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People consider postgraduate studies for a variety of reasons, including career progression or personal satisfaction. Our programme is designed to be as flexible as possible with various routes and study modes. We aim to meet your needs and ambitions, whatever they may be. You can start small and then progress as far as you want.
We offer a number of different start dates for research degrees - so don't just wait for September. If you can't find what you want, then contact the Graduate Centre for advice - postgrad-opportunities@hud.ac.uk
Some people want to study whilst remaining in employment in support of career enhancement or a change in job function, some wish to use postgraduate study to support innovation and development activities, and others want to be fully immersed in a research area of their choice. There is also an increasing number of people who want to pursue a passion after retiring. Whatever your reasons for considering postgraduate study, we offer a wide range of options meaning that there is almost certainly one that will suit your needs and preferred method of study.
Below is an overview of the many different types of postgraduate study at the University of Huddersfield. This will help you to identify the most appropriate route.
For research degree programmes you'll find the staff research profile pages very helpful. These provide details of staff research activities as well as research projects that they are specifically interested in pursuing. Each of the University's research centres also has extensive information on the website and this can be very useful if you are not sure about the precise research area of most relevance to you.
The postgraduate courses on this website postgraduate taught courses, such as taught Master's degrees and postgraduate diplomas. For each of our taught postgraduate courses you'll find full details of course aims and structure. The general intake requirements are listed for each course, but it is important to remember that we will also consider your application if you have appropriate experience instead of formal qualifications. Postgraduate taught courses can generally be undertaken on a full or part-time basis. Most require some attendance at the University, but we are fully aware that if you wish to remain in employment whilst studying such attendance must be flexible. Several subjects also offer distance/ distributed learning opportunities.
The University will give a reduction in the fees of your postgraduate study here (£500 for UK/EU students; £2000 for international students) if you start a course here in the year following graduation from your undergraduate degree, and you gained a 2:1 or first degree from Huddersfield. To find out more see Bursaries and Scholarships.
If you wish to study part-time and a Master's degree seems too large a commitment at this stage, or you want to use postgraduate study to pick up some very specific skills, you might want to consider a Postgraduate Certificate or a Postgraduate Diploma. These qualifications are steps along the route to a Master's degree, but they are internationally recognised in their own right and they can be built on for higher qualifications within the University in the future.
All of our postgraduate modules can be studied on an individual basis, making them an ideal source of specialist knowledge in specific subject areas. If you attend a single module and elect to be assessed, you can receive a Certificate in Continuing Professional Development and you can in the future "cash-in" this achievement as part of a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Master's degree.
For more information about Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses contact the CPD specialists in the Business Support Office by e-mail: cpd@hud.ac.uk
A Master's by Research (either MSc or MA depending on your subject area) allows you to undertake a one-year research degree full-time or two years part-time and contains little or no formal taught component. Such programmes are attractive to those wanting a briefer research degree than a PhD.
Research Master's degrees are also ideal if you are in industrial or commercial employment and wish to undertake research and development on a part-time basis to solve problems or develop enhancements for work purposes. In such cases it is possible to construct a Master's by Research project. Here you work closely with one or more members of University staff who provide the specialist knowledge and supervisory input, whilst enabling you to access the vast equipment and information resources of the University. The Master's by Research is assessed entirely by either thesis or portfolio. The portfolio option can include publication and creative or non-textual research outputs.
Should you wish to take your research further following successful completion of your Master's by Research, you can opt for a PhD in two years (full-time) or equivalent on a part-time basis. We have many flexible and workplace-based opportunities - just ask for further information.
The Master's in Enterprise (MEnt) is a new research degree offered by the University. Based on the Master's by Research programme with taught components, it offers you the opportunity to explore an idea for a business or social enterprise, or for entrepreneurial activity within an institution. Taught modules will provide you with the core and subject-specific enterprise knowledge and skills you'll need to put together an enterprise strategy, business or implementation plan to take your idea forward.
A PhD allows you to develop research over a three-year period, with an expectation that you'll contribute new knowledge to your field and that you'll disseminate your findings by means of peer reviewed output.
We offer a wide range of ways in which you can undertake PhD research. For example, you can submit a portfolio of evidence (which is especially helpful if your research is in, for example, music or design).
Another possibility is to submit for a PhD by Publication whereby you tender a series of publications (likely to be academic or professional journal papers) which perhaps you have accumulated, or intend to accumulate, over a period of research activity.
The more conventional route to a PhD also exists whereby you immerse yourself in a research project for three years (on a full-time basis) and then submit for a PhD by thesis. Part-time and workplace-based options to all PhD programmes also exist.
A Professional Doctorate is suitable if you wish your doctoral research to be structured around a particular area of professional practice. We offer a number of Professional Doctorates, each of which includes taught content with a substantial research project. These programmes are usually four years' duration (full-time), with part-time options available.
This type of Doctorate is most popular with people already committed to a professional area and who are looking for recognition and further development at the highest level of professional and academic achievement. Professional Doctorates include:
It is clearly very important that you make the correct decision for you when embarking upon postgraduate study. Our staff in the Graduate Centre are available to discuss your needs and provide you with the benefit of their extensive experience.