St. Andrews vs LSE: Which to pick?

Hi all,
I am an American postgraduate student and I've just been accepted 11 UK universities. I am narrowing the list down and my top two choices are St. Andrews for MLitt Global Social and Political Thought and London School of Economics for MSc Human Rights.

I am having trouble deciding which one to firm. On the one hand, LSE has prestige and can open many doors. On the other, St Andrews seems cozy and very nice and small. I am also hoping to bring my partner with me (we are long distance and he is from a Commonwealth, NZ). Which university is more likely to help me with career prospects? I would love to work for the UN/UNESCO/high-profile job, etc.

I applied super late into the cycle (May!) so I realize my housing options are probably limited. But I really would like to decide soon so I can get things in order. Thanks in advance!

Reply 1

normaw

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

19

Original post by americanstudnt

Hi all,
I am an American postgraduate student and I've just been accepted 11 UK universities. I am narrowing the list down and my top two choices are St. Andrews for MLitt Global Social and Political Thought and London School of Economics for MSc Human Rights.

I am having trouble deciding which one to firm. On the one hand, LSE has prestige and can open many doors. On the other, St Andrews seems cozy and very nice and small. I am also hoping to bring my partner with me (we are long distance and he is from a Commonwealth, NZ). Which university is more likely to help me with career prospects? I would love to work for the UN/UNESCO/high-profile job, etc.

I applied super late into the cycle (May!) so I realize my housing options are probably limited. But I really would like to decide soon so I can get things in order. Thanks in advance!

Which course do you prefer? That should be your priority.

Reply 2

ageshallnot

21

Second priority might be location. Where would you and your partner prefer to live? They're very different environments.

Reply 3

thegeek888

18

Original post by americanstudnt

Hi all,
I am an American postgraduate student and I've just been accepted 11 UK universities. I am narrowing the list down and my top two choices are St. Andrews for MLitt Global Social and Political Thought and London School of Economics for MSc Human Rights.

I am having trouble deciding which one to firm. On the one hand, LSE has prestige and can open many doors. On the other, St Andrews seems cozy and very nice and small. I am also hoping to bring my partner with me (we are long distance and he is from a Commonwealth, NZ). Which university is more likely to help me with career prospects? I would love to work for the UN/UNESCO/high-profile job, etc.

I applied super late into the cycle (May!) so I realize my housing options are probably limited. But I really would like to decide soon so I can get things in order. Thanks in advance!

1. At LSE, The “Approaches To Human Rights” course has a lot of students from other Master’s degree courses as well, such as:

• LLM (extended part-time)
• LLM (full-time)
• MSc in International Migration and Public Policy (LSE and Sciences Po)
• University of Pennsylvania Law School LLM Visiting Students
• MSc in Gender, Peace and Security
• MSc in International Migration and Public Policy

2. There will also be students from the French university: Sciences Po

3. As well as your fellow American students from University of Pennsylvania Law School LLM.

4. The emphasis is on human rights including philosophy, sociology and international law. Which is perfect for a future international role in the UN or UNESCO or any other high profile position.

5. The course also applies the insights of international law, philosophy and sociology to understand key human rights issues such as universality, international institutions, genocide, non-discrimination, economic and social rights and citizenship.

6. The Human Rights Dissertation offers a lot of support from the Professors at LSE. Also in recent years 1 in 5 students achieved a Distinction grade and 60% achieved a Merit and everyone passed.'=

Paper 1 SO424 Approaches to Human Rights (1.0)

Paper 2 Courses to the value of 1.0 unit from the following:

SO457 Political Reconciliation (0.5)

SO479 Human Rights and Postcolonial Theory (0.5)

SO490 Contemporary Social Thought (0.5) (not available 2022/23)

SO4B3 Seeing like an NGO: Human Rights in Practice (0.5) (not available 2022/23)
SO4B5 The Anticolonial Archive: The Sociology of Empire and its Afterlives (0.5)
SO4B6 Nature and Technology: More than Human Sociology (0.5) (not available 2022/23)
SO4B7 Lawful Violence (0.5)

SO4B8 Internationalism and Solidarity (0.5)

SO4C1 Fascism, Authoritarianism, Populism (0.5)

SO4C6 Reading Black Thought (0.5)

Paper 3 Courses to the value of 1.0 unit(s) from the following (unless taken in Paper 2): A

AN436 The Anthropology of Development (0.5)

DV418 African Development (0.5)

DV420 Complex Emergencies (0.5)

DV428 Managing Humanitarianism (0.5)

DV465 Global Health Work: Expertise and Labour (0.5)

EU457 Culture and Security in Global Politics (0.5)

