Is a pre-masters worth it?

[MuggleStudiesResearchProject]

I'm looking at doing a Masters after a 10 year career break, but as my degree and post-graduate diploma finished nearly 20 years ago the university are recommending I do a pre-masters. It's over £6.5k for one semester (24 hours a week) or two semesters (12 hours a week), and to say it looks uninspiring is an understatement. I feel like I'm being forced down this route as a cash cow for the university - I know I still have all the skills I need to do a masters, it's just that I don't have recent enough 'evidence'.

So are pre-masters worth it? I'm thinking of doing some other short courses with CATS points and reapplying next year instead. This will save me over £5k and be far more flexible around childcare, plus I can pick subjects that will be more useful to my personal development. But, the pre-masters is a guaranteed route onto the masters and this is not.

I'm also curious to know what actual evidence universities might use as a cut off point when discounting peoples previous studies. I had a quick search and couldn't find any relevant research, is there any out there? I'm feeling like this is a form of sex based discrimination, as it will mostly be women who take longer career breaks and then have to commit more time and money to achieving new qualifications. My children have various special needs, which is a major factor in how long my career break has been (10 years). This feels like an additional discrimination. They've not interviewed me, or eg asked me to complete an assignment to assess my abilities. Just told me I need a pre-masters, and not replied when I asked what other routes might be acceptable.

Any thoughts or experiences welcomed.

They’re not very common, except for international students. I would suspect a money making wheeze, I think.

What kind of uni is it? Do you have any others within commuting distance?

Should have added that I retrained via a Masters after a career break (also because of caring for DC with SN) and wasn’t asked to do this, but that was a while ago now.

Yes I'm suspecting it's an easy money making wheeze. It's a well regarded ex-poly that's only 15 minutes walk from my house. The masters is absolutely perfect for what I want and the alternatives elsewhere are just not quite the same. It's really galling. It's a waste of a year. (Although with covid cases creeping up the thought of in person uni is not quite so appealing, but I'm not confident that another year will have us in a different situation there).

@MuggleStudiesResearchProject

That does sound a mite suspicious.

I might understand the recommendation for anyone without existing UK qualifications, as a practical way to ensure language skills were not a barrier to progress for the student. Could you ask for an interview to discuss your options with someone F2F / videoconf to establish what you would be expected to gain from the pre-masters?

It might be worth investigating similar courses at other institutions, just to reassure yourself that you would be welcomed as a student elsewhere.

Someone I know did one 20 years after their first degree (different discipline) and didn't have to do one! Did very well too.

There were nearly 30 years between my BA and MA! No one suggested any such pre-Masters. In fact I've never heard of them or known anyone to take one.

Seriously I'd suggest you look elsewhere if they're insistent. As I understand it, the criteria for MA entry after a long gap include evidence of recent involvement in the subject you want to study. That may be practical experience (work / volunteering) or having taken some related course. It does not have to be an 'official' pre-Masters course - which sounds like a made-up thing.

Just told me I need a pre-masters, and not replied when I asked what other routes might be acceptable.

Who did you ask? If it was admissions I'd find out a contact for a lecturer on the course and ask them direct? I agree it sounds like a money making swizz.

I work closely with admissions for a similar type of institution. We only ever recommend a pre-masters to international students whose UG courses aren't viewed as equivalent to a U.K. Bachelor.

If you have a UG degree which meets their requirements plus some PG study already then I would be very reluctant to spend that money (and time) on a pre-masters.

Could you contact the course leader directly and ask whether you could submit an example of recent work to prove your current ability?

Thanks everyone, it's good to hear you all feel similarly about it. I have sent an email to the course leader after finally finding out their direct address. If they're insistent I'll be looking elsewhere.

Good luck @MuggleStudiesResearchProject.

Sensible decision.

(If only we knew what your intended subject was, we could wrestle with whether there might not be a better course elsewhere ...)