Postgraduate Study

Deciding whether to undertake postgraduate study can be a complex decision. It is important to consider the benefits, the cost and whether a taught course or research would suit you best. The Keele Careers & Employability team are available on campus to allow you to talk through your options. Details of virtual open days and funding opportunities can be found on the Keele website.

The Prospects website also provides careers advice and job and course opportunities to help students and graduates make informed choices about their career options.

Masters students may qualify for the Master’s Loan from Student Finance. You can put the loan towards your course fees and living costs but, unlike the undergraduate loan, it will not cover both, so you will need to have an additional source of income.

If you’re studying a PhD, the Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs.

You may also be able to find financial support from a number of other sources. Making a successful application is not easy and the process can often be long, confusing and strenuous, so start looking as early as possible and persevere if you do not find success at first. Having an idea of what you would like to study or research will help focus your searches and avoid unnecessary applications. Eligibility for grants, bursaries and scholarships can depend on whether you are a home or international student, in full- or part-time study, or an undergraduate or postgraduate, so check guidance carefully. If you are unsure about your eligibility for an award, contact the provider directly for clarification.

The following links may be helpful:

• Keele postgraduate funding opportunities
• Jobs.ac.uk checklist of possible funding sources
• DSC online databases
• International Financial Aid and College Scholarship offers funds for students who wish to study abroad. Most scholarships are restricted to certain geographical areas, so check carefully.
• FindAMasters
• Turn2us has a useful search tool to help you find available grants.
• Scholarship Hub requires an account to access its grant search, but the basic search is free.

The University has introduced an easier application process for existing Keele students. You can apply for postgraduate study by going to eVision and selecting the “continue your studies at Keele” button, selecting your year of entry and chosen course, and then clicking apply.

You must achieve 180 credits to be awarded a Masters degree, either by passing them outright or through compensation. Your marks will then determine which class you get.

If you don’t achieve enough credits, you may still be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate. You must obtain 120 credits for a Postgraduate Diploma or 60 credits for a Postgraduate Certificate.

Distinction

An average weighted module mark of at least 68% and at least 60 credits with a mark of 70 or higher.

Merit

An average weighted module mark of at least 58% and at least 60 credits with a mark of 60 or higher.

Pass

You have obtained all your credits but your marks don’t meet the threshold for a Merit, or you’ve had a module compensated.

Calculating the Average Module Mark

Your average module mark will be weighted based on the credit value of each module. For example, a standard module is 15 credits, so a 30-credit module mark would be counted twice and a 60-credit module mark would be counted four times.

The average module mark will be rounded to the nearest integer (a mark of 0.5 or above will be rounded up).

Compensation

If you fail a module you may be able to get it compensated, which means the mark stays the same but you are awarded credits as if you had passed. You can get compensation on all taught postgraduate programmes unless your programme specification says otherwise.

To get a module compensated, you must have a mark of 45–49 and you must have a mark of at least 55 in other modules worth the same amount of credits. You can have up to 30 credits compensated. Dissertation or final project modules cannot be compensated.

Please note, if you have a module compensated you will not be able to achieve a higher award than a Pass.

Finding a Supervisor

It is very important that you identify an academic who you feel comfortable working with. You need a supervisor who can give you the support you need throughout your studies. There are indicators as to the standard of supervision an academic is likely to provide:

• Potential supervisors are often your first point of contact when enquiring about postgraduate study at an institution and they will be able to help guide you through the application process. It is a good idea to meet with your potential supervisor before you begin your course and, if possible, before you even apply. As a minimum, you should be in regular email correspondence or have telephone conversations during the application process.
• Many departments will list postgraduate students previously supervised by their staff. It is worth investigating how those students’ careers have developed after their postgraduate study under the supervision of the academic. Occasionally an academic will state on their personal page if they are willing to supervise postgraduates and at what level (taught or research).
• Do not be surprised if a potential supervisor asks you about your research proposal or to provide an academic CV (a document outlining your academic achievements, such as qualifications, grants awarded, publications, and conference or training sessions attended). This is perfectly normal and is usually an indication that the academic takes postgraduate supervision very seriously. It is understandable that they might want to know a little about you if they are to invest the time in supervising you.
• You should have a good idea of some of the leading academics in your field. Try looking on the back cover of their latest book to find which institute they belong to, or search for their name online. If you have no idea about potential supervisors, visit university department websites with a strong reputation in your field and browse their staff pages. Don’t worry about contacting the wrong individuals; most will simply point you in the direction of a colleague who can help.

Working with Supervisors

Each supervisor-student relationship is different depending on the personalities involved. However, as a postgraduate, remember that you should be treated as an adult and that your study or research is yours. Your supervisor should trust you to manage your work and other commitments, meet deadlines, organise your work schedule, develop timelines, and ask for help when needed.

Sit down with your supervisor early on and develop a clear plan of work to be completed and when it is to be completed by. If your circumstances change and you won’t be able to follow this plan, speak to your supervisor about your problems and do not wait for issues to build up. The relationship with your supervisor should be open and honest: you should be able to trust one another’s judgement and feel comfortable expressing how you are feeling.

After meeting with your supervisor, write brief notes of what you discussed and agreed. Ideally, you should both sign and date the notes once you agree they are an accurate reflection of your meeting. This will help avoid any misunderstandings or conflict if there are problems later in your study.

Problems with Your Supervisor

You can make a request for a different supervisor to the PGR Director. Normally, any change of supervisor will be by mutual agreement between the student and the University, and it may not always be possible to find a new supervisor.

Separately, if you are unhappy with any aspect of your time at Keele, you have the right to submit a complaint. You should try to resolve any issues informally first by contacting your lead supervisor or another member of staff. If you then want to follow the formal complaints process, visit our Complaints page for guidance.

Continuation is an extended period in which to write up your thesis, and therefore you may not have access to all the resources you had previously. If you feel you will be unable to submit your thesis on time, you should tell your supervisor and RI as soon as possible.

You may only be on continuation mode of attendance for a maximum of 12 months (24 months for part-time students), and you must have completed your minimum period of supervision, usually 3 years (6 for part-time students). You must also have completed your 30-month review (60-month review for part-time students). You will still have to pay tuition fees, but only at 15% of the full-time rate. You should expect to have access to the following:

• Your supervisor for reading draft thesis chapters
• The library and other IT services
• Computing facilities in your research institute

There are also council tax implications for moving onto continuation status. Many local councils do not consider those students on continuation to be full-time, but the councils in the Keele area have now agreed to continue exemption. Your name should be included on the list of full-time students sent to the local councils, but if you’re having any problems with the council, please get in touch with us.

You may want teaching experience to provide extra income and/or to gain experience. However, unless you are on a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), teaching is not guaranteed. There are several ways in which you can increase the likelihood of teaching opportunities and experience:

• Tag Teach: Make sure academics in your school and research institute are aware of your research topic and any potential teaching crossovers with their modules. You may be able to suggest taking a lecture or part of a lecture where relevant to your research.
• Teaching Register: Sign up to a teaching register where students list their teaching and research interests. Academics seeking teachers in related fields can then search the register. This avoids sending out lots of pointless and often irritating emails to module leaders.
• Other institutions: Try contacting other higher and further education institutions to see if there are teaching opportunities. Larger institutions are more likely to have the funding and modules that you can apply your research to.
• Non-academic: Not all teaching experience has to be in a lecture theatre, lab, or seminar room. Volunteer to help out in local projects or sign up to summer schools. Any environment where you can demonstrate teaching skills could prove invaluable.
• Modules: Take modules from the Learning and Professional Development Centre that require teaching as part of the module.