PhD from a great school without scholarship or PhD from an okay school with scholarship?

[trileysm]

Hello all,

 

So I am currently in the first year of my PhD in Anthropology at the University of Sussex.  The school is really good for anthropology and I have a well-known supervisor.  I am from California and did my BA and Masters in London (Master's at LSE).  I came to Sussex thinking I would find some funding here, but I was wrong.  Now it looks like I may be offered funding at a German university, which is less well-known.

 

I was looking forward to the degree subject there, but it seems like the funding would require that my degree is actually Media Studies (something that I am not so keen on- I have an IR/Development background and want to stay in Anthropology/Sociology).  Plus I don't really want to uproot my girlfriend and I to go to a tiny town in Germany where her job prospects will be less.  I know I could stay here at Sussex but I would probably be another $30,000 in debt by the time the degree is over, maybe less if I keep my annoying bar job.  In Germany, I wouldn't pay tuition and get around $1500 a month.  I know that this makes Germany the obvious choice, but I am just curious about my future prospects.  If I am sacrificing my life here in the UK, I want to know that 3 years at a lower-ranking German university is worth it, or if my PhD will not be as valuable.

 

If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciate it.

 

Thanks!

T

[anthropologygeek]

I'm always under the belief go to the best university and hopefully your have the most realistic shot at a great job

[GeoDUDE!]

I would never pay for a graduate degree; especially a PhD as it does not always lead to a better job.

[Calorific]

The conventional wisdom is to go where you are funded. I would not do a self-sponsored PhD. It's only other relative is hell

[trileysm]

Do you guys think the subject of the PhD matters? I really planned on Anthropology rather than Media.  My project would stay the same, just my methodology would change a bit. 

[thegirldetective]

Would the funded degree still get you where you want to go, job-wise?

[trileysm]

I'm not really sure- that's what I'm trying to figure out.  I would like to work in academia (research more so than teaching) and keep my focus in anthropology thematically (some overlap with gender/sexuality studies, international political economy, development).  So the degree I am currently doing fits more in with my goals thematically than a media studies PhD.

Edited January 28, 2014 by trileysm

[trileysm]

But that's what I'm trying to figure out- does the degree title matter?

[DeleteMePlease]

Is the German program a US-style Ph.D program or is for a German doctorate (Doktor)? Imo these programs differ significantly.

[trileysm]

I'm not sure, I don't know much about the US system but I would like to move back there to work one day.  The German one is definitely a PhD though and it is fully accredited.  Same as the UK program I am in now, just a bit less prestige.  From what I understand in the US students normally do their MPhil and PhD together, where in Europe it is more common to get a masters (1 year) and come back later for a PhD, often in another/similar subject at another university (for 3 years).  This is what I did.

[skyentist]

I personally would NOT pay for a PhD. Unless the German uni is 100 places lower than the UK one I would go to germany. (And that is a big if)

 

Or you could reapply to other universities next year and just save money until then. 

 

Also, you could look into scholarships and external fellowships to pay for the tuition at Sussex.

 

Also, where would you be more happy at? Thats a big deciding factor for me.

[trileysm]

I will probably go with Germany if I get the formal offer soon.  I think I might be a bit happier at Sussex but I don't think that's worth another 30 grand in debt.  

 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

[SiSi26]

I did my Masters at Sussex at IDS and loved it. I am now looking to pursue a PhD. Even though I loved Sussex and think it is an ideal place to do a PhD there is no funding. I decided not even to bother applying. The PhD students there and at IDS spend most of their time trying to get funding. It hurts their research.
Ultimately, you should not pay for a PhD. You want to go to a school that is going to support you, even with money. It adds credibility to your research.
I would always go where the funding is. This way you can actually get through your PhD in 3 years. Besides its only 3 years and Germany is not so far away from the UK with cheap flights (with the money you could use to visit the gf and its much cheaper to live in Germany than Brighton). I think you and your gf can afford to be apart for a little while. no? I am in a similar situation now so it is a tough one to make, but if you are both in Europe, its an easier one. Also the 'reputation' of the department and university matter, but only so far.
Good luck!
 

[sarab]

Eeek, I would say go to where you were offered funding, but if you would really like to go to the higher ranking university then you might consider looking into outside funding sources for fellowships or ask the university for assistanships and such.

[Pollux]

But that's what I'm trying to figure out- does the degree title matter?

A resounding NO. If you can get funded at Sussex by going with Media Studies, then stay there. In a PhD, it doesn't matter what your degree field says (well, with a few obvious exceptions...like....history vs. chemistry, or something). What matters is the research that you're doing, period. Your job prospects after the PhD are dependent primarily on the work you've accomplished and your publications, but it also REALLY helps to be well-connected: if Sussex is a more well-known institution in your field, then you may have better opportunities to network. And don't forget, being happy where you are (and your girlfriend being happy too) should not be neglected...these are hugely important considerations.

Can you get a compensation level similar to the German offer by going with Media Studies? Also, talk to your advisor regarding your situation, and discuss how it would impact your post-degree career prospects, he or she will probably have some great insight into this and might have some ideas on how to get funding at Sussex.

[JackOfStyle]

I would never pay for a graduate degree; especially a PhD as it does not always lead to a better job.

 

Absolutely. I'd go to where I'm funded. 

[kmo]

if you're worried about job prospects, you could ask your potential advisors what jobs their recent grads have gone on to. 

[juilletmercredi]

A resounding NO. If you can get funded at Sussex by going with Media Studies, then stay there. In a PhD, it doesn't matter what your degree field says (well, with a few obvious exceptions...like....history vs. chemistry, or something). What matters is the research that you're doing, period.

 

Err, this isn't 100% true.  It's generally more difficult for people in interdisciplinary programs, especially "studies" programs, to get faculty positions.  For example, an anthropology PhD could work in an anthro department, a media studies or communication department, a school of public health...I've even seen an anthropologist working in a school of nursing (and no, she did not have a nursing degree).

 

A media studies PhD, however, generally cannot get hired in an anthro department (at least in the U.S.).  They can get hired in a media studies department, maybe in other interdisciplinary departments like public policy or communication or American studies if they do work related to that - but they also have to compete with the disciplinary scholars for that, and disciplinary scholars tend to prefer other disciplinary scholars.  It's my experience that most of the professors in interdisciplinary departments are actually PhDs in a discipline who do research in that area (e.g., American studies professors may be American historians or American sociologists or American economists, but less frequently have the PhD in that area).  I actually attend an interdisciplinary department and most of our professors are people who got a PhD in a discipline (history, political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, etc.) rather than people who got a doctoral degree in the actual interdisciplinary field my department is.

 

My personal advice is to consider these separately.

 

1. I would certainly not pay for a PhD, so I would leave the Sussex program regardless of my decision about the German university.  Then reapply to other universities that might fund me.

 

2. I wouldn't get a PhD in a discipline that I didn't want to study.  Yes, to a certain extent you can answer the same research questions from a variety of departments; what will change is the approach.  However, if you want to be trained as an anthropologist and teach in an anthro department, you should probably get a PhD in anthropology.

 

3. Ask your potential PI (or the director of graduate studies) what placement is like at this German university.  Where do PhD graduates go after they finish their degrees?  Are they teaching?  Are they working?  If they don't seem to know, that's a red flag.