Online Education

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by RAC2967, May 20, 2001.

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  1. RAC2967

    RAC2967 member

    Hello everyone. I've been a spectator to this terrific forum since it’s initiation (or rather, its relocation from AED). A big thank-you to those involved with its creation.

    I wanted to share some information relating to distance education provider "Online Education" from Hong Kong. Online Education delivers various certificate, diploma, undergraduate and Master's programs in conjunction with a select number of universities:

    Oxford Brookes University (UK):
    MBA (Hospitality)
    MBA Management Practice

    Stratford Business School (UK):
    BTEC Higher National Certificate & Diploma in Business

    Charles Sturt University (Australia):
    Master of Health Service Management
    Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing)
    Master of Applied Finance

    University of British Columbia (Canada):
    Internet Marketing Certificate

    All courses are facilitated through Online Education, and the programs are delivered entirely via distance education. The final degree is granted from the corresponding university.

    Check them out at www.online.edu

    FYI - I commenced my studies in the MBA Management Practice Program (Oxford Brookes University School of Business) in July 2000. The program is challenging, requires about 12 to 15 hours per week of study (with little-to-no breaks between courses), but can be completed within 2 to 3 years (depending on your placement). If you need to take a break between courses, you may, provided that you complete the entire program within a 5-year period. The entire program costs ranges from $8,000 to $13,000 (US), depending on what stage of the program you are placed (highly dependent on your undergraduate degree). The program is paid for on a course-by-course basis (no lump sum payments are required). Depending on some factors, it is also possible to enter the program without an undergraduate degree. The Oxford Brookes Business School is accredited and is a member of AACSB, (the International Association of Management Education) and ABS, (The Association of Business Schools, UK)

    If anyone is interested and would like a "student's perspective" on the Oxford Brookes Program, or the Online Education system, feel free to drop me a line.


    Note: I discovered this organization through John Bear's "Degree.net" site. Prior to the most recent revamping of John's site, Online Education could be found under the "Corporate Programs" area of his site. (last time I checked, this area of John's site no longer exists).

    Robert
     
  2. billy

    billy New Member

    I'm afraid I have to correct you here. Oxford Brookes is certainly not AACSB accrediated. Only 2 british universities are namely London Business School and Warwick. While Oxford Brookes do run a reasonably satisfactory MBA program there are a lot of better programmes in the market like Imperial College (London), Leicester, Durham,Warwick, Heritt-Watt, Royal Holloway and Brunel for the price range mentioned.

    Best Regards

    Billy



    [Note: This message has been edited by tcnixon]
     
  3. RAC2967

    RAC2967 member

    Thanks Billy,

    Oxford Brookes University's Business School, indicate that they are members of AACSB (although the AACSB web site does not list them as such). Due to high level of integrity of Oxford Brookes, I'm sure that they would not misrepresent this fact. Nevertheless I have placed an e-mail to the AACSB organization to clarify the issue.

    You are correct in that Imperial College (London), Durham and Warwick are higher ranking universities than Oxford Brookes, however, Oxford Brookes has outranked Herriot Watt and Brunel this year according to the Times Good University Top 100 UK University Guide (Royal Holloway and Leicester didn't are not listed).

    Here's the link to the Year 2001 list which was released May 18th, 2001: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/uniguide/

    Imperial College (London)- ranked 3rd
    Durham - ranked 15th
    Warwick - ranked 6th
    Oxford Brookes - ranked 48th
    Heriot-Watt - ranked 50th
    Brunel - ranked 52nd
    Royal Holloway (are not listed)
    Leicester (are not listed)

    In addition, Oxford Brookes has made top of the (Times) list in the "Best New University" category for 2001 (they've been ranked No. 1 since 1995).
     
  4. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    FWIW: It's my understanding that many schools that hold membership in the AACSB aren't AACSB-accredited.


    Peace,

    ------------------
    Tom Head
    www.tomhead.net
     
  5. billy

    billy New Member

    Hello Robert,

    Thanks for the table. Didn't realise Times have updated it for 2001. London RH is ranked 22nd and leicester is ranked 33rd.

    In regards to the accreditation issue. I believe it could be a bit of 'blurb' in the promotional literature by the agent( I hope not by the University). At this site it was previously mentioned membership is not equal to accreditation. Anybody could be a member...the process of being an accreditated council member is somewhat different.

    Best Regards

    Brian
     
  6. RAC2967

    RAC2967 member

    Brian (and Tom Head), thanks for the clarification. (after taking a 2nd look, both Oxford Brookes and their agent, Online Education, correctly identify the university as being a "member" of AACBS).

    Also, thanks for pointing out the rankings of Royal Holloway and Leicester (I somehow skipped over the list of "21 to 40" ranking universities where they are listed).

    Take Care,

    Robert
     
  7. jon porter

    jon porter New Member

    The Times league tables only rate undergraduate degrees, not postgraduate degrees, and using them to rate, say, an MBA programme, is futile.

    jmbp

    ------------------
    J. M. B. Porter, PhD
    Lecturer in World History
     
  8. RAC2967

    RAC2967 member

    I'm sure that most would disagree with your above statement. The overall assessed quality of a university, albeit at the undergraduate level, speaks volumes of the quality of education that would be expected/delivered at the post graduate level in many instances.

    Whatever the case, this discussion has strayed from my initial post where I was attempting to draw attention to Online Education - a distance education provider that delivers MBA programs for Oxford Brookes University (and other affiliated universities) for a reasonable cost (www.online.edu)

    Oxford Brookes meet GAAP generally accepted accreditation principles through a) their membership in the Association of Commonwealth universities, b) their inclusion in the UNESCO international handbook of universities, c) their inclusion in the PIER reports and, d) their listing in the NOOSR Country Series for the UK. In addition, as I had accurately reflected in my initial post, the are "members" of AACSB, (the International Association of Management Education) and ABS, (The Association of Business Schools, UK)
     
  9. jon porter

    jon porter New Member

    The problem is that you're comparing chalk and cheese. The ex-polytechnics were at least originally never intended for postgraduate research, and their research profiles show this. For postgraduate research one would be MUCH better going to Oxbridge or London, an ancient Scottish, or one of the good red bricks (that being said, I know at one first class scholar with a CNAA PhD -- but it was a VERY special case). It's all about resources.

    Oxford Poly was one of the best poytechnics, is a pretty good university, and I have no doubt that their MBA is perfectly decent. But using a league table of undergraduate degree programmes to judge a graduate qualification is a futile exercise, as they are measuring (or, more accurately, claiming to measure) entirely differnt things. Using the Economist's "Which MBA" is another story entirely.

    jmbp

    ------------------
    J. M. B. Porter, PhD
    Lecturer in World History
     

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