mbc102

Wow, didn't think I would get responses from people who are actually from the UK. Thanks so much guys! Sounds like doing an MPhil would be a good place to start for me. It should be easier to get in, and I hope it will provide directions for my PhD research. I'll certainly apply to Cambridge and Oxford, and maybe 3-4 other places like Edinburgh, Imperial, and Sheffield. But honestly, given my undergraduate school, I'd have to hope for the first two. Do you guys think that if I get into, say, the Cambridge MPhil program, applying to its own PhD should be easier? Also, it would be useful to know what the completion rate for people who start their PhD at Cambridge or Oxford is like. Are there significant hurdles, like qualification exams, too-heavy workload, or lack of research progress, which prevent people from getting their PhD?

Hi everyone, I'm an undergraduate at Stanford, and I'm interested in doing MPhil/DPhil in the UK. One reason is that I feel PhD in the US takes too long and can be unpredictable. A lot of students at Stanford stay for 6-7 years; some can't do the work and drop out. Another reason is that I would like to experience living in another country. I've looked at websites of places like Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, etc. and it seems like MPhil+DPhil at these places can be completed by most students in 4-5 years. That sounds like a good deal to me. Are there any major differences between the programs in the US and in the UK? In terms of the approach to research or how much work the student needs to do?