The Student Room Group

Oxford for English at postgraduate level?

I wanted to ask how good is Oxford for studying English at postgraduate level? Including in comparison to other universities like Cambridge and UCL.

Also I tried to view the Graduate Studies in English booklet from the university website but keep getting a 'Page cannot be found' message so I can't get all the information from the website at the moment which is why any help here would be appreciated. Thanks :smile:

I was particularly looking for any information on the MPhil English courses; also to ask if anyone has any recommendations for what colleges are especially suitable for English postgraduate students to reside in.
why do you prefer oxford to cambridge?
Reply 2
Lady Macbeth
why do you prefer oxford to cambridge?


On another thread, other members were saying Oxford is better for Arts subjects including Literature, while Cambridge is meant to be best for Sciences according to them.
Reply 3
PS. I have a question on behalf of a friend who is doing joint honours in English and Art History: like me, she wants to apply to Oxford to do post graduate study but is torn between her English and Art History studies; she wants to know if it is possible to do two Masters degrees at Oxford within the same time frame? As apparently they offer MSt in English and MSt in History of Art. I said to her that I don't think you can do two Masters degrees in that way but I wasn't 100% sure which is why I ask on her behalf as she is not a member here but I said I'd try to find out for her. I was planning to do the MPhil English not the MSt myself so I don't know much about the way the MSt programmes work. She's in third year of a four year degree, same as me with my Single Honours English, finals in 2005. Thanks to anyone who can help, both with my questions in the first post, and her question here, I will make sure to pass on the information to her. :smile:
I have heard that Oxford is best for Philosophy and Law, while Cambridge is best for sciences. As far as I can see they are about equal in arts generally.
Reply 5
lilac01
PS. I have a question on behalf of a friend who is doing joint honours in English and Art History: like me, she wants to apply to Oxford to do post graduate study but is torn between her English and Art History studies; she wants to know if it is possible to do two Masters degrees at Oxford within the same time frame? As apparently they offer MSt in English and MSt in History of Art. I said to her that I don't think you can do two Masters degrees in that way but I wasn't 100% sure which is why I ask on her behalf as she is not a member here but I said I'd try to find out for her. I was planning to do the MPhil English not the MSt myself so I don't know much about the way the MSt programmes work. She's in third year of a four year degree, same as me with my Single Honours English, finals in 2005. Thanks to anyone who can help, both with my questions in the first post, and her question here, I will make sure to pass on the information to her. :smile:


Not entirely sure exactly what you're after but.... Not usually possible to do 2 degrees (of any sort including masters) simultaneously. You can do as many degrees as you want one after another BUT funding bodies will usually only fund the first one of each type. -i.e. I have a masters degree, therefore if I wanted to do a masters in another subject, I could, but it would cost c. 20 grand.
Reply 6
oldthrashbarg
I have heard that Oxford is best for Philosophy and Law, while Cambridge is best for sciences. As far as I can see they are about equal in arts generally.


Yeah, I think traditionally Cambridge has been regarded as the Science university of the two and Oxford as the one less good for sciences. By "traditionally", however, I mean their reputation over the centuries (i.e. 18th and 19th centuries). Today, I would say you really have to differentiate between subjects (not just general areas) and try and find the university best suited to you. In general, both Oxford and Cambridge are excellent for most of their subjects (although if you look at academic rankings they are only average for a few).
Reply 7
davey_boy
Not entirely sure exactly what you're after but.... Not usually possible to do 2 degrees (of any sort including masters) simultaneously. You can do as many degrees as you want one after another BUT funding bodies will usually only fund the first one of each type. -i.e. I have a masters degree, therefore if I wanted to do a masters in another subject, I could, but it would cost c. 20 grand.


Thanks that's basically what she wants to know, she had wanted to do two Masters simultaneously, but I didn't think it was possible, so thanks for confirming, I will let her know.
Reply 8
tommyboy
Yeah, I think traditionally Cambridge has been regarded as the Science university of the two and Oxford as the one less good for sciences. By "traditionally", however, I mean their reputation over the centuries (i.e. 18th and 19th centuries). Today, I would say you really have to differentiate between subjects (not just general areas) and try and find the university best suited to you. In general, both Oxford and Cambridge are excellent for most of their subjects (although if you look at academic rankings they are only average for a few).


Thanks for that, I am leaning towards Oxford, but good to know that both are excellent in case I reconsider my plans.
Reply 9
Still looking for information if anyone has any on the Oxford MPhils in English; and also on what colleges are particularly suitable for postgraduates, as on another thread I was reading about how some colleges are less supportive towards graduate students than others.
Reply 10
lilac01
Still looking for information if anyone has any on the MPhils in English; and also on what colleges are particularly suitable for postgraduates, as on another thread I was reading about how some colleges are less supportive towards graduate students than others.


Don't know anything about English.

Colleges: Kellog, Green, Wolfson, St. Cross, Linacre are all graduate colleges and will hence be geared up to dealing with graduates. Out of those, St. Cross is very small (c. 30/year). Kellog has a lot of people doing part-time courses. Green, Wolfson and Linacre are all fairly large with decent reputations, probably Wolfson has the best reputation of the 3. Linacre is almost entirely filled with people who have transfered in from other universities, Wolfson has a higher proportion (although still small) of people who after 3 or 4 years at Oxford have switched to a graduate college. Green has a very high proportion of medics.

If you'd prefer to be at a mixed ug/pg college then there's loads to choose from, I don't know which ones other graduates have had problems with - I'm at Worcester and I don't know anyone there who thinks that. I also know other people scattered around the university mostly at Hertford and Exeter - they've never complained to me about how their college treats them but I can ask them if you have specific questions about either of those colleges....
Reply 11
lilac01
Thank you for all the information Davey, it's much appreciated :smile:

About questions on other colleges, do you know how long they will provide accomodation for graduates during their studies? I know it varies from college to college which is why I ask. Thanks. :smile:


Worcester provide for at least 2 years (1st and 2nd), occassionally 3 - although it won't guarentee this because if everyone decided to live in then it wouldn't have enough space. I'll ask people I know at other colleges about them when I see them next....
Reply 12
davey_boy
Worcester provide for at least 2 years (1st and 2nd), occassionally 3 - although it won't guarentee this because if everyone decided to live in then it wouldn't have enough space. I'll ask people I know at other colleges about them when I see them next....


Thanks I appreciate it :smile: