Research degrees
Master's by Research MA / MSc
Work independently as you conduct research and dive into a subject you are passionate about.
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Take part in research training and conduct an individual investigation in preparation for your thesis. An expert supervisory team will offer support as you enhance your research skills and write your thesis. If you have a specific idea about the research you would like to conduct in a subject you love, this is the course for you.
York campus, London campus or by distance learning
- Duration – 1 year full time, 2 years part time
- Start date – February 2025, June 2024, October 2024
Minimum entry requirements
2:1 degree in a related subject
7.0 IELTS score if English is not your first language
Tuition fees
UK 2023-24 £4,712 per year full time
International 2023-24 £13,000 per year full time
Course overview
Your Master’s by Research will be challenging and rewarding. It’s your chance to complete a large research project that interests you and develop your skills in taught methodology classes.
Choosing to gain your Master’s through Research allows you to focus on a specialist area and enhance your expertise. It’s the ideal way to prepare for further study and a career in academia. You will collaborate with a supervisory team that has been carefully selected for you and be part of an exceptional research community of postgraduate researchers.
When you choose to study with us, you will get plenty of opportunities to enhance your professional skills. These could include:
- Presenting your research at conferences and events
- Engaging with further training
- Working with the community
Professional Development and training
During your Master’s by Research you will discuss additional training with your supervisory team. Your supervisors will help you identify your strengths and highlight areas for development. We deliver a blended training programme that will help you develop your research and professional skills, enhance your CV and your employability.
Course structure
How you will study
This is an intensive course that you will study over 1 or 2 years. This time will consist of 3 stages. As you study you will:
- Develop your research skills with appropriate methodologies
- Conduct your research using appropriate data collection methods
- Produce and submit your thesis
- Attend a viva voce (oral examination)
Stages
In the initial stage of your Master’s by Research you will focus on establishing a working relationship with your supervisory team. You will discuss your research proposal and create a suitable plan for the course. During this time you will complete an in-depth literature review and attend training on different research methods.
At this stage you will start your investigation and collect the appropriate data, organising your work into coherent chapters for your thesis. You can present your work at conferences along the way. You will have a formal review to make sure your project is progressing as expected.
Your final stage is where you will focus on writing your thesis. At the end of your final phase, you will submit your thesis. An external examiner will then assess your thesis.
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
Minimum entry requirements
2:1 degree in a related subject
7.0 IELTS score if English is not your first language
If your degree is in an unrelated subject but you have relevant professional experience we may still consider your application.
International Students
If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.
Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.
If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 7.0 (with no skill below 6.0) or equivalent.
Fees and funding
UK 2023 - 2024 entry
The tuition fee for this postgraduate course in the 2023 - 2024 academic year is:
- £4,712 per year for full time study
- £2,356 per year for part time study
If you are applying to study from October 2024, the tuition fee is:
- £4,849 per year for full time study
- £2,425.50 per year for part time study
These prices apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.
Masters loans are available to help you pay for your course. You can visit the UK Government Masters Loans website to find out if your eligible and how you can apply.
International 2023 - 2024 entry
The tuition fee for this Masters course is £13,000 per year for full time study in the 2023 - 2024 academic year.
If you are studying from October 2024, the tuition fee is £11,300
This price applies to all students living outside the UK.
Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a Student Visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.
Find out more about funding your Masters on our dedicated funding page.
Tuition fees
UK 2023-24 £4,712 per year full time
International 2023-24 £13,000 per year full time
Additional costs
Depending upon the nature of your research project, a bench fee might be applied as a separate cost to your tuition fee. Bench fees are normally incurred for laboratory consumables and other significant project costs and any goods will remain under the property of the University.
If you have any queries regarding bench fees, please speak to your potential supervisor during the application process.
Any bench fees will be included in your offer letter and if you accept, the charge will be in addition to your tuition fees.
Contact us to discuss your research proposal
If you know what subject you want to research or you just want to find out more, contacting a School Postgraduate Research Leads is a great first step.
Our School Postgraduate Research Leads are the right people to talk to if you want to study a research degree. They can put you in contact with an academic who is researching a similar subject, and who could be your research supervisor during your course.
School Postgraduate Research Leads
School Postgraduate Research Lead: Claire Hind - c.hind@yorksj.ac.uk
Contact Claire if you are interested in subjects relating to:
- Drama and theatre
- Music performance and production
- Fine art, illustration and photography
- Media production
- Design
- Visual communication
School Postgraduate Research Lead: Dr Scott Cole - s.cole1@yorksj.ac.uk
Contact Scott if you are interested in subjects relating to:
- Language and linguistics
- Children, young people and families
- Teaching and education
- Psychology and mental health
School Postgraduate Research Lead: Robert Edgar - r.edgar@yorksj.ac.uk
Contact Robert if you are interested in subjects relating to:
- History and American studies
- Politics and international relations
- Religion, theology, philosophy and ethics
- English literature and media studies
- Geography
School Postgraduate Research Lead: Adam Odell - a.odell@yorksj.ac.uk
Contact Adam if you are interested in subjects relating to:
- Maths and data science
- Computer science
- Biomedical science
- Sport and exercise science
- Health sciences
School Postgraduate Research Lead: Rosie Binfield-Smith - r.binfield-smith@yorksj.ac.uk
Contact Rosie if you are interested in subjects relating to:
- Business and management
- Law
- Sociology, criminology and policing
- Accounting, economics and finance
- Marketing
- Tourism, hospitality and events
School Postgraduate Research Lead: Dr Khaled Kesseba - k.kesseba@yorksj.ac.uk
Contact Khaled if you are interested in subjects relating to:
- Management, Business Management and International Business
- Management Studies Research
- Public Health and Global Healthcare Management
- Digital Marketing
- Project Management
- Computer and Data Science
