I'm thinking of doing a masters...

[BusyCee]

...in women's studies. I did a humanities degree years ago, and since then have worked in marketing (and done some career related further studies). I'm now mainly SAHM with 3 children, and am starting to think about what next. As well as 8hrs a week admin at a small local business, I also teach a birth preparation programme, which is brilliant, and which has raised more questions for me. I already know what I'd like my thesis to be

So. My questions are, if you've done a masters; how much time a week did you devote to your studies? How long did it take to complete? How much time were you at university and with your course tutor? What did it cost you? Taught or research? What did you do with it afterwards? Just your thoughts and experiences, please....

I am currently doing a MSc in Social Research. Have wanted to do it for years. It is great. I have 6 hours contact time per week Sept - April then nothing apart from supervision meetings so I will work from home after that to save on childcare.

I paid £5470 full time over 1 year but for 2016 they have pushed it to £7500 due to the new postgrad loan system coming in!

How are you planning on funding yourself? Savings? Loan?

I hadn't really got to funding yet. Ridiculous I know. If it's £5-10k per year I just don't see how I can afford it. DH earns a healthy salary, but we have 3 DCs so it's quickly eaten up, and my 8hrs don't bring much.

I couldn't do anything this year anyway as DC3 is so tiny still. So may spend the remainder of the year end researching

Look into the new postgraduate loan system. You can borrow up to 10k (inc fees and living costs - haha) no repayments until earning over 21k per year. If you think the MA will enhance your future employability then go for it. Is it at York, by any chance? A friend is considering the same course. We are not local to there though.

If you email the dept they should send you the timetable for this year so you can see if the contact time would be doable for you.

I think in the soc sci / hums it is usually 6-8 hrs per week for full time.

www.findamasters.com/funding/guides/new-uk-postgraduate-loans-scheme.aspx

The first useful junk mail I've had in ages

I'm currently doing a p-t Masters with Manchester.

It's about 6k in total, split over 3 years.

I'm studying about 20-25 hours a week plus more in the lead up to assignments.

Thanks all. Am now spending the BFing time looking into courses instead of just MNing

Not York no. I'm in the SE, so university of Kent, or in London, would be ideal. It's all theoretical at the moment, but I'm heartened!

Presumably something to do with CPCS if down at Kent then? If it is parenting research you want to do that is the place to be!

When I said 6-8 hrs per week that is just face to face of course. Independent study is probably (meant to be) another 20. I tend to only do that much at writing times, the reading prep for seminars probably takes me around 4hrs per week but if I had more time to spend on it I would. My circumstances just do not allow.

I did mine over three years. Taught. Distance learning. About £2k a year. About ten hours a week but more for assignments.

Forgot to say, mine is distance learning. Worked out a hell of a lot cheaper and meant I didn't have to fit work around lectures.

Juan - what's CPCS? Just googled it and got a lot of info about digger training...

Try adding 'SSPSSR' or 'University' to your search terms Busy

I wanted to do a masters aswell but the costs of the fees put me off

Centre for parenting and culture studies. At Kent.

Got it!! That's right up my strasse, thanks for the direction.

Now for some more reading and pondering...