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UCL vs. KCL for history & postgrad life

I've been accepted to both UCL and KCL for an MA in history and now I have to pick one! Does anyone know if one school is much better than the other?

Also, I'm trying to consider the quality of postgraduate life when I'm picking a school. Does anyone know anything about accommodation and social life for graduate students at either of these schools? I'm an American so I'm not going to know anyone in London when I arrive, so making sure that I'll be able to get to know other postgrads (and not be in student housing with only first year undergrads!) is important to me.

I'd appreciate any advice anyone can give!
Reply 1
kateb219
I've been accepted to both UCL and KCL for an MA in history and now I have to pick one! Does anyone know if one school is much better than the other?


There's not much in it, I'm afraid. I think you would be better off considering their respective specialisms, and looking at which department would be more suitable for your interests. Details of these can be found online, but off the top of my head I know King's has an excellent War Studies Centre and UCL is very strong in Medieval History.
Reply 2
I'm a postgrad at UCL who takes courses at KCL. Firstly, i'd say yolswell is mistaken regarding UCL's strength in medieval history: KCL has more medievalists than UCL and more Professors who are medievalists than UCL. However, UCL's medievalists are more european in focus, whereas KCL's expertise tend to be British.

More pertinent to you kateb219, UCL is very strong in modern history, and you should check out the website for the programme content and staff interests compared to KCL. That said, you are able to take courses at KCL and other University of London colleges as a UCL student and vice versa. From the students I have met at both UCL and KCL, all are high calibre, but UCL seems to attract more ex Oxford and Cambridge students - but I wouldn't read too much into that.

Location wise, KCL is on the strand and overlooks the Thames, but the buildings are not pleasing on the eye. UCL is aesthetically far more pleasing, and is 20 minutes walk to the north of KCL so not quite as central (still very central though). UCL is, however, closer to many of the research centers you'll use: the British Library, Senate House, Institute of Historical Research etc.

Regarding accommodation, you're coming to the UK: we don't offer much university-owned accommodation past first year undergraduates so you would have to privately rent a flat/ room. They are easy to find if always expensive. UCL students tend to live in north and west London (the nicer bits of the city generally); KCL students the west and south (look at a tube map - south London isn't as great and has poorer transport links, but it is cheaper.)

The social life is what you make of it really, and depends on the people on the course. KCL has the better student union (and fewer Oxbridge students tends to make KCL postgrads a bit more exciting) but then again you are in London - there are too many choices, and in any case, in my experience at least, postgrads don't use the unions as much as undergrads.

In sum, there isn't much in it: they are both very good schools. I wouldn't tell you to go to one over the other. The experiences won't be that different. I suggest you take a look at the courses and staff interests more closely and see if anything leaps out at you.
Reply 3
Hi, I'm just responding to this thread because I'm in exactly the same position as Kate. If you could possibly tell me zcrac, since you're taking classes in KCL while being more permanently based in UCL, do you feel that either programme has a more cohesive class, or a better sense of community? I'm thinking of accepting an offer at KCL while taking a couple of classes at UCL, and I'm wondering if there's a more noticeable "community" or inclusive, friendly or gelled-together atmosphere at either college. Hope you can reply.

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