Oxford Vs Cambridge History Course

Any significant differences?

Something I was told when I was considering applying is that Oxbridge look for passion in you chosen subject. Making all these threads about history after making this thread yesterday really doesn't seem to convey this.

Reply 2

H&E

I don't agree with that at all. Being passionate about your subject does not mean being passionate exclusively about that subject. I got in for history, depsite doing mainly science A-levels (Maths, Further Maths, Physics). Up to end of the summer I considered doing Maths, Physics, ASNAC and history. Four months before applying you SHOULD be considering all you're options.

Oh, and, I've no idea about the differences in the courses. Oxford has a compulsary thesis, which Cambridge might not. Do the research yourself: chances are the particular papers which appeal to you will not appeal to everyone else. Once you've made up your own first impression, then it's helpful to ask current students for more detailed. But definitely form your own first impressions from your own research, not others' experience.

Reply 3

lskdgjsj

LondonBoy

Any significant differences?

Since few, if any, people have taken undergraduates degrees in history at both universities, you'll know as much as anyone if you take the time to read the prospectuses and Web sites of both faculties:

Cambridge:

Overview
Papers

Oxford:

Courses and papers

Reply 4

Ticki

I think Cambridge has a few more requirements, eg. taking a language, taking papers before and after 1750, doing social & economic, political & constitutional and European papers. Ultimately that makes it far broader, which is what made me choose the course at Cambridge over Oxford. If you really want to specialise on a particular area Oxford may be better for you.

At present we don't have to do dissertations but that's likely to become a requirement in the future.

Our supervisions are 1 on 1 whereas I think they tend to be 2 on 1 at Oxford.

We're top of the history league table whereas Oxford is 4th.

Cambridge is more boring than Oxford (that's nothing to do with the course but I'm trying to balance the arguments).

Reply 5

H&E

It always seemed to me Cambridge had a greater variety of topics, Oxford a greater methodological range. Obviously if you do a joint school that's particularly true; but even if you're not, the Cambridge seems overloaded with outline papers.