Masters - how to choose which university?

[fionamadcat]

DD 21 has just finished her undergrad and has applied for MSc in Social Research at various Scottish unis. She’s been offered places at Edinburgh, Dundee and Napier (still waiting for Strathclyde but she’s discounted this on travel time). Napier has also been discounted as difficult to get to. She’s planning on staying at home very close to Dundee.
She’s torn now she wants to go to Edinburgh but the travel will be a lot more plus the course costs a lot more. She thinks if she does it over 2 years instead of 1 and keeps her hotel job on permanently she can afford it. There seems to be a lot more choice in modules at Edinburgh over Dundee plus she thinks it is a more highly regarded course.
Will employers really look more favourably at a MSc from Edinburgh over Dundee? Or should she just make life easy and take the offer from Dundee which is literally 10 minutes away.

I have little knowledge of Scottish institutions (Im in an English uni) - but Edinburgh is the best regarded uni in Scotland so I’d absolutely go for Edinburgh.

I am not sure that convenience is the most important factor in choosing postgraduate study. MSc is expensive and there’s opportunity cost of spending another year at university instead of working. She wants the course which will be of most benefit in taking her where she wants to be when she finishes.
She should look carefully at the different options, what are the differences between them, how well do they link with industry or other jobs and how well do they rate for student satisfaction but most especially employability. There is lots of information online to help with this and she can ask the institutions directly how well they link with employers, how many graduates are employed within 6 months etc.

On the face of it Edinburgh and Strathclyde are the better universities, Dundee possibly risky because of their financial position, Napier is excellent at employability in some fields but not all and it is a lower rated university so I would want to check carefully the subject specific ratings.

My youngest has just finished undergraduate at Edinburgh in a degree with substantial social research. Loved the course and had a wide choice of modules. Lecturers supportive and feedback good. I'd check from the drps which modules are running next year (just in case affected by cut backs). Check also the contact hours. At undergrad it was 6 hours per week in total with 2 × 10 week semesters (postgraduate will have one more semester for diss). My DD liked this but others might prefer more contact hours for the money.

DD has found most recruitment has been uni blind (even the one big 4 consultancy job she applied to) so more important to pass the recruitment tests and have skills/experience to perform well at interviews. Competition for social research jobs was fierce last year. My DD has been lucky but worried with rise of Reform and government cutbacks that evidence based social research not great career choice for the near future.

Good luck to your DD. One of my other DC went to Strathclyde (different subject) and they rated it highly on employability. There was a specific module each term targeting employment and good careers service. I don't know much about Dundee uni for social research but I love the city.

I think she (and you) need to look at this long term. She's going to be working for 40 years. Which degree course is more satisfying to her short AND long term goals. Where will she learn more?

Setting aside the fact that the University of Edinburgh is very likely to be highly regarded - and recognised across the world - in a way that Dundee is not, the Edinburgh course sounds more challenging and intellectually satisfying for her.

Does the Edinburgh course offer work placements in the city that are going to benefit her after the MSci is over? I think this would be a strong reason to take the place there, if they do, along with the stronger interest she has in their course offerings.

I am starting an MA at Bristol and I'm splitting it over 2 yrs for the same reason - cost. In my case it is one of 2 possible places that are close by and another that allows for distance learning but offers far fewer modules (of interest).

When doing a Masters, check modules and the employment afterwards rather than location and travel time. Edinburgh is renowned internationally and for future career may have better job fairs on campus.

Thanks all, she’s planning on emailing Edinburgh a list of questions today. Offer from them came through late yesterday afternoon and it’s totally thrown her! She was rejected by them for undergrad and wasn’t confident about applying, she also got confirmation of her 2:1 from Aberdeen yesterday so she meets the conditions.

I hope your DD gets satisfactory answers from Edinburgh, because thus far it gets my vote also.

Might be worth asking about expected impact of strikes at Edinburgh next year.