Release time: 2020-03-25 12:11
Master of Philosophy - MPhil
With this Master of Philosophy programme, you'll benefit from a supportive environment and expert supervision by academics researching in a wide range of disciplines.
Why study this course?
A Master of Philosophy (MPhil) at IPMC is conducted purely by research. Each MPhil is the unique development of a student’s individual research project, conducted under the guidance of at least two supervisory members of staff with expertise in the research area.
An MPhil can be pursued in any area of research within the university, where suitable expertise is available to support the proposed research. The University provides a supportive framework for research within which each student’s work is carefully overseen.
Assessment
To obtain an MPhil you are expected to investigate a topic and make an original contribution to knowledge. As you research, your work is assessed annually by a Research Student Progress Group, to ensure that good progress is being made and that adequate guidance is available.
The degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) is awarded by the University after the successful presentation of a thesis, based on an original piece of research completed under the supervision of University staff, and the successful defence of the thesis at an oral examination.
After the course
People with a research degree may become lecturers, teachers or researchers, but these are by no means the only potential destinations.
Depending on your discipline, you may go into industry (this is frequently the case for graduates in biological or computer science), the City (business and law graduates), public sector management and/or policy-making (social science and business graduates), international governmental organisations (social science and business graduates), the social professions, or non-governmental organisations.
Many of our research graduates are mid-career and use their degree for career enhancement in (for example) the police or security services, education, counselling, health and social care, or diplomacy.
PhD by Prior Publication/Output
The University shall award the degrees of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of
Philosophy (PhD) to registered students who successfully complete approved programmes. All proposed research programmes shall be considered for research degree registration on their academic merits.
A PhD by prior output allows students who do not contain traditional qualifications, but have produced research, and developed their skills and knowledge to a doctoral level, to gain academic recognition.
The publications of the student must be accessible to scholars or other interested persons. The work submitted must have been subjected to peer review by the relevant academic community, and also provide evidence of an independent, original and significant contribution to knowledge and critical judgement. All work should have been published in the last ten years, and be traceable in publicly available databases, catalogues, etc.
Programmes of research may be proposed in any field of study, as long as the proposed programme is capable of leading to scholarly research. The written thesis may be supplemented by material other than written form, if special provision has been made and agreed.