Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton

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  1. ioeuser's Avatar
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    Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    I have been accepted to
    MSc New and Renewable Energy - Durham University
    MSc Sustainable Energy Systems - University of Edinburgh
    MSc Sustainable Energy Technologies - University of Southampton
    MSc Sustainable Energy Futures - Imperial College

    I am from Electrical Engineering background and haven't been able to make up my mind on which offer should I accept. I am planning on either Imperial or Edinburgh. Further suggestions would be welcome.
    Last edited by ioeuser; 15-05-2009 at 02:33.
  2. ioeuser's Avatar
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    • Posts: 7
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    bump
  3. swiftuk's Avatar
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    • Posts: 1,092
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    It might help if you said something about what you were looking for in the degree/university, and afterwards.
  4. ioeuser's Avatar
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    • Posts: 7
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    Besides the reputation of the university in the field, I am also looking for post study job opportunities.
  5. Johnni's Avatar
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    • Location: Warwickshire
    • Posts: 1,309
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    (Original post by ioeuser)
    Besides the reputation of the university in the field, I am also looking for post study job opportunities.
    Your post study job opportunities depend on what type of jobs you are going for and how relevant they are to the courses you listed.
    What type of employers do you want to work in, government, research, environmental charity?
    As you are from a electronic enginnering background i presume you are interested in the engineering aspect. If so which course specialise in this as what you may find is some may focus on the environmental side whilst others on the engineering side, look at the modules for each course.
  6. uptowngirl's Avatar
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    • Posts: 1
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    Hi,
    I'm an oversea student who've been accepted to
    MSc New and Renewable Energy - Durham University
    MSc Sustainable Energy Technologies - University of Southampton
    Msc Sustainable Energy Systems - Queen Mary

    I am now have no idea which one I'd go but actually I will choosing between Soton and Queen Mary. Since I'm an oversea student, I'd lke to stay in London, however Soton seems has better reputation in Engineering field? Secondly, it's gonna be expensive to live in London

    Anyways, we might be classmates tho lol
    Last edited by uptowngirl; 16-04-2009 at 15:55.
  7. system49's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Location: Geneva
    • Posts: 115
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    I have no idea what the individual reputation of the departments is but you can easily find this out from RAE. Since all the universities you mention have a strong reputation, I would base my decision on the location. So therefore Edinburgh would be my preferred choice since it is a lovely city and its a great university.
  8. FlyingIsis's Avatar
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    • Location: Cambridge
    • Posts: 1,194
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    RAE as system49 said is the thing to use to gauge the calibre of the departments.
    Personally I would choose Edinburgh, I'm actually sitting in their uni library atm doing some 'research'. Anyway I really love Durham, it's beautiful, but the place is very small and limited, whereas Edinburgh is cosmopolitan and has all the advantages of a big city.
  9. ioeuser's Avatar
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    • Posts: 7
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    I have accepted the offer from Edinburgh, however I am still waiting for Imperial's decision. How much longer should I expect to wait, I had applied on 30 November.
  10. Jorge14's Avatar
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    • Location: Lichfield
    • Posts: 1
    Re: Choice between Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    Can't go wrong with the Collegiate system as a postgraduate - Durham is your place.
  11. ioeuser's Avatar
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    • Posts: 7
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    Update: Admitted to Imperial. Further confusing matters
  12. ColinOfEdinburgh's Avatar
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    • Location: Edinburgh
    • Posts: 654
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    The renewable energy research here at Edinbugh is great (I'm graduating EEE MEng here soon), and we have an excellent reputation for Electrical Engineering in general. That said, if you have an offer from Imperial I wouldn't blame you for going there. You are in a very envious position!

