Hi All,
I am heading over to the UK from the US for postgraduate work in IR. I have been accepted at Nottingham, Exeter, and Aber for the subject. So, now I need to make the big decision. I'm looking for opinions.
One of my main concerns is having the possibility to go on for my PhD and attain funding, whether directly from the University or from a +3 scholarship.
Here is my pros/cons list so far:
Nottingham:
PROS
-The most highly regarded of the three overall
-nice campus
-strengths in diplomacy and conflict resolution, two of my interest areas
CONS
-rated "4" for research, the lowest of the three
-does not seems to be a main focus of the uni
-postgrad accommodation is pushed onto the fringes of the campus
Exeter:
PROS
-rated 5 for politics
- vice chancellor came from Aber, where he helped make the IR dept there outstanding (future of dept looking good)
-absolutely beautiful campus and area, set in a great small city (for my tastes)
CONS
-possible lack of funding opportunities (not sure on this one)
Aberystwyth:
PROS
-5* rating for IR research
-rated the highest of the three for the subject
-brand new IR building being built, to be ready by January 2006
-Uni seems very dedicated to the department
CONS
-overall, not as highly regarded as the other two
-set out in the middle of nowhere
It would be great to hear from anyone who is a student within one of these departments or who is familiar with them. Please feel free to disagree with any of my pro/con preconceptions.
Thanks for your help