When I look at numerous job postings, I don't see much "Bachelor's Degree Required" but a lot of "4 Year Degree Required." Do degrees from schools like Excelsior qualify as a "4 Year Degree" even though it didn't take that long? Though I know its a true Bachelor's. I'm concerned about going to Excelsior, then applying for a job that requires a "4 year degree" then having them tell me that I don't have one. May be possible, but is it probable? Thanks in advance. --Rick
If Excelsior bachelor's degree does not quaify as a 4 year degree, is then a four-week degree? The answer is NO. It takes some people less than three years to complete a four-year degree even in a traditional setting. A four-year degree could also take 7 years or more to complete. The Excelsior bachelor's degree was designed to be completed in four years. So, it does not matter when the degree took 4 weeks or 8 years to complete. A bachelor's degree is the same as a four-year degree. In conclusion, a bachelor's degree from Excelsior is equivalent to a four-year degree from Harvard or any other college.
I think one reason is that under the British model, a straight Bachelor's degree is actually a 3-year degree. The Honours Bachelor's degree is a 4-year degree, and probably what a hiring committee is looking for. You'll see this listed as "BA(Hons)". Bruce
As more US corps become global in scope their hiring practices match. What you are seeing is the globablization of the economy and acknowlegedment that the the US way is the only way does not hold. Also many US corps have a true multinational staff. Where I currently wotk we have one south African, 2 Brits, seveal Middle easterners, plus other nationalities. And this is becoming more common.
British bachelor's honors degrees are normally 3 years in length, though 4 year honors degrees are becoming more numerous. I cannot ever remember seeing any written request (in a newspaper ad, say) from a UK employer, requiring or requesting applicants posses a "4 year degree". Normally the requirement is for "an honours degree", or, "a good honours degree". Four year degrees are the normal requirement, however, in the United States. Specifying a four year degree in the US is proxy for the requirement that the degree comprise 120 semester hours, as opposed to, say, the Canadian non honors 90 semester hour bachelor's degree. Note that a 3 year UK honors degree is at or above the level of a US 4 year degree*. This is simply because entry requirements to a UK bachelor's degree are set at around the level of US 2nd year college, so new entrants are already well ahead of their American brothers and sisters at the starting line. In the UK the honors degree, is the "normal" or usual degree offered and earned. Honors degrees are earned as 1st, 2:1, 2:2, or 3rd class, which may be considered to be A, B+, B-, C. So, the honors degree is the degree ordinarily earned. The UK non honors degree is often earned by those who would fail the honors year, but are given the opportunity to study at a less demanding level and pace in the final year and graduate with a degree without honors. That is to say, with an ordinary or pass degree. A sort of consolation prize. This is much less common in the UK than the honors degree. Note that although these disparities may exist, the little bit of research I've done suggests a US regionally accredited degree will be deemed equivalent to at least a UK 2:1 class honors degree where the overall GPA of the US degree is above 3.50 to above 3.70 (threshold varies by accepting institution). Relevant to this thread, it's also worth noting that I had no difficulty in having USNY/Regents (now Excelsior) degrees, earned in much less than four years, accepted by UK institutions for the purposes of entry into their graduate programs. Also found this same level of acceptance at and from Australian institutions, and from US institutions. Now, this may not translate into universal acceptance of a quick Excelsior degree by *all* employers, and your concern is both understandable and reasonable. All I can suggest is that if it is flagged, you tell them that it is a degree completion program and that your degree was 4 weeks (or whatever) plus 20 years in the making (you fill in the time). That is, it took you 5 or 10 or 20 or even 30 years to build the level of knowledge that you harnessed then put to work in the earning of your degree. Your degree is if you like, a 4-week wonder that was decades in the making. Degree completion means just that: completion. Demonstration of competencies does not include requirements of use of any particular process. What matters is what you know, not how or when or where you learned what you know. Lawrie Miller Author "BA in 4 Weeks", a non commercial resource for adult learners http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/ *Excepting Scotland where the 4 year honors degree is the norm, and entrance requirements are set around US 1st year college. ********************************************** Further reading on UK/US degree equivalencies DEARING REPORT - APPENDIX 5 SECTION 7.1 "The team gained the impression, based on an inspection of syllabuses and examination papers, that the American high school diploma compares in standard with GCSE and the associate degree with GCE A-level and Advanced GNVQ, the bachelor’s degree with a UK pass degree or higher national diploma and the Master’s degree with a bachelor’s honours degree from a British university. " See http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ncihe/ Appendix 5 Section 7.1
My BSHS from Thomas Edison would be a "13 year degree" by the same reasoning. I should be MILES ahead of the competition. <g>
I think it's just a figure of speech. Historically, when people refer to a four-year degree, they are referring to a bachelors degree. When people refer to a two-year degree, they are referring to an associates degree.
