Masters programmes
Postgraduate degrees
Our postgraduate community of students and staff is broad-based and stimulating. Those it encompasses include criminologists, lawyers, psychologists, education and health care professionals, social scientists and specialists in public administration and policy evaluation. The backgrounds of those within this community are equally diverse and range from professors to police officers, public service managers, recent graduates and recent retirees. Our postgraduate community is genuinely international in its recruitment and outlook. Postgraduate students study courses at a range of levels including postgraduate certificate and diploma, professional conversion courses, MA, MSc, MPhil and PhD.
Postgraduate degrees are higher-level or second degrees. They are normally undertaken after completion of a first degree. Mature applicants usually over 25 years of age with relevant professional and vocational experience may, however, be eligible to apply for a masters qualification without a first degree.
Thanks to extensive experience developing courses that boost employment prospects and a proven track record of innovation in vocational, skills-based education, the University of Glamorgan has led the way in developing the foundation degree model and was the first university in Wales to offer the qualification.
Because your work counts towards your degree, you can even earn while you learn.
Taught masters programmes (including Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma)
Taught masters courses - MScs and MAs - are modular, so you benefit from a flexible approach that allows you to choose from a wide range of options to complement your main subject area. Courses take 12 months to complete full-time and between two and three years part-time. Study is typically a mixture of lectures and seminars followed by a dissertation or project. The University offers a broad portfolio of taught masters degrees.
All our MSc and MA programmes allow students who wish to study for 1 year part-time to exit with a staged award in the form of a Postgraduate Certificate. A student who has completed a Postgraduate Certificate may study for a further year part-time to achieve a Postgraduate Diploma.
Professional conversion courses
The University offers a number of professional conversion courses that allow students with degrees to complete Graduate Certificates (1 year part-time) and Graduate Diplomas (2 years part-time) in subjects to which their degrees are unrelated but which are of use to them in their professional work. Disciplines in which professional conversion courses are offered include psychology, law and nursing.
Research degree programmes
Glamorgan offers a range of opportunities for pursuing research-focused study. Students are supported in their work by a designated supervisor or supervision team and training in research methods is incorporated into the programme. Below is an overview of the research awards offered at the University of Glamorgan.
Many of the subjects available for single honours degrees are available in combination for joint degrees. Other subjects are offered only as part of a joint honours or major/minor package. You can even marry subjects from across academic disciplines in a joint honours programme.
Research diploma
The research diploma involves submission of a thesis and an oral examination (otherwise known as a 'viva-voce'). You will critically investigate and evaluate an approved topic, but in less depth and scope than required for an MPhil.
Duration:
- Full-time: 9 to 18 months
- Part-time: 15 to 24 months
Masters by research (MA/MSc)
This is a short masters award similar in duration and credit weighting to a taught masters award. It includes more independent project or research work than a taught masters course, as well as a taught element covering research skills.
Duration
- Full-time: 12 to 18 months
- Part-time: 18 to 30 months
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
MPhil students must submit a thesis or portfolio demonstrating critical investigation and analysis of a topic. You may be able to transfer to a PhD course if you can demonstrate that your work has the potential to reach the required standard for study at doctoral level.
Duration
- Full-time: 18 to 36 months
- Part-time: 30 to 48 months