Mandy_244

Given that funding is uncertain at every stage in the UK, what are the odds of continuing onto a funded PhD/DPhil in Oxbridge after MPhil? How many students in social/cultural anthropology convert successfully and how many of them secure full funding? If they don't get a satisfactory offer at Oxbridge or in the UK, what's the next best option? US anthro PhDs typically take 7-8 years over 3 in the UK, so is it a good option? Also, how are Oxbridge MPhils seen by US adcomms in sociocultural anthro? Alternately, what are other good places to do a PhD? Leiden, ANU etc. What's the preferred order?

What is the academic job market for Anthropology PhDs really like? How bad is it really? What do you do if you don't get a job? What is the situation in the different subfields? What about tier 1 universities in USA/UK? And what about lower ranked ones? Also, is there anybody here from India who has experienced the job search at home, whether they are trained here or abroad? I do not mean to snoop. I am considering grad school and finally an academic career in the social sciences, but I am trying to figure out exactly what I should go for. I find whatever little anthropology I know to be very interesting, but I have to take into account all the scare stories about the job market. Help would be really appreciated!

Thanks a lot, @sociopolitic. I am actually not bothered much by whether I find a placement/job in an economics department or pol sci or sociology. What matters is that (a) I should have a job(!), and (b) I should be doing research I am interested in. Going by what you said, I realize economics may not be the best option if they have eliminated qualitative reasoning entirely. "You'll also probably have trouble on the soc market with training in economics, as it's less likely that you'll be able to frame your work in a way that interests both quantitative and qualitative scholars." Do you mean that sociologists tend to be either fully quantitative or fully qualitative, and rarely do both? How about pol sci? And do you think it will count badly if I get an econ/econometrics degree and then express interest in qualitative research for my PhD?

@staylite, thanks for bringing Harris MAPSS to my notice! I'll check that out as well. Do you know about the funding scenario for MAPSS?

Thanks @sandmoon, and sorry for the late reply. First of all, I am 100% sure I do not want an industry job, at least a corporate job. I am very keen on research, preferable in academia. If that doesn't work out, I could settle with something like, say, a World Bank job (at the higher end) that involves research which is not too narrow. I am actually interested in topics and problems that require some qualitative work. I would like to decide where to RA based on what fields I want to pursue later. That's why I wish to know what fields are open to me with the EME MSc, and I shall factor that in to consider my RA options. If it seems too far from my interests, I may consider another masters. Hope that answers your questions. Would be lovely if you could help me out a bit more!

Thanks @sociopolitic. Sorry for the late reply; I was away someplace with weak internet. About the discipline where I will fit, I am definitely sure I do not want to be restricted by the extremely narrow and mathematical nature of economics. I would definitely want to have a strong qualitative component (if it says anything, I enjoy reading social anthropology a lot). The reason I am considering economics at the Masters level are: 1. My BSc-MSc in physics, so I stand a good chance of getting into Econ programs, probably not pol sci or soc. 2. I am not fully sure of the field, so I want to keep options open. Moreover, I hope to return to my home country someday, and here economics academia is by far the only developed and well-funded among social sciences. However, even in pol sci or sociology, if I do manage to get into a "top" US PhD, getting employment and funds should not be impossible, so I am still looking for other ways. 3. Most importantly, EME at LSE seems like one of the few one year Masters with a reliable track record of placing students in top PhDs. So that's my situation at the moment. Would be great if you could help me out further!

Hi, I'd like some advice regarding decisions regarding graduate study. I will graduate in Physics from a university in India, and I wish to shift to social science, particularly econ/pol sci/quant sociology etc., where I can use quantitative methods but also have qualitative and philosophical arguments. I received admission to the Econometrics and Mathematical Economics MSc (10 months) at the London School of Economics, which is one of the best as far as I know if one intends to get into a top US PhD in Econ. I would however, prefer to be at the intersection econ and pol sci, or maybe some sociology departments. Specifically I want to: how will political economy adcoms (like the ones at Princeton, Harris, Harvard PEG) or pol sci departments look upon the Econometrics MSc? Do I stand a chance at top sociology departments? Should I consider a different masters program? PS: I am not considering 2-year masters due to funding constraints; 10-15 month programs are ideal. I am plan to get at least two years of research experience as RA before PhD, first during 2019-20 as I have deferred MSc by a year, and in the year after completing masters, so what kind of research would help my PhD application?