How do I make a decision about where to study?

Postgraduate Study: Advice from the Experts

The market for postgraduate study in now global: this is particularly so for British students as the language of postgraduate work in an increasing number of universities worldwide is English. However, if you are to study in the UK, you should think of those factors which will be important to your decision. You may of course have little choice either for personal reasons, mode of attendance reasons and straightforward availability of programme reasons. Your decision making may be influenced by the following.

1. Subject related matters

Does the institution offer what I want (and here the devil is often in the detail)? Where there are associated taught elements, check that the specific curriculum is what you are looking for. Ask for lecture lists and reading lists.

2. Status related issues

Does the institution have a reputation for the programme you want to follow or the research area you are interested in?

3. Staffing related issues

Do you want to study with a particular person or research group? Take care however because there are several instances where the person you particularly wanted to supervise your work has left by the time you arrive or is on sabbatical leave (universities may be reluctant to guarantee any particular supervisor). Professors have a habit of delegating supervision to junior colleagues too. In short, you need to recognise that being an academic and supervising students are, at the end of the day, just jobs like any other. People may move to another post elsewhere, take time off or retire. You should try to become overly dependent on any one person - although we recognise here that as the project progresses this is easier said than done.

4. Financial issues

The key questions you need to ask are:

• is funding available from the Research Councils, the institutions or external sponsor?
• what is the level of the funding and what does it cover?
• will you be able to earn additional income from teaching or other university related work?
• what funding is available for additional activities such as field work and conference attendance?

5. Issues of success rates and times to completion

The time taken to complete a doctorate depends on many factors - some are academic relating to the complexity of the problem, some organisational relating to the management and supervision of the work, some financial relating to the level of support and hence time that the student is diverted away from the research. The UK has adopted 'time to submission' as a key indicator of success for programmes and, from very low levels in the 1980s, rates have improved in research council and Wellcome Trust funded programmes to hover around the 80% level after 4 years. However, recent analysis has demonstrated that for doctoral programme other than these, rates are much lower.

Howard Green and Stuart Powell (see contributors) November 2006

please, may i be linked to schools that have educational psychology at doctoral level,and that has room for sports scholarships (e.g chess),thanks

Profesionally i am a cosmetologist(masters) with 2-3 years of relevant work experience.i am vey keen to do pHD in uk.i am on funders distribution list but not able to find optimum institutes and therefore supervisors. its really urgent
can any one guide me please.

I am intent on joining the Diplomatic Academy of London. I believe I chose the right institution as far as diplomatic studies and training in the United Kingdom is concerned. My only undoing is failure to source funding.

The Diplomatic Academy of London, University of Westminster is one of the most reputable institutions as far as research and teaching of International Relations and Diplomacy is concerned. The Faculty,staff,and the reputation of the Diplomatic Academy of London do deserve their acclaim.