Georgetown or Cambridge?

[barryeire]

A PhD in Chinese History from Georgetown or Cambridge (UK), i'm still struggling to come to a decision which program would be best for me...any ideas? I have funding secured for both institutions and the professors supervising me are renound in their particular fields. I suppose it comes down to where i'd like to secure an academic post and I don't want to limit myself to the US...so should i go for Cambridge, it has much more international prestige?

[DartToDart]

There are two main disadvantages to Cambridge:

-- lack of funding for an expensive degree

-- lack of teaching experience.

If you have full funding you can ignore that problem.

The lack of teaching experience is a bigger issue. You won't get the TA and instructional experience that you probably will in the US, which will make it much harder to get an academic job back home after graduation, in a job market where departments want good instructors as well as researchers. Consider that carefully. Cambridge also has a reputation as being very competitive and unfriendly.

Full disclosure: I'm going to Cambridge. My advisors at my current very friendly and supportive department, made sure I knew about those disadvantages to Cambridge when making the decision, but I couldn't turn down the chance to work with a really great supervisor there.

[Moses]

Does anyone have any information about Georgetown's History program? I just was accepted to their latin american history program with no word on money.

Anyone have any experience with the department? Out of the schools I appled to it's the one I know least about.

[daydaydvd]

A PhD in Chinese History from Georgetown or Cambridge (UK), i'm still struggling to come to a decision which program would be best for me...any ideas? I have funding secured for both institutions and the professors supervising me are renound in their particular fields. I suppose it comes down to where i'd like to secure an academic post and I don't want to limit myself to the US...so should i go for Cambridge, it has much more international prestige?

Unless you will do missionaries in China, Georgetown may be a better choice. Otherwise, Cambridge is the place to go.

I do not think Georgetown has adquate Chinese source in its libarary as Cambridge does. In terms of Chinese history, Georgetown is not even in the second tier in US.

[Auzzfest]

Georgetown must have had a really strong pool of applicants for Latin American history this year. I was waitlisted for funding in that field as well. I think they only accepted 12 or so students in all fields, including the ones waitlisted for funding.

In response to your question, I think you should choose Cambridge, let us Latin American guys/gals get some funding. But honestly go wherever you think you will have the best resources and connections to train as a chinese historian.