What's special about an MRes degree?

In the current climate, employers are keen on individuals who can work independently and deliver a research-focused approach to research, business and/or practice. We speak to MRes course lead, Lewis Gough, who talks us through why you should choose an MRes.

He states that the MRes will offer you just that and teach you how to be a good researcher and critical thinker, whilst also providing you with strong transferable skills. Equally, an MRes will provide you with the flexibility to specialise in the areas you are most passionate about. Your choice of Master’s degree type, however, arguably boils down to which course will make you produce your best work and keep you interested during the length of the course. Our MRes, focuses on three separate specialisms – sport, health and life sciences so it’s down to you to choose which area is of your expertise. If you’re interested in studying an MRes, below are some key points that you might need to know.

So, what is an MRES?

An MRes is different to other types of Master’s degrees primarily due to a greater focus on research and independent learning, which subsequently allows you to complete your degree with flexibility.

Some benefits of an MRes include:

It provides you with a taste of what doctoral study (e.g. PhD) or a research career could be like, allowing you to work out if it is really for you before committing
It provides a logical step to doctoral study or a research career
More independent study to allow you to create your own learning experience
Flexible and versatile in the content and delivery to suit each learner
Become a specialist not a generalist
Develop vocationally valuable skills and gain research training
Work closely on a 1-1 basis with our expert staff
For healthcare staff, research is one of the four pillars of advanced practice which you can build with this course
Your work will be embedded within our research centres

What would a typical day look like on an MRes?

No two days typically looks the same for an MRes student. One day you might be developing your research proposal, then the next you could be in a session scrutinising the world of digital scholarship. This could then be followed by a day (or many more) collecting data in one of our specialist laboratories or in the field with the support of one our specialist staff. In short, your schedule will be diverse and that should keep things interesting!

What are the benefits of doing an MRes?

Completing an MRes will place you in a more competitive position when applying for skilled jobs. We have a very competitive job market now, and this is driving the required standards up compared to 10+ years ago, either to secure your first job following study, or to progress within your place of work.

These are my top reasons for completing an MRes:

Passion for lifelong learning – Our MRes will provide you with the skill set to continually learn and improve your ability to learn
Improve your skill set – Pick up new skills that will enhance your employability and provide you with the edge over your competition. Equally, it will position you as an individual with a research interest which you can use to enhance end users’ experiences
Salary predictions – Individuals with a postgraduate degree, such as an MRes are projected to earn more across their lifetime compared to those with an undergraduate degree(Graduate Labour Market Statistics 2018, Department for Education).
Employability projections – Individuals with a postgraduate degree, such as an MRes will be more competitive in the job market (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2016/17)
Networking – Increase your network, which will lead to further exciting opportunities in the future

Where could an MRes take me?

An MRes is traditionally the most logical step before going onto doctoral study, such as a PhD. So the course is of most interest to those considering a PhD or pursuing a career in academia. In addition, individuals with research skills are in high demand in many other roles. These are typically classed as ‘non-academic research’ roles which could consist of working as a researcher for the public sector (e.g. government), research associate in industry (i.e. pharmaceutical industry), or for a research charity (e.g. Wellcome Trust, think tanks). Job roles include: