‘Emergency masters’ at Cambridge is a thing…

[Emergencymasters]

DS is now final year of humanities degree at Cambridge. Doing well - high 2.1 and possibly a 1st. He has just announced that he wants to do an ‘emergency masters’. I had no clue what this is - apparently ‘emergency masters’ is commonplace slang at Camb for students staying on for an extra year coz they don’t want to leave (not coz they love their subject!)! All very well but we will have to fund. Happy to do this - will be a financial stretch though - as DS is living his best life at Camb but just wanted thoughts from wise MNs

As I understand it, the maths and NatSci integrated masters are only open to the stronger students after year 3. I'm sure they should all be aware of this when they choose the course.
This is different to the MEng where the full 4 years is the norm with only a few leaving with a batchelors. There's nothing to stop the Cambridge maths and science students from going on to postgrad masters degrees elsewhere, obviously.

As others have said, definitely a 'thing,' definitely not only recent or exclusive to Oxbridge- although the possibility of a Blue is specific of course.

Decisions about funding it will be dependent on your circumstances and what you're happy with. Personally, I would want to have a serious conversation with him and expect some recognition that he should be considering the pros and cons carefully, and contributing to his own upkeep at this stage- or even funding it mostly/entirely.

The careers service will talk it through with him from an impartial and realistic point of view in terms of what it means in the job market in his subject at the moment.

Not exclusive to Cambridge at all.
Staying on for another year in the hope he might become a hockey blue is a a bit of a crap reason imo; there are no guarantees and it sounds like he's not interested in doing a masters for its own sake. If he gets a decent degree, why not use it to get started on his career?

It does, but that is a ‘Cambridge’ MA, not a proper masters that has been worked for like if the student actually stayed on for the year (whether at Cambridge or elsewhere). Employers know the difference!

Postgraduate study is very normal these days, it's twenty years since I was at uni and most of my class did an MSc or PhD. I'm a university lecturer and our PGT classes are as big if not bigger than our UG classes.

It's good and early in the year, sensible for him to be planning what to do next year and IMO you never regret education.

Up to you if you want to fund it, personally I would if I could afford it and I could see a benefit for future employability.

Quite common for students wishing to delay getting a job and joining the real world to do a masters. I think they are pointless tbh, won’t make anyone more employable.

Are MAs from Scottish universities regarded in the same way as Cambridge MAs, in that they are not post graduate MAs?

That’s nonsense. Lots of Masters’ degrees improve career and earning prospects. Mine certainly did. In certain careers, not having one is actually a clear impediment to progression.

Yes, absolutely. I funded my four degrees myself (two of them at Oxford, which has lots of scholarship opportunities at postgrad level, which I would assume is similar at Cambridge) — scholarships throughout. If someone is unable to fund an MA, that’s an indication they shouldn’t be doing it. (Or not at this particular time).

It’s fine but unless totally crucial for their chosen career I wouldn’t be funding!

Humanities degrees tend to be 3 years, whereas science ones are often 4 (and end up in a masters too), so humanities students tagging on an extra year at the end of it is not unusual.

I didn't but wished I had, so went back and did one a few years later once I had saved enough to fund it myself (and did it alongside working). TBH it was the biggest waste of time and money I have ever voluntarily undertaken, but that's another story.

So I guess if he is going to do a masters ever, he may as well do it while he's still enjoying the student life, as that's its major value...

This is very short term thinking.

What kind of masters is it? He may need / want to do a master’s degree later in his career which will be more suitable to what he’s actually going to be doing. Are you going to pay for second masters too?
Also having two masters may make him overqualified in the eyes of the employer (despite Cambridge) because it would be fairly obvious that he just didn’t want to start working rather than did masters as well thought through decision. Employers don’t like perpetual students
in short, I wouldnt indulge him just because

(not oxbridge but RG) in the 80s.

The Russell Group was invented in 1994. It didn't exist in the 80s.

I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Nope, his ass should get a job.

A Cambridge Masters is always going to look good - however, does he know what he wants to do ultimately?
If the Masters is just an extension of the degree subject, he be might be better to save the funding for a more specific Masters (not necessarily this year, and not necessarily at Cambridge) which will really help him progress into the field he's interested in.
However I can see the prospect of a hockey blue is tempting and I completely understand if they're not ready to drop student life just yet. My DC stayed on in their uni city to work there.

I thought it was pretty standard these days to do undergrad and then masters and that many of the top jobs more or less require it?

Why do you have to fund it? Can he just get tuition on loan and some form of minimal maintenance then he can work all summer for the living expenses? I wouldn't expect a parent to be funding a master's by year 4.

You get given a free masters at Cambridge anyway.
My DH has a master's due to having been at Cambridge he didn't do a thing to earn it btw. But it's sat there on his CV and the certificate is on the wall 🙄
I am green with envy as I worked my arse off for my MSc at a different university.

But it’s obvious what that is, the ‘automatic’ Camb MA. No one mistakes it for an actual qualification.

A panic masters is not a new thing!

What she said

CountessKathleen Stupid people do! Not everyone knows the system.

Life at Cambridge is fun I do see why he wants to stay. Just make sure he does it in something that will actually help with a job.

A Cambridge degree is at master's level anyhow (I did two master's degrees after my Cambridge degree and one was the same in terms of workload, standard, difficulty, depth, etc. as my final year at Cambridge, one a lot easier as it was a different kind of subject).

These days it seems most jobs require degrees, as so many people have them, and master's degrees are now what having a degree was back when I graduated.

Could he get funding, or do a part-time one while working?

I studied in Cambridge and have never heard of an emergency master's, but that's not to say that it isn't a thing.

I would have loved to have stayed on to do a master's after graduating but I didn't have funding and it would never have occurred to me to expect my parents to pay, so I waited until later when I could do it without their help. Your ds sound a bit entitled tbh but fair enough if you're willing to fork out.

Personally, I wouldn't pay for my dc to do a master's degree simply because she was having a good time at uni. There comes a time when they have to start living as responsible adults.

Why do you have to fund it? Can he just get tuition on loan and some form of minimal maintenance then he can work all summer for the living expenses? I wouldn't expect a parent to be funding a master's by year 4.

Whereas an integrated masters is simply one 4 year undergraduate loan, a postgraduate loan is separate. I believe the 2 loans then need to be repaid concurrently when the person is earning over the threshold, ie double 'graduate tax'. (I may be wrong/out of date).