Should I study International Relations at Aberystwyth?

Take out Hull and replace it with Southampton; similar grade requirements but Southampton is a better course with better faculty.

Reply 2

OP

shady lane

Take out Hull and replace it with Southampton; similar grade requirements but Southampton is a better course with better faculty.

I'll consider it, but I'd like to leave things as they are for now.

By the way, would you mind going to the General Discussion thread and offering your support for the International Relations Society proposal, if indeed you do support it?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=411666

Thank you! :smile:

Reply 3

Wise One

11

From that list, I'd go for Aber. :smile:

Reply 4

Agamemnon

How will going to Aberystwyth effect me going into (a) the IR specific job market, (b) further academic study, (c) the general job market?

(a) Aberystwyth is well-known and highly regarded in these circles. An IR degree from Aberystwyth will serve you well.

(b) Aberystwyth is great for an academic career, it's among the very best in the world.

(c) This is probably Aberystwyth's achilles heel since most people outside of IR are unaware of its exellence in the field and the university is quite average.

Reply 5

Is Aberystwyth really among the best in the world though? I'm aware it's good for IR, but honestly I'd never heard of it until I came to the UK, and I did my BA in IR.

Reply 6

Yes it is. If you did your BA in IR you should have heard of it, I find it very strange if you haven’t.

Reply 7

Wise One

11

Arash

Yes it is. If you did your BA in IR you should have heard of it, I find it very strange if you haven’t.

Seconded. My experience is that given half an opportunity, any member of IR faculty that has even the vaguest link to Aber will tend to wallow in its awesomeness unashamedly.

As for the others on the list, the only one that really appeals is Nottingham's IR and Global Issues, but - on a personal level - I wouldn't trust an untested programme until its initial cohort have graduated. Royal Holloway's programme is probably okay, but I doubt it merits that high a level of entry requirements, and I wouldn't touch Hull or Plymouth with a long stick.

That's just me, though.

Reply 8

OP

By the way, could I have people post messages of support for the proposal of an International Relations society, in the below thread, if indeed they do support it.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=411666

To be honest I don't think you need much support for a society proposal to be approved but just to be on the safe side.

In the next few days I would like to ask a mod to move it to the societies forum and then fill in the application.

I would like a couple of other people to be leaders with me though, rather than me running it on my own, perhaps graduates or students of IR who know a lot about the subject.

Reply 9

OP

Wise One

As for the others on the list, the only one that really appeals is Nottingham's IR and Global Issues, but - on a personal level - I wouldn't trust an untested programme until its initial cohort have graduated. Royal Holloway's programme is probably okay, but I doubt it merits that high a level of entry requirements, and I wouldn't touch Hull or Plymouth with a long stick.

That's just me, though.

Plymouth is there as a safety option, I know it's probably completely unecessary to have it as one of them.

Royal Holloway does benefit from a good general reputation and Hull has a good departmental reputation but not so good general reputation.

I have my heart set on Aberystywth at the moment though :smile:

.

I don't have too high hopes of getting an offer from Nottingham, as there were rumours of the typical offer increasing to AAA, and although if it does stay at AAB I could get those grades the fact that I did not obtain those grades in the standard two years would go against me. (I'm doing an extra A level in one year and an AS). I'd certainly consider Nottingham though if I did get an offer.

EDIT - In defence of Aberystwyth, it was ranked 17 in the Times 2007 listings for Politics.

Reply 10

OP

Is there any significance the category which IR degrees are placed? (what i'm referring to is whether the degree is a BA, BSc or BSc Econ).

I'll just list below how my current five choices are categorised:

International Relations - Aberystwyth - (BBC) BScEcon
International Relations and Global Issues - Nottingham - (AAB) MSci
Politics and International Relations - Hull (ABB) BA
International Relations and Politics - Royal Holloway - (ABB) BA
International Relations - Plymouth - (CCC) BSc

Reply 11

Wise One

11

Agamemnon

Is there any significance the category which IR degrees are placed? (what i'm referring to is whether the degree is a BA, BSc or BSc Econ).

Apart from the MSci, which is a year longer, the differences signified by the other categories should be negligable, if indeed there even are any.

For you, it's of more use to check out the actual course structure, module content, etc.

