Lesson 1. Master’s Degree and PhD Programmes

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Source of picture: https://www.postgrad.com

v Task 1.1. Vocabulary work. Make sure you understand the following terms, then use them to fill in the gaps in the definitions below:

Bachelor degree Master’s Degree graduate (n.) postgraduate (Х2) PhD

1. __________________ - someone who has completed the first university degree.

2. __________________ (adj.) - relating to studies done at a university after completing the first degree.

3. ___________________ (n.) – someone studying to complete his Master’s or PhD degree.

4. __________________ – an academic degree in a certain subject area which you can get after your first degree as a result of completion of a more high-level course of study.

5. _________________ - the highest university degree, awarded after a course of study and presentation of an original research in a specific area.

6. ____________________ – an undergraduate academic degree, awarded after completion of a basic university course.

v Task 1.2. Speaking. Work in pairs. Discuss with your partner what kinds of postgraduate courses there exist. What are their purposes? Why have you taken your own postgraduate course?

v Task 1.3. What do you know about the original meaning and history of Master’s and PhD degrees?

Master: _______________________________________________________

Doctor of Philosophy: ___________________________________________

 

v Task 1.4. Speaking. Your friend asks you if it is a good idea to apply to a Master’s Degree programme at some European university. You try to sum up all the advantages and disadvantages of postgraduate education abroad.

Put down all your ideas concerning studying in Europe into the following table:

Advantages	Disadvantages

Do you lack information? Then read text “Why study on a Master’s Degree or PhD Programme in Europe” from a web-site https://www.postgrad.com and after that complete the table.

Why study on a Master’s Degree or PhD Programme in Europe

Destination Europe

Many students decide to pursue a postgraduate course in Europe because of the whole experience it can provide for them. Advantages include being able to get cheap trains and flights to visit a variety of countries within the EU over a free weekend or during the Christmas or Easter holidays. If you are living and studying at a university in Europe, then the rest of the continent is on your doorstep waiting to be taken advantage of.

A quality education

Europe’s quality of universities is extremely good and includes some of the world’s top-ranked institutions, such as University College London, University of Cambridge and University of Oxford in the UK or the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, Leiden University in the Netherlands and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich. These universities – as well as many other European universities – are all held in high regard worldwide and demonstrate Europe’s ability to provide an exceptional standard of teaching for postgraduate students.

Financial benefits

Pursuing a master’s degree or PhD programme in Europe can also be beneficial in terms of finances as the tuitions fees can be much cheaper than those in certain other countries like America. For example, if you choose to study in the United States, tuition fees can vary between $13,000 (?10,000) and $35,000 (?27,000) depending on whether you study at a state or private university. Typically, in Europe, postgraduate course fees vary from £4,000 (?5,000) to £20,000 (?25,000) depending upon the status of the university and the course topic. Most postgraduate courses for international students are £12,000 (?15,000) which is considerably lower than those in the USA.

High standard of living

Aside from having numerous world-ranked universities that for the most part offer tuition at a reasonable cost, Europe also provides a good standard of living for postgraduate students, with most countries in Europe offering various student discounts on cinema tickets, travel, shopping and restaurants. These student benefits all help postgraduate students to experience a high quality of living and enable them to go out and experience life beyond studying, whilst paying a cheaper price.

Language skills

Studying abroad and in a country that speaks a language which is different to your mother tongue will definitely reflect well on you. It demonstrates that you are adventurous, adaptable and willing to learn about a different culture and way of living. It will also help you to learn a second language or even third language fluently – for example if you are from China and decide to study your masters degree or PhD programme in Italy – not only will your English improve tenfold as your course will be taught in it, but you will also learn to converse in Italian as you go about your everyday life. Learning new languages is always useful and demonstrates a willingness to learn and explore – and in today’s global times it is always well worth adding an extra language or two to your CV!

