Hi, I would like to sincerely thank to those who provided generous and informative feedback on my inquiries. This is a great platform to share information and to use the information constructively towards one's goals and objectives.

Once again, thank you very much for your feedback.

Hi, thank you very much for your candid response. The IDS at Sussex is one of my top choices. Hopefully, I will be able to study there in a quiet environment and the lower cost helps too. I will have to make a decision once I hear back from the unis that I am applying.

Once again, thanks very much for your response.

Hi, thank you for the reminder to the group. I will be able to seek from specific and detailed information once I have applied to these schools, starting in October and November.

Thanks again!

I am applying for MSc. programs for next year at LSE, SOAS, and Sussex. My plan is to stay at the university dorm at any of these universities. LSE and SOAS offer post-graduate (PG) PG housing at Paul Robeson (PR) dormitory and Sussex offer a number of dorms.

Studying and living in central London would have more distractions than Sussex, I presume. But I could be wrong.

I’d be grateful for your feedback on PR housing environment at LSE, SOAS, and Sussex. Thank you.

Hello -- thanks very much to both of you for your extremely helpful feedback. My MA/MSc. focus is definitely going to be on development studies/international development. I will extend my research and and interest into the Ph.D. program. It makes sense on many levels to do the MA/MSc. and Ph.D at the same university because I may get to know the program, faculty to find out the funding sources. I am leaning more to this approach and am planning to choose one school where I can be able to continue both degrees.

I am curious about one thing -- the requirement of settled status to be eligible for funding for Ph.D. I have yet to come across this requirement on the university guidelines. Is this an unwritten rule? What does settled status mean? If time permits, I'd love to get your input.

Once again, thank you both for your time and generosity!

I live in the U.S. and this is my second post to this group. I have pretty much decided to move to UK to study MSc./MA and Ph.D. in development studies/international development. I am considering three schools – LSE, SOAS, and Sussex. One of my current intense research areas is funding. I can fund the MSc./MA program easily.

So, I am trying to find out how challenging it might be to get funding for a Ph.D. program at any of these universities.

1. Would it be a good strategy to stay in the same school and look for the Ph.D. funding after MSc./MA?

2. Would it be difficult to get a Ph.D. funding beforehand at a new university after having completed MSc./MA at another university?

Just trying to get a sense of what I should and/or should not be expecting and doing. I’d be grateful for your feedback and advice. Thanks.

Thank you so much for your reply. I will certainly email the admissions office and inquire about it.

I have been accepted into the distance learning program for MSc. in Sustainable Development for February 2013 session. But I have decided to move to UK to study international development at SOAS. Therefore, I am preparing to submit my application, which will open in October, 2012. How different/similar are the admission criteria for DL and on-site MSc. programs?