the highest level of academic quali铿乧ation you can achieve. The degree normally takes between three and four years full-time and culminates in a thesis. A PhD must provide a signi铿乧ant academic contribution that will add to the existing research on your chosen subject and should be of publishable quality.