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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Doing a masters with a 2:2 at undergraduate level

110 replies

jumpingjack5555 · 25/05/2021 23:57

Hi just looking for a bit of advice

DS 21 has just completed his third year on his undergraduate course, he has not got his degree classification yet but it looks very likely he will get a 2:2. He has applied for a masters which has a requirement of a 2:2 to be able to go on to the course. DS has been wondering whether a masters is the right thing to be doing with a 2:2 degree, he has said that he always would have thought you needed a 2:1 to get on to a masters but the requirement for his masters that he is applying for is definitely a 2:2. However DS also feels that if they accept him on to the course then surely they must think he is capable of taking on the degree otherwise they wouldn't accept him if they thought he would fail.

Does anyone have any insight and know if there DC's have gone on to do a masters with a 2:2 in their undergraduate degree and how it turned out?

OP posts:

Wheresmybiscuit3 · 26/05/2021 09:39

I did. I did need the masters to be able to work in my field though

Moirarose2021 · 26/05/2021 09:46

How hard does he think he worked? I pissed about, missed most of my lectures and partied hard at uni, got a 2:2. Twenty years plus later I did 2 post grad courses ( diplomas not full masters) and my lowest marks were in the high 60s. So it's certainly possible, I found most of my post grad learning was online so little difference from studying during covid

lockdownalli · 26/05/2021 09:48

Lots of questions! I also have a relevant HE background.

Which uni is the 2:2 from? A 2:2 from, say Winchester, is nowhere near the same level as a 2:2 from a uni like Kings.

Which uni is the masters at?

He can do his PGCE at M level - many unis offer that option to someone in his position.

What does he really want to do? Education policy is all very well but tbh having policy formed by people who have never taught in the classroom is a big factor in the bloody awful state of our system.

Tohaveandtohold · 26/05/2021 09:55

Dh had a 2:2 in his degree but there were some factors that mitigated against me back then. He did a masters 2 years later and he had a distinction and that has open up a lot of opportunities for him.

Original poster

jumpingjack5555 · 26/05/2021 12:10

Just out of curiosity, how common is it for students with a undergraduate degree to go on to do a masters? Is it more common nowadays?

OP posts:

Babbly · 26/05/2021 12:39

Does he have QTS yet?

Babbly · 26/05/2021 12:39

@jumpingjack5555

Just out of curiosity, how common is it for students with a undergraduate degree to go on to do a masters? Is it more common nowadays?

It's very common - not necessarily worthwhile. If they'll accept you with a 2:2 then I'd doubt it's very reputable. Largely just a money making scheme that won't benefit him in the long run.

Babbly · 26/05/2021 12:44

@lockdownalli

Lots of questions! I also have a relevant HE background.

Which uni is the 2:2 from? A 2:2 from, say Winchester, is nowhere near the same level as a 2:2 from a uni like Kings.

Which uni is the masters at?

He can do his PGCE at M level - many unis offer that option to someone in his position.

A 2:2 is a 2:2 wherever you get it from - and it's virtually useless nowadays unless you have some serious mitigating circumstances. A 2:2 from Kings wouldn't get you a job anywhere decent unless you could demonstrate something seriously special elsewhere in your application. Especially in teaching, I don't know a state school that gives two shits where you got your degree from (and most private don't either - and a private won't hire you with a 2:2). In teaching, PGCE funding is dependent on your degree grade - it makes no difference where you got it from. They'd much rather have a 2:1 from a shitbox uni than a 2:2 from Oxbridge. A PGCE is always at Master's level (you just don't get the full master's because you don't do enough credits).

Blossomtoes · 26/05/2021 12:51

However DS also feels that if they accept him on to the course then surely they must think he is capable of taking on the degree otherwise they wouldn't accept him if they thought he would fail

I don’t think that logic works any more. HE is all about the money now. What does he need a Masters for careerwise?

Original poster

jumpingjack5555 · 26/05/2021 13:19

No he does not have QTS yet, his degree was BA Education Studies

OP posts:

Tooshytoshine · 26/05/2021 13:22

Hi - I have a first, three masters (distinction) and a doctorate in education, but my career only took off when I qualified as a teacher after my first masters (then taught for a few years). I worked in education research/policy but hit quite a lot of brick walls as I hadn't been a teacher and found it hard to gain the respect of people with that background etc.

My advice would be to do the PGCE and then the NQT year - and then think about doing a masters (which could be supplemented by lucrative supply teacher work). It is far easier to move into the sort of work he wants to do once you have earned your stripes as a teacher.

I actually also love being a teacher and have been able to specialize in areas I am passionate about - I thought I would hate it.

namechangingforthis19586 · 26/05/2021 13:39

Yes I think do the PGCE first too.

