FAQs
What are the entry requirements?
Please see the ‘Applications’ page.
When Should I Apply?
At present we take new students in January and October. We may accept students in April, so please enquire. Ideally you should apply two months before you intend to start the course. The applications procedure within the university involves several stages and we need time to complete these.
Are there any residency requirements? Do I have to come to the UK?
No. All course material is on-line and there is no need to come to the UK. Students study from home.
What are the fees?
Fees for 2008-9 are available at http://www.lamp.ac.uk/postgrads/pdf/tuition_fees.pdf
Fees for UK and EU students for 2008-9 are £3300 for the entire MA or aproximately £368 per 20 credit module. Fees for international students for 2008-9 are £9744 for the entire MA or £1084 per 20 credit module. Please note that fees are subject to annual increases in order to take inflation into account.
Is funding available?
See the Scholarships page for latest information
Why are students outside the European Union charged more?
This is standard. Most countries charge students who are not domestic tax-payers more for university courses.
Are Federal loans available for US and Canadian students?
Yes. We recommend you consult the information at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and take it from there. Students need to provide a Student Aid Report and a Master Promissory Note to Gwawr Lewis, the Registry Administrator, University of Wales, Lampeter, who should be contacted if you need assistance. E mail: g.lewis@lamp.ac.uk.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes, students can pay in installments, for example, per module, if registering for individual modules. Otherwise the University may ask for the year's fees to be paid in two installments of 40% and one of 20%.
Will I pay Home/EU or international Fees?
To be classed as a Home/EU fee paying student you must have been permanently resident in the UK/EU for three years or more prior to the commencement of your course and without being in education.
However there are exceptions to this rule. For example, a British student on a short temporary working permit in New Zealand might be eligible for the HOME/EU rate. For further information visit www.ukcisa.org
Are there any other costs?
There are no formal costs. However, to participate in on-line classes will require a web-cam – about ten pounds sterling or ten US dollars. Some students will wish to purchase extra books, even though most course materials will be on-line.
Should I study full-time or part-time?
Full time study requires up to 40 hours work a week during term-time so you should only enrol full-time if your family or professional commitments are minimal. Some students look forward to an itensive period of study. However, we have found that other students prefer to study part-time becuase they then have more time to enjoy their studies and may have a richer experience, while full-time students feel that their period on the MA was rushed. In addition if you have extensive family commitments, or are working to support yourself, or do not have recent academic experience, you would, in any case, always be recommended to study part-time.
How much work is involved?
Over the duration of the MA, students take six twenty-credit modules and then write a dissertation worth 60 credits. A full-time student would take two modules per term.
One twenty credit module is equivalent to 200 hrs of study. Each module consists of eight weeks of course work plus, usually an extra four weeks to complete the final essay. If a module takes 12 weeks to complete, the expected workload is therefore 16 hours a week. Students work in their own time depending on other professional or family commitments. Some students do have full-time jobs, but time-management skills are then essential.
If you do not have recent academic experience, you may find initially that more time is required.
Most part-time students take one module per term. MA students are required to take a minimum of two twenty credit modules per year.
A full-time student would therefore complete the MA in one year. A part-time student might take anywhere from two to five years.
Normal term times will be September/October to December, January to March/April and April to June/July.
How is work assessed?
Each module is assessed by 5000 words of written work or equivalent. Typically, this is divided into one short essay of 1000 words due in week 6 or 7, and a 4000 word essay normally due in week 10/12. Written course work is posted on-line (only other tutors can see it). Assessment requirements, lengths and due dates can vary from module to module. In some modules students choose from a list of essay titles; in others a title and subject is negotiated with th course tutor. The final dissertation topic is chosen by the student in discussion with the course tutor, and is a research project which builds on the work undertaken in the taught modules.
How is course work delivered?
