Postgraduate Jargon Buster

Here are some terms specific to postgraduate degrees at Newcastle that you ight come across during your time here. Pair this page with the undergraduate-focused Jargon Buster for all your acronym- and jargon-busting needs!

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Aa

APR – Annual Progression Review.

Dd

Distinction – The highest grade possible in an MA or MLitt programme. Your work is often awarded a numerical mark: if this is 70 or above, then your work is of distinction standard (or can be referred to as “a distinction”). Check the marking criteria for SELLL and any module-specific criteria to see the characteristics of a piece of work of distinction standard. These numerical marks are *not*, we repeat *not*, percentages or marks out of 100. (See also: Pass, Merit)

Ii

IPhD – Integrated PhD. This programme combines a year’s full time (or equivalent) taught and guided work with a three year full time (or equivalent) research programme.

Mm

MA – Master of Arts (from the Latin Magister Artium). This is the degree that you will be awarded on successful completions of a taught Masters programme, where you take two semesters of classes and complete a dissertation.

(PG) Marking Criteria – The descriptors and qualities that determine what mark is given to your work in taught modules. There is a set of School marking criteria for work in Language and Linguistics (as well as Literature), which you can read on the SELLL website. Some of your modules might also have specific criteria for different types of assessment, so check the module‘s Canvas course page to be sure.

MLitt – Master of Letters (from the Latin Magister Litterarum). This is the degree that you will be awarded on successful completion of a 1 year full-time (or equivalent) research Masters programme in SELLL, where you complete two short research projects and a 16,000 to 24,000 word dissertation.

MPhil – Master of Philosophy. This is a degree that you may be awarded after more than a year’s full-time (or equivalent) research work and completion of a 40,000-50,000 word dissertation.

Merit – The second highest grade possible in an MA or MLitt programme. Your work is often awarded a numerical mark: if this is between 60 and 69, then your work is of merit standard (or can be referred to as “a merit”). Check the marking criteria for SELLL and any module-specific criteria to see the characteristics of a piece of work of merit standard. These numerical marks are *not*, we repeat *not*, percentages or marks out of 100. (See also: Pass, Distinction)

Pp

(a) Pass – The lowest grade in an MA or MLitt programme. Your work is often awarded a numerical mark: if this is between 50 and 59, then your work is of pass standard (or can be referred to as “a pass”). Check the marking criteria for SELLL and any module-specific criteria to see the characteristics of a piece of work of pass standard. These numerical marks are *not*, we repeat *not*, percentages or marks out of 100. (See also: Merit, Distinction)

Pass mark – The pass mark for an MA or MLitt piece of work in SELLL is 50.

PGT – Postgraduate Taught (i.e., MA students)

PGR – Postgraduate Research (i.e., MLitt, MPhil, PhD students)

PGCCG – Postgraduate Community and Culture Group. A collection of over 30 various reading, writing, research and social groups across and beyond SELLL.

PhD – Doctor of Philosophy (from the Latin philosophiae doctor). This is the degree you will be awarded on successful completion of our 3+ year research doctoral programme and a 80,000-100,000 word thesis.