Frozenroses

my apologies - the disciplines are English versus Cultural studies - so neither are technically film, but there is a great deal more cross over in the latter due to the interdisciplinary nature of the course. Ultimately I would like to still be working within film/culture. The course within the English department is called English but they like to think of themselves as English and Culture at PhD level. At undergraduate level the course is called English and Film studies so there is 'some' scope, or rather a possibility that I may be able to TA on a film course (it is just viewed as less likely, and if I can it may be only for 1-2 out of the 6 semesters in which I will be able to TA. Looking at other Universities it does appear that a lot of English departments either have a film element or are a combination of Film and English - so I have my fingers crossed that I am not making a drastic mistake - I am also relying on the fact that my research, conferences, publications and thesis within Film and Culture will assist in securing a (very allusive given the current job market) position somewhere. This is basically my rationale. There are only 3 people I can work with on my chosen area of research (that I have found): 2 of those are in English departments, and 1 is in Film (but they do not have a PhD level) so it would have to be through the Culture course. There were more in the States, but unfortunately I am also trying to maintain my Canadian residency so can only apply within Canada. Sorry, that's probably more background than you needed to know..

Thank you all for your reassuring words - I am probably more intimidated as I feel so inexperienced with teaching but I sincerely do feel like what was daunting has actually become a lot more realistic due to this thread - good luck with your applications those who are waiting still!

Tha above commen just made my day! Thank you xx

do you think its actually possible to negotiate more if you have multiple offers tho? How on earth do you approach it tactfully?

Thanks both - this was actually just the reassurance I needed - I have found the prospect rather daunting - but now feel that its not an impossible task to undertake!

I don't think I get to make my own course, they are set out to a certain extent

Hi all, I thought I would redirect this over here from the decisions board.... I have been offered a place on an English PhD course, with funding, however I will be required to teach first year English (teach not take seminars). My question to those who are already in English courses is - do you think its possible to pull this off when your background isn't English? Thanks all

Ktel - it does - especially when your grammer and spelling and punctuation is as bad as mine!

Hiya, I have limited knowledge on this.. I started a PhD with the intent of doing the PhD Full time and working Part Time (I know this is the reverse) externally from the department, approx 20-30 hrs a week - prior to this I did an MA fulltime and worked 23 hours a week (graduated with hons so I thought I could pull it off again). This is partly due to England's funding drought, and partly because, in my head I had this idea that while I was working I would be able to gain all this additional experience that would be applicable (same field of work - media job) to the subject I was studying and would therefore come out of my PhD the most well-rounded person in the whole world (or something like that). As it happens, I have found it very hard to focus on a PhD whilst working that much - because I can't get my teeth into it - and it feels like I am drifting - If I were doing the PhD part time it would feel even worse. People say working and doing a PhD part time is hard due to lack of focus or just the 'foreverness' of the course - I can certainly say, as someone who now feels her fulltime PhD has drifted into the realm of Parttime - working this way is VERY difficult. Like I mentioned, I did my MA in the same manner and coped. I can't do it for this. I have lucked out as I have now been offered fulltime funding in Canada and will be going there, but if I hadn't I can honestly say I'd have struggled to finish.

UK MA here - I just sent them my transcripts - they didnt ask about my GPA (this is to Canada

Course X is an English PhD whereas my background is Film (I have a minor in English from my undergraduate degree but that is the extent to my english knowledge). I have never Ta'd before as I did my Postgrad in the UK and typically a Masters in the UK does not involve teaching (at least within the humanities). The course I am considering (X) requires you to teach rather than TA undergrad English... daunting.com - perhaps I am over thinking it?!

it seems as if option X is ultimately the best choice all around as it covers/ticks the most boxes... both are good options, so I can't complain and am overall very happy.. They are both humanities courses, so it's not as clear cut as it might be with science... but fingers crossed I make the right decision

Thank you ABC123xtc and Ktel for your advice! I really appreciate it - it is good to get some objective input. Ktel, you are right about teaching - and I'm sure its a more 'real world' situation (teaching a subject you don't really know) than I think!

