birkbeck??

does anyone know anything about postgrad at birkbeck (MA English)? i wasn't planning on applying there because the website makes it seem like it's mostly part-time students and it's not listed on league tables. but one of my professors is really encouraging me to apply because she went there. i actually think she's a bit insulted that i'm applying to several other university of london schools and not that one. the location of the school looks amazing and she says they have a strong english department, but i don't want to be one of few full-time students. thoughts?

Reply 1

Tomber

13

Academically, Birkbeck is one of the best in the business, at least in history, I should imagine it has a pretty formidable reputation in English too :smile:

Reply 2

apotoftea

19

Ditto what Tomber said - anyone I know in academic circles speaks very highly of it

Reply 3

username36063

11

Why do you not want to be one of the only FTs, most MA courses have very small numbers anyway (my masters had 6 with all masters in the dept having 13). Birkbeck is pretty damn good, high studnt satisfaction.

League tables: dont worry about this for 2 reasons a) they are nonsense and b) they are based on undergrad data. As a PG you need to look at RAE scores and also the publications coming out the place.

You should apply, check out the course, and also check out the colleges then make a final opinion

Reply 4

mariahb

OP

7

i guess i'm worried, not so much about being one of few full time students, but about the uni's website saying it's designed for working adults who want to study part time. but i suppose that doesn't mean they don't have strong full time programs. i just wanted to know if only part time students go to birkbeck (since i don't live in the UK, i don't know reputations of schools).

Reply 5

username36063

11

mariahb

i guess i'm worried, not so much about being one of few full time students, but about the uni's website saying it's designed for working adults who want to study part time. but i suppose that doesn't mean they don't have strong full time programs. i just wanted to know if only part time students go to birkbeck (since i don't live in the UK, i don't know reputations of schools).

They are a good college and you leave with auniversity of london degree (see www.london.ac.uk for information regarding the federal university ofLondon), which is the same degree as LSE, Royal holloway, UCL, Queen Mary etc etc.

FTs do go to Birkbeck, but they specialise in PTs, do not worry you will learn quickly that postgrad study is very much self driven no matter where you go.

I think you can see that it has good rep, if your prof is pushing you there. If they think its good (i.e. a learned academic whos opinions on eductaion is valid), then it probably is a good place to go.

Apply, see if you get an offer, then take it from there....But only if the course outline etc is what you want to do.

BTW from looking at the website I cant see an MA in (just) ENglish

all that comes up is

MA Creative Writing
MA Cultural & Critical Studies
MA/MSc Gender, Culture, Politics
MA Modern & Contemporary Literature
MA Renaissance Studies
MFA Theatre Directing
MA Victorian Studies
MA Medieval cultures

are any of these courses what you want to do?

contact the dept. they will answer all your queries. see http://www.bbk.ac.uk/eh/ for details

Reply 6

mariahb

OP

7

thanks flexiblefish!
the course i am interested in is the MA in Modern and Contemporary Lit. i think i will apply at Birkbeck. i was just thrown off when i saw that they specialized in part time-- so i didn't research it as much as i should have. but the program sounds great and i really want to go to a University of London uni. i'm going back to talk to my professor about it today.
where do you study?

Reply 7

The Boosh

17

bloody hell, the sch. of advanced studies: institute of philosophy, looks rather special.

so, when london students graduate, do they have their college named on the degree cert.?

Reply 8

username36063

11

mariahb

where do you study?

Imperial College, but registered for University of London degree, not the new independent Imperial College degree.

Reply 9

username36063

11

The Boosh

bloody hell, the sch. of advanced studies: institute of philosophy, looks rather special.

so, when london students graduate, do they have their college named on the degree cert.?

Yes, it is my understanding that the college/instituition name is on there somewhere.

Basically UoL is the degree awarding institution and oversees the structure of courses etc. Its a bit like when you do A-levels, the certificate is awarded by OCR b ut your school is on the certificate also.

Once upon a time, UoL set a standard exam for all of its students (say in english) and no matter where you were, RHUL, QMUL, UCL etc you would sit one exam with exactly the same qs, now UoL just stipulate whats in the exam. Shame as it would dampen some people egos if they knew a 2:1 graduate from goldsmiths did better in exactly the same exams as someone with a 2:2 at UCL.

oh well times a change.

Reply 10

mariahb

OP

7

flexiblefish

Imperial College, but registered for University of London degree, not the new independent Imperial College degree.

Oh! I did a study abroad program at Imperial the summer before last-- actually we brought our own professor with us, so we didn't actually take classes at Imperial. Basically we just got an Imperial ID card and were allowed to go to their pub. But it was fun nonetheless.

Thanks for the advice guys!

Reply 11

hermaphrodite

15

flexiblefish

Once upon a time, UoL set a standard exam for all of its students (say in english) and no matter where you where, RHUL, QMUL, UCL etc you would sit one exam with exactly the same qs, now UoL just stipulate whats in the exam. Shame as it would dampen some people egos if they knew a 2:1 graduate from goldsmiths did better in exactly the same exams as someone with a 2:2 at UCL.

oh well times a change.

On the old certificates (even though they sat the same exam) did it still explicitly state the constituent uni they attended or not? I've seen some lecturers' CVs where it merely states "BSc London" "PhD London" etc. So I just assumed they chose to omit UCL or Imperial or whatever off their CV??

Reply 12

username36063

11

hermaphrodite

On the old certificates (even though they sat the same exam) did it still explicitly state the constituent uni they attended or not? I've seen some lecturers' CVs where it merely states "BSc London" "PhD London" etc. So I just assumed they chose to omit UCL or Imperial or whatever off their CV??

no idea about the old, but I think in days gone by folk were less obsesed with reputation of college etc and London was London.

I will probably go for PhD (London) as opposed to PhD (Imperial) that is if I even bother using a post nomial at all.

Reply 13

hermaphrodite

15

flexiblefish

no idea about the old, but I think in days gone by folk were less obsesed with reputation of college etc and London was London.

I will probably go for PhD (London) as opposed to PhD (Imperial) that is if I even bother using a post nomial at all.

yes i agree. i remember asking a lecturer about two years ago where he graduated from and he merely said "London". I didn't ask whether he went to Imperial or UCL. I guess it didn't make a diffrence then because they sat the same exam.

Reply 14

The Boosh

17

i had a lecturer who talked about the time when she used to lecture at london, but it transpired that she was worked at roehampton. i have nothing against the place, but i didn't like the way she let people think that she meant university of london. then again, i know a lecturer who lets his students call him professor without correction, even though he's a retired (senior?) lecturer who only does odd jobs here and there. it's a bit sad that people have to be that way in academia (never mind students themselves on tsr).

Reply 15

The Boosh

17

when did the london colleges start writing their own exams?

Reply 16

hermaphrodite

15

If he's been awarded a professorship then is it not correct to call him professor even though he's retired. i thought you should call him professor anyway regardless of whether he's retired or not or am i missing the point?