To do a Masters while working full time as a lone parent?

[Namechangelikeits1999]

I'm a lone parent, 2 DC, one about to start high school and one going into Y9. I work full time term time only. My DC are fairly independent and support the idea.
I think this might be the ideal time to finally do my MSc. It would be done in 12 months if I can manage it. Therefore finished before Y10 exams etc for eldest.
I can't drop work hours because of finances, I don't particularly want a student loan either.
Am I completely mad? Anyone done it and have tips?

I can imagine the temptation to do this if the one-year course was the only option, but it isn’t. 2-year MAs are designed for people working FT (or even PT - one uni told me I wouldn’t be able to study their two-year MA if working FT, which was disappointing! 1-year courses just aren’t.

It’s hardly like a two-year programme plus full-time work is a cushy option. I’ve just finished a year’s undergrad certificate distance programme which had a guide of 20 hours per week and found I was working all weekend and well into the night when assignments were due. Thought it would be a breeze - no! It was a lot of work, and I recognise for myself doubling that would be simply impossible. Quite apart from anything else, I often simply had to reduce ambitious study plans because I needed a break.

I don’t have kids btw!

I think it sounds like a great plan! I’m sure you’re no stranger to hard work and you’ll have school holidays to work on it. I’d just check with the uni how many hours a week they expect people to be putting into independent work and when the timings of the deadlines are. If it looks like you can fit it in then totally go for it, I wish you the best of luck x

Hi op,
I completed a masters psychology conversion, though about 12 years ago. I did it part time (2 years) and worked full time. I was able to condense my working hours as there was one afternoon contact time per week. This was pre dc and was fine.

I can’t even remember what I got but I at least got a pass and it was fine when I applied for the doctorate. I’m now an Ed Psych. You just need the qualification so I wouldn’t worry where you do it as long as it’s accredited and gets your GBR with the BPS.
Im not sure if it’s still the same but you can’t apply for the doctorate until the year after you finish your masters, unless you already have GBR. So I finished my doctorate in summer 2009 and I had to wait to when the applications for the doctorate opened in September 2010.

And as other people mentioned the statistics element was really difficult for me so I’d recommend getting the statistics for dummies book and start reading up.

I think it might be more realistic to go for over 2 years. I did my MSc while working full time in a very demanding job, not a lone parent but not a massively helpful husband either (!!). My children were 11 and 13 when I finished, and the course took me 18 months.

one thing to look into is the timing of the course - my course had a summer term but many don’t - so it might be that at the time you have most free time you also don’t have any classes.

I am in the final term of my Psychology Conversion over 2 years. It is extremely full-on. I couldn't have done it over 1 year. A lot of students on my course are failing. I have a very flexible job and my children are late teens but the workload is brilliant and brutal - as it should be as you are cramming a full Bachelor degree into a shorter Masters.

I had the equivalent of two full time jobs for a while. It was utter hell. I did my MSc over several years, while holding down a full time job; that was enough.

The OU's time guide for their MSc psych conversion is 25 hours per week, not sure about other institutions. Like you, I found even 20 hours per week for another course nearly hobbled me on top of my existing work and life.

I did the same course at one of the universities you mentioned upthread. I worked part time and had two children at primary school and did it over two years. I am not a single parent but it was COVID and was tough
.

You could give it a go full time and then drop down if needed- quite a few people did that. The problem with the ‘40 hours’ is that it’s different across the year. There were weeks when I did around 10-12 hours and just did the lectures and reading but at assignment time the time needed was massively increased. The deadlines were the same for everyone so you couldn’t manage it around your commitments. If you have a flexible job with annual leave when you want it then it might work better.

In terms of cost, if you are applying for the ed or clin psych doctorates (as opposed to a PhD) they don’t really care where it’s from as long as it is accredited so go for a balance of cheap and good reputation.

@greenmarsupial which uni, do you mind saying? What was the teaching and support like?

It was MMU- I found it well set up for online learning. The teaching was pretty good (they seemed to have specialist practicing psychologists for each module) and they were supportive when needed.

It all felt a bit hands off in general as there were no live lectures or seminars but I imagine that’s the same with most that deliver the content in that way.

Are you looking at Manchester uni for the doctorate? I think they have a very clear person specification and a different way of choosing a thesis than most other unis so maybe look at their priorities when choosing the modules within the conversion course.

Go for it! I did it with 7 and 5 year old - it's not as hard as you'd expect ☺️

I'm not a single parent and mine has been over 18 months whilst working more than full time and being very involved in day to day stuff for my kids, it's been very tough, I procrastinate on it a lot too and if I didn't do that it would have helped. Didn't realise how much it was affecting me until I got the last essay of the year in recently, huge weight off my shoulders. If there was a part time option to do it over a second year that might be worth a look.

Such a shame this thread isn’t on the Mature Study and Retraining board!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students

@wineosaurusrex the psychology conversion?