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[prephd]

I am in the process of applying to begin doctoral work at two universities.  The location, expense, faculty and programs at each school are roughly the same.  If the heavens smile on me and I am accepted to both, which school should I choose, and why do you think so? 

[aandsdean]

It really depends on the discipline.  Also, it's mighty expensive to live in DC, though Charlottesville is a lot more expensive than it was 20 years ago.

Overall--in terms of the clout you get from the degree with the general public (the 3% of them who know anything about colleges and universities, anyway)--the UVa degree is a lot better.  But that's a minimal consideration.

Good luck.

[monkfish]

I think that in most fields UVA is considered a better school. Always go with the better program, unless financial considerations dictate otherwise (so let me amend that: go where the money is).

DC's cost of living is incredibly high (not NYC levels, but close), which is something to keep in mind. Also, GWU is an urban university, UVA is a small college town kind of place. If you are going to live in a place for 5+ years, which would you prefer?

[prephd]

I live in metro D.C.  I would be attending UVa at their satellite campus in Northern Virginia.  All costs are about equal.  My gut tells me to go with UVa (perhaps because I'm a former Charlottesvillian), but the GWU program is also appealing. 

[mtnlover]

UVA - GWU is OVERRATED unless you are in one of GWU's few good programs. 

[trabb]

I live in metro D.C.  I would be attending UVa at their satellite campus in Northern Virginia.  All costs are about equal.  My gut tells me to go with UVa (perhaps because I'm a former Charlottesvillian), but the GWU program is also appealing. 

That may change things quite a bit.  If you're not attending the Charlottesville campus, you may not have the opportunity to work with the faculty members who really are what make UVA such an exceptional school.  Will the big name faculty members a) teach grad courses at the satellite campus and/or b) be willing to direct a dissertation for someone who's not in Charlottesville?  Another thing you might check into is who actually awards the degree.  Is the Northern Virginia satellite a separate school (like UVA-Wise) or is it really an extension of the main campus?  A more practical way of looking at the same question - will search committees be hiring a PhD from the University of Virginia or will they be hiring a PhD from the University of Virginia at <fill in the name of a town here>?  If the latter, then you'd most likely be better off at GWU.

[sheepdog_working]

GW's library is among the worst of the nation's doctorate-granting institutions, according to a recent Chronicle ranking.  If you are in the humanities, I strongly recommend that you explore the library holdings in your field.  Just go online and do a spot check to see if the library owns some basic books, both primary and secondary, in your field.  You may be shocked.  The interlibrary loan services are dismal, too.  I found it impossible to do doctoral-level research there, and I transferred out.

[prephd]

Thanks for the thoughts.  As far as I know, the UVa program in NOVa follows the same admissions / candidacy requirements as the program on grounds (it's not like UVa-Wise), though I'll have to research this more.  I'm shocked to hear that GWU has such a paltry library system--that certainly influences my decision.

The main factors in my decision are:
a) geography (I just [within 6 months] completed a big move post-master's for a new job);
a) both programs offer the weekend-cohort schedule, which appeals to me as I'd like to stay in my current position for as long as I can (esp. since my employer reimburses almost 50% of my tuition costs). 

[historyphd]

Does it really matter if the GW library stinks? 

You're in Washington for Pete's sake!  You have the Library of Congress and several other major universities nearby.  You have access to every book published in the United States and, depending on what you're studying, access to a wealth of primary sources in the city.

[reluctant]

Is there any funding from either of the schools?  THis would be a big consideration. THe fact that you will be paying tuition is a red flag.  The top programs give tuition remission and stipends to PhD students. 

WHy is your employer going to pay your tuition?  Will you be able to use your degree at your job?  What interest does he or she have in helping you obtain a PhD if you are going to go into academia?  It would help if you told us your field.

Is there any possibility of doing a national search of schools to find the best place in your field (where you willl be accepted)?  It would be worth if you are willing to move.

[sheepdog_working]

Does it really matter if the GW library stinks? 

You're in Washington for Pete's sake!  You have the Library of Congress and several other major universities nearby.  You have access to every book published in the United States and, depending on what you're studying, access to a wealth of primary sources in the city.

That's exactly the line that GW uses: "Just go use the Library of Congress!"  And it's true that when it's time for dissertation research, the LoC is fantastic.  But when you're doing coursework and you need to read a lot of monographs and other basic, current, scholarly works, it is impractical to go to the LoC, have your bags searched, place a call slip, wait 40 minutes, read the book in one sitting, and return your book at the end of the day.  And as I said, the other universities in the area are not an ideal resource because GW's interlibrary loan department is inadequate, and it is not always feasible to go physically to another library every time you need a book.

To show you just how inadequate GW's holdings are, I will give you an example: when I was there, the university library did not own a copy of the play, A Raisin in the Sun. 

[sheepdog_working]

Out of curiosity, I just went online to see if GW now owns a copy of A Raisin in the Sun.  It does.  Perhaps the library has improved.  Still, I urge the OP to explore the GW library's holdings in his/her field before making the decision.

[historyphd]

Ugh.  Good point.

One would hope they improve their interlibrary loan.

[sirkdn]

According to the UVa web site, the Doctorate at the NoVa center of UVa is an EdD in Educational Leadership... I don't know much about the GW Ed school, but UVa's Ed school is pretty good...

[williamk]

If you'd like detailed information about the program, I'd be happy to share.  I attended the program and would not choose it again if I had to repeat it.

K.