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University College London, University of London
University College London
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ESPS questions

Hi -

I had a couple of questions about European Social and Political Studies at UCL..

Basically I plan on applying for straight Politics everywhere but Cambridge where I would be doing for PPS, but wanted to know whether it would also be possible to shape my PS for ESPS at UCL? I'm not sure how important it is to address all aspects of the course in the PS, because my main focus would be on politics, which is pretty much what I'm applying for everywhere else.

Also please could someone explain to me the difference between studying ESPS and Eastern European studies? If I was to major in Politics and do Russian in ESPS, would that be completely different to doing Eastern European studies with Russian as the language?

Thanks
Shomm
Hi -

I had a couple of questions about European Social and Political Studies at UCL..

Basically I plan on applying for straight Politics everywhere but Cambridge where I would be doing for PPS, but wanted to know whether it would also be possible to shape my PS for ESPS at UCL? I'm not sure how important it is to address all aspects of the course in the PS, because my main focus would be on politics, which is pretty much what I'm applying for everywhere else.

Also please could someone explain to me the difference between studying ESPS and Eastern European studies? If I was to major in Politics and do Russian in ESPS, would that be completely different to doing Eastern European studies with Russian as the language?

Thanks


ESPS is a carte blanche to follow your own interests, so as far as an ESPS PS is concerned you just need to show you have a significant interest in one of its specialisms and a level of linguistic ability.

EES vs ESPS: EES has a "central and Eastern European focus". Ergo, you'll be looking at Germany or the Balkans or the Slavic/Nordic belt of Europe. Basically UCL acquired the School of Slavonic and something or other and out of courtesy and/or legal obligation kept it a distinct department. EES is run through this specialist institution. ESPS is run through all the major language/humanities/social science departments in UCL, with a focus which is simply on Europe as a whole but with a detailed knowledge of the country where your languages are spoken.

I think that's about right.

EDVB
University College London, University of London
University College London
London
Reply 2
Avatar for Shomm
Shomm
OP
ExDeusVenitBritannia
ESPS is a carte blanche to follow your own interests, so as far as an ESPS PS is concerned you just need to show you have a significant interest in one of its specialisms and a level of linguistic ability.

EES vs ESPS: EES has a "central and Eastern European focus". Ergo, you'll be looking at Germany or the Balkans or the Slavic/Nordic belt of Europe. Basically UCL acquired the School of Slavonic and something or other and out of courtesy and/or legal obligation kept it a distinct department. EES is run through this specialist institution. ESPS is run through all the major language/humanities/social science departments in UCL, with a focus which is simply on Europe as a whole but with a detailed knowledge of the country where your languages are spoken.

I think that's about right.

EDVB

Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know much about the politics in ESPS? Is there a big focus on international politics or a lot on British? I'm particularly interested in UK party politics, looking at how the parties have changed etc..

I guess I just want to know how ESPS would compare to the other courses I plan to apply for (Politics at Durham, Sheffield, Birmingham, and PPS at Cambridge). I'm not sure if it is completely different or quite similar..

Sorry, I know that's quite a broad question, but I've only come across the course today.. I actually thought EES was the only politics course available at UCL and although I really would like to study at UCL I ruled it out because I wasn't particularly interested in European politics.
Shomm
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know much about the politics in ESPS? Is there a big focus on international politics or a lot on British? I'm particularly interested in UK party politics, looking at how the parties have changed etc..

I guess I just want to know how ESPS would compare to the other courses I plan to apply for (Politics at Durham, Sheffield, Birmingham, and PPS at Cambridge). I'm not sure if it is completely different or quite similar..

Sorry, I know that's quite a broad question, but I've only come across the course today.. I actually thought EES was the only politics course available at UCL and although I really would like to study at UCL I ruled it out because I wasn't particularly interested in European politics.


You'd have to look at the politics module descriptions [hopes a Politics student will furnish links]. ESPS requires a focus on Europe in some way, but allows a specialism and in that soecialism you can take any of the papers going in that department. As a result, you could focus on British politics, but the exact modules on offer are not a subject with which I am familiar because my focus will be political philosophy.

In ESPS you can't focus on anything (except Economics) to the extent that you can in a single subject BA/BSc. Saying that though you do get a hell of a lot of credits to be used on your specialism. It can be a very detailed study of politics, but you will still have an ESPS degree not a BA/BSc in Politics. Obviously; you know that. But you get, I would argue, proportionally more focus on politics given the range of subjects looked at as part of the degree's core modules than with a split language+politics degree, which is essentially what ESPS boils down to.

On a side note, it's a graduate department, so is massive and full of interesting specialisms. There is thus no single subject politics degree, just options in it taught in a department that has got a good reputation in the subject and a typical level of intricacy re the papers offered as would be expected from a department with mostly graduates on the books.

If you're worried about its department and want to get a flavour for it, order the postgrad departmental prospectus to see what courses it offers. It's really a phenomenal department when you consider its collective lines of inquiry.

EDVB

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