Reply 12

Arash

Yes it is. If you did your BA in IR you should have heard of it, I find it very strange if you haven’t.

Well I studied in the US. Which suggests that no, Aberystwyth is not one of the best in the world. Perhaps one of the best in the UK, but when I was applying for MSc courses and undergraduate study abroad, it wasn't mentioned once. Nor do I recall having ever read an article or book by a professor there.

Having tried to get work in IR fields with two degrees from two well known, top ranked unis, I'd hesitate to suggest that anyone choose an undergrad course in IR thinking that it will make them more employable. The civil service is still as into LSE and Oxbridge when it comes to these things as private sector employers are. Plus, you need a lot more than a good department to get into the field; it's so oversaturated.

Reply 13

yeung3939

1

With respect, you have never read an article or book by an Aberystwyth professor probably because Aberystwyth's strength - Critical IR theory and Critical Security Studies are unpopular in the US. The professors teaching there are really top.... Andrews Linklater, Michael Williams, Nicholas Wheeler, Ian Clark, Jenny Edkins, Ken Booth....

It is definitely one of the best departments in the world.

But those top professors don't teach undergraduates.

Reply 14

shady lane

Well I studied in the US. Which suggests that no, Aberystwyth is not one of the best in the world. Perhaps one of the best in the UK, but when I was applying for MSc courses and undergraduate study abroad, it wasn't mentioned once. Nor do I recall having ever read an article or book by a professor there.

I don’t care where you studied, it doesn’t change the fact that Aberystwyth is among the best in the world. Only LSE and the top universities in the US can rival Aberystwyth. E. H. Carr, a former professor at Aberystwyth has written one of the most classic and influential books in IR called "The Twenty Years Crisis" which basically started the whole realism movement in IR and its still the dominating theory in IR today, especially in the US. Top scholars from the US such as Robert Gilpin and John Mearsheimer have visited Aberystwyth as a part of the E. H. Carr lecture series. The fact that you haven’t heard anything about Aberystwyth or read anything by its professors has nothing to do with the quality of its Interpol department, it just shows how ignorant you are about the field you claim to have studied.

Reply 15

yeung3939

But those top professors don't teach undergraduates.

All of the top professors in Aberystwyth do engage in undergraduate teaching, although for reasons such as study leave, they may not teach every year.

Reply 16

yeung3939

1

I am sure at least Andrews Linklater (next year onward), Ian Clark and Ken Booth don't teach undergraduates.

Reply 17

Arash

I don’t care where you studied, it doesn’t change the fact that Aberystwyth is among the best in the world. Only LSE and the top universities in the US can rival Aberystwyth. E. H. Carr, a former professor at Aberystwyth has written one of the most classic and influential books in IR called "The Twenty Years Crisis" which basically started the whole realism movement in IR and its still the dominating theory in IR today, especially in the US. Top scholars from the US such as Robert Gilpin and John Mearsheimer have visited Aberystwyth as a part of the E. H. Carr lecture series. The fact that you haven’t heard anything about Aberystwyth or read anything by its professors has nothing to do with the quality of its Interpol department, it just shows how ignorant you are about the field you claim to have studied.

E.H. Carr - never read it
Obviously I've heard of Mearsheimer and Gilpin.

And I'm certainly not ignorant. Not only am I doing an MSc, my undergraduate introduction to IR course was taught by none other than Stephen Krasner.

Seriously; I'm giving you the perspective of a FOREIGN student, Aberystwyth is not known around the world. I don't see why you're attacking me. I'm sure it's a great department, but if the leading IR scholars with whom I studied in undergrad never mentioned it, nor recommended it for postgraduate student compared to places like LSE, I'd hesitate to call it "best in the world." That's all. Not everything that is "great" is "world-reknowned."

Reply 18

You’re definitely ignorant when it comes to IR since you lack knowledge about some very basic things that all IR graduates should know.

I am a FOREIGN student as well and Aberystwyth is known throughout the world among people who knows their IR. It amazes me that you have such a strong opinion about Aberystwyth since you obviously have not the slightest clue about it whatsoever. Nothing you say can change the fact that Aberystwyth have one of the best IR departments in the world.

Reply 19