Education at Oxford and Cambridge

[gena.barrons]

Hello, 

 

Just wondering if anyone knows anything about the Faculties of Education at Oxford and Cambridge, especially in regards to international education (i.e., Politics, Development and Democratic Education at Cambridge and Comparative and International Education at Oxford). How do they stack up as compared to similar American programs (Vanderbilt, Harvard etc.)? How do they compare to each other? 

[kentuckygirl]

I have been doing a lot of research in this area.  I think the hardest thing is to secure funding at those schools.  They are amazing, and I would be very happy to attend.

[2400]

I can offer some thoughts mostly on the UK programs. Both are excellent but your experience depends on many different factors -- it is difficult to give general advice. At Oxford, you would have two terms of coursework but after that your interaction is mainly with your supervisors. So, your experience really hinges on your supervisor relationships. I am not sure how this would be different at Harvard (I'm imagining more coursework and maybe you have a dissertation committee rather than just one or two supervisors - but I'm not sure). One other distinction is that at Oxford and perhaps Cambridge, you would have three vivas (one at the proposal stage, one after submitting two chapters, and the final viva). I think you have two in the US. There is a strong feeling movement through the program because you have three milestones that should be completed in a certain timeframe. You are also getting feedback from your examiners which is particularly useful at the 'halfway' point when you do the second viva. This is a good thing. There is a lot of support available (at Oxford, I'm not sure about Cambridge) to help you meet the milestones toward the degree. Also, at Oxford and Cambridge there is a college system - it gives you a very interdisciplinary experience because you have the interaction with your department and then at your college you interact with students from across different departments.

 

You might have more teaching opportunities in the US. At Oxford and Cambridge there aren't undergraduate degrees in education. Students still gain teaching experience but generally do so on their own initiative and sometimes at different universities - it is not a requirement or part of the PhD program. In terms of funding, there are options within the department and also at the different colleges. You really have to  research the different grants and scholarships through the various colleges. Of course, there are also outside scholarships as well as research assistant positions in education and other departments. Some students work part time and some get positions working for the university as 'junior deans' to cover expenses.

 

The timeline for completing a PhD at Cambridge or Oxford could generally be shorter than a similar program in the US (again, this really depends on your supervisor, some push their students more than others). You might want to compare this at the schools you are interested in. I also suggest contacting a supervisor you are interested in working with and also some students working under the prof. This will give you a much better idea of what your experience might be like

[jasper8625]

On 2013. 2. 12. at 8:43 PM, 2400 said:

I can offer some thoughts mostly on the UK programs. Both are excellent but your experience depends on many different factors -- it is difficult to give general advice. At Oxford, you would have two terms of coursework but after that your interaction is mainly with your supervisors. So, your experience really hinges on your supervisor relationships. I am not sure how this would be different at Harvard (I'm imagining more coursework and maybe you have a dissertation committee rather than just one or two supervisors - but I'm not sure). One other distinction is that at Oxford and perhaps Cambridge, you would have three vivas (one at the proposal stage, one after submitting two chapters, and the final viva). I think you have two in the US. There is a strong feeling movement through the program because you have three milestones that should be completed in a certain timeframe. You are also getting feedback from your examiners which is particularly useful at the 'halfway' point when you do the second viva. This is a good thing. There is a lot of support available (at Oxford, I'm not sure about Cambridge) to help you meet the milestones toward the degree. Also, at Oxford and Cambridge there is a college system - it gives you a very interdisciplinary experience because you have the interaction with your department and then at your college you interact with students from across different departments.

 

You might have more teaching opportunities in the US. At Oxford and Cambridge there aren't undergraduate degrees in education. Students still gain teaching experience but generally do so on their own initiative and sometimes at different universities - it is not a requirement or part of the PhD program. In terms of funding, there are options within the department and also at the different colleges. You really have to  research the different grants and scholarships through the various colleges. Of course, there are also outside scholarships as well as research assistant positions in education and other departments. Some students work part time and some get positions working for the university as 'junior deans' to cover expenses.

 

The timeline for completing a PhD at Cambridge or Oxford could generally be shorter than a similar program in the US (again, this really depends on your supervisor, some push their students more than others). You might want to compare this at the schools you are interested in. I also suggest contacting a supervisor you are interested in working with and also some students working under the prof. This will give you a much better idea of what your experience might be like

posted long time ago but I'm interested in these majors,

thanks for the advice.