Cambridge M.Phil in Politics and International Studies

[Ethanf]

Has anyone gone through the Cambridge M.Phil in Politics and International Studies (formerly International Relations)? It's a 9-month program -- which seems a little too short to get a whole lot out of ---  but at the same time seems like a great option if you have a lot of exciting stuff happening in your career. Any thoughts on the program or similar programs?

[LivKa]

Hi!

 

I recently got admitted to the Mphil in African Studies at Cam which is also a 9-month program and is affiliated with POLIS. A lot of masters are 9 months/1 year in Europe and are usually pretty academic aka for people hoping to pursue a PhD. I did my undergrad in the US but I am from Europe and the way it works at home is that you cannot get into a PhD straight from undergrad so you apply for a MA/Mphil and then to a 3 year PhD afterwards. Cambridge is an incredible school and is very competitive, especially if you are trying to get any sort of funding, just because along with Oxford it is considered one of the top unis in Europe (and the world!) Also, Cambridge terms are very short (around 8 weeks) and very intensive so you get a lot of information in a very short amount of time and are expected to work a lot independently (for some Mphils, you will only have 4/5 hours of contact hours per week, especially for social sciences). So in short, Oxbridge it's what you make of it! The professors are incredible and some of the best minds in the world will be there, but it is also very stressful and competitive from what I hear from current students, so just consider whether that is the type of environment you thrive in or not! Hope that helps!