MPhil Master of Philosophy - MPhil
Page last updated 3 May 2024
Introduction
Complete an MPhil research degree with us and contribute to advancing knowledge in your specialism.
As an MPhil student, you'll undertake independent research culminating in the production of a thesis. Typically, you will have developed your own research proposal or will be applying for a studentship with a pre-approved project aim.
An MPhil typically takes two to three years of full-time study, or four to six years of part-time study.
Guiding you throughout your MPhil study and successive milestones will be your supervision team, led by a Director of Studies.
Why do a research degree?
The award of a Master of Philosophy requires you to demonstrate that you:
- have engaged in enquiry which makes a contribution to knowledge within your field of study
- can demonstrate a systematic understanding of the current state of knowledge within your field of theory and/or practice
- show the ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project capable of contributing new knowledge close to the forefront of the discipline or field of practice
- can demonstrate a sound understanding of the methodology and techniques of enquiry relevant to the discipline or field of study
- have developed a capacity to form judgements of issues and ideas in the field of research and/or practice, and communicate and justify these to relevant audiences
- can critically reflect on your work and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.
The overall difference between a doctorate and an MPhil relates to the depth and sophistication of your research, rather than its length or duration.
Structure
Content
About your thesis
Word length for the MPhil thesis varies according to discipline. It is generally about 20,000 words for engineering, creative practice and science subjects, or up to 40,000 for other areas.
You must demonstrate that you have systematically investigated and evaluated an approved topic and demonstrated an understanding of research methods.
After you have submitted your thesis
After you submit, you will undertake an oral examination (viva voce) in which you will show how you have critically investigated your area of research which contributes to knowledge within your field of study.
Credits required
You will need to gain 60 taught module credits (inclusive in the tuition fee) in order to complete the requirements of an MPhil. This will provide you with an opportunity to develop your subject-specific expertise and professional skills.
There are also researcher development workshops on offer to prepare you for every step of your MPhil journey and your career beyond, which are delivered by the Graduate School and included in the tuition fee.
The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the research programme. If changes to your research programme are approved, we will inform you.
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Fees
There is currently no published fee data for this course.
Supplementary fee information
For details on fees, please see the Graduate School's tuition fees webpages.
Entry
Entry requirements
For information on eligibility, submission deadlines, available start dates and how to apply, please refer to the Graduate School's eligibility and how to apply webpage.
For further information
- Email: graduateschool@uwe.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)117 32 82921