======= Date Modified 08 Apr 2011 13:23:55 =======
Hi everyone!

I have been offered a place for a PhD in American Studies. However, I am not sure whether to accept this offer or not.

First of all, I had applied for a PhD in Critical Theory NOT in American Studies but my application was passed to Am. Stud. because the two departments are merging.

Secondly, I had planned to apply for a scholarship but the scholarship was for a PhD in Critical Theory and not in American Studies. This means I will be completely self-funded.

Thirdly, I am afraid that, with a PhD in American Studies I could only work in American Studies Departments and my present research interests are not at all focused on US culture and history...

The only pro is that the University I was accepted by should be a very good university...

What should I do? Try again next year with different universities or take this offer?

Thanks in advance for your help and sorry for any mistake, I am Italian.

======= Date Modified 08 Apr 2011 11:01:45 =======
Hi!

First of all, keeping aside which department you have got a place in, will you be able to do the project that you want to?

Secondly, are you able to fund your own PhD? If you are unable to then there is no point going forward with it.

Hi and thanks for your reply!

I can fund my first year, in the hope that some funding comes along before starting the second.
About the project, they said that they "liked my proposal and felt that it could be worked into an interesting topic" so I think that I will be able to work on my proposed project. Otherwise they would have told me so, don't you think?

Yes, I agree, the funding issue is the big one here.

The actual department you do your PhD in doesn't really matter, as long as the supervisors have the appropriate knowledge/background or whatever to supervise you (and if the staff from the department you applied to are now in the new depertment that suggests they will have). You won't have a PhD in American Studies, you'll have a PhD in whatever the title of your research is. If you can still do the project you originally wanted to do then this won't make any difference to that. (For example, I'm doing my PhD in an engineering department, but my actual project is mostly environmental psychology and this is the area that my PhD will actually be in, nobody will think of me as an engineering person.)

Does this really mean you won't be able to apply for the same funding? If your PhD is still looking at the same topic you might still be eligible, I don't know, but don't assume you won't be just because the name of the department has changed. If you are still eligible for that scholarship, then everything is fine. If not, there might be another scholarship that you can apply for, maybe within the university? Failing that, whether you decide to go there does depend on whether you can afford to self-fund, or want to look elsewhere for another funded place. But don't give up yet - it may be that this change in department name won't make any difference at all.

Good luck!

I wouldn't do it, Im a first year PhD student and I wouldn't advise doing a PhD in a topic you're not interested in. You need a lot of motivation and researching something you have no interest in will be wasting your money. Save it for something you WANT to do. good luck!

Thanks for the helpful answers!

I think go for it! this sounds like a great opportunity and probably will leave you exiting with the same research tools as the one you originally opted for. may open many doors for you afterwards !

all the best in your decision

FR :)