UK & Canada

[biginternational]

Is anyone waiting on decisions from schools in the UK or Canada? If so, which programs have you applied to and what have you heard?

[CatallaxisOfEvil]

Well, as a Brit, I'm going to wait to hear back from my US apps before taking the plunge with PhDs here. It's a very different system, and there's only a handful of political-scienceish programmes with decent funding opportunities.

With this in mind, and seeing as I'm too late for the LSE (you need to submit by mid-january for a chance of funding there), I think that i'll probably end up trying for QMUL, Exeter, Essex and Bristol (possibly Manchester, possibly Cambridge). All of these are pretty great politics departments, and there are some specific people I'd love to work with in each one (which is kind of a prerequisite for PhD level study in the UK)

These places have reasonably late deadlines and a number of college-based funding opportunities, as well as two or three council-funded studentships each year as well.

[intapp001]

I'm waiting on McGill and Toronto but I don't expect to hear anything back until March...

[BodyStudiesPhD]

I've applied to and been accepted to the University of Kent in England. The program is Sociology and Social Research MPhill+PhD. I'm currently working on my proposal for funding.

[smileyPhD]

Re: Canada -- I've submitted PhD apps to McGill, McMaster, Calgary, the Balsillie School (Waterloo), and Carleton-Ottawa. I also don't expect to hear anything until March, and results reported on this forum in previous years seem to indicate that will be the case, if all is equal.

[canpolisci]

Hello,

I am applying to the masters program in political science at UBC. I see that McGill got back to some PhD applications today which is encouraging news.

In response to the individual who inquired on the results page about when UBC will send out notifications, I have not heard anything. However, I too am waiting on the edge of my seat. If anyone has any information pertaining to UBC please post away on this forum.

thanks

[jackassjim]

Hello,

I am applying to the masters program in political science at UBC. I see that McGill got back to some PhD applications today which is encouraging news.

In response to the individual who inquired on the results page about when UBC will send out notifications, I have not heard anything. However, I too am waiting on the edge of my seat. If anyone has any information pertaining to UBC please post away on this forum.

thanks

I heard from UBC (PhD) via email yesterday.

[veri8]

To the person who was accepted to the Phd, do you know if they are already accepting people for the masters? I have heard that sometimes PhD candidates hear before masters students, but I dont know if this is the case with UBC. Also to anyone that is currently studying at UBC or has been accepted, Will they interview you before making their decision?

Thanks!!

[jackassjim]

To the person who was accepted to the Phd, do you know if they are already accepting people for the masters? I have heard that sometimes PhD candidates hear before masters students, but I dont know if this is the case with UBC. Also to anyone that is currently studying at UBC or has been accepted, Will they interview you before making their decision?

Thanks!!

I have no idea. Sorry. But no interview was scheduled for me.

[veri8]

Thanks for your quick reply and Congratulations!!

[intapp001]

I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on which is the better of the poli sci PhD programmes that I have applied to - McGill or Toronto - I have found a lot of disagreement over this and was hoping someone with more knowledge/experience of either might be able to help! Thanks

[jackassjim]

I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on which is the better of the poli sci PhD programmes that I have applied to - McGill or Toronto - I have found a lot of disagreement over this and was hoping someone with more knowledge/experience of either might be able to help! Thanks

Check your PMs

[smileyPhD]

Re: Canada -- I've submitted PhD apps to McGill, McMaster, Calgary, the Balsillie School (Waterloo), and Carleton-Ottawa. I also don't expect to hear anything until March, and results reported on this forum in previous years seem to indicate that will be the case, if all is equal.

So I see that of those schools on my list (above) McGill has begun notifying, though I've not been contacted. Not a very heartening start. Aside from the UBC post on the results board, has anyone heard from any other Canadian departments?

[zeinas75]

I received a response from McMaster (Globalization)

[canada_poli]

Just accepted at Western (UWO). Funding at 19K annually (TA+ research scholarship). They want my decision by March 27. Yikes! I don't think Toronto will even get back to me by then.

[nchusky]

has anyone heard back from McGill for the Political Science MA?

[intapp001]

And has anyone heard anything from Toronto (PhD)? Its the final university I am waiting on and I really want to know the result!

[smileyPhD]

Canadian results are starting to trickle in though it seems not at any predictable pace. Some departments seem to be notifying candidates one at a time.

[Canofbeans]

I'm also still waiting on McGill and TO for the M.A. Also waiting on York, they seem to take forever.

[biginternational]

I think York is notoriously slow; in previous years some applicants have heard back from them as late as the end of April (!). And, they receive hundreds of applications and feed everything through the Office of Graduate Admissions so it seems there is quite a time lag. Still,they have a relatively early deadline. Does anyone know what stage of the process they're at?

I'm inclined to think that departments would get in touch with successful applicants to give them some kind of informal indication that they've been admitted and that silence just means that I'm somewhere in the middle of the denial file pile waiting to be processed...

Not really a priority I guess.

[Canofbeans]

On their website, it says you should hear back towards the end of March, if they don't get back to me by then, I am going to email and ask. I need to accept or decline other offers I got.

[Advocate]

I'm waiting to hear from the joint Global Governance program at Waterloo/Wilfrid Laurier universities. Has anyone heard back from these people?

[Canofbeans]

I think York is notoriously slow; in previous years some applicants have heard back from them as late as the end of April (!). And, they receive hundreds of applications and feed everything through the Office of Graduate Admissions so it seems there is quite a time lag. Still,they have a relatively early deadline. Does anyone know what stage of the process they're at?

I'm inclined to think that departments would get in touch with successful applicants to give them some kind of informal indication that they've been admitted and that silence just means that I'm somewhere in the middle of the denial file pile waiting to be processed...

Not really a priority I guess.

The applications were forwarded to the department about a month ago, I called and inquired about it, so decisions should be made soon if they haven't already been done, but then they go back to the department which takes another bit of time. I am calling tomorrow to check and see if the decisions have been made, will keep you informed !

[ndoyle]

I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on which is the better of the poli sci PhD programmes that I have applied to - McGill or Toronto - I have found a lot of disagreement over this and was hoping someone with more knowledge/experience of either might be able to help! Thanks

It really depends on the subfield. UofT is very well regarded in theory whereas McGill has a small group of folks in that field. I think the bigger issue is one of program size and opportunities. I've heard that this year UofT is going to have an PhD entrance class of 35 people, whereas McGill is more like 10. Personally I think McGill is better suited to the kind of work I want to do, and I like the idea of small student/teacher ratios. I know several people who have gone through the UofT PhD in polisci and the reviews are really mixed. Some had opportunities to work closely with their supervisors and some felt lost in the weeds. There's also the fairly huge distinction between Toronto and Montreal as places to live to 4-6 years. Any more questions feel free to pm me. Good luck!

[leetchisgod]

Any international applicants get a response from Alberta yet? I was told that the decision would most likely be made sometime during the first week of March, but the online site is still listing my application decision as "decision pending". I've also been told by some Canadians that universities usually notify in province students first, followed by out of province and then, international. I'm apparently at the bottom of some pile somewhere, or maybe just been forgotten.