Giving serious thought to Hariot Watt

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by TCord1964, Jul 5, 2008.

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  1. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    I had previously posted that I am very interested in enrolling in one of the University of Leicester's masters degree programs. I have also been looking into some other UK schools, and am currently taking a good, hard look at Edinburgh Business School at Hariot Watt. Their MBA program gets a lot of attention on this board, but they also have a Master of Science in Marketing degree which looks very interesting. Like the MBA program, an undergraduate degree is not required for entry into the Marketing program. Students are matriculated when they have passed three courses. What I like most about the Heriot Watt program is that students can pay by the course, rather than make larger payments. Each course is about $1,600 with today's currency conversion rates, and there are 9 courses in the program, so it is essentially 9 payments of $1,600 if a student pays by the course.

    Does anyone here have experience with EBS programs other than the MBA? If you did get your MBA at EBS, was it well received by employers and/or other schools? I guess I'm trying to get a handle on the utility of an EBS degree in the United States.

    Thanks!
     
  2. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    The EBS MBA was very well received by UF. I used it for admission into my PhD program and they accepted 30 credits (the max allowed by the university) towards my PhD without question.

    As far as utility for finding employment, the main problem I see is a lack of networking and career services. If you are looking at the EBS MBA to change careers, I wouldn't recommend it. (Actually, I wouldn't recommend any DL MBA if you are a career changer.) However, if you are already working and just need an MBA to move up, the EBS MBA is a great option.
     
  3. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    Thanks for the feedback, edowave. I have actually already changed careers, thanks in part to continuing my education at Penn Foster College. I work in marketing and public relations, and I'm looking to build upon my knowledge. I don't plan to change employers, but if a great opportunity ever came up (I may one day open my own PR agency), I think the education and a credential from EBS could only help (my opinion). I'm looking at the MSc in Marketing from EBS, not the MBA.
     
  4. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    Am I to understand that UF accepted 30 hours of your MBA and applied it to the Ph.D?
    Pug
     
  5. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    Yes. My PhD is in Agricultural and Biological Systems Management, so the MBA was very applicable. They accepted 30 hours towards my PhD.
     
  6. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    Wow. I've never heard of such a thing! Wouldn't that be like accepting undergraduate work toward the masters?

    Pug
     
  7. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Isn't is quite common for PhD programs to accept 30 credits from you masters degree program? It was for all the PhD/DBA programs I looked at.
     
  8. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    "Accepting" 30 hours from the master's into the doctoral program means that when a doctoral program requires 90 post-baccalaureate semester hours for completion, an individual with a master's (i.e., 30 semester hours) need only complete 60 post-master's hours for the doctorate.
     
  9. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    "Accepting" 30 hours from the master's into the doctoral program means that when a doctoral program requires 90 post-baccalaureate semester hours for completion, an individual with a master's (i.e., 30 semester hours) need only complete 60 post-master's hours for the doctorate. I find the claim that a doctoral program will "accept 30 hours of transfer credit" (when they really mean that they will accept your master's degree) to be deceptive marketing tactics.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 7, 2008
  10. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    I'm leaning closer to ordering courses through Hariot Watt for the MSc in Marketing program. One of the concerns I had was where I would take the exams that come at the end of each course, so I emailed EBS. It turns out that the University of Oklahoma is one of their testing locations....just 20 miles away from me!

    By the way, I use response time to my emails (from a real person, not an automated reply) as a gauge for a school's customer service. EBS replied to my email within a few hours.
     
  11. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    Glad to hear they are still prompt and responsive. They were great during my 8-year involvement.

    Incidentally: Heriot.

    George Heriot was one of the richest men in Scotland, banker, financier and friend to King James the 6th (Jamie the Saxt) of Scotland (who later became James the First of England). Affectionately known as Jinglin' Geordie. His name is still all over Edinburgh*: schools, hospitals, charities.

    Trivia question: What is the first name most people see when they pick up the Holy Bible?

    That would be Jamie the Saxt, since he is the King James of the King James Version.
    ______________
    * And, despite what most Americans say, EDD-in-BURR-oh.
     
  12. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    Hi Dr. Bear,

    Yes, they've been great so far. In fact, each U.K. school I have contacted has been great. They are quick to respond, directly answer my questions and do not rely on auto-reply emails. South African and Australian schools...that is another matter.

    I suppose I should spell "Heriot" correctly if I am going to study with them! :D
     
  13. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    Exactly as TCord and Randell said. The PhD requires about 90 hours above the bachelors. So if you have a masters, that usually counts for about 30 hours. However, it is up to the university and the department how much they will actually allow. I was a little surprised the UF accepted the full 30 because 1) it was a non-thesis MBA, 2) it was a non-US school, and 3) I was applying to an engineering PhD program (although my focus is on management.) They could of easily have said, "The MBA doesn't really apply to our program" and make me complete the full 90 credits.

    As for emails from EBS, they might be quick to respond now, but around time for the exams (and graduation), they get swamped. Emails can sometimes take a very long time. Sometimes a phone call is quicker.
     
  14. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Incidentally, the heriot was a mediaeval tax required to take up one's inheritance.
     
  15. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    Thanks to John and Ted for today's history lesson! :)

    Tom
     
  16. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    One more probably unique thing about Heriot-Watt: One time on campus, I noted, in the campus store, bottles of private-label Heriot-Watt-brand scotch for sale. Presumably a product of their distilling department. I'd guess that no other university has such a thing.
     
  17. sentinel

    sentinel New Member

    I can see the advertisement now... ;-) Buy a bottle of Heriot-Watt Scotch and get a diploma for the degree of your choice. Associate-level: GBP75.00, Bachelor-level: GBP250.00, Master-level: GBP500.00, and Doctoral-level: GBP2500.00.
     
  18. sentinel

    sentinel New Member

    An interesting historical fact that is rarely, if ever, mentioned in history courses.
     
  19. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    When I was an on-campus student, I asked about the scotch. It is not made by the campus distilling department, but is an exclusive blend made for Heriot-Watt by a local distillery.
     
  20. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Blended or single malt?
     

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