I was thinking that instead of being placed on the same level as the physical classes mages should have a different way to protect themselves than armor rating.
What if wards were lasting full body shields you could cast on yourself that absorbed a certain amount of damage before breaking? And incur magicka penalties to balance them, i.e you're trading armor for attack.
So i was thinking there would be a sort of basic general ward you started off with. It would absorb 20 points of damage form any source but set your maximum magicka back 10 points while active. Until its damage was depleted it would act as a barrier between you and attacks, making sure your health bar did not fall.
From there there would be progressively stronger general wards, with larger magicka penalties, but there would also be wards that protected you from one or two types of damage (melee, ranged, fire,frost,shock) that would be much stronger, perhaps ones that staggered the enemy or blasted them back when first hit could also be included, and or wards you would be able to cast on allies.. You would only be able to have two wards active at once until you get a perk (from the alteration tree) that would allow 3. THese wards would have to be cast out of combat and would most likely have to be once a day casts to prevent a sort of god mode, in addition the wards would only have 10% of their usual effectiveness if the player is wearing armor. And conceivably stronger enemies would have access to them as well.
THis was my idea, i hope you like it and perhaps a mod can be made. Thanks for reading.

...? They have Mage Armor...A magic glowing shield that covers their body and absorbs damage. Just as you described.

Dragon Age: Origins had something almost exactly like what you're describing, they were referred to as "sustainables" if I remember correctly. Besides requiring an upkeep cost (like your 10 Magicka example), they also imposed an increased cost penalty on any spells (mages) or talents (non-mages).

Senor Cinco the spells you mentioned merely add to your armor rating
what i described would just plain absorb damage not absorb a percent

Alteration has Oakflesh, Stoneflesh, Ironflesh, Ebonyflesh, and Dragonhide
Restoration has Lesser, Steadfast, and Greater Wards
Destruction says the best defence is a good offence and has Frost, Flame and Lighting cloaks
Enchanting can be used to make robes that have all sorts of defensive bonuses

I think a Dragon Age esque Stone armor would be sweet, like an absorb 15% of all incoming physical damage and deal 3-5 damage to attacker per hit recieved. Costing a base of 10% reduction at all times in order to keep active.

That being said I am still happy with Alteration's alternatives.

Ah I see so like a sustained sort of spell ala DA:O?

A mana shield that adds armor rating and also converts a percentage of health damage to magicka damage would be nice.

Actually Skyrim needs more spells in general.

I'm pretty sure alteration covers that for you and also you are ranged usually with magic so you are trying to not get hit. Also skyrim needs more spells and better magicka cost control

I guess I am just not catchin' what you are pitchin'.

The Mage Armor, protects from physical damage and the Wards protect from Magic damage. The wards are sustained. The way I see that all means the same. What you are describing is just a variant of what is already there. There are mods that add upwards of 200 spells. The console and the base game needs more unique spells, not the same spells in just a different form.

That was pretty much how protection spells worked in the first game, except without the magic penalty (aside from the initial casting cost) and they'd last forever until they absorbed enough damage.

I guess a spell like that could have different enough uses to distinguish it from the armor spells that already exist. You couldn't treat it like an armor buff to take less damage overall in melee, since it'd break real quick, but it would do a better job of saving you from a single failed-to-dodge power attack than a % reduction.

wards also add to armor rate so they protect a bit from physical damage just not a lot.

This, a thousand times over.

they need wards to be like this. i shouldnt have to give up o hand just to protect myself from magic

That is very true, wards do take away that precious dual fireball