Foreign DL Doctorates

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by defii, Jan 15, 2002.

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  1. defii

    defii New Member

    I've been scanning previous threads to get a sense of what foreign schools offer good doctoral programs. Could I get some suggestions. Here are the things that matter:

    Inexpensive; No residency or no more than two trips overseas; In subject areas like Public Affairs, Social/Human Service Management; Responsive faculty; GAAP

    I looked through Bears Guide, 14th ed., but still can't get a handle on the best prospects. Your help is really appreciated.



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    David F
     
  2. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    Well David, if you've looked over the previous threads on this topic and still haven't developed a sense of clarity it may well be because there is no real clarity on this question (IMHO). While there are exceptions, you're basically looking at schools in England, Australia and South Africa. They are priced in that order and so if low cost is a factor (it is for me) you need to take a hard look at UNISA (soon to be OLUSA, I guess). Even though airfares are lower now, one or two trips to England will push your costs right up to where the US programs are (I think, I haven't done the math for a while). The Australian schools never seem to want to be clear about whether they'll require you to make the trip or not and so it's hard to know what to expect regarding costs. As to whether the schools are "good," well that's another can of worms that gets opened in these discussions too. There are ratings guides but then you can debate the utility or meaningfulness of ratings guides as they relate to your specific needs, the specific department, your advisor, etc. What if the program sounds good, the department, the staff, all check out but the school as a whole is rated "not so good," are you going to apply? You need to think at least a little about how well a foreign DL doctorate will work for you. Will it matter to prospective employers that your degree is from a foreign program, probably a school that they've never heard of before?
    Barry Foster began a very interesting thread not too long ago in which he offered some criticism of those who would recommend foreign degree programs to others. I would recommend that you read that entire thread as he, and others, made some good points. Withoutactually recommending a school, what I would advise is that you 1) find a school that even offers the degree program you're looking for (there's no guarantee that it exists) 2) inquire whether they are even willing to let you do the program on a DL, non-residential/low-residential basis 3) at that point you can wonder if it's a good enough school/program for you, whether or not it will meet your needs. Good luck,
    Jack
     

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