Integrated Masters

An integrated masters degree has fast become one of the most popular postgraduate courses at university, with many students touting its convenience over more traditional postgraduate courses.

The integrated master’s programmes that universities offer have become more and more advanced as more students begin to opt for the qualification and have begun releasing extensive postgraduate and masters information packs for them.

What is an Integrated Masters degree?

An integrated masters degree is essentially an undergraduate or PhD course and a postgraduate qualification rolled into one. Ignoring degree course titles, integrated masters is another type, of course, you can take at university.

Now we know it’s both undergraduate and postgraduate, what is Integrated Masters and why does it exist? If we look at integrated masters meaning, it refers to the two degrees being unified together, in essence a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, or a Master’s and a PhD.

Instead of having to undertake two separate courses after one another, you’ll complete one, longer, programme. Some universities may award two different qualifications but many integrated masters degrees end with the more advanced degree being awarded, (either a Master’s or a PhD).

An integrated masters PhD course will see students study a master’s year before they begin their work on a doctoral thesis. The master’s component aids candidates towards the advanced postgraduate research a thesis entails.

Some of the older universities in Scotland offer a four-year MA course which is an undergraduate degree that combines a BA with an MA.

What subjects are available in integrated masters?

They can be in any subject, and in Scotland there may be more options as undergraduate Master’s are more common. As they can be anything it doesn’t mean they are available in every degree subject.

Most programmes tend to combine undergraduate and postgraduate study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects. The degrees focus on applied knowledge, career paths, training and links to specific vocations.

Integrated masters degree classifications?

As they combine two separate qualifications, how are integrated masters graded? They are actually graded in a similar way as a Bachelor’s degree, meaning you can achieve a 1st, 2.1, 2.2 or a 3rd, instead of the traditional Distinction, Merit and Pass for Master’s.

However, each year may be weighted differently, with each year of a four-year integrated Masters weighing at 0:1:2:2, meaning the third and fourth years are worth twice as much as the second.

For integrated master’s and PhD courses, the Master’s portion is graded alone, and the PhD is then assessed based on the thesis and performance of an oral viva voce - where you speak about your project.

What are the benefits of integrated masters courses?

It’s a great option for students looking to work in a field that benefits from professional training as well as a qualification.

Candidates will be able to study an extended degree programme that is designed to offer the skills and competencies needed for particular job roles.

Studying integrated masters programmes abroad

The four-year courses are also available overseas with integrated masters and PhD in the USA.

Not all American colleges offer this style of course but there are some listed on prospectuses.

It’s best to check before applying abroad on whether your desired course is on the curriculum.

An integrated masters PhD course will see students study a master’s year before they begin their work on a doctoral thesis.

Integrated masters degree vs the Oxbridge MA

These may seem similar to an integrated masters programme because the postgraduate qualification is issued without enrolling onto a new programme, but essentially, they’re not the same.

The integrated master’s includes a ‘full’ Master’s qualification, which requires at least an additional year of study.

Integrated Masters vs long-cycle Master’s

Before the standardisation of European degrees, the majority of countries offered extended degree courses that awarded a Master’s level degree following four or five years of study.

These types of programmes are being phased out in many countries but some may still use them. They are not the integrated masters that we know today, as it usually combines two programmes, such as the Bachelor’s and the Master’s, and doesn’t just run for four years.

Integrated Masters vs Master’s

Is an integrated masters the same as a Master’s degree? The integrated master’s degree combines Bachelor’s with a postgraduate, with a Master’s being awarded at the end. Some universities may also award a Bachelor’s degree but usually institutions choose the higher award.

It is different to a generic Master’s degree which takes one to two years, as for those postgraduate qualifications you’ll already need an undergraduate degree to be enrolled onto the course in the first place.

It’s important to remember that integrated masters are not offered for every available subject. You should check with your chosen universities on whether they offer the courses.

Integrated Masters vs MSc and MSci

Institutions may award undergraduate Master’s degrees in science subjects, to distinguish them from Master of Science (MSc) courses. The integrated masters with science are also abbreviated to MSci. They tend to focus on more vocational subjects with a particular amount of practical knowledge being practiced professionally.

One example would be an integrated masters in Psychology, where the knowledge can be used in the Psychology field and applied branches of the Sciences, like, Pharmacology or Industrial Chemistry.

Integrated master’s in the sciences can be handy for anyone wanting to gain practical skills for a specific career. Although, it’s worth checking if your Integrated Masters allows you to move onto a PhD in the same field of study, as in some cases, a Bachelor’s and Master’s may end up as a better fit.

Candidates will be able to study an extended degree programme that is designed to offer the skills and competencies needed for particular job roles.

Integrated Masters vs the Scottish MA

Some of the older universities in Scotland offer a four-year MA course which is an undergraduate degree that combines a BA with an MA. After three years at undergraduate level, a student will progress to a final year of postgraduate-level study, which includes a dissertation.

Scottish MA degrees are fully recognised in higher education and effectively, are the same as finishing a Bachelor’s degree and going straight into an MA after, in the same subject and at the same institution.

The difference is that students are not awarded two qualifications, instead they just receive an MA. This usually doesn’t matter in practice as an MA is higher than a BA but it may need explaining to a potential employer if they’re confused!

Should I do an integrated masters?

Setting aside the Scottish MA, integrated masters degrees are generally designed for students with quite specific aims. What’s more, they require you to know what those aims are very early on in your university career.

If you are set on the undergraduate and postgraduate subjects you’d be taking on in an integrated master’s degree then they’re definitely worth it.

An integrated masters degree is essentially an undergraduate or PhD course and a postgraduate qualification rolled into one.

Is there student finance for integrated masters?

Those interested in the specialised four-year degree should be happy to know there is an integrated masters funding in the form of the standard student finance issued by the government. Even though there is now the postgraduate loan available, integrated masters student finance has been on offer for a while.

Candidates can apply via the undergraduate student finance system and not the postgraduate loan, as these are for Master’s courses alone. For those on a PhD with integrated masters course, Research Councils that fund doctorates do not offer financial support for Master’s on their own, but some do four-year doctorates that may include a Master’s.