Smurfsarethefuture · 26/05/2021 13:44

I don’t agree @Babbly

people bring a portfolio of experience, personality, background and qualifications to a role - many senior staff have no degrees/lower grades - it was a very different climate in the past.

InTheNightWeWillWish · 26/05/2021 13:52

I got a 2.2 in undergrad and did my masters. I found my masters hard but I’d left full time education at my undergrad and went into full time work. A year later, I went back to uni to do my masters part time while I was still working full time. Part of my issue with my masters is that isn’t well adapted to part timers and there was a lot of group work with consultancy type situations, I was always in a group with people who had come straight from undergrad and therefore hadn’t worked. Just my year of work had made me realise how naive they were and they couldn’t wrap their head around a team working on several things at once.

JammyGem · 26/05/2021 13:53

I think it depends on the type of masters and how strict you are with yourself. O got a low 2:1 and went on to do a MA(Res) which was a lot more work than a standard "taught" masters degree. I found it very difficult, it was a big jump up from my undergraduate in terms of managing my own time and making sure I put the work in. I didn't put as much effort into my BA as I should have done, but tried to make up for it with the masters - ended up passing with merit so didn't do too badly!

As long as he's aware of the step up in work and is good at managing his time he should be fine. Is he applying at the same uni that he did his undergraduate degree at? It's worth talking to his personal tutor, they'll be in a better position to tell him honestly whether he'll cope.

JammyGem · 26/05/2021 13:54

Also, I did my masters part time while working PT, which helped with the workload. Not sure I'd have managed as well if I was doing it full time. Maybe something to consider?

Cloudfrost · 26/05/2021 13:56

I have both a BSc and a MSc 2:2, due to being stupid and getting distracted by other things instead of studying (boys, partying, gaming even sadly).. .

I always wanted ro do PhD but with 2:2, I am more likely to catch a unicorn

Singalongasong · 26/05/2021 14:00

Going into that area I'd have thought a PGCE would give him buckets of experience, insight and credibility that a taught masters would struggle to match.

Back to your actual question, I know a couple of people who've done it. One on my course really struggled to get interviews because he was competing for jobs against a slew of other newbies, all offering a master's plus a 2:1 or better. It's not insurmountable but it was certainly a difficulty at the time. I also know a couple who've done a PhD and stayed in academia from a 2:2, which was a brave move but fine. But jobhunting is a bit different in academia. However, this was all a long time ago, when I think the job market was a bit kinder to 2:2 graduates.

Original poster

jumpingjack5555 · 26/05/2021 14:09

To be honest I think DS is a bit scared of doing a PGCE, he’s been doing some research and found people online were saying their PGCE was the most stressful year of their life and and there were moments when they were crying all the time. But obviously people will have different experiences and of course I’d imagine a PGCE is not easy but some people may have a better experience than others.

OP posts:

mindutopia · 26/05/2021 14:12

I teach in an MSc programme and also do admissions. Our requirements are a 2:1, but I do sometimes make exceptions for exceptional students with a 2:2. There has to be something special about them though.

I would say, if he has a 2:2, I might give some consideration to whether real world experience would be more valuable right now to help him figure out if this path is the right one for him. It could be his interests change once he has more work or voluntary experience. I certainly am not doing what I thought I wanted to do at 21 and I then went on to get a master's and a PhD after I figured it out. So he has plenty of time. I think there's no reason to get yourself in debt though unless you're really sure it's the path for you.

Diamondnights · 26/05/2021 14:28

I got a 2:2 many, many years ago, when you could still get on to a good (but not very best) grad training scheme. I doubt I'd have got on to my current MA programme with that, but I'd done (& got a distinction) an OU MA in between.

You can do a PhD from an undergrad 2:2 but you won't get funding.

Diamondnights · 26/05/2021 14:29

Get on the good training scheme with a 2:2!

Singalongasong · 26/05/2021 14:36

@jumpingjack5555 it's understandable that he's scared of it - I would be too. Is he really sure education policy is the thing for him if he doesn't feel able to do teacher training though? I don't know the area but my concern would be whether a 2:2 and a master's would be enough, if he's going up for jobs not only against coursemates with higher first degrees, but also against a load of ex-teachers with buckets of real life experience.

Sweak · 26/05/2021 14:41

How likely is he to get a job related to education policy with a BA and a MA, whilst never having been a teacher? I actually have no idea, does he?
Maybe the uni can help with info on this.

On a side note the pgce is quite competitive now and I can imagine it's only going to get more so in the next year or so due to the economy. It's definitely worth serious consideration if he's already got an offer.

And yes it's a really hard year

The people I know with an MA in education are teachers who have done it alongside teaching and as part of their MA had to complete action research.

Royalbloo · 26/05/2021 14:46

I got onto a Masters course without any degree so it's 100% possible and just depends on their entry requirements.

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