What is the difference between taught and research postgraduate degree

For example, if you struggle with essays but tend to do well in exams and presentations, then a taught masters with a wider variety of assessment modes might be a better fit for you.

Thinking about studying your taught or research masters course abroad? Let us help you find your perfect course and university today! Talya is a part-time journalism master's student living in North Yorkshire. Back Taught vs research masters: What's the difference and which should I choose? Talya Honebeek. Not sure which option to choose? Studying a masters abroad 1. What is a taught masters degree?

What is a research masters degree? What are the main differences? Which should you choose? In other words, a postgraduate taught degree is like a continuation of an undergraduate degree. If you're already building a career, a Masters degree will add academic theory to professional experience. Our MA and MSc courses can be studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years or longer.

Each module may have a value of 5, 10, 20, 30 or 40 credits. On a full-time course, you'll normally attend lectures and produce coursework for the first six to eight months.

Your performance will be assessed by means of assignments or examinations. You'll then have up to six months to produce a dissertation. This will be on a topic you choose with advice from your tutors. Dissertations are normally 15, to 20, words. Study times are usually doubled if taken part-time. Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas allow you to specialise at Masters-level without the dissertation. They are often vocational in nature.

They can allow you to progress further and faster in your chosen sector or open the door to a new career path. However it can also be a positive addition to your masters experience; for example if you plump for a taught masters and then decide you want to do a PhD you will still have the necessary research skills from this course.

If you intend to end your academic career with your masters the structured timetable of a taught masters is more reminiscent of undergrad studies, and so is arguably less of a gear change if you only have a year or two to spare on your postgrad degree.

Again, self-explanatory would be the word to describe this type of course. Evaluation is generally more continuous than on a taught masters, so would suit those who prefer to get their grades as they go along to having to wait until the end of the year. Of course there is also the principal consideration of whether you are self-motivated enough to drive your own work; research masters often have seminars and lectures as well but they do not form the structure of assessment in the same way as they do in taught masters.

However if you already have a research proposal in mind and are champing at the bit to develop original ideas of your own, have a go at it! The discipline of time management and digging up sources from all over the place will also provide an excellent training for those hoping to progress to the next stage of academia: the PhD.