brazeneggo

Yes, I think the issue with supervision might be significant. I've seen some PhD dissertations from UCL that do align with my interests, which indicates that I could find a home there, but reading the the course syllabi does not make me particularly excited to study there. Long-term goal? Possibly starting a history PhD in ~5 years, though I don't think that the history of medicine will necessarily be at the crux of my career (I work in healthcare). Outcomes matter less since I'm not planning on continuing in academia immediately, but it would be nice to develop a project that I could eventually publish. I feel as if I might have more support at Manchester vs UCL. Overall, it seems that UCL is more recognizable internationally but that Manchester is very well respected in the history of medicine community. I think the questions I need to is whether I spend the year living in London, doing a course I'm ambivalent about, but with access to world-class archives, seminar series etc, and everything that is London (probably idealized, but I've loved all of my experiences there), or living in Manchester doing a course I find very interesting, in a city that is also nice, but does not have the same level of educational or experiential amenities that are offered in London. However, I was clearly prepared to not live in London and go to Oxford if I had that option, so maybe geography doesn't matter that much. I don't know!

Hi everyone, I have offers to study the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine at Manchester, as well as History and Philosophy of Science at UCL. I have secured full funding for both so that is not an issue. Any recommendations on where to go? I am almost exclusively interested in the history of medicine (public health, psychiatry, women in medicine), so Manchester seems like a better fit, but I can't deny the appeal of attending UCL, living in London, and having access to various libraries/archives (though these would not be impossible to access from Manchester either). I was admitted to the Oxford MSc last year but couldn't secure a deferral and was rejected this year, which was really disappointing as it seemed like the perfect fit and I had the money to go. Alas! Any advice on either of these two programs would be appreciated! Thanks!

Maybe the wrong place to post this, but I'm looking for some advice about whether to attend a program. Basically, got into a masters at oxbridge. It seems like a fantastic program and the supervisor is a great fit. I've dreamt of being able to do this research for years. The problem is that the chance of getting funding is very slim. This means that I'm on the line for 50k+. I'm in a bit of a unique position in that I'm already enrolled in a professional degree program. My debt load, is fortunately low considering the length of time I've been in school (<40k). Finding a job in my field is not an issue. However, pursuing this masters means the difference between owing 100k vs. closer to 200k when I'm finally finished with my education. I plan on pursuing a career as both an academic and professional, which is where my interest in history comes in. I would be like to develop a research program that has a focus in history and this masters would help me in this goal. There aren't many people with these credentials in my field so I could carve out a niche for myself. I'm not sure how feasible it will be for me to pursue an eventual doctorate in history, however, so this might make it more difficult to have my research considered more seriously, receive grants etc. An Oxbridge degree might also help elevate my career to a more "international" level. That said, I could probably achieve close to everything I want without a history degree from Oxbridge. It has also been suggested to pursue a masters later on in my career when I would have guaranteed funding, but then it would not be possible to attend Oxbridge. The opinions I've received from others on whether to attend are mixed. Almost all of the faculty I've spoken to working in either my field or history are encouraging. Maybe they're just being nice? Sorry, I'm trying to stay as vague as possible but it's difficult given my situation. Feel free to PM me for more details.