Can't decide about Oxford!

[tirralirra]

So after agonizing for weeks over whether or not I was going to get admitted to Oxford (for a part-time MSt in international human rights law), I was so excited to find out I was being admitted! However, I also got a job this week! The nature of my program means it's MEANT for people who work, but my work is with a nonprofit, so it will not pay much but will be somewhat relevant to my degree. I'm already a lawyer but have found that human rights work is hard to crack into and wanted to improve my chances by enhancing my critical skills in the field. I'll be doing human rights work with the nonprofit, though I will not be practicing law. My hope is that I could work for the nonprofit for several years, and when I was ready to move on, I'd be finished with the MSt and have both practical experience and a focused degree in human rights that would allow me to find far more jobs than I have been able to with my current credientials...but of course, there are no guarantees! I have student loans from law school, and Oxford would be another $30k. I can't decide if it's worth the financial risk without being able to predict whether I'll find a higher paying job in the future! I really, really want to go to Oxford, but I don't want to sentence myself to a life in debt! Any thoughts? I'm desperate!

[mallow]

Can you defer Oxford for a year? Also, if the Oxford program is structured so that you get the type of job that you've just been offered, it seems a bit questionable as to why you'd decide to do the degree rather than take the job. I'm assuming the job is nowhere near Oxford (since you mentioned the degree is part-time, you conceivably could take the job and go to Oxford).

[oxforddphil]

I'm doing my PhD in law at Oxford at the moment, and I'm also a qualified lawyer who's worked for a few years. Without knowing more about the nonprofit, the nature of the work you'll be doing there, or your prior credentials, it's hard to say. As a general matter, if your goal is to practice human rights law, and you're having a hard time breaking into the field, the MSt in IHRL is probably a smart move. The Oxford name will open some doors, and it's a great networking opportunity (Oxford has a huge law faculty--the biggest in the UK--and both the student body and the academic staff are very international). You'll also learn a lot, since it seems to be a good program. Many of the people I've met who are doing your degree were current practitioners who were taking time away from the ICRC or NGOs, or planning an academic career in human rights law. So, if your current position isn't bringing you any closer (from a CV standpoint) to doing the kind of work you want to be doing, the MSt sounds like a good bet.

That being said, human rights work is notorious for being badly paid, unless you're lucky enough to land a cushy (and tax-free) job with an international organization like the UN or the OECD. So the debt could be an issue.

[tirralirra]

Can you defer Oxford for a year? Also, if the Oxford program is structured so that you get the type of job that you've just been offered, it seems a bit questionable as to why you'd decide to do the degree rather than take the job. I'm assuming the job is nowhere near Oxford (since you mentioned the degree is part-time, you conceivably could take the job and go to Oxford).

I don't think I can defer, unfortunately! The program is structured so you can work for something like a nonprofit or NGO, but my particular nonprofit is a support-raised opportunity, so the fundraising aspect of the job is the reason that I would only want to work there temporarily while getting the Oxford degree to broaden my experience and open the door to future opportunities that are based on a traditional salary rather than support raising. I could definitely take the job and go to Oxford, and I'm thinking about doing just that, but the fundraising aspect of the job makes it time-consuming, and the exceptionally low pay makes it more of a risk for doing an expensive degree. Thanks for the input!

I'm doing my PhD in law at Oxford at the moment, and I'm also a qualified lawyer who's worked for a few years. Without knowing more about the nonprofit, the nature of the work you'll be doing there, or your prior credentials, it's hard to say. As a general matter, if your goal is to practice human rights law, and you're having a hard time breaking into the field, the MSt in IHRL is probably a smart move. The Oxford name will open some doors, and it's a great networking opportunity (Oxford has a huge law faculty--the biggest in the UK--and both the student body and the academic staff are very international). You'll also learn a lot, since it seems to be a good program. Many of the people I've met who are doing your degree were current practitioners who were taking time away from the ICRC or NGOs, or planning an academic career in human rights law. So, if your current position isn't bringing you any closer (from a CV standpoint) to doing the kind of work you want to be doing, the MSt sounds like a good bet.

That being said, human rights work is notorious for being badly paid, unless you're lucky enough to land a cushy (and tax-free) job with an international organization like the UN or the OECD. So the debt could be an issue.

Thanks so much for the input! I can't decide if I think my current position would help my CV...I would be writing and running an internship program for a nonprofit focused on orphans, so it's at least in the field, although the work isn't law practice. Obviously the ideal would be having an NGO job and doing the degree, but I haven't been able to find any directly related legal work. Also, the legal market is so bad I've had trouble finding ANY legal job, hence the nonprofit (and it's a cause that means a lot to me, so it's not just the only thing I could find!). If my job was traditionally funded, I think doing both would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately the support-raising aspect of my job adds that wrinkle! If I don't end up taking the nonprofit position, I'm not sure what I should do in the meantime. Since it's part-time, I could and would have to work, but I do feel it would be the most beneficial if I was doing work that could at least be somewhat relevant to the human rights field, although maybe doing any kind of legal work would be sufficient. No idea, really! Agh, so hard to decide!

[MRJ]

Hello,

I'm sure you have made your decision by now, but I would go along with those who suggest going for Oxford. Yes, it is quite a lot of money, but when compared with the cost of LLM programs at comparable universities in America, it is not as expensive. Also, I believe it will enable you to make useful contacts and therefore assist in getting the jobs that interest you most. I can also say, as a UN employee, that names like Oxford can open doors, or at least get your application noticed.

Now perhaps you can help me, because I am considering applying to the same course. So yes,I would say it is a good idea! But seriously, I tailored my answer with your situation in mind. I have what you could say is the opposite problem: I have worked for almost 7 years now and want to go back to study. I qualified as a barrister in the UK and practiced criminal defence law for a few years and then joined the UN as a lawyer, first in employment law and now in International criminal law (at the ICTY). My worry is not so much my work experience but more my grades - I got 68% in my undergraduate degree at University College Galway (or NUIG as it is now know) and 64% in my Masters from University College Dublin. I am not sure what that translates to in terms of GPA, but i think it is 3.5 or above. From having looked at the website, which states 67% or above grades gives you a fair chance of being admitted, I guess I have a chance but am still not convinced, particularly because the universities I attended are pretty average - not in the 'Oxford league' . Do you mind telling me your GPA or, if you got your degree in europe, the percentage and where you went to uni? Also any info anyone else has on successful applicants for the same course and their grades would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks

Marcus