    For what it's worth, I love Edinburgh so much I'm staying here for another 3 years of Postgraduate life.
  13. lcecil88's Avatar
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    • Posts: 132
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    I would go for either Imperial or Edinburgh. Reputation-alone, you can't top Imperial. Imperial is generally very well known for engineering and you get to live and study in London!! Durham's collegiate system is tempting, but I would still say Imperial. Depends on you in the end.
  14. little_cliff's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 50
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    (Original post by ioeuser)
    Update: Admitted to Imperial. Further confusing matters
    You submitted the application form on 30/Nov/08. Still waiting in 19/Apr/09. And you know your application outcome after that. So you had been waiting more than 3 months. Am I right?

    Just want to know, cos I applied to MSc Advanced Computing on the 3rd of March, do not hear back anything yet.

    Thanks in advance.
  15. ioeuser's Avatar
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    • Posts: 7
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    (Original post by little_cliff)
    You submitted the application form on 30/Nov/08. Still waiting in 19/Apr/09. And you know your application outcome after that. So you had been waiting more than 3 months. Am I right?

    Just want to know, cos I applied to MSc Advanced Computing on the 3rd of March, do not hear back anything yet.

    Thanks in advance.
    The decision is still unofficial, I got confirmation from course director on 14th May. So I had to wait just over 5 months for the decision.
  16. little_cliff's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 50
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    Hi ioeuser,
    Thanks very much for the reply. You just relieved my fear of getting rejected.
  17. ozymandias1984's Avatar
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    • Posts: 1
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    Not a lot of support for the Southampton course so far. I've been accepted to study at Soton next year and although I'm going to visit Edinburgh, Durham and Imperial in the coming months I'm pretty much sure I'm going to go there. Obviously all four are excellent unis but my reason for choosing Soton is that the course is simply a lot more interesting. The course at Imperial is tempting as you are given a lot of freedom to specialize, but I have to say that Durham and Edinburgh's courses look really dull. (I'm basing this opinion on the website and postgrad prospectuses, so if I'm wrong please let me know!)

    The nuclear energy course at Southampton is actually based in HMS Sultan where the Submarine Service are trained to run the onboard nuclear reactor! I don't know of any other uni that do anything similar. As I plan on specializing in offshore energy I'm also given the opportunity to study oceanography onboard the university's yacht. Granted Southampton is perhaps not the most glamorous city in the UK but the content of the course and the quality of the department (no.2 in the country for electrical & electronic, no.5 for mechanical) more than make up for it.
  18. ColinOfEdinburgh's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Location: Edinburgh
    • Posts: 654
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    (Original post by ozymandias1984)
    Granted Southampton is perhaps not the most glamorous city in the UK but the content of the course and the quality of the department (no.2 in the country for electrical & electronic, no.5 for mechanical) more than make up for it.
    That's a fair opinion and I for one respect your choice . Edinburgh's course felt slightly classical to me, which wasn't a bad thing (I'm an electromagnetics freak anyway!) but could put off new students into exciting new areas like nanotechnology.

    Best of luck with your course (incidentally you probably shouldn't have dug up this thread )
  19. sweetbubbles's Avatar
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    • Posts: 1
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    Hi there,

    I am applying for the session 2011-2012 in the universities
    > Southampton - MSc SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
    > Nottingham - MSc sustainable energy and entrepreneurship
    > Edinburgh - MSc in Sustainable energy Systems
    > Durham - New and Renewable Energy MSc
    > Imperial - MSc Sustainable Energy Futures

    People who are into such course can please suggest which one to finally go for.....
    Looking into both aspects of Course content and post study job prospects.
    Looking forward for some positive help.

    Regards
    Last edited by sweetbubbles; 25-11-2010 at 09:47.
  20. Alhimikut's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 1
    Re: Choice between Imperial, Edinburgh, Durham and Southampton
    I guess everyone has the same problem... I have been accepted to
    MSc New and Renewable Energy - Durham University
    MSc Sustainable Energy Technologies - University of Southampton
    still waiting for Imperial
    Probably gonna choose Southampton though cause the course content is really nice.. Keep me informed of any valuable news
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