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York vs Sheffield for Postgraduate Philosophy?

Hi, I'm currently torn between York and Sheffield to study Philosophy at Postgraduate level. The course at York is the Graduate Diploma in Philosophy, and is a 9 month introductory/conversion course for students without a Philosophy background. The course at Sheffield is the MA in Philosophy, and offers a broad range of optional modules for you to engage in at Postgraduate level. I have offers for both courses.

Having recently completed my undergraduate studies in Geography at UCL, I have decided to stay in academia but pursue a slightly different path; that of Philosophy.

My question is really whether or not it is worth it to do the graduate diploma at York, and then apply to an MA afterwards, or to go straight for the MA at Sheffield. I like both universities, yet prefer the calmer nature of York slightly more. I think York also as a slightly better reputation as a university, and for Philosophy more generally. However, studying at Sheffield would save me time and money since I would only be studying postgraduate Philosophy for 1 year rather than 2, and the course seems to be open to non-undergrad students.

Which uni do people prefer? I'm not a big partier, but I love to go out occasionally. I'd like to be able to go on long walks in green space, and also be able to go to a gym that is fully equipped for powerlifting. These also concern me.

Anyways, i'm rambling. Please let me know your thoughts about the two uni's in general or the specific courses and their pros/cons. Thanks so much!
Original post by Laurie211098
Hi, I'm currently torn between York and Sheffield to study Philosophy at Postgraduate level. The course at York is the Graduate Diploma in Philosophy, and is a 9 month introductory/conversion course for students without a Philosophy background. The course at Sheffield is the MA in Philosophy, and offers a broad range of optional modules for you to engage in at Postgraduate level. I have offers for both courses.
Having recently completed my undergraduate studies in Geography at UCL, I have decided to stay in academia but pursue a slightly different path; that of Philosophy.
My question is really whether or not it is worth it to do the graduate diploma at York, and then apply to an MA afterwards, or to go straight for the MA at Sheffield. I like both universities, yet prefer the calmer nature of York slightly more. I think York also as a slightly better reputation as a university, and for Philosophy more generally. However, studying at Sheffield would save me time and money since I would only be studying postgraduate Philosophy for 1 year rather than 2, and the course seems to be open to non-undergrad students.
Which uni do people prefer? I'm not a big partier, but I love to go out occasionally. I'd like to be able to go on long walks in green space, and also be able to go to a gym that is fully equipped for powerlifting. These also concern me.
Anyways, i'm rambling. Please let me know your thoughts about the two uni's in general or the specific courses and their pros/cons. Thanks so much!

Which uni did you end up choosing?
Reply 2
I would first ask yourself why you want to do a master's in Philosophy. I can imagine there are two reasons. Either you have a casual interest in Philosophy, in which case I would choose York. The course sounds like it could be a bit easier going. Or you want to pursue a career in academic Philosophy, then I would choose Sheffield, as going straight into an MA in Philosophy is significantly more impressive. I think it would be fair to say that Sheffield is a bit better for Philosophy than York.

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