The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
I'd probably go with Birmingham.
Reply 2
Sheffield!!!!! It has one of the best politics departments in the country.
Reply 3
alright. If you look at League Tables from Guardian and Times Birmingham is at 7th resp. 9th place for politics in the country just after the LSE. On the Guardian League tables there is no placement for Sheffield between the first 10 in the country. On the Times, Sheffield is placed 5th.

Is Birmingham a good and well recognised school. are there good chances that a first Degree from Birmingham in IR wcould be enough to apply for MA at an uni such as LSE, Warwick, SOAS, Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews and so on??

Cheers
D
Reply 4
Apocryp

Is Birmingham a good and well recognised school. are there good chances that a first Degree from Birmingham in IR wcould be enough to apply for MA at an uni such as LSE, Warwick, SOAS, Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews and so on??

Cheers
D

Birmingham as a solid red-brick is a good and well recognised school. If you graduate from Birmingham with a 1st or 2:1, your chances of getting into a MA at LSE, Warwick etc. is pretty high.
Reply 5
Hi, that is reassuring at least:smile:. What does a "solid red-brick school" mean? Does it mean that it is a civil university or what? Would you say sheffield is a better choice?

Is it better to study simply a BA in International Relations or a combined BA in international relations and politics? I am mostly interested in pure IR so Birimgham seemed as a better choice!
Reply 6
By "solid red-brick school" I mean a red brick uni with a solid reputation. If I were you I would choose Birmingham over Sheffield. IMO, Birmingham is a better uni.
Reply 7
Hi, yeah that's what I think as well. I just can't seem do decide. I applied for Politics at Durham as well and got in, but I really want to do International Relations and not politics.!! What do you think would be a better choice. Would a durham first BA rise chances for getting in at MA at LSE oxford etc than a first degree at birmingham!?
Reply 8
Apocryp
Hi, yeah that's what I think as well. I just can't seem do decide. I applied for Politics at Durham as well and got in, but I really want to do International Relations and not politics.!! What do you think would be a better choice. Would a durham first BA rise chances for getting in at MA at LSE oxford etc than a first degree at birmingham!?

I doubt it, plus Durham's politics dept isn't all that great, Sheffield and Birmingham are certainly better.
Reply 9
I guess that you are right! Well I do hope that things would go my way then I apply for some MA!
Reply 10
One more question before all of you get tired of me and I drive to to suicide! "Oh but that the everlasting had not fixed his canons gainst self slaughter" though! Anyways, how about Essex for International Relations and Politics?
Reply 11
I also got offer from Essex..... I am an international student from Hong Kong.

I really want to know which factor is more important: prestige of the department or overall prestige of the university when applying for a top grad programme.

Essex and Aberystwyth have a 5* departments but the prestige of the university is not so great......
Reply 12
yeung3939

I really want to know which factor is more important: prestige of the department or overall prestige of the university when applying for a top grad programme.

I would say a balance of both. But overall prestige is slightly more important. Maybe 55% overall reputation and 45% reputation of individual department.
Reply 13
I must disagree. Overall prestigue is not that important when applying to MA. It is important for eployers though!
Reply 14
I was thinking of applying to Sheffield through extra earlier so i visited the place. I know liking a uni is a very personal choice but I personally didn't really like sheffield. I was given a tour around the department and that seemed just ok (facility wise!). I didn't like the fact that the entire uni is spread around a very large area, it all seemed too far apart! and the biggest put off was the accommodation..i don't think I would be able to live there for 3 years. Of course this is a personal opinion. Some other people that I spoke to on the open day thought it was the best uni ever and they were keen on going there in september.
Reply 15
Ok, I have never been to Sheffield, but I looked at their website and the main building looks really nice and old. ::wink:

I had the same choice, between b'ham and sheffield for politics and international relations, went for sheffield cause bit greener and less grim than birmingham (havnt visited either tho). but reading this thread makes me think maybe b'ham would of be a good choice.
Reply 17
manifestation of morality

I had the same choice, between b'ham and sheffield for politics and international relations, went for sheffield cause bit greener and less grim than birmingham (havnt visited either tho). but reading this thread makes me think maybe b'ham would of be a good choice.

You hadn't visited either but still went for Sheffield because it was less grim? How did you know?
Reply 18
Yeah, its a pretty valid question that!? I don't really undersatnd how anyone can make a choice (if based on enviroment alone) without visiting?

well chill y'all. Happy easter!

/9mm
yeh fair point but visiting them was never really an option for me, (money+transport issues) but heard from people who had visited in my college.

The fact that sheffield was 1/10th in the Peak District was pretty nice, figured i'd take advantage of this fact and join a rock climbing club. I heard b'ham has a nice campus but the city is grim. I agree it would of made more sense to visit the campuses but o well, plus sheffield is 4th biggest city but with something like the 24th highest crime rate which isnt bad.