UK MA vs. US MA

[Wafer]

I've looked at some MA programs that are offered by schools in the UK and US and I have some questions. Does anyone here have any advice on choosing between MA programs in the UK and the US? How does a 20-credit or 30-credit module in the UK compare with a 3 semester unit course in the US? Does a module in the UK cover more material than a course in the US? I've noticed that some modules are assessed by a single paper. Do you think this is sufficient to assess student learning? 

[MattDest]

If credits are equivalent between the US and the UK, then a 20 or 30 credit module in the UK is roughly equivalent to a two year MA in the United States. I'm in my 4th semester, and by the time I finish that I'll have taken 36 units (which is essentially 3 courses a semester).  I don't exactly know what a "module" is (a course?), but in graduate seminars many typically are assessed by a seminar paper, in addition to participation and/or smaller response papers. Logic courses are a different kind of beast entirely. 

 

As for whether or not classes in the UK cover more material than those in the US, I'd say it probably depends on the quality of the program rather than where the program is located. 

[ἠφανισμένος]

They're not equivalent.  At Edinburgh, for example, 

 

Our one year full-time masters programmes typically comprise 90 ECTS credits (180 Edinburgh credits).

Two year full-time programmes typically comprise 180 ECTS credits (360 Edinburgh credits).

 

So a module of twenty or thirty credits is more like one US course ("module" is typically used for US "course" in the UK).

[Wafer]

If credits are equivalent between the US and the UK, then a 20 or 30 credit module in the UK is roughly equivalent to a two year MA in the United States. I'm in my 4th semester, and by the time I finish that I'll have taken 36 units (which is essentially 3 courses a semester).  I don't exactly know what a "module" is (a course?), but in graduate seminars many typically are assessed by a seminar paper, in addition to participation and/or smaller response papers. Logic courses are a different kind of beast entirely. 

 

As for whether or not classes in the UK cover more material than those in the US, I'd say it probably depends on the quality of the program rather than where the program is located. 

 

 

A module in the UK is a course. 

 

If one has a BA in philosophy, the MA philosophy program at Birkbeck College in the UK requires that the student complete four modules of 30 credits each and write a dissertation consisting of 10,000 words. Other MA philosophy programs in the UK have similar requirements. 

Edited January 15, 2014 by Wafer

[Wafer]

If I had an MA in philosophy from a university in the UK, would I be able to teach at a community college in the US or be admitted to a doctoral program in philosophy in the US?

[objectivityofcontradiction]

Many U.K. and Irish MA programs in Philosophy are only for one year. Some see this as an advantage, I certainly do. It provides students with a chance to experience the intensive nature of graduate study and you finish one year sooner and thus can jump into the PhD. pool one year sooner. Modules are courses; graduate modules are primarily seminars. In my program, I had three modules in the fall and three in the spring, each met just one day a week for 2 hrs, and during the summer I wrote my thesis, which counted as half of my total credits. I think my program, which was just a one year MA, was 30 credits.

 

I wouldn't worry about whether the credit system in the UK is analogous to the credit system in the U.S. If you apply to PhD after the MA they are most likely not going to care how many credits you received. I think very few schools allow you to skip courses that you may have taken during the MA year. I have heard that the expectation is that you will be fine with taking course work again and should not expect to knock courses off because you have an MA.

Edited January 16, 2014 by objectivityofcontradiction