EU458 Public Policy and Cultural Narratives in a Global Europe (0.5)

EU4A2 Globalisation, Conflict and Post-Conflict Reconstruction (0.5)

GI407 Globalisation, Gender and Development (1.0) 1 (not available 2022/23)

GI409 Gender, Globalisation and Development: An Introduction (0.5) 2

GI413 Gender, Race and Militarisation (0.5)

GI420 Global Development and Its Discontents: Feminist Perspectives (0.5) 3

GI421 Sexuality, Gender and Culture (0.5) # 4 (not available 2022/23)

GI422 Transnational Sexual Politics (1.0) 5

GI423 Globalisation and Sexuality (0.5) # 6 (not available 2022/23)

GI425 Introduction to Gender, Peace and Security (0.5)

GI426 Gender and Human Rights (0.5) #

GV408 Contemporary Disputes about Justice (0.5) # (not available 2022/23)

GV4B7 The Idea of Freedom (0.5) #

GV4D7 Dilemmas of Equality (0.5)

IR464 The Politics of International Law (0.5) (not available 2022/23)

IR465 The International Politics of Culture and Religion (1.0) # (not available 2022/23)
IR466 Genocide (0.5)

LL468 European Human Rights Law (0.5)

LL475 Terrorism and the Rule of Law (0.5)

LL4A6 Climate Change and International Law (0.5)

LL4A8 International Law and the Use of Force (0.5) #

LL4A9 Law in War (0.5) #

LL4AR International Criminal Law: Core Crimes and Concepts (0.5)

LL4AS International Criminal Law: Prosecution and Practice (0.5)

LL4AW Foundations of International Human Rights Law (0.5) # (not available 2022/23)
LL4AX Selected Topics in International Human Rights Law (0.5)

LL4BA International Law and the Movement of Persons within States (0.5) (not available 2022/23)
LL4BB International Law and the Movement of Persons Between States (0.5) (not available 2022/23)
LL4C2 World Poverty and Human Rights (0.5) #

LL4E6 International Dispute Resolution: Courts and Tribunals (0.5) #

LL4L6 Theory of Constitutional Rights (0.5) #

SO457 Political Reconciliation (0.5)

SO479 Human Rights and Postcolonial Theory (0.5)

SO490 Contemporary Social Thought (0.5) (not available 2022/23)

SO4B3 Seeing like an NGO: Human Rights in Practice (0.5) (not available 2022/23)
SO4B5 The Anticolonial Archive: The Sociology of Empire and its Afterlives (0.5)

SO4B6 Nature and Technology: More than Human Sociology (0.5) (not available 2022/23)
SO4B7 Lawful Violence (0.5)

SO4B8 Internationalism and Solidarity (0.5)

SO4C1 Fascism, Authoritarianism, Populism (0.5)

SO4C6 Reading Black Thought (0.5)

SP416 International Planning and Children's Rights (0.5) (not available 2022/23)

SP418 Global Social Policy and International Organizations (0.5)

SP439 Social Rights and Human Welfare (0.5) # (not available 2022/23)

7. Any of the MSc courses offered in any department or institute at LSE, so long as they are relevant to the programme of study, and subject to the approval of both Programme Director and course teacher.
Paper 4 SO496 MSc in Human Rights Dissertation (1.0)

8. There is a huge choice of optional papers at LSE. It is not possible anywhere else in the world to study as many diverse papers. So, you will find it much more academically rewarding and extremely gratifying to study as a postgraduate student at LSE.
Median salary of PG students 15 months after graduating: £29,000

Top 5 sectors students work in:

• Health and Social Care
• Government, Public Sector and Policy
• Education, Teaching and Research
• Information, Digital Technology and Data
• Real Estate, Environment and Energy

10. Since you are bringing your partner with you, he should be able to find a suitable job here in London or even be accepted to a Master’s degree course too.

11. The St. Andrews University Master of Letters Global Social and Political Thought course is remarkably different to LSE’s course. It is broader based and does not have as much choice of modules as does LSE.

12. Furthermore, you might feel depressed in St. Andrews during the cold and dark winter months. Also, there is a ‘drinking’ culture at St. Andrews University, where drinking copious amounts of alcohol is celebrated. On the other hand, St. Andrews will be cheaper but LSE despite being more expensive will be a better investment long term with amazing international prospects for your career.

Reply 4

ageshallnot

21

"Furthermore, you might feel depressed in St. Andrews during the cold and dark winter months. Also, there is a ‘drinking’ culture at St. Andrews University, where drinking copious amounts of alcohol is celebrated."

That might suit the OP's partner, coming from New Zealand...

St. Andrews vs LSE: Which to pick?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you