Dear all,

I have been admitted to both Oxford MLF and Cambridge MCL. Therefore, I have to choose between one of these two programs by March 23rd.

This is a difficult choice for me, since both programs are strong and very attractive. Additionally, since I am interested in business law in general, these two programs fit my plans very well.

I would appreciate if you could share your thoughts/ideas on this matter.

Thank you in advance.

Best Regards.

both universities are equally great, so just flip a nickel!

Would you prefer MCL or Magister Juris? I work as a lawyer but I would like to switch to academia after LLM, still on commercial and corporate law. They say that both universities are good, but MCL seems to be more practice oriented whereas MJur sounds like more academic with tutorials and so..What do you guys think? Thanks in advance.

I have also been admitted to the Cambridge MCL/LLM as well as the Oxford MLF and the MJur.

Personally, I would choose the Cambridge MCL over the Oxford MLF. This is because the MCL seems a lot more focused on law (I have already some finance background). Moreover, the MCL seems really well thought through and integrated and matches my research interests.
I also do not think that the MCL would hurt your chances for academia. The programme is really small; thus, you should have plenty of opportunity to interact with the faculty etc.

However, I do not know if I am able to stem the additional 12.000 GBP (compared to the LLM) without any scholarships. Especially, since I am not sure if the programme is really worth the additional cost from the perspective of a non-UK lawyer/academic.

The deadline to pay the reservation fee is approaching far too fast... :(

Thanks for sharing your thoughts regulare and congrats for your success in admission to the best LLM's in the UK! I agree with you on the fact that MCL is more law focused and better structured than MLF, for a prospective academic in corporate law at least, that is why I did not even apply for MLF. And I am also worried about the money, waiting for some answers re scholarships but not sure whether they arrive before the reservation deadline (April 1 for me). However, I still cannot exclude Oxford Magister Juris, because the tutorial system seems very attractive and because of its overall academic reputation (ranking first in arts including social sciences in the UK and slightly over Cambridge in many global rankings). It may also be possible to set up a similar curriculum by combining corporate and commercial law courses in MJur I guess. Do you have similar concerns/thoughts other than your feelings about MLF which I absolutely agree?

tynagh, I think we are very much in agreement. Content-wise the Oxford MJur seems a bit more interesting than the Cambridge LLM and it is indeed possible to build a curriculum similar to the MCL. Moreover, the tutorial system is definitely something unique at the graduate level, especially for wannabe-academics as us. In general, Oxford seems to have this more academic "touch".
Reputation-wise I think it is not really possible to rank one above the other; but the perception may be different from country to country.

I am really torn between these options. I guess, in the end, my decision might be based largely on funding because I am not sure if it is really worth it to pay more for a particular degree. But I am still in the process of gathering as much information as I can. :) So it would be kind if you could keep me updated on your thoughts.

regulare, I still cannot decide between MCL and MJur because I am waiting for a scholarship and I have to decide until April 1.. I agree that MCL is a great program, but MJur is also very good. MCL has very few students, but there are tutorials in Oxford. So, it is indeed a tough decision, I am still asking around and trying to decide. Hope that you'll find a funding soon and make a great choice!:)