<p>I'm thinking of studying abroad at one of the UK universities through the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), but I can't decide which of the universities offered to choose:</p>
<p>Pembroke/King's College, Univ. of Cambridge
University of Sussex
University of Edinburgh
University of Kent
University of London, Queen Mary
University of St. Andrews
University of Warwick
Scottish Parliament Internship, UC Center Edinburgh</p>
<p>That depends – will you actually be taking classes at those unis?</p>
<p>On the face of it, cambridge is the most prestigious, then Edinburgh. But that won’t matter very much if you are just going to be taking classes specially put on for American study abroad students. At Cambridge, would you actually follow the same course of study as the real students (ie, 2 supervisions a week, 1 prof and 1 or 2 students)?</p>
<p>(I’d say the scottish parliament internship would be a bad choice, since obviously the scottish parliament has no say in international relations).</p>
<p>Cambridge or St. Andrews. Although that internship would be pretty awesome.</p>
<p>^ There’s a bit of a disconnect. Most UK people would regard Edinburgh as better, but (probably since they advertise a lot there) Americans seem to prefer St Andrews.</p>
<p>^^^^</p>
<p>Agreed, but we’re dealing with an American, hence why I put St. Andrews. Would personally prefer Edinburgh, if not just for the city.</p>
<p>Go to Oxford or Camebridge! Every American university is based on those unis!</p>
<p>^ You don’t know what you’re talking about.</p>
<p>I don’t want to throw too much of a wrench into the discussion, but why study in the UK if you are interested in International Relations. The UK is abroad… but probably the only country “closer” to the US in culture and language is Canada. Why not go somewhere more different from the US? Just asking… it seemed a little odd to me.</p>
<p>Cambridge, as the World’s premier university, is the place to go, but then I am biased, especially given that my own College is on offer here:)</p>
<p>Intparent,</p>
<p>It seems like the OP is interested in the academic pursuit of IR. No question the unis listed are top notch for the subject. A country that your describing which might have a seemingly different culture would not provide as strong of an academic environment as Pembroke College, Cambridge. I can think of very few exceptions to this outside of the US and UK. Australian National University is super strong for research in policy, but Australian culture isn’t seemingly different. Sciences Po is about the only uni I can think of that would come remotely close to offering a similar academic environment (to the listed unis) with a unique culture. But without being fluent in French, the OP would be stuck on the reims campus where they throw english speakers (i.e profit producing campus, with nowhere near the academics as the paris campus).</p>
<p>I don’t deny that one way to look at the semester abroad is as an opportunity to take classes at a strong foreign university. Nor do I deny that some study abroad programs keep you so far away from the culture that you don’t experience much.</p>
<p>D’s college requires international relations majors to study abroad for at least one semester, though, and I don’t think are really thinking that the IR course work is the main benefit of that experience. It isn’t about strong academics, it is about the international culture. Also, D’s college has significant language requirements for IR majors, and expects students for the most part who go to non-English speaking countries to take classes in the language fo the country. Again, these are IR majors, that is supposed to be their strength.</p>
<p>^ </p>
<p>Honestly, if IR is the serious discipline it claims to be, then merely spending a semester or a year in a foreign country is not going to be that useful. (Though the language study could be useful).</p>
<p>If that is why you are going to foreign, you should just take a vacation in the summer, and save the semester for actual rigorous classes.</p>
<p>I’m at a loss as to why you want to study abroad in another English speaking country, what purpose does that serve? IR is basically a specialised political science degree and as such really shouldn’t require time abroad, that just seems indulgent to me. If you really want to go abroad however at least go somewhere that is relevant to your particular academic interests or someplace where you can learn a new language.</p>
<p>keepittoyourself, I disagree. My D (who actually is not an IR major, but did consider it) is studying in a foreign country this semester. She is not on a formal program, so she is living in an apartment she found herself, shopping, taking public transit, banking, paying utilities, etc. in a non-English speaking foreign country. She happens to be a political science major, so she is taking classes on the political systems of that part of the world. Although she will only be there for four months, I think that experience would be MUCH more valuable to her than another semester in the lovely cocoon that is her college campus. Not knocking her college, but any IR major would get a lot out of the experience she is having. It is definitely very different than a vacation – more stressful, but also really expanding her understanding of that part of the world in the way that a few weeks of vacation never could.</p>
<p>I studied IR at St Andrews for my grad degree. There are differences in the perspectives in IR that are taught in Europe, which was a surprise to me, and challenged some of my US-centric thinking. If you are serious about IR from an academic standpoint, then being exposed to this is probably a good idea. However, you could do this at any UK/European university that is strong in IR</p>
<p>I also agree that a semester/year abroad in a non English speaking country where you are NOT part of some American-student-abroad bubble (as described above by intparent) is a very good idea and I loved my time in South America… but you could do both separately if expenses allow - or look to combine them…</p>
<p>e.g. you could go to a UK uni to study IR. But you could choose a school that isn’t full of US students (St As/Edinburgh/etc) or if it is, you could choose to meet different people and not spend the whole time with Americans. You could apply direct rather than through an organised US-based scheme, and arrange your own accommodation rather than living in uni accommodation. You can make it work to have both I think, with a bit of foresight and planning…</p>
<p>@ keepittoyourself: I looked at the UCEAP website and saw that the Scottish Parliament internship offered classes in International Relation, so that’s why I included it. And yes, I’m planning on taking classes at those unis.</p>
<p>@ intparent - I want to study IR at a UK university because I want to learn IR from a British standpoint. In addition, I’m also planning on studying IR abroad and immerse myself in Japan since I’m also an East Asian Studies major</p>
<p>sweetlacecharm: are you sure that the Cambridge programme actually includes taking Cambridge courses? in my experience most of the study abroad or JYA vacationers take special (and markedly inferior) courses.</p>
<p>Given the two colleges he mentioned, Pembroke and Kings, I think it sounds like the summer school. It follows the style of a Cambridge term but is NOT the real thing.</p>
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<p>I guess I still disagree. It sounds like your daughter is doing better than most American study abroaders, who have everything arranged for them by their home university and stay in an American ghetto/bubble. Then they will tell you that they ‘lived’ in some place for awhile: but honestly, how can you claim to have lived somewhere if you didn’t find your own apartment or deal with local bureaucracy anything like that?</p>
<p>But I’m still not convinced that it is more valuable than a semester. IR these days claims to be a serious and rigorous discipline, with lots of mathematical modelling. Just taking in the feel of a foreign country isn’t going to help with that. </p>
<p>And a vacation doesn’t have to be just a few weeks. I still think most study abroaders would get far more out of just going to Paris or wherever and renting a room in an apartment for the summer.</p>
<p>Employers are also pretty sceptical about study abroad, even the less jokey study abroad:</p>
<p>[Study</a> Abroad’s New Focus Is Job Skills - International - The Chronicle of Higher Education](<a href=“http://chronicle.com/article/Study-Abroads-New-Focus-Is/124979/]Study”>http://chronicle.com/article/Study-Abroads-New-Focus-Is/124979/)</p>
<p>Well, they aren’t that skeptical. D has landed an internship with the US State Department for next semester. I am pretty sure that this study abroad experience was helpful in that process.</p>