MA Without a BA

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by sentinel, Feb 5, 2009.

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  1. sentinel

    sentinel New Member

    Royal Roads University located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, allows those without an undergraduate degree to apply for admission in a graduate degree programme.
     
  2. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    Looks like a great program. I know this site isn't a U.S. based site so I speak only in reference to living here. It's a shame we don't have any institutions that allow this type of enrollment. Just like the article suggested we aren't asking for a degree but simply the chance to prove that we already possess the knowledge to be considered for entrance into a master's program. I have three concerns for residents in the U.S.

    1. Coming from someone who hasn't even attained a degree yet I have concerns that allowing people in will only diminish the worth of a bachelor's. As I think about it more though I believe that this process would be so selective that very few people would be allowed in, and those that do make it in will have a tough time finishing.

    2. The lack of a recognized U.S. accreditation might hinder the use of it here in the U.S. although I am hardly an expert on the subject. I just question what the utility would be for someone in the states since we are so hung up on RA here.

    3. This is simply a personal concern but I don't know that I could take off for three weeks for the small residency requirement. It looks like it's just once during the program if I'm reading it right.

    Either way it looks like a step in the right direction for higher education in my humble opinion. :)

    In case anyone was curious:

    How long has RRU been around and is it accredited?

    RRU was founded in 1995 with the proclamation of the Royal Roads University Act. Accreditation is not a term that generally applies to universities in Canada. RRU is authorized to grant degrees as a Canadian public university by the Province of British Columbia through the Royal Roads University Act. We are a member institution of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. Our operations are directed by a Board of Governors whose members are among the top leaders in business, government and public policy.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 5, 2009
  3. airtorn

    airtorn Moderator

    I wonder how a human resources office would view a resume where a person had a master's degree without having a bachelor's degree.
     
  4. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    Many of their programs require residencies, and they are quite pricey. There are UK universities which will do the same, and are actually lower in price.
     
  5. sentinel

    sentinel New Member

    To answer both questions Royal Roads University was originally one of three military universities in Canada and was operated by the Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence. The school has always been accredited in Canada at the same level as any other public university in the country in that each province and territory grants educational institutions the authority to issue specific degrees. To have a RRU degree recognized in the US requires an evaluation by the usual academic credential evaluation organizations. The same process occurs to have a degree earned at a US school recognized in Canada.

    Royal Roads University, a public university, was originally Royal Roads Military College, an university open only to members of the Canadian Forces. The institution has been around much longer than 1995, however, with the name change and change in mission a new proclamation by the government of British Columbia was necessary. Do NOT confuse this change with the on-going saga of Kennedy-Western University and Warren National University. RRMC and RRU have always been legitimate universities.
     
  6. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    airtorn: "I wonder how a human resources office would view a resume where a person had a master's degree without having a bachelor's degree."

    John: As I have often mentioned, during the 8 years I was involved in marketing the Heriot-Watt University/Edinburgh Business School MBA in Canada and the US (1991-99), we went through more than 1,000 approval processes by corporate, academic, and government HR departments. (This degree has no prerequisites whatsoever, not even a high school diploma.) More than 98% of the results were positive -- either immediately because Heriot-Watt has a Royal Charter and an F.I.C.E. number -- or after more information (typically copies of exams) was supplied.
     
  7. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    MA programs normally expect that an applicant has a bachelors degree in the same or a closely related subject. If that's not the case, then the MA starts to look more like an undergraduate certificate than a graduate degree. It's unfortunate that some masters degrees being offered to the adult market are turning into first-degrees-lite. I don't really know if Royal Roads no-BA MAs are among them or not.

    But having said that.. I suspect that quite a few universities do allow extraordinary individuals to petition for modification of particular admissions requirements. The applicant would have to demonstrate to the university's satisfaction that the requirement's purpose had been met in some other way.
     
  8. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member


    Some UK universities offer masters degree as a first degree. For example the University of Surrey offers several of them:
    http://www.surrey.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/
     
  9. ebbwvale

    ebbwvale Member

    As I understand it, in the UK at one time an MA was a first degree. The student kept studying and completed the MA. In short, the student did not exit at the Bachelor's degree completion, nor was the student offered a BA.
    Some students exited at the BA and others at the MA stage. One did not get an MA and a BA. It was one or the other.

    In some circumstances, this makes a lot of sense to me. It still exists in Australia with honors degrees. You receive a Bachelor(Honours) for a dissertation on top of the BA. It is considered an equivalency of a Masters for all intents and purposes. You can go from the BA(honours) to a Doctorate.

    "A graduate from a Bachelor Honours Degree may also be eligible for entry to a
    Doctoral Degree program, providing that the candidate has demonstrated potential to undertake work at this level. "
    An excerpt from the Australian Qualifications Framework set up by the Australian Government

    http://www.aqf.edu.au/pdf/han51_72.pdf

    Maybe this might be a good option for the US? Might keep costs down.
     
  10. anwo247

    anwo247 New Member

    Knowledge over procedure

    It appears that some of us who had recent opportunity of BSc, to MSc and to PhD never checked history of education at all. Even till 1970s, good perfomance in BA in UK colleges and the colonies does not need MA but goes to PhD directly. MA was meant to regularize any imperfection. therefore those who have professional knowledge considered to be equivalent to BA needs MA for academic regularization before PhD, because procedure is not the issue but KNOWLEDGE. it does not matter how the CV look like or HR sees it, any employer will employ the person that has knowledge, not procedures or arrangement of degree.

    The question is: do they have the knowledge? do they perform in the MA programme as those with BA? I can assure you that most people without BA but with professional qualification are gurus. they know it very well and have good operational hands-on experience which the HR want at all cost.
     
  11. vadro

    vadro New Member

    In U.K., many University accept working experience and/or professional qualification to access Masters degrees: as already mentioned by anwo247 the University considers, when applicable, the individual's knowledge as equivalent of a Bachelors.

    As far as the Oxford's degrees, please have a look at this Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degrees_of_the_University_of_Oxford
     

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