Open University and the admission policy

Hello,

To my knowledge the Open University in Britain has no entry requirements for its undergraduate programs. They follow the principle "higher education for all". Does someone know of any others, serious(accredited) schools that have similar(whether official or inofficial) admission policies?

And maybe a second question that would be of interest to me: Once you have your first degree earned, does anyone care, say, if you apply for futher education(Master's, Ph.D etc.) or in the business world, about your high-school diploma?

Thanks,

Dennis Siemens

 

Many (I might even say most) distance learning bachelor's programs actually fall into this category (officially or unofficially), provided that you've had some work experience and can demonstrate the ability to handle college-level coursework.

I was homeschooled, never bothered to take the GED, got into Regents, was accepted to two master's programs after that, and was never asked for my high school diploma at any time, near as I can remember.

Good luck!


Peace,

------------------

Tom Head
co-author, Get Your IT Degree and Get Ahead (Osborne/McGraw-Hill)

 

I took my high school equivalency (not the GED, but a test to get a state HS diploma) when I was sixteen. The last time anyone asked for it was when I enlisted in the Air Force at 18. I, like Tom, graduated from Regents (who didn't require a high school diploma). My master's and doctoral programs didn't ask for verification of high school graduation, nor has any of my employers in the 23 years since. I wouldn't look back.

Rich Douglas

 

At the university I work at we do not require high school diploma if:

1) You are applying as an undergraduate and have at least 30 undergraduate transfer credits (including CLEP, DANTES, etc.) So someone without a high school diploma who took 30 hours of CLEP tests before applying would not be asked to prove high school graduate.

or,

2) You are applying as a graduate student. (We require you to prove your bachelors degree was conferred, but not your graduate from high school.)

Hworth

 

Hello again and
Thank you to all who replied to my questions,

Well, from what I can see from your answers, does it mean now that if I apply at Excelsior for, say, a business Bachelor program(which I presently seriously contemplating about) and I have no high-school diploma, I'll have no problems to get admitted to the program? Did I draw the right conclusion?

Thanks,

Dennis Siemens

 

A high school diploma (or equivilant) may not be required to be accepted in some colleges and universities but it is important if you wish to attain employment with most government agencies or many of their contractors.

I worked part-time for a company that is a contractor to the Federal Protective Service.

The person sitting next to me during the two weeks of training brought a copy of his Master's Degree but he did not have a copy of his high school diploma (or equivilant) and he could not start work protecting federal property until he produced such.

 

Ah, the picture gradually becomes clearer...
So, from what I've learned by now it seems that if you intend to work for private companies the issue of high-school diploma can be of no real concern to you but when working for government is your aim it may get you into trouble. So what could be a possible solution for someone who finds himself in such a quandary when applying for a governmental position? Is there a way to get a high-school diploma through exams? I guess for someone who holds a Master's it should be peanuts to pass an exam like that.

Dennis Siemens

 

Don't be so sure the government issue is an absolute. I had a career in the Air Force (both enlisted and commissioned) and didn't have to prove a high school diploma except for my first enlistment. I taught at two universities (one public, one private) without having to prove it, either. And my three post-military employers (soon to be four, I just accepted an offer from a subsidiary of AT&T)have never asked. It wasn't even asked on the application for this most recent position.

If you're intent on satisfying this requirement, you could consider the GED. You might also want to check with a local high school's adult program. They may offer ways to incorporate college credit into a high school diploma program. You may also look at home study high schools. Finally, there may be a college that will award you a high school diploma. I think Regents used to do that before it went private a few years ago.

Rich Douglas

 

Many regionally accredited universities in the US have open admissions policies, but they also usually have high attrition rates. Everyone (or almost everyone) is accepted, but not everyone will graduate.

Alex

 

I don't mean to throw some cold water on this thread, but I've been asked to prove my HS graduation at just about every step of my educational/professional career.

When I joined the Army in 1983, I had to provide my HS transcript. When I was being considered for admission to the Police Academy in 1988, I once again had to provide my HS transcript.

When I applied to my Associate's program (at a city owned 2-year college), I also had to provide a HS transcript. Ditto for my Bachelor's program (at a small liberal arts college), though they did accept a photocopy of my diploma in lieu of an official transcript (I found out later quite by accident that they actually did call my HS and check).

In all fairness, my Master's program never asked for an official transcript of my HS record, but did require 2 official transcripts from both my Associate's and Bachelor's programs. I'm guessing that they assumed that I had jumped through enough hoops at that point, and just "gave" me the HS diploma.

BTW, I graduated from a very high quality SACS-accredited High School, Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia.

Bruce

 

I just wanted to express my thanks to anyone who took care of my questions. Especially, Rich Douglas, for his suggestions about getting a HS-diploma equivalent. The advise is so great you get on this message board and there are so many guys here who know the ropes. It'd take me much longer to find out this information by myself.

Thanks,

Dennis Siemens