What is an MPhil (Master of Philosophy) and how is it related to the PhD?
Most students who wish to do a PhD at a British university will first have to register for an MPhil. An MPhil takes 1-2 years of full time study. It involves critical investigation of a topic resulting in a contribution to knowledge, and submission of a Thesis of up to 60,000 words. To achieve an MPhil, students must have acquired knowledge of their general field of scholarship, and demonstrated understanding of appropriate use of research methodologies. If good progress is being made, students will ‘upgrade’ from MPhil and register for PhD study (usually after approximately 1 year) – this is known as the ‘upgrading process’. Students do NOT do 2 different pieces of work. Rather, students who show themselves capable of study at MPhil level are then allowed to carry on to complete their PhD. The upgrading process assesses whether the scope and scale of the proposed study reaches PhD standard, and assesses the student’s ability to undertake a large and ambitious project. If students are
