Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Graduate Student KCL or Edinburgh?

Hey!

I've received offers to do an MSc International Relations program at the University of Edinburgh v. an MA Public Policy at King's College London and I want to ask about which program would be a better fit for what I want to do and my priorities!

My first main concern is job prospects. I aim to find work in either policy and/or govt/IR in Europe right after graduating. I don't really have a preference on whether it would be public policy or international relations but I do like international relations slightly more. However, I feel that a degree in public policy would give me interchangeable skills and is "safer" when it comes to finding employment. Let me know if this is true! This is an especially huge concern for me since I am not an EU citizen and I am aware that it is harder for us to find work there since I do want to remain there after my education.

Secondly, I am slightly confused by which university is better overall and have a better reputation both inside and outside the UK since rankings on websites can sometimes be inaccurate or misleading.

It would be extremely helpful if you guys could give me some advice for this and which I should go for!
Thank you for your time!

Reply 1

returnmigrant

Which course will you find the most interesting?

Reply 2

jbenjathikul

Original post by returnmigrant

Which course will you find the most interesting?

I think i will find the MSc more interesting but I don't think job prospects for IR are as high as in public policy and that's more of a concern for me than "what I would like more". I do still like both though almost equally!

Reply 3

username749877

Both universities will give you excellent graduate prospects and both are very well regarded internationally, so your choice should probably come down to which course you prefer.

To me the International Relations course at Edinburgh sounds like it would be more exiting given the recent discussions and changes with regards to Scotland's place in the world. I can imagine that the IR department will be receiving an awful lot of extra funding and research grants at the moment, especially with the new First Minister seeking to make her name on the world stage despite being a devolved leader.

However, that's more down to my personal interests rather than objective reasoning. I think you should think about the two courses in the same way, what course do you think will genuinely enjoy studying?

Reply 4

returnmigrant

Employers do not get that picky about which Social science Masters you have done.

They are more interested in whether or not you got a Distinction, what your research dissertation topic was - and what relevant work experience you've got.

As above - which course do you think will actually enjoy studying? Because that is the one that will get you the best degree result.

Reply 5

jbenjathikul

Original post by returnmigrant

Hmm but aren't that a lot more employers and places to work for in London as opposed to Edinburgh thereby increasing my chances? (Of course there are also a lot more people in London).

Reply 6

returnmigrant

Original post by jbenjathikul

Hmm but aren't that a lot more employers and places to work for in London as opposed to Edinburgh thereby increasing my chances? (Of course there are also a lot more people in London).

Where you get your degree does not mean you can only work in that city ..........

Reply 7

flyingscotsman1

Having lived in both London and Edinburgh, and being an Edinburgh graduate, I really would recommend Edinburgh. While I cannot judge which is the best programme, I can tell you that living in Edinburgh is a whole lot less stressful - and much cheaper - than living in London. I lived in a two bedroom flat a two minute walk away from the university with my girlfriend - and we paid 600 pounds a month for that flat. Prices might have increased since 2010, but so, of course, have prices in London - a whole lot more I bet.

So if you end up in a situation where you can't choose a programme merely based on the academic merits of each, consider where you'd rather live as well.

I should say, too, that most of the people from my degree programme are in a very good place when it comes to employment . At least 10 out of the 20 in my cohort - in a humanities subject - were offered PhD places right after finishing, and several are now in tenure track positions - those who did not pursue a career in academia are also doing really well.