Master's Degrees, UK or US, funding?

[Sah22]

Hello all,

I recently was accepted into University College London's Cultural Heritage Studies MA program through its Institute of Archaeology. I had applied for a Fulbright to cover the cost, but alas, was not awarded a grant. I'm considering taking out the loans for the one year program ($25,000 tuition for US students), but the prospect of graduating with all of the debt and then some, is frightening. I am now wondering if I would be better off finding a program in the US. However, it seems as though there is not a lot of funding options for taught MA programs in the US, and most of the programs are two years in duration, making tuition just as daunting. There seem to be very few US programs in Cultural Heritage Studies, so I am now considering options with flexibility in applied anthropology or perhaps archaeology. I've found programs at University of Montana and other smaller universities that have cultural heritage focused MA options, but would prefer a bigger, perhaps more prestigious university, with more of an international focus. My top choice in the US would be Stanford as they have a variety of courses regarding cultural heritage studies, ethics, indigenous rights etc, but of course they have zero funding for the MA in Anthropology.

Basically, will going to University College London for a year and graduating with that debt be great for someone who is looking to work in the international heritage/NGO scene? Or am I better off getting the MA anywhere I can that is affordable? Are there any other funding options for US students wanting to get an MA in the UK, other than Fulbright and Marshall?

For background, I have a BA in Anthropology from Berkeley, and I am a CA resident.

Many many thanks for your words of wisdom on this tough decision! Any school suggestions or funding suggestions are welcome.

[nyc2482]

First of all, I would speak directly with faculty (and students, if possible) at UCL to see what kinds of positions their students are offered after graduation. Getting an estimate of the percentage of students who go on to PhD programs vs. applied positions would be ideal. If the program is going to prepare you for the jobs you want, it's worth considering, especially if you don't have debt left over from undergrad. There are definitely other funding options besides the big-name fellowships; you can start with a database like the one here: http://www.college.columbia.edu/students/fellowships/catalog.

You may also want to think about how a degree from the UK vs. the US will provide networking opportunities with different national or international organizations. Start with your end goal and trace backwards to find the right program. As for programs, you may want to check out American University's Public Anthropology MA. The department has strengths in applied work and its location in DC is obviously of advantage for people who want to work with agencies or NGOs.

And congratulations on your acceptance!

Hello all,

I recently was accepted into University College London's Cultural Heritage Studies MA program through its Institute of Archaeology. I had applied for a Fulbright to cover the cost, but alas, was not awarded a grant. I'm considering taking out the loans for the one year program ($25,000 tuition for US students), but the prospect of graduating with all of the debt and then some, is frightening. I am now wondering if I would be better off finding a program in the US. However, it seems as though there is not a lot of funding options for taught MA programs in the US, and most of the programs are two years in duration, making tuition just as daunting. There seem to be very few US programs in Cultural Heritage Studies, so I am now considering options with flexibility in applied anthropology or perhaps archaeology. I've found programs at University of Montana and other smaller universities that have cultural heritage focused MA options, but would prefer a bigger, perhaps more prestigious university, with more of an international focus. My top choice in the US would be Stanford as they have a variety of courses regarding cultural heritage studies, ethics, indigenous rights etc, but of course they have zero funding for the MA in Anthropology.

Basically, will going to University College London for a year and graduating with that debt be great for someone who is looking to work in the international heritage/NGO scene? Or am I better off getting the MA anywhere I can that is affordable? Are there any other funding options for US students wanting to get an MA in the UK, other than Fulbright and Marshall?

For background, I have a BA in Anthropology from Berkeley, and I am a CA resident.

Many many thanks for your words of wisdom on this tough decision! Any school suggestions or funding suggestions are welcome.

[staplerinjello]

I would suggest one thing though. I'd try to look at smaller schools that don't have PhD programs but have masters programs, esp liberal arts type colleges that have a masters program on top. I've looked at a couple for religious studies and they do have funding for masters programs which would have been near impossible for a big state school or private school with an established phd program.

[anxiousanthro]

You also might want to consider the fact that cost of living in the UK, in general, and particularly in London is much higher than in the US. Just as a ballpark Cambridge (similarly expensive city) estimates cost of living for a year to be around £10,313 for someone living very frugally...

[CarlieE]

Are Cultural heritage studies like Cultural Resource Management? If so, I would agree with staplerinjello that there might be a better fit in the US with smaller programs ie. terminal MAs. The uni I am at now offers a certificate in CRM which is added to the MA degree. It's in the mid-west so the cost of living is quite low (but lifestyle is very different from CA)