Job prospects

Studying in a European city is beneficial for your future career as they tend to be large and diverse in their student population. This enables the postgraduate student a wider life experience as well as offering an excellent networking potential. The high quality of higher education institutions in Europe is well known to potential employers and can certainly help you along your chosen career path.

Potential employers are likely to be impressed with your chosen European university and this can help you to enhance your career prospects. Additionally, studying in a European city as we have mentioned before will provide you with ample opportunities to network and meet a whole range of interesting business people or workers within your chosen industry, which is guaranteed to help you gain more knowledge in your (future) career.

Historical interest

Europe has a diverse cultural background steeped in history. It is full of museums and historical buildings which all represent different periods of time and are there to be explored, in many instances for free. Living and studying in Europe can provide a wonderful insight and knowledge for students, and this all helps go make a much more enriched postgraduate lifestyle and future.

Studying for a master’s degree or PhD programme in Europe is both an adventurous and educational experience. You will be given the chance to not only learn about your chosen course, but also about the history and life of Europe. You will be able to visit many places and cities you may not have visited previously, to see how Europe differs and also sets the mark for a Western way of living. It can be an eye-opening experience that will leave you with wanting more.

 

v Task 1.5 Vocabulary work. After you read, use the words from vocabulary box below to fill in the gaps:

cultural diversity, enriched with, hold in high regard, insight, must-see, accessible, pursue, vast amount of information, beneficial, in terms of, enhance, gain knowledge

1. The phenomenon of differences in race, ethnicity, age, ability, language, nationality, socioeconomic status, gender, religion or sexual orientation being represented within a community is ________________________.

2. Facebook is holding a _________________on you. But a little trick will let you see it all.

3. This drink is more wholesome as it is ______________ vitamin C.

4. So to help you get to know the Bull City, the following list includes _______________ features and sites - all those places that you should not miss.

5. The reason mathematics is ___________________ is because a lot of people find it difficult.

6. Just six core skills that we all can do will contribute to a more digitally _______________ campus.

7. To ___________ noble goals is to bring purpose into every day actions.

8. A. To help build trust, we propose an approach focused on providing ______________ into various dimensions of an organisation’s reporting. B. New research could provide____________ into future climate change.

9. Bacteria have been cultivated for many _________________ uses, from medicine to biotechnology.

10. Femininity is still defined ___________________ beauty.

11. I'm seeking to __________ more _____________ and experience to widen my skills and be more effective and productive.

12. The funds help communities create transformational projects that _____________ the vitality of a region.

 

Ø Task 1.6 At home, study the words and phrases below and write for them definitions or synonyms:

1. to be likely to - ____________________________

2. doorstep - __________________________

3. top-ranked- _________________________

4. to provide - ___________________________

5. in terms of -____________________________

6. tuition fees - ____________________________

7. to vary - ____________________________

8. aside from - ____________________________

9. go out (phrasal verb) - ____________________________

v Task 1.7 Listening.

A. Watch the video “Studying in the UK: the pros and cons” about education in the UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDB7pJLsw6M. While watching, pay attention to the following information:

1. Where is the lady from?

2. What are the three things she regards as benefits of studying in the UK?

3. What are the three things she thinks might look negative about studying in the UK?

B. Follow-up: Vocabulary work. At home, look at the words below. Make sure you understand these words (write their definitions if necessary)

1. Consider studying

2. Emphasis

3. Have access

4. Extracurricular activities

5. Knowledge-heavy

6. Worth smth. (doing smth.)

7. Recognize

v Task 1.8. Have a five-minute dialogue with your partner: one of you is going to advocate the idea of studying in Europe, the other, to give arguments against it. Your main task will be to provide persuasive arguments in favour of your opinion and remain tactful and respectful of your opponent’s point of view.

Use clichés from the text and video. Don’t forget about linking adjuncts to list your arguments, compare, and draw conclusion.

1. On the one hand,…

2. On the other hand,…

3. First, second…

4. At the same time,…

5. Also…

6. Similarly…

7. However…

8. Toconclude…