motmot

M.Phil. -- Anthropology

Just posted on your other post! But I'd say there's only one main difference between US and UK in terms of application materials. For the UK programs, you'll need to have a much tighter, more specific research statement, very closely aligned to faculty in the program. I'd run this by the person you're hoping to work with at Oxford (or elsewhere) before submitting. This is pretty common, as lack of adequate supervision is one of the most common reasons people aren't offered admission. It isn't something you want to leave to chance. You can also cut any sort of personal details on your experience or background from your statement as that can actually hurt you. Keep those points to the resume/CV and transcripts unless you have experience that is very specific/leads directly into your doctorate-level work. From what I've heard, the essay for UK admissions should be a solid research proposal you are pitching to specific faculty— not an essay that describes you, your ambitions, etc. You can even see this in some of the the prompts— I can't remember where but one of the prompts I read specifically advised against any personal narratives. I think this is primarily because most of the programs are shorter, more independent, and less structured than ones in the US— so it is important to pitch yourself as being at the level where you can succeed in that kind of environment.

And, as a side note, this varies, again, if you're planning to do the D.Phil via a masters degree (MSt or its MPhil degree). That changes at least your first two years completely.

Hi Averroes, I'm not sure specifically for religion or theology, but most PhDs are, like you said, organized under a supervisor/supervisors (at Oxford that can be one or more supervisor, if necessary). I'm in the Social Sciences and haven't started the PhD portion of my degree yet (I'm still in the M.Phil), but in our department there is also more to it than that. Lectures, for one— they aren't required, of course, but there are different lectures (meaning lecture-based courses, usually required for Masters students) almost every day that PhDs often attend. Language study, technical courses, and research method courses or trainings also might take up time on a weekly basis. It also may depend on your supervisor. Some supervisors structure their "supervision" more like a course in that they may have specific assignments, requirements, and writing pieces spread across different portions of the year. That being said, some go in the complete other direction and may not even organize a meeting if you don't take the initiative to do it. My personal opinion on it is the D.Phil (not a PhD, technically, at Oxford— just a reminder), is very much about what you make of it. If you want to be completely independent and rely on your supervisor just for direction, that's entirely possible. But, of course, at a world-class institution you have a great opportunity to take advantage of courses, lectures, and other resources. This goes for the libraries, as well as your college (which is a part of the experience that is often overlooked by US students). Also, you have the best libraries! That being said, to be successful at the D.Phil level you have to be the kind of person who is assertive enough to work to arrange their experience as best for them. As one of my advisors explained to me, there is absolutely no "hand holding" in UK doctorate programs. The expectation is you come in knowing what you want to do and what you'll need— then you go after those things. I hope this helps. The best advice I can give is to download a D.Phil handbook from Oxford's website for your specific course. The experience can vary a lot department-to-department, and the best way to see what's required of you is to look at the official handbook— they should give you a picture of what you can expect.

Hi all, I'm hoping to re-open a discussion that doesn't seem to have been broached here in a number of years. Is anyone else considering/working on a UK program/degree? I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts on anthropology programs in the UK, and potential strategies for bridging some of the UK-US differences in structure at the postgrad level. I know there's always the question of teaching experience, but that's one I'm hoping to broach in a first (UK-based) position or via a teaching-focused postdoc elsewhere. Maybe there are others who are farther along in UK-based programs who can speak to some of the broad differences? Cheers!