theoteacher Posted January 22, 2019 Posted January 22, 2019 Hi all, I know this is probably annoying but I haven't seen it addressed in the forum recently. I am thinking of applying to Oxford with the ultimate goal of getting my Ph.D. My current thought is to do the PGDip in theology, then the Mphil in Judaism and Christianity in the Grecco Roman period and then to pursue some sort of theology research Ph.D. A little background; my undergrad GPA is abysmal 2.0, My master's degree in curriculum and instruction ( from a less than staller university) is a 3.0 ( its a pass-fail school). I am currently a teacher at a Catholic school and want to go into academia ( and teaching at the collegiate level as my ultimate career path) I am also a veteran of the US military. Military and life circumstance (marriage, kids, working full time ) are all contributing factors in my low undergrad GPA. So my question is, should I even bother applying? Thanks for your input!
xypathos Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 I don't see why not. PGDips aren't exceptionally competitive programs and UK schools love Americans for that sweet federal money. Admissions chances for any of us is relatively poor so at the end of the day, would you enjoy living in the UK for a year or two should nothing else pan out?
sacklunch Posted January 24, 2019 Posted January 24, 2019 If you're from the USA (assuming you are), then, yes, you will likely get in; it's just you have to pay for it. I don't know your situation with the military, but I doubt they would pay for any of it (not covered under G.I. Bill?), since it is unrelated to internal, military advancement (e.g. becoming an officer). Don't let the prestige fool you. It is, of course, a great school; but American academics know that Oxford and the like almost always accept Americans (esp. for a masters), since we can take US federal loans to enroll. This means that when they (PhD admissions folk) look at your CV and see Oxford, they will immediately assume you paid for it and then wonder whether you went there because you weren't 'good enough' to get into a good school here for an 'elite' MA. I should be clear that I don't think such assumptions apply to students with impressive backgrounds: e.g. if you went to a well-known UG school in the US (or simply had good grades) and/or the same for your first MA, they (PhD admissions folk) might indeed assume you paid for the Oxford masters, but what follows--that you weren't 'good enough' to get into a program in the country and thus had to pay your way into an elite school--would not cross their mind. This is all rather speculative, and it is actually probably wrong if you intend to apply to PhD programs outside the usual R1 schools. Tell us more about what you actually want to study (or think you do) and where for the PhD.
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