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University of Oxford

Oxford

Getting into Oxbridge for Postgraduate Study

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Reply 1320

Origami Bullets

Original post by adobe

WOT? i dont get it !! :s-smilie:

hows that possible?!

It's a wierd Oxford and / or Cambridge thing.

Essentially they just give you an MA / MSc a few (7?) years after you graduate.

Wierd, yes, and slightly sneaky for those who put them on their CV, and lead the slightly less aware employer to believe that they've spent at least 4 years at Oxford / Cambridge!

University of Oxford

Oxford

Reply 1321

Chief Wiggum

Original post by Origami Bullets

Very competitive.

Given that the standard of work required from an Oxbridge PG course is higher than that required from an Oxbridge UG course, I fail to see why employers would see an Oxbridge PG degree as less worthy.

I'd always thought PG was known to be less competitive to get into than UG at Oxbridge.

I mean, I know a couple of people who do PG there who admitted they'd just not have been good enough to get in for UG, although they could of course just have been being modest.

Reply 1322

Norton1

Original post by Origami Bullets

You should postscript it as MA (Oxon) or MA (Cantab)

Edit: It would be incorrect to use the style MA (Hons) as there is no examination for the MA degree

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1323

Origami Bullets

Original post by adobe

WOT? i dont get it !! :s-smilie:

hows that possible?!

http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/degrees/ma.html

Reply 1324

Origami Bullets

Original post by Chief Wiggum

In that case we can still deem PG to be 'very competitive' and UG to be 'uber competitive' :tongue:

Reply 1325

TheMeister

I love how the OP thinks Durham is an 'ordinary' university :tongue:

Reply 1326

adobe

Original post by Origami Bullets

http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/degrees/ma.html

interesting, thanks!

Reply 1327

Zenobia

Original post by adobe

I was just wondering if you got a Bachelors degree at an ordinary Uni, say Durham but then you go on to do a 1 year Masters degree from Oxford or Cambridge, would employers consider you 'oxbridge material'?

Like obviously you would be an oxbridge applicant to a job but would you be an oxbridge applicant to a job?
would having a Master's from Oxford and a Bachelor's degree from elsewhere create the same level of fappage from employers as a Bachelor's degree from Oxford and a Master's at somewhere else?

I'm sorry but when I was accepted at Durham, the Archaeology department ranked 1st in the UK, over Oxford AND Cambridge. Thank you.

Reply 1328

BigVitaminD

Original post by Origami Bullets

Very competitive.

Over 90% of applicants were given offers for postgrad at cambridge in past years. Source: cambridge stats web site.

Reply 1329

*Corinna*

Original post by BigVitaminD

Over 90% of applicants were given offers for postgrad at cambridge in past years. Source: cambridge stats web site.

can you give us a link for that?

Reply 1330

Origami Bullets

Original post by BigVitaminD

Over 90% of applicants were given offers for postgrad at cambridge in past years. Source: cambridge stats web site.

Quite possibly, but you have to consider that the quality of applicants will be extremely high anyway, so it will be something of a self-selecting pool from which they are choosing.

I originally posted when this was a thread in General Uni Discussion, with the OP asking if someone with a PG degree from Oxbridge were, in fact, considered Oxbridge material :rolleyes:

I definitely didn't intend to get dragged into a thread about precise Oxbridge PG entry stats!

Reply 1331

kraken23

Hi guys. I'm interested in applying for PhD in Physics at Oxbridge. But I have a BEng in Polymer Chemistry and MEng in Chemical Engineering. I'm more into soft matter physics (conductive polymer, organic semiconductor etc). I don't think I have good background in maths. That's the problem. Am I still eligible to apply? Would I be at a disadvantage? Any input would be much appreciated.

Reply 1332

hobnob

Original post by Origami Bullets

However, it should be noted that Oxford and / or Cambridge give out MA / MSc degrees automatically a certain number of years after you graduate from your BA / BSc. Employers may or may not be aware that an Oxford / Cambridge MA / MSc may involve zero work.

Just to clarify: they're always MAs, so as to distinguish them from the postgraduate masters, which are called MSts, MPhils or MScs. And it's really no big deal, you just symbolically become a full member of the university and get the right to wear a different style of gown. That's it. :dontknow:

Reply 1333

janjanmmm

Original post by BigVitaminD

Over 90% of applicants were given offers for postgrad at cambridge in past years. Source: cambridge stats web site.

This is certainly not true for every program.
Take a look at this, stats for department of Land Economy (not the most selective, btw):

http://www.landecon.cam.ac.uk/courses/postgradstudy/faq.htm#candidates

Real estate finance gives offers to about 25% of applicants (1 in 4), others are around 50% (1 in 2), certainly nowhere near "over 90%".

Reply 1334

Duona

Does anyone know if Oxford will consider your application incomplete without the English language test results (e.g. TOEFL, for international students)? The website says "Please do not enter IELTS, TOEFL or CPE information if you have not yet obtained test results", so I guess it's ok to send the results once you receive them? But I suppose it's not possible to take the test after you apply?

I think I know the answer to this question, but hope dies last :frown:

Reply 1335

*Corinna*

I think that you can apply without it. Then they will give you a conditional offer, based on your results. It doesn't matter if you took the test a few days before you applied and not have the results yet, or if you take the test after you apply. As long as you give them your results by the deadline (which normally is at some time in August) then you are OK.

Reply 1336

hobnob

Original post by Duona

As Xristina said, it will probably only mean that an offer will include a particular test score, but if you want to be on the safe side, just email your prospective faculty's graduate office, explain your situation and ask whether you need to put anything on the form. Most faculty graduate secretaries are lovely and helpful. :smile:

Reply 1337

Duona

Thanks, your replies really made my day! :smile:

I'll email the Department just in case, I hope everything works out.

Reply 1338

BigVitaminD

Original post by janjanmmm

I did not state that all courses have over 90% acceptance in past years. Perhaps read the original post again until you understand it.

Of course the offer rate varies. It doesn't need to be stated.

The point is, statistically, it is vastly uncompetitive compared to undergraduate admission.

International relations has an offer rate of almost 100% in past years. IR offer rate was specifically 96.7% for 2008-2009. Is that "over 90%"?

Compare those courses you cited to similar courses at undergraduate level and see what your conclusion is.