Cambridge MPhil in Art History - need help

[sumixiao]

Hello, I have questions/reservations about starting my MPhil in Art History at Cambridge. I have a few different options of schools to attend, but I received funding from Cambridge. I am a bit concerned, however about the structure of the program and the courses themselves. I have looked at the program and at the syllabus for one of the option courses, and 1) the program seems a bit sparse, with just two optional courses to choose from and 2) of those options, I was able to see the syllabus for a class called 'Text and Image' and am not sure I found that there was any underlying theme to the class. The content of my courses is very important to me, and I'm worried that I am not willing to sacrifice content just for a prestigious name. Perhaps you could tell me whether my concerns are valid, what the general opinion of the program is, or anything else that might give me insight into the nature of the studies in the art history department at Cambridge. Thanks in advance for reading this post and for any help/advice you may have to offer.

Kind regards,

Michelle

[bob_the_muse]

hi there,

if you are worried about the program, you should be talking to faculty or other students to find out what they think about the course offerings and any limitations on them. students will obviously be more candid with you. i would not recommend enrolling in a program where you have not met with both students and faculty. your peers are SO important to your overall happiness in your program. in general, i would say that the people who make up a program (students and faculty) are MUCH more important for your academic experience than any fancy name. you will be going to school with people, not with a name. make sure that the department is a good fit for you.

[purplepepper]

I did my MA in the UK, and saw a lot of what typical Mphil students go through in art history and elsewhere. UK unis are very different than US ones. It's hard to explain in detail in such a short amount space so if you have any further questions feel free to PM me. But for now, all I can say is, on one hand, yes, the course content is much sparser than what you would find in a US curriculum. You take way fewer courses, and have way less interaction with your advisors. You have to do a lot of the heavy lifting yourself, which can be extremely frustrating at first, and you just don't have the opportunity to get the feedback and the help with your ideas that you would in the US. You also don't really teach or grade papers which depending how you look at it could be a good or not so good thing.

With that being said, resources in the UK are amazing, and Cambridge is a brilliant place to live. Ultimately you decide what you want to get out of your education. Some people really thrive in that kind of environment and there are so many opportunities to hear your professors speak at conferences..as it's so easy to get to London, Oxford, Edinburgh, etc...and there are so many events to get involved in.

Academically, I grew way more during my one year MA than I did during my entire undergrad. So it's a trade off, really. You just have to decide what your priorities are in your education.

[sumixiao]

Hi,

Thanks for the above replies. I do think I have a better idea now of what to expect, and just need to figure out if that is for me. Right now I have to admit I'm actually leaning away from the Cambridge option, as it is quite a considerable expense and my other options would be much more cost-effective. Thanks to everyone who responded - the perspectives/info were really helpful.

Cheers,

Michelle