Thoughts on the Oxford M.St.?

[napoleon87]

Hello All,

 

I've been accepted to the Oxford M.St. in History of Art and Visual Culture. Can anyone give perspective on the program?  I'm planning to head straight into a PhD after.  

 

A few concerns: 

-Funding, obviously.  I'm not counting on this as an international student, but holding out hope.

- I wonder if more attention goes to the M.Phil students (or even the undergraduates - I've heard this, but don't know it to be true).

- Is the program well-regarded to US PhD programs?

- Program length.  At 9 months, I'd have to start applying to PhD's immediately.  I do have work experience and a fair sense of my area of focus, but this is a concern nonetheless. 

 

Experiencing the Oxford educational system is a huge dream of mine, but I want to fully understand if it's worth considering.  I have fully funded offers from MA programs in the US, so I know that ultimately it's unlikely to be the practical choice for me. Still - a hard one to let go of.

 

Feel free to PM me, if you wish. I would love to hear what other accepted students are thinking, too.  Thanks!

 

 

[happy little pill]

If you're mostly considering it because you want the "experience" of going to that school, you have ways of doing that without doing a whole degree there. For example, doing a semester abroad during your MA/PhDs. 

 

Some important questions:

 

1) Is it the best 'fit' for your research?

2) Are you planning to come back to the US afterwards?

3) Are you willing to take out student loans to pursue your degree there, even for a year - living in England is pretty expensive.