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STUDENT GUIDE
Quick Summary: Postgraduate textbook needs are very different to undergraduate. Masters and PhD students rely more on journal articles, specialist monographs, and digital library access than broad introductory textbooks. This guide covers what to buy and what to skip.
📋 In This Guide
How Postgrad Reading Differs from Undergraduate
The biggest mistake postgraduate students make is approaching their reading list like an undergraduate — buying a shelf full of textbooks before term starts. Postgraduate study is primarily driven by journal articles, specialist monographs, and original research rather than broad introductory texts.
The typical postgraduate reading list contains far fewer core textbooks and far more: individual journal articles (usually free via library databases), specific book chapters (often digitised free via CLA licence), specialist academic monographs (usually available via library), and working papers or pre-prints (often free online).
Before buying any postgraduate textbook, check whether it’s available free through your library first. The answer is yes more often than not.
Masters (MSc/MA/LLM) Textbook Strategy
Buy 1–3 core texts maximum — Most Masters programmes have 1–3 books that appear on every module’s reading list and are heavily used throughout the year. These are worth owning. Everything else can be borrowed or accessed digitally.
Research methods texts are worth buying — Regardless of your subject, you’ll need a research methods text for your dissertation. Creswell’s Research Design or Saunders’ Research Methods for Business Students are widely used and worth owning since you’ll use them intensively for 3–6 months.
Specialist monographs — library first — Masters programmes often include specialist academic books that cost £70–100 and are only used for one module. These are almost always available in the library. Don’t buy them.
Check if your undergraduate texts still apply — If you’re doing a Masters in the same field as your undergraduate degree, your existing textbooks may still be relevant. Don’t rebuy books you already own.
PhD Textbook Strategy
PhD students need very few textbooks. Your reading is almost entirely journal articles, specialist monographs accessed via library, and primary sources. The key purchases for PhD students are:
Research methodology text — Buy the standard research methods text for your discipline. This is the one book you’ll use constantly for 3+ years and genuinely need to own.
Writing and academic skills guides — Palgrave’s How to Write a Thesis, or your discipline’s standard academic writing guide. These pay for themselves many times over in improved output.
Key theoretical texts in your specific area — 2–3 books that are foundational to your specific research area and which you’ll annotate heavily and return to repeatedly. These are worth buying; everything else can be borrowed.
Everything else — use the library — PhD students have extensive interlibrary loan access. Use it. Your supervisor can also often lend you books from their own collection.
Essential Postgrad Resources
British Library EThOS — Free access to UK doctoral theses. Invaluable for PhD students scoping the existing research in their area.
JSTOR, Web of Science, Scopus — Core academic journal databases. Available free through your university library. Learn to use these efficiently — they’re where most of your reading comes from.
ResearchGate and Academia.edu — Authors often upload their own papers here. Not always legal but widely used. Legal alternatives: email the author directly (most academics are happy to share) or access via your library.
Your supervisor’s bookshelf — Genuinely ask. Most supervisors are happy for PhD students to borrow books from their office.
Budget Guide
Masters students — Budget £50–150 for the full year. Buy 2–3 core texts used, rely on the library for everything else.
PhD students — Budget £50–100 total across your PhD. A research methods text and 2–3 specialist books is all you should need to purchase. Your library and interlibrary loan service covers the rest.
If you’re spending significantly more than this as a postgraduate, you’re almost certainly buying books you don’t need to own.
Last Updated: March 2026 | Author: www.textbooks.co.uk/ Editorial Team
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