MPhil at Cambridge after PhD?

[antikantian]

I wanted some opinions on doing Cambridge's 10 month MPhil in Politics. My interests have changed quite a bit since entering graduate school, and I think that the program would probably be personally beneficial. A motivating factor is that the degree timeline is relatively short at less than a year, so in the grand scheme of life it's pretty negligible, especially since I was planning on taking a year off after my PhD.

Any reactions to this - is it a completely ridiculous idea (assuming finances don't factor into this equation)? I'd really love to spend a year at Cambridge from a purely academic perspective, and if I don't do it now while I'm still in my twenties, it'll probably never happen.

From an admissions standpoint, are there any issues with applying to the MPhil program after completion of a PhD? I'm planning on finishing next year (PhD in philosophy, not political science), with a supplementary MA in political theory. I wouldn't expect my GPA at either the undergraduate or graduate level to be a hindrance (and both schools have a pretty good reputation), but maybe the admissions committee would think this is completely redundant? I'm not entirely sure...

Any thoughts?

[balderdash]

Hey, I'm an MPhil (Cantab), and half of my work was in Politics, so I think I can help.

It's not ridiculous, and admissions are pretty reasonable for the MPhil (the University is poor, and MPhils are a cash cow), so you shouldn't have a problem getting in. The Adcomm probably won't care about the PhD in philosophy as long as you can explain the switch to Politics beyond "I'd like to live in Cambs." I have a few friends that already had MAs from other universities before they studied at Cambridge for their MPhil. I also knew one guy who was getting a second PhD and a girl who had done BA and MPH in the US before going to Cambridge to start her undergraduate studies again as a medical student. So it wouldn't be unheard-of.

I recommend choosing Jesus College on your app - great mix of history, location, size, graduate community, et cetera. I had 5 friends there last year. As for Cambridge the city, it's gorgeous. I've lived in Cambridge, MA, Washington DC, London... and Cambridge (UK) was my favorite by far. For costs, you can expect a minimum of 30,000 pounds for the year (all inclusive), but 35-40k would be more comfortable.

Edited October 29, 2011 by balderdash

[antikantian]

Thanks! That was very informative and helpful. From your time at Cambridge, would you say that the MPhil is primarily a gap degree in preparation for a PhD in political science, or were there some in your cohort who were there terminally in hopes of a career in government, politics, etc?

[balderdash]

It's definitely the former, not a terminal degree. For both Ox and Cam, the traditional politics departments are for research. They're heavy on methodology, state formation, and theses. But Oxbridge is moving toward creating professional schools to compete with HKS-type institutions, with Ox ahead of the curve with Blavatnik.

PM me if you have more specific questions that I can help with.