is it worth applying to a not so good uni to try and obtain and phd? the applications per a place at UCL/KCL/ OXBRIDGE etc are so competitive I dont stand a chance. is a phd from somewhere like uwe as recognsed as UCL?

Hi,Mat, I think it depents on your subject. It is true that UWE is not as good as UCL etc. but they enjoy good reputation on some specific subjects (though i cannot remember clearly) I've been there and the campus is like a maze, though is very nice :)Ideally, you can choose a univ which don't have good reputation in general but is good at your subject.:)

It also depends on the student. PhD is merely a document. Your reputation as a researcher depends upon the work you publish and not on the name of the university. If you work hard and write some good research papers by the end of your PhD, you will definitely be preferred over someone with Oxbridge degree and no or little published work. The name of the degree granting institution will become insignificant with time. The name of the universities is important for people interested in public offices and politics as they use it to impress people.

thanks for the advice guys

As already stated here it's the reputation of the department and the supervisor that counts. Check the RAE (research assessment exercise) rating of the department - most departments publish this on their web site, but you can also check on the HERO web site. The most recent RAE took place in 2001.



The larger universities do tend to have more high rated departments, but working in a bad lab in a good university will do you no good. At this point it will be difficult for you to judge the quality of your potential new supervisors, but the research direction they set for you can dramatically affect the progress of your PhD. A good PhD project should have achievable research aims as well as providing a genuine contribution to knowledge. In general successful supervisors have successful students, so talk to as many people as possible when you go for interview or to an open day. If your supervisor does not have a realistic grasp of what you can achieve, it won't matter how hard you work.

The top universities, i.e. those typically found in the top 10 of the Times have VERY FEW departments that are rated below even 5. Generally, (wich few exceptions) the better the undergrad. reputation the better the research rep. and the more valued the doctorate.