The perfect grounding for a career in research
A Masters by Research degree aims to provide a thorough training in a particular discipline area through original investigation and research. It gives students an excellent 12 month grounding in postgraduate research and many use it as a stepping stone to a PhD.
We offer two different routes for MSc by Research: a pure research masters degree where you spend 12 months working on two different research projects, or a ‘taught’ Masters by Research that includes seminars and core training alongside research projects.
Our programmes
Your route to a PhD
Develop your research skills working at some of the leading research groups in the world:
- Gain hands-on experience of different research groups working at the forefront of science discovery.
- Engage in a broad range of experimental approaches, expanding your portfolio and CV.
- Develop a wide set of transferable skills: from project planning to grant writing.
Masters by Research graduates are equipped for PhD study at any university in the world.
World-class university | World-class city
Study at The University of Edinburgh and not only will you become a student at a world-class university, you’ll also get the opportunity to live in a world-class city.
The facts:
- Ranked 22nd in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024)
- The 2022 Research Excellence Framework results reaffirmed our reputation as one of the world’s leading research centres for medical, veterinary and life sciences More…
- Regularly voted one of the best cities to live in the world, Edinburgh is a beautiful and thriving capital. More…
Chat to current students
You can chat to some of our current Masters by Research students using the Unibuddy app below. Feel free to ask them questions about the programme and find out if an MScR is the right thing for you.