Master of Philosophy
On this page:
- Who is it for?
- Entry requirements
- Programme structure
- Apply now
- Fees
- Funding and bursaries
- Training and support
- How to write research proposal
- Assessment
- Duration
Who is it for?
Masters research degree programmes are advanced study programmes for graduates (or equivalent) who aspire to positions of professional leadership and responsibility in the field of built environment, or to develop a career in built environment research.
Entry requirements
- Bachelor's degree with Honours from a recognized university, or
- A Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate from a recognized university, or
- An equivalent academic or professional qualification from the UK or elsewhere
A research degree student's possession of higher entry qualifications than the above may influence their agreed duration of study.
English language
Visit the University's website for more information.
Personal skills
- Independent thinking
- Evaluation and judgement
- Systematic thinking
- Originality
Masters Level study is about more than demonstrating knowledge. You need to be able to evaluate situations, ideas and approaches.
Programme structure
Postgraduates will be trained in research by experienced supervisors.
The research training will include practical and theory activities focused on a specific research topic agreed by the student and the supervisor.
Training will cover:
- Critical and analytical skills
- Presentation and writing skills
- Research programme planning
Students will be encouraged to develop their capacity for academic reflection and judgement.
Progress is judged through the completion of learning agreement, annual progress report, self evaluation report and final thesis submission.
The examiners may at their discretion, examine the student orally on the subject of the thesis.
Full-time students may be allowed to undertake part of their work outside the University of Salford.
It is also possible to study Masters degree programmes on a split-site basis.
Apply now
Make sure that you have electronic copies of all supporting documentation, such as transcripts, English language tests and research proposals.
You will be prompted to attach these during the online application process.
You can check out the relevant research centres for lists of PhD subject areas.
Dates
You may apply at any time during the year.
The research institute has four intakes each year: January, April and October.
Funding and bursaries 2012-13
Research councils
Research Councils are the main source of British government funding for postgraduate study in the UK. All offer funding for Master's and PhD level research. Application processes vary between Research Councils.
Major research councils for construction industry:
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
- Leverhulme Trust
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Department for Business Innovation and Skills
Public and NGO bursaries
Bursary competitions may be posted on Salford University's Research and Graduate College website.
Paid research
From time to time paid research opportunities become available for postgraduate researchers. Please visit http://www.pg.salford.ac.uk/.
Due date
The following bursary awards are only open for application until one month prior to registration. Candidates may not apply after this date or once registered. Candidates will be advised of the decision before registration commences.
International students
Full-time on campus
SOBE will offer all new postgraduate research students, enrolling to study in 2012/13 full-time on campus and paying international fees, a total bursary of 1000 GBP per year for two years.
Split-site or online
SOBE will offer all new postgraduate research students, enrolling to study in 2012/13 on split-site or online programmes and paying international fees, a total bursary of 500 GBP per year for two years.
Please contact 0044 (0)161 295 3458 or email cstresearch@salford.ac.uk if you wish to apply for the International Student Bursaries.
Training and support
Workshops, seminars and other events are available for research students to help them develop research skills.
Email Director of PGR Training and Outreach Dr. Monty Sutrisna at m.sutrisna@salford.ac.uk if you have any questions about training and support.
Doctoral training programme
We offers workshops on:
- Research skills and techniques
- Research environment
- Research management
- Personal effectiveness
- Communication skills
- Networking and team working
- Career management
- Subject-specific
- English language support
Attendance at training events is recorded and discussed at major points of assessment.
Researchers Online Advanced Repository (ROAR)
ROAR is:
- An online repository of essential documents such as the training programme handbook and supporting materials from workshops and training events
- A platform for communication among students and staff
- Linked to relevant web sites and resources
- Book reviews by staff and students
- Linked to important university documents and web sites relating to postgraduate research studies
Students can contact Moira Mort on m.mort@salford.ac.uk to request access to ROAR.
International networking opportunities
Students have access to the School's worldwide networks, and are able to take part, exchange ideas, and disseminate research findings.
CIB Student Chapter
The Salford CIB Student Chapter aims to enhance post graduate students' skills, particularly in regards to international collaboration and information exchange concerning research and innovation in built environment research. All our postgraduate students automatically become CIB Student Chapter members upon registration.
More about CIB and the Student Chapter
SOBE International Postgraduate Research Conference
Every year, we organise an International Post-Graduate Research Conference (IPGRC) which disseminates research results to national and international research communities. This event provides an excellent opportunity for built environment postgraduates to present their research in a stimulating and supportive environment as well as to start building their networks with other researchers from around the world.
Personal and career development
Workshops run by The University of Salford Careers Service for research students:
- Career Planning
- Interview Skills
- Developing Effective Interpersonal Skills
- Writing skills
- Teamwork
- Time management
How to write a research proposal
Students need to be imaginative and practical in writing their research proposal. Innovative research ideas are welcome, however it must be realistic and practical.
The proposal should provide a good idea of your 'research problem' and some indication of why you think it is important.
We need to know that your research proposition is worth undertaking, that you can achieve it, and that you are aware of the constraints of time and other difficulties which affect all research projects.
We will assist students in refining their proposals where appropriate. Email cstresearch@salford.ac.uk
Word limit
2000 words
Sections of your proposal
- Working title
- Introduction/justification/rationale
- Aim/hypothesis
A simple statement of what the research is seeking to achieve. The aim should be fairly focussed to demonstrate that you have narrowed down the topic to something that is both achievable and manageable.
Alternatively, the aim may be considered as a hypothesis (question). A hypothesis is a conjectural statement of the relationship between 2 or more variables that are measurable. - Objectives
5-6 bullet points of intended outcomes from the research written as statements. They are written as though you have completed the research and are looking back on what you did in order to meet the aim of the research. Another way of looking at objectives is to think about what it is you need to demonstrate an understanding of in order to meet the aim of the research. - Literature review
Two parts: searching for and finding relevant literature; and analysing/reviewing what has been found.
The literature review included in the Introductory section contextualises the subject area, and a full literature review is provided as a stand alone section.
In addition, a literature review is also concerned with literature on research strategy/techniques and data analysis methods. -
Research methodology
Provides a discussion of the research strategy (general approach) to be adopted with appropriate justification including:- detail of the implementation of the strategy in relation to the proposed research
- the technique(s) to be used including justifying appropriate technique(s) for the research strategy adopted.
- possible problems that may arise in administering the technique(s) along with identifying strategies to minimise the impact of any potential problems.
- Analytical approach
This addresses the range of data that will be gathered from the research techniques and how this information will be analysed. - References
A list of references cited within the main text following a system of referencing such as Harvard, British or Vancouver.
