[Sarah Django1406]

Hallo, I'm hoping you can help. I'm a mature student who's been offered places to study IR at Masters level at Bristol and Kings. I'm trying to decide which will suit me best.

Does anyone know:-

1) what type of students there are at each - i.e. is Kings full of ex-military and Bristol full of lefties (I have nothing against either to be clear being one myself and married to the other!)
2) What types of careers will each lead me to i.e. IR at Kings is in the War Studies Dept, but is it open enough that I could go into say the UNDP or an NGO. On flip side, is IR at Bristol a bit woolly and taken less seriously amongst organisations like the FCO, UN etc?

It may help to know that I was hoping to go to LSE but left the application too late and missed the deadline.

Thanks so much. All and any help v much appreciated!

[Krov]

Be more specific on what you want to do later on.

There are 2 main components in "IR".

- "actual" international relations (ie. diplomacy)
- security (penis-shaped objects study; PSOS) which involves lots of numbers, bluffing, but is very interesting to do.

I guess security-oriented studies will leave you open for consulting (Jane's, ground intel, weapon lobbying...) as well as diplomatic work in security territory (auditing for international organizations (IAEA, OPCW, etc.)

More IR-focused IR programs would be better suited for a career in the Foreign Service for example.

[Sarah Django1406]

Thanks Krov

Part of my indecision is because I don't know exactly what I want to do after the masters but I'm interested in people rather than weapons so any job i carried out after would have people at its core rather than industry. (My background is as a journalist and documentary maker)

[Krov]

(Original post by Sarah Django1406)
Thanks Krov

Part of my indecision is because I don't know exactly what I want to do after the masters but I'm interested in people rather than weapons so any job i carried out after would have people at its core rather than industry. (My background is as a journalist and documentary maker)

If you don't have a deep craving for penis shaped objects that explode, then Security probably isn't the best bet for you.

I'd go for regular IR, try to find electives in the following themes, as part of IR :

- migrations
- cultural exchanges
- bilateral cooperation

You'll have fun.

[Sarah Django1406]

I am studying regular IR not War Studies as such.

IR at Kings is based within the War Studies Dept - module options whilst leaning towards conflict go far beyond weapons themselves to look at conflict and reconciliation, the motives for ethnic genocide, and global power structures - all v interesting stuff. But the lean towards conflict is still there and that's what I'm unsure about - do I want to specialise now before I have a clear understanding of IR in its broader sense.

Thanks for your help.

[threeportdrift]

(Original post by Sarah Django1406)
Hallo, I'm hoping you can help. I'm a mature student who's been offered places to study IR at Masters level at Bristol and Kings. I'm trying to decide which will suit me best.

Does anyone know:-

1) what type of students there are at each - i.e. is Kings full of ex-military and Bristol full of lefties (I have nothing against either to be clear being one myself and married to the other!)
2) What types of careers will each lead me to i.e. IR at Kings is in the War Studies Dept, but is it open enough that I could go into say the UNDP or an NGO. On flip side, is IR at Bristol a bit woolly and taken less seriously amongst organisations like the FCO, UN etc?

It may help to know that I was hoping to go to LSE but left the application too late and missed the deadline.

Thanks so much. All and any help v much appreciated!

Kings has a much stronger reputation outside pure academia, and possibly inside as well. If you intend to work in any environment where people 'know' about IR education, the majority will know about Kings as an IR centre, the minority (assuming you are outside the UK) will know Bristol as a university.

Having said that, you should look at the staff and consider where your own interests lie, because Bristol certainly has some excellent staff. Kings won't have many military in it at all I don't think because they are all taught in the Defence Studies department which is located at the Defence College at Shrivenham. There is a medical research group that look at military issues, but I think they go out and look at in the field stuff. I don't think either place has a particular reputation for any 'type' of student.

[Sarah Django1406]

(Original post by threeportdrift)
Kings has a much stronger reputation outside pure academia, and possibly inside as well. If you intend to work in any environment where people 'know' about IR education, the majority will know about Kings as an IR centre, the minority (assuming you are outside the UK) will know Bristol as a university.

Having said that, you should look at the staff and consider where your own interests lie, because Bristol certainly has some excellent staff. Kings won't have many military in it at all I don't think because they are all taught in the Defence Studies department which is located at the Defence College at Shrivenham. There is a medical research group that look at military issues, but I think they go out and look at in the field stuff. I don't think either place has a particular reputation for any 'type' of student.

Thank you for your help. So are you saying that in practical terms, the King's masters will hold more weight with future employers across the board whether governmental or ngo? I am interested in the course at King's because I'm interested in ethic, behaviour and conflict and it appears to have a more philosophical bent to it - I was particularly interested in Mervyn Frost's work in this field which seems to go beyond anything Bristol has to offer. But given I'm unsure where I'd like this Masters to take me, or indeed to have a clear idea of just what IR involves, I'm not convinced I should be putting all my eggs in that particular basket? So it may be I hedge my bets and go to Bristol. In addition there are financial and lifestyle incentives for my family and me to move to Bristol.

Much appreciated - all comments v welcome!

[threeportdrift]

(Original post by Sarah Django1406)
...........

Hmmm, well I'm not the best judge. Academically, I'd give my right arm to work with Mervyn Frost, professionally I work at Bristol Uni (in a non-academic post).

Bristol is a great university, but Kings has the international reputation for IR, and Mervyn Frost!

[Sarah Django1406]

Ok, wow - can you tell me why you'd love to work for Mervyn Frost? Thanks!

[Little Jules]

I think Kings probably has the better overall reputation, particularly if you don't stay in academia, but I would urge you to see which has a supervisor that has interests most aligned to yours.

[Sarah Django1406]

Cheers Jules

It seems on paper Kings makes more sense, but in reality I think Bristol's a better fit for me and for my family. Everyone who knows me including my referees have recommended I go to Bristol.

Much appreciated all.