Oxford (B.Phil) and Cambridge (M.Phil)

[The Mosby]

Hey guys. I'm a senior in philosophy at UMass-Amherst and I will be applying for graduate programs for the Fall of 2013 (I graduate in December 2012 so I don't have to explain a year off or anything). I have a couple general questions about the English programs I mentioned above:

1. Is a masters at Oxford or Cambridge more "beneficial" than a masters in the States? I have read mixed opinions about pursuing an MA. It seems that the Oxford program is more research-oriented and the Cambridge program is more of a traditional taught degree.

2. Is it easy to transition into each school's PhD program after you complete the B.Phil or the M.Phil? I think I am more inclined to want to attend an American school for the PhD but I don't really know that yet.

Ideally I would get into a top-ranked PhD American university right out of undergrad but I really shouldn't count on that. I will be writing an honors thesis this coming Fall. At the moment my philosophy GPA is 3.96 but I have no graded 500 level courses yet. I'm taking one 500 level this semester and will hopefully be taking three more next semester. With the above in mind, is it worth it to pursue a "pre-PhD" program in England? I'm thinking that doing so will improve my chances for a great university in the States. What do you think?