jogatoronto

Hi, I was accepted into Michigan's joint program in Anthro & History. I received an informal email and was told that the formal offer would arrive in the next month. No worries, I think there's hope still!

You only need to prove reading comprehension to graduate from a PhD program. Speaking, listening and writing are generally not tested.

Towards a Political Philosophy of Race by Falguni Sheth Hegel contra Sociology by Gillian Rose

KTLady were you the only student interviewed that day? Sounds like you had a long day. Congrats!

Submitted my last two applications today. Freedom! Now back to my masters degree.

Ok, here's the inside scoop on this program (just in case anyone is going to apply during this cycle). 1. I do not know of any students with full funding. 25% to 33.3% is the best I've heard of. 2. You take 2 required core courses and 3 elective courses at Reid Hall (Columbia's campus in Paris) BUT there are literally only 3 elective courses offered at Reid Hall. Simply put, at Reid Hall 'elective' means 'no choice.' 3. There are two levels of 'optional' French language courses offered at Reid Hall that you are implicitly expected to take. The French course is Pass/Fail for MA in History and Literature students and is graded for students in the MA in French Cultural Studies. Both Levels are generally 2 hours a week (Level 1 is 9 hours a week for the first month). Level 2 students do a lot more work throughout the year than Level 1 students. Oh btw, your level is determined by a surprise french placement test during the second day orientation. You can opt out of taking the placement test by placing yourself in Level 1. 4. Courses at ENS and EHESS start in November. You must take 3 elective courses at these schools but you can audit as many as you like. (This is easily the best part of the entire program). In the French universities 'Elective' actually implies having options to choose from! 5. The Associate Director of Studies for MA programs at Reid Hall will be your main point of contact. She's amazingly helpful, patient, and seems to know everyone in French academia. 6. The student's that applied to PhD's in the first cohort were accepted at every school they applied to, both in France and in the United States. Good Luck!

I chose to avoid the diversity statements.

First three applications going out today. Fear.

Thanks for the responses!

Check out the Sociology Department at the London School of Economics. The M.Sc in Sociology (Economic Sociology) sounds like it might fit your needs. Only 1 core course, which is a half unit in Economic Sociology. The rest of the classes you can choose from almost any department in the school that you and your adviser see fit.

It may be too late for you to switch courses but if I'm right about what university you're going to then 'Gender and Societies' is a great course with an excellent prof. Ulrich Beck might lecture a few times in 'Classical Social Thought,' which I've heard is a treat.

I know that it's a good idea to contact professors to find out if they are taking students. How do you decide whether to apply to a school if a professor has not responded about their plans for the next year?

When I studied at LSE most of my friends in IR didn't necessarily have a BA in IR. International Relations is a multidisciplinary program at LSE. So, I think most backgrounds in the social sciences are somewhat related. LSE also has an MSc in Politics and Communication (http://www2.lse.ac.uk/study/graduate/taughtProgrammes2013/MScPoliticsAndCommunication.aspx), which may also suit those of you with Journalism/Communication backgrounds.

If any of you are wondering, I decided to take the offer. Thanks for all of the responses!

If you attended UofT for your undergrad then go to SOAS (assuming money isn't an issue) because it gives you a chance to network with academics and students in your field from other parts of the world. Academic provincialism sucks. If you didn't go to UofT for your undergrad then UofT is a great place for your MA because it will make you a competitive candidate for PhD applications (4th biggest Academic library in North America = great thesis materials). Trust me, I still use my friends' UofT library IDs for research online for my M.Sc. thesis at LSE.

Make a chart: 'Cost, Time, Prestige.' Weigh these factors in terms of your biggest concerns. Go to the school that best fits your needs after reviewing the chart. If you really want the LSE option then contact the IR course convenors/profs in the department and tell them your situation. They may be able to help you get off the waitlist.

What is the typical procedure with language exams if you have studied at an institution where the courses have been taught in that language?

@CageFree your experience is reminds me of a canadian history prof I knew in Toronto. She also took time away from academia to teach history in high school and says it served her well. I'm not questioning my readiness...I'm just trying to decide whether to spend a year on a second masters degree or to get a research related job since I'm applying for PhD's for a fall 2013 start. @Riotbeard A dose of reality would be interesting...but academia is also a fun train to ride...oh well...I'll decide later

Thank you so much Sigaba and please forgive my late response

I guess nobody works between their masters and phd. oh well.

I've been lurking and posting on this forum for almost 2 years and I'm finally getting ready to submit PhD applications. I'd like to enroll in a PhD in African History starting in Fall 2013. I completed my undergrad degree in Canada (UofT) in 2011 and this school year I've been working on a masters degree at the London School of Economics. I've been offered a place in Columbia University's 1 year MA in History and Literature @ their European campus in Paris this fall. Funding is not an issue because I'm covered for 75% of my tuition and Housings costs. The Columbia MA program is also very small and unique, with a cohort of just 7 to 10 students and courses offered at Ecole Normale Superieure and EHESS. I've also applied for jobs but I have not had any luck in that department yet. Can someone who has taken time off to work between their masters and PhD offer some advice as to the pros and cons of that experience please? I see the Columbia masters degree as an opportunity to strengthen my French language skills and to also gain experience with French archives, which I know would be assets for someone interested in West African history. However, I am wondering if there are benefits to working for a year that outweigh the French language and French archive opportunities. Thanks for reading this! Good luck to everyone applying for PhD's in the coming cycle.

It might be very difficult to gauge the success rate of the Dual Degree. I think that most of the students in the dual degree do not apply for PhD's and most of those that do apply take a gap year or two in between the Dual Degree and a PhD. @thedig, The things that made the MA in History and Literature attractive to me were the location (I can improve my French in Paris and also gain some experience with the French archives), ENS (great partner institution that some of the scholars who have influenced my thinking have attended...Althusser, Fanon, Cesaire), and the funding situation (the Program is generous with its money if you apply early and submit a strong application and even if you apply on the last day you can still get some funding).

The Dual degree program is great. You get methodology and language training and you also get good (international) contacts. You literally have two years of an Ma/PhD program in history under your belt from two universities with a lot to offer, which, if used wisely, hopefully gives you a bit of an advantage when applying for PhD programs anywhere in the world. I know that students in this program have been successful in their applications to PhD's in history. I know of one student who was accepted by a few excellent departments.

I was just accepted to the program this afternoon. I have a private source of funding already so that cash cow aspect isn't much of an issue. Most of my friends in LSE's dual degree loved it and since I'm currently enrolled at LSE for my masters I thought that I could create my own dual degree. I don't know if I'm going to go. This program offers fellowships by the way.

The MAPSS program at UChicago requires (spelled: asks) their students to take a year off in between MAPSS and a PhD if the students in question want a letter of recommendation for PhD apps. The reasoning being this requirement/request is that MAPSS is a 9 month to one year program and the program organizers share MidEastApp's concern that they will not know you well enough by December/January to write you a good letter of recommendation for PhD's. From your statement it seems that your Masters Degree is a two year program. I know a few students that read for two year MPhil's at Oxford (and the Columbia-LSE dual degree in international history) and applied for American PhD's during the fall of their second year. Some were unsuccessful but that probably has more to do with lack of preparation/bad luck than timing. 'Wait untill you feel that your application package is as good as you can make it and keep trying' are the lessons I've taken from Ticklemepink's experiences.