DPhil at Oxford or Cambridge vs. PhD in the US?

[anav]

How do you guys think the two compare? Do you think a DPhil in IR from Oxford/Cambridge/LSE carries the same weight and possibility for academic employment in the US as a US PhD in Polisci from a top 10 university?

[realist]

No. Essex or Oxford, perhaps, in some fields, for rare individuals, are comparable to a school in the 15-25 range.

In general, British (and other European) schools are nowhere near top US schools.

[Canadianpolsci]

Succesful Oxford/Cambridge DPhil people have done well on the US job market, but you need famous adviser, to bridge the "Atlantic gap" so to speak. Tread carefully.

[anav]

Yeah, that's what I hear a lot. However, people at Oxford and Cambridge say that they have placed most of their students very well in the States. In fact, the professors I talked to (over in the UK) are puzzled that the question even arises and do not understand why there is such a perception.

Nevertheless, having studied in the US, I am aware of the perception that a PhD is 'superior' to a DPhil. I am wondering if there is any validity to the claim, especially for students who already have previous masters.

Trying to figure this whole thing out - making the best decisions for the job market in the future - is much harder than I thought...

[spin]

Hello Anav:

I see you haven't left to Africa yet! Regarding placement, do you have placement statistics from Oxford? If not, I suggest asking the department for this; it should be readily available (although the department may publish this online, they should have more detailed data on hand). Of course, since you're looking at the U.S. job market (and not the U.K. market) it may not be very comparable, but at least you'll have a decent picture. I am personally asking for this, the attrition rate, and the student-faculty ratio for all the schools I'm fortunate enough to be considering.

I will say that I believe, in my opinion, a U.S. PhD is viewed as more 'rigorous' etc; but this doesn't apply to political theory (we tend to see many theorists from Oxford).

[Quarex]

Sarcastically veiled serious question: Does this mean that those of us with slightly-less-than-top-25 Ph.D.s should look to the English or Australian academic job market when we finish?

[anav]

Quarex:

Well, it seems that the prejudice is not quite internalized by the Brits and other Europeans: meaning that they DO NOT consider a PhD from top US universities better than a DPhil from Oxford/Cambridge/LSE. Less than a top ten PhD would have a VERY tough time competing with an Oxford DPhil in the UK. It's the Atlantic gap: works both ways, apparently.

PS: thanks spin! Will ask.