cant decide between unis for IR :)

Hi,
I've applied to York, Bristol, Aberystwyth, Nottingham, Birmingham, Exeter, Swansea, Nottingham Trent for MA International Relations and received an unconditional offer from York and conditional offers from Aberystwyth, Nottingham, Exeter and Swansea till now and waiting for Bristol and Birmingham. So just wanna know which might be the best uni in terms of teaching, graduate prospects, cost of living etc., in your opinion. Swansea's most likely my last preference and applied it as a backup just in case I won't be getting an offer from the remaining unis. So, my main focus is on the remaining 4 offers I got and Bristol and Birmingham if I receive the offer.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 1

Keeli17

7

This is for masters level right? Just confused at how many places you have applied to.

I don't know much about IR but do know that Aberystwyth is one of the best places for student satisfaction and teaching quality.

If you want to look at the others, for student satisfaction I would recommend WhatUni.

Reply 2

McGinger

18

Aber - great little Uni with solid academic reputation
Bristol - excellent reputation for Social Science - and the city is great for students
Don't go to NTU or Swansea.

Original post by Mscb98

Hi,
I've applied to York, Bristol, Aberystwyth, Nottingham, Birmingham, Exeter, Swansea, Nottingham Trent for MA International Relations and received an unconditional offer from York and conditional offers from Aberystwyth, Nottingham, Exeter and Swansea till now and waiting for Bristol and Birmingham. So just wanna know which might be the best uni in terms of teaching, graduate prospects, cost of living etc., in your opinion. Swansea's most likely my last preference and applied it as a backup just in case I won't be getting an offer from the remaining unis. So, my main focus is on the remaining 4 offers I got and Bristol and Birmingham if I receive the offer.

Aber is globally famous for IR and has the best IR reputation. Thereafter Bristol is the best of the rest by a margin. Think very hard about not making your choice between those two.

Reply 4

Mscb98

OP

3

Original post by McGinger

Aber - great little Uni with solid academic reputation
Bristol - excellent reputation for Social Science - and the city is great for students
Don't go to NTU or Swansea.

Thanks for the reply!! What do you think about York? I heard its in the Top 10 in the UK for the politics department

Reply 5

Mscb98

OP

3

Original post by Keeli17

This is for masters level right? Just confused at how many places you have applied to.

I don't know much about IR but do know that Aberystwyth is one of the best places for student satisfaction and teaching quality.

If you want to look at the others, for student satisfaction I would recommend WhatUni.

Thanks for suggesting WhatUni. I'll definitely check it out.

Reply 6

Mscb98

OP

3

Original post by threeportdrift

Aber is globally famous for IR and has the best IR reputation. Thereafter Bristol is the best of the rest by a margin. Think very hard about not making your choice between those two.

Thanks for the reply. In terms of cost of living, is Bristol more expensive than York and Nottingham? I know Aber is very affordable. What do you think about current job prospects in the IR field in the UK for an international student especially in these uncertain times?

Original post by Mscb98

Thanks for the reply. In terms of cost of living, is Bristol more expensive than York and Nottingham? I know Aber is very affordable. What do you think about current job prospects in the IR field in the UK for an international student especially in these uncertain times?

Jobs for international graduates in the UK are always much poorer than they all hope. We have a strong tertiary education sector and an over-supply of home graduates, so the market is not favourable. If your 'international-ness' is a country you can leverage in the UK, then that's where you should focus.

There really is minimal difference in cost of living between these cities, they all support student populations and landlords know what students can afford - and that sets the rents. After that, then what you spend is a personal decision. The real issue is that many big cities have well-paid populations able to live metropolitan lifestyles. These opportunities attract students, and if you buy in those clubs, shops etc you spend more. The student 'dives' and bargains still exist, people just choose not to use them sometimes and uni ends up costing them more.

Reply 8

Aberystwyth University Student Ambassador

Official Rep

9

Hi @Mscb98,

I have just finished my 3rd year studying here at Aberystwyth and I have really loved my time both living in Aberystwyth and studying at the University. Aberystwyth is a great place to be a student, there is a great feel to the town and there is always plenty to do and see. The University has a very friendly and welcoming feel and has even been named Welsh University of the Year for 2020 in The Sunday Times Good University Guide. The teaching quality is very high, The Sunday Times Good University Guide has been named the University of the Year in 2018 and 2019 for Teaching quality.

The quality of teaching here in the Department of International politics has been judged by the Higher Education Funding Council of the United Kingdom to be ‘Excellent’. The Department of International politics is in the top 10 in the UK for Teaching Quality and Student Experience for the subject of Politics (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019). The Department has an excellent academic record for research, with 76% of the publications submitted by the Department judged to be in the top two categories (world leading and internationally excellent), International Politics at Aberystwyth University was ranked 7th in all departments of Politics and International Relations, and was placed best in Wales with 69% of publications submitted rated as world leading.

Graduates from MA International Relations have gone on to work in a wide range of areas. A list of areas that graduates have gone on to work in can be found here. We also a great careers service that offer several services; including webinars and workshops designed to help you develop skills and knowledge to empower your career planning and decision making, one-to-one appointment with professionally qualified Careers Consultants, and eMentoring support and information from previous graduates of Aberystwyth. More information can be found here.

Additionally the cost of living comparatively a lot lower compared to Universities in some of the bigger cities, making Aberystwyth a very affordable location to study.

I hope this help, please let me know if you have any futher questions.

Rebecca 😊

cant decide between unis for IR :)

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