Question to CLSiebel, and Other Folks Who Know About Non-U.S. Doctorates

Evening!

Slightly unusual question, coming from Tom Head, but here goes:

In Britain and Australia, were there any schools that openly welcomed external students, and explicitly did not require any residency?

I've approached three schools (one British, two Australian) about the possibility of doing an entirely external Ph.D.; all of them look somewhat feasible, but I feel very much like a special case, and I would prefer not to be.

Thanks for any leads!


Peace,

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Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

co-author, Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning (Ten Speed Press)
co-author, Get Your IT Degree and Get Ahead (Osborne/McGraw-Hill)

 

This should read "external Ph.D. students," of course; sorry, folks. Been a long day.

Cheers,

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Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

co-author, Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning (Ten Speed Press)
co-author, Get Your IT Degree and Get Ahead (Osborne/McGraw-Hill)

 

Tom,

The best I can determine is that you would indeed be a special case, at least from my knowledge of the British system (I know nothing about Oz). The exception, of course, would have been London, but you need one of their own degrees first -- and I'm not entirely sure if they still do the external PhD. Even the Open U likes to have you around . . .

Jon Porter (PhD Nottingham)

 

Hi Tom - My experience to date is that you're not going to get anyone to tell you that they will guarantee in advance, up front, that you will never have to set foot on their campus, even to do some sort of pro forma dissertation defense. Plenty of places in Britain/Australia do research doctorates but if you're feeling like a "special case" it's probably because you are (much like myself).
I think most of the people who do research doctorates in those countries live in those countries, just a bit too far away to make the trip to campus on a regular basis. The idea of NEVER going to the campus is a bit new to most of them. The fact that they're willing to consider it speaks well of their flexibility. My impression is that they want you to go through the application process, make the formal proposal, etc...partially to see if you're for real and to see if they can match you with an Advisor (it's got to be harder for the Advisor, doesn't it?). Anyway, I got the furthest along in the process with Charles Sturt University, University of Southern Queensland and Edith Cowen University. Good luck,
Jack

 

As far as I know, University of London no longer offers external PhD.

 

Hey, Tom! Thanks for the headline!

I must confess that I'm somewhat limmitted in my knowledge of Australian PhD programs in religion (that is your field of interest, correct?); my research on Australian institutions has focussed entirely on theological programs. So, I'll withhold comment along those lines so as not to blatantly betray my own ingnorance.

However, I do have a pretty good sense of what's going on in the UK. Regrettably, at present the only school offering wholly nonresidential PhD's that I'm aware of is Greenwich School of Theology. This is regrettable, not because anything's wrong with GST, but because I know you're looking to expand your options rather than revisit ones you've already excluded.

Most schools in the UK are asking for about two weeks per year in residence, with some asking up to 6 weeks per year. Others are calling for a total of one year spent in residence over the course of one's registration in the PhD program.

Sorry I can't be the bearer of better news. I wish you well as you continue your hunt.

 

Please keep in mind that GST offers the degree in association with Potchefstroom University. The degree itself is a Potch Ph.D., as GST offers no degrees of its own.

Russell

 

Morning !

The University of Lincolnshire and Humberside was offering a DBA in the Middle East recently http://www.humber.ac.uk/

Taught classes in Dubai via an agency. $30,000.

Cheers,

Neil

 

Neil:

I searched the Univ. of Linclonshire and Humbershide website for its DBA info. ULH does not seem to offer the DBA via DL. Can you confirm that?

Jason

 

Greetings, Russell! Yes, what is true of GST also is true of most every other UK institution providing PhD study at a distance. By and large, with the exception of a handful of university faculties, the vast majority of the British institutions with which I've been in contact have been theological colleges affiliated with universities that actually confer the PhD degree.

 

Hi Jason,

From what I recall - and I had the details - the University of Lincoln DBA was offered by an agency in the UAE without any UK residency requirements.

Not exactly DL since the agency organised classes etc. but of course a lot of self-study and project work etc. Into third intake now I think.

Instead of DL - off-campus ?

There may be others doing/who might do the same. Actually the cost was Sterling 20,000.

Regards,

Neil