Graduate study in the UK 2021: A Phi Beta Kappa perspective

On 7 July 2021, our student chair, Bhadrajee Hewage (Princeton and DPhil candidate, Oxford University), hosted a virtual panel discussion on graduate study in the UK. The other participants were Phi Betes Kate Reed, Princeton and Oxford (via Rhodes), and Ben Pontz, Gettysburg College and The University of Manchester (via Fulbright). Bhadrajee is Irish, and Ben and Kate are American.

All three were substantially affected by Covid; Kate had to select another topic of study, and all three were confined to their student accommodation for long periods. Covid did not disrupt their courses, and all were able to socialise virtually and within their accommodation. Covid, however, did curtail their opportunity to travel and immerse themselves in British culture beyond the walls of the university – so the discussion was set in a somewhat unusual context.

Applying

The panellists discussed why they chose the UK, and how they chose their institution. Bhadrajee wanted to return closer to home, and Ben wanted to research a specific aspect of UK politics. Kate wanted a research-intensive Masters programme with a specific concentration, which is more common in the UK than it is in the US.

Ben and Kate made their applications in the autumn, but Bhadrajee applied in June the following year. All three stressed the importance of working closely with advisors and other professors to select a suitable programme, obtain necessary recommendations and strengthen applications, and highlighted that many US-based professors had UK connections that could also help. They encouraged the audience to look for clusters of faculty in the field they wanted to study, rather than necessarily look to attend a highly selective programme, and even cold email them with questions.

Kate secured a Rhodes Scholarship, which is limited to Oxford, and chose her college off of a recommendation from an advisor (Oxford and Cambridge have a somewhat unique ‘federal’ structure where students are accepted by a specific college within Oxford but have access to the full university thereafter). Ben, who was funded by a Fulbright, wanted to study devolution in Manchester, so chose the University of Manchester, Britain’s largest university and a Russell Group member (Russell Group is broadly equivalent to the Ivy League).

Funding

The UK Government offers a generous loan package to British graduate students, so universities do not tend to offer direct financial support in the same way as in the US. Where it is on offer, it tends to be directed to those wishing to progress into PhD-level study, linked to specific projects or targeted at specific groups of underrepresented students. Sometimes universities will offer partial funding and small bursaries, but it is uncommon for a university to offer full-funding, particularly for a terminal Masters.  

Kate and Ben also highlighted that students requiring financial support had an earlier application deadline, normally no later than December or January of the academic year preceding study. They again stressed the need to work closely with Fellowship Advising faculty who could guide applicants through the process and help identify US-based sources of support.

One member of the audience asked if they should reapply if they had only secured partial funding; the consensus was that there was no guarantee that the offer the following year would be more generous, and they may find they fail to meet the funder’s strategic objectives in future application cycles or find nobody secures full funding. The panellists suggested the applicant could look for further funding once in study, if partial-funding made it possible to commence a programme.  

Visit our ‘Study’ page for more information on funding

Living

All three found adjusting to living in the UK fairly easy, even with the barriers presented by Covid. Ben commented that the most significant adjustment for him was to adapt to the culture of a large university, having studied at a small liberal arts college, but not to the UK itself. All three agreed that universities and university towns are accustomed to supporting international students, and that there is plenty of support on offer, although some self-advocacy was required at times.  

As for practicalities, they all also agreed that college accommodation was probably the best first option, particularly if a student was only on a one-year course. Kate and Ben found it easier to opt for prepaid, largely online options for mobile, such as a SIM-only pay-as-you-go plan, and banking, such as ‘disruptive’ app-based payment services like Revolut and Monzo. They also continued to use their US-based bank cards, suggesting that students contact their home banks and advise of foreign travel. They all suggested setting up these accounts prior to arrival.

Kate did mention that there is less provision for mental health support than in the US, which is a concern that is shared with many UK students. She suggested that if a student is able to retain their US-based support or look towards private provision, that might be a better option for those requiring regular treatment or who will only be in the UK for a short period of time. (More information on this topic is available at Student Minds.)

Study

The panel then discussed the structure of their Masters programmes; Ben’s was taught and was highly structured, whereas Kate’s was structured for the first term, but the structure tapered out as the Masters progressed. Both Kate and Ben had a high concentration of international students on their course, describing it as a ‘real United Nations’.

American students wishing to study in the UK do require a Tier 4 visa. Kate and Ben were actively guided through the process, although Ben mentioned a tight turn-around time for those on the Fulbright Programme.

One member of the audience asked about the difference between a MA and MPhil; the panellists explained that some postgraduate courses tended to have an emphasis on taught elements (PGT) and tended to be shorter (with a MA typically taking only one year), whereas some were research-intensive (PGR, typically a MPhil or a MLit) and took up to two years. They did mention, though, that different universities call different degrees different things, so it is worth asking about course structure and content before making an application.

A full recording of the seminar can be found below. Our sincere thanks go to Kate Reed, Bhadrajee Hewage and Ben Pontz.