Typically, all course work is posted on-line and students are given secure access to the University’s web site. Each week in each module engages with a different topic: lecture notes and course readings are posted on-line, together with other material, such as voice files and web links. Students also have access to various academic digital archives, including the archives of academic journals on JSTOR. Students are encouraged to participate in weekly forum discussions, posting written responses to discussion questions or weekly readings. We also hold periodic video conferencing sessions, for which a web cam is necessary. Sound files of conferencing sessions are posted on-line for students who miss the sessions.
How do I communicate with my tutors?
Tutor-student interaction takes place via e-mail and video-conferencing. We make use of Skype, which allows for free computer-to-computer phone calls anywhere in the world. With a web cam, face-to-face tutorials are possible.
Please note that access to a broadband connection is necessary.
We may also arrange optional occasional residential or other student gatherings, as appropriate, depending on demand.
Do I need to buy course books?
We hope to have as much course material on line making use of digitised material and academic databases. Library facilities vary. The University operates a lending system by post, although this would not include rare books. Students in the UK and Ireland will be able to nominate three academic libraries which they can use under the SCONUL scheme. In other countries, we can write letters of recommendation if students wish to approach their local academic libraries. Many countries with public library systems can also obtain books under inter-library loan schemes. That said, it is always good to own some core books and both Amazon and Abebooks are excellent web-sources. There will be required books for some modules, but these will be available cheaply second-hand. For example, Campion, The Dawn of Astrology (see below) is required for the History module.
Is there any preparatory reading I should do before starting the course?
There is no required preparatory reading. However, if you wish to prepare yourself for the course, we would strongly advise you to read the following:
- Campion, Nicholas, A History of Western Astrology Vol 1 (The Ancient World, London: Continuum 2008) and Vol 2 (The Medieval and Modern Worlds, London: Continuum 2009) (NB Vol 1 was originally published as The Dawn of Astrology: A Cultural History of Western Astrology, Vol. 1, in 2008).
- North, John, The Fontana History of Astronomy and Cosmology, London: Fontana, 1994.
- Phillipson, Garry, Astrology in the Year Zero, London: Flare Publications, 2000.
- Willis, Roy and Patrick Curry, Astrology, Science and Culture: Pulling Down the Moon, Oxford: Berg, 2004.
Other books can be recommended for specific modules.
There are, as yet, no introductory books on Cutural Astronomy.
Do I need special facilities for distance-learning?
We recommend a broad-band connection. In addition, with a computer service such as skype, computer to computer phone calls are free and, with the addition of a web-cam, free, international, face-to-face tutorials are possible.
Can I transfer credit for MA CAA modules to another university?
The simple answer is yes, although it depends on comparability of study and is at the discretion of the university in question. It is worth noting that under European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), UK credit is cut to half, so 20 UK credits are worth 10 European credits. For further information on UK-EU credit transfer, go to http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHEQ/academicCredit/AcademicCredit.pdf
Credit transfer outside Europe is possible. If you are considering transferring credits outside the EU, you should make inquiries at the relevant university first. If you wish to investigate the transfer of non-UK credit to the UK, information is available via NARIC (http://www.naric.org.uk/).
In one recent case the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) accepted MA CAA credit towards a student taking one of its MAs. Acceptance of CAA credit by other universities will usually depend on individual circumstances.
Does having the MA help my professional prospects?
The relationship between all academic work and non-academic employment is always based on potential employers’ appreciation of the generic skills acquired in MA study. Typically, these include critical thinking, communication skills, time-management and the ability to take on and complete independent projects. The latter quality is particular prized by many employers.
Academically, the recognised subject areas which comprise the MA are history, anthropology, sociology and the study of religions (which itself is highly influenced by the latter two). As of June 2008, of the 42 graduates from the Sophia Centre at Bath Spa University (2004-8), ten have been accepted as PhD students, of whom two are also teaching at their universities. Several others are engaged in academic study and considering PhD applications. One graduate is teaching at undergraduate level while another, a school teacher, was awarded a promotion and pay rise on her graduation.