Sorry, I should add - this is for a PhD, at school X I will be teaching as a TA (but essentially running and teaching a class myself rather than typical TA seminar or marking duties) at school X for 3 yrs in a subject which is a bit 'alien' to me but manageable. Also, in terms of financing while school X has the best funding, if I manage to pull a rabbit out of a hat with a SSHRC award, school Y becomes the better funder as you are allowed both scholarship and SSHRC awards simultaneously. However I have to make a decision before knowing about SSHRC (will know if I'm forwarded but that's only half the battle) Ugh!

English Phd with Masters in cinema and undergrad in TV production here

What if you are accepted into two courses, lets call them X and Y. X has a supervisor who wants to work with you, he reknowned for his area of expertise (which will soon be your expertise), and you are offered excellent funding. The catch is that course X is for a course which does not quite match your discipline and therefore the majority of the courses you will undertake, although relevent, are not THAT relevent. Further, you will have to teach in X when your MA and Undergrad focus was something else. Y on the other hand is a course which is more multidisciplinary, offers the opportunity to TA in your main discipline and offers classes in courses which are very interlinked with your PhD focus. However, the supervisor there, while having a similar focus in research as your chosen research topic (my focus is quite specialized so finding anyone with any interest is hard), is not so well known and will push an area of your research that you are less interested in for your PhD focus and so therefore overall is not QUITE such a good match for the likely PhD focus. The funding at this school is also considerably less, and rumour has it, it takes an additional 1 to 2 years to complete the course. What would you choose?

On the off chance anyone is waiting to hear back from Carleton Uni for Cultural mediations - they are sending emails today

I contacted every single school that I thought of applying to in May, I built up a relationship with the people who I thought may make good supervisors through e-mail. This turned out to be incredibly beneficial because it essentially helped me weed out the psycho supervisors from the good ones - just because you have the same interests as they do, doesn't mean that they won't turn out to be Hitleresque in dictating how you take your research to you. I then visited 4 of the schools (that I had short listed through suitability in terms of supervision) and met with 4-5 profs at each one that I contacted or had already been in contact with in advance. Again, this compounded my relationship with the schools and also gave me a chance to see the city and the school itself (this process actually made me change my mind about my top choice as I met a supervisor who I realised would be impossible to work with even though she had appeared normal over the phone). I then followed these visits up with a polite e-mail to thank them for their time and reassert my interest in applying. I realise that not many people can visit their chosen schools - I lucked out because a friend of mine wanted to go on a roadtrip and offered to fund it (a rather epic journey taking in Ottawa - Toronto - all the way through the states to Vancouver and Edmonton). I have been accepted into all the programs I applied to and I know for a fact that meeting with one of the supervisors meant that he fought my corner to get me accepted (my background is not in English, but film). So, I am probably the most extreme in terms of contacting departments prior to applying but I believe that it really benefited me and influenced my decisions a lot (as well as my chance of acceptance).

As an update - I clarified with the uni - it was a typo - booooooooo

Heya, As far as I am aware this is typical for Canada.. I am sure someone can give you a more detailed answer tho

thanks for all your advice and assistance - much appreciated x

Thats what I was thinking too... but then the two upper sections are divided because of a financial difference... the trick of it is, obviously, it would be great if I could only TA for two years rather than 3, so I am wondering if theres a way I can hold them to the typo (if it is one) and respond saying 'i would be happy to accept the offer as outlined with X amount for 1 year and X amount for three years after, and, as stipulated in the offer letter Teaching TAships which are undertaken in years 3 and 4'. Since they have it in the offer letter, surely I have some leverage?

here is what the letter says: Year 1: $xxxxxx (including a Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship and a TA, but no teaching) Years 2-4: $xxxxxx (including a TA and a Department Graduate Scholarship) Your first year funding is a bit higher than other years, because it includes a recruitment scholarship. It also includes payment as a teaching assistant (TA), but you will not be teaching. In years 3-4, you will teach as a TA during the fall and winter term. Finally, you will hold an Graduate Scholarship (GS) to supplement your pay up to the guaranteed minimum. The GTA and the GS are bundled together (that is, you cannot hold the GS unless you also hold a TA). So... riddle me this - do I, or do I not have to TA in second year...? How would YOU read this? Answers ona postcard please x