About the Course

The Masters by Research is a new and exciting programme offered by the School of Postgraduate Theology at Liverpool Hope University

The programme offers its students the opportunity to research in depth a topic that particularly interests them in the fields of Theology, Philosophy or Religious Studies. Research will be supervised by one of the departmental tutors, and will result in the production of a 30,000-35,000-word dissertation.

Students will be encouraged to examine the effectiveness of academic research methods as aids to study and self-development, as a resource for the advancement of knowledge and understanding generally, and as a means for investigating, generating and implementing creative and independent solutions to problems in the field.

Students will be helped to develop their capacity for advanced and sustained project management skills. These include outlining, defining and planning a research project, establishing and meeting deadlines, recording and reflecting on outcomes and generating sophisticated and robust arguments. Students will be challenged to find their own academically critical voice that will enable them to discuss their chosen topic against the background of contemporary academic debates. At the same time, they will investigate and deploy appropriate methodologies in a sophisticated manner.

Why choose Liverpool Hope?

The MA by Research at the School of Postgraduate Theology adds value to first degrees by further developing the intellectual, personal and professional capabilities of students. Through their assessed work, successful graduates will have demonstrated complex skills in independent thinking, synthesizing of information, creative problem solving and clear communication both verbally and in written form. Students will be encouraged to situate their work within the social, environmental and global context.

Careers

The MA (Res) opens up a rich variety of career opportunities, as it requires students to develop a varied skills base that can be applied to a broad range of organizational settings. Graduates of the MA by Research will have the scope to venture into a number of exciting career paths, such as education, law, media, public administration, social, pastoral and community work.

The MA by Research may also be considered by applicants who would like to develop their independent research skills and who may wish to progress onto PhD study.