MS Human Resource Management: EBS at Heriot-Watt or Golden Gate University

**joanie** · 10-22-2009 05:37 PM

Hi all,

I recently started the Heriot-Watt EBS MSc. HRM program, and I am, admittedly, having doubts about my choice in school. I'm considering switching to a more interactive program, and I came across Golden Gate University.

Both are RA/RA equivalent with no additional business school accreditation. The EBS program involves self-study with a single examination per course, while the GGU program is done through discussion forums, assignments and testing. I know the EBS is not especially renowned, but that it has a reputation of prestige. GGU appears to be little known except for having a fourth-tier law school and a decent master's degree in taxation .

Some of the things I am (preferably) looking for are the following:

1. Specialist MS in Human Resource Management degree
2. RA or RA equivalent
3. No residency requirement
4. No GRE/GMAT or GPA requirement
5. No dissertation requirement

I am not a lazy student, nor do I expect this to be a cakewalk. I do have a BA, but I started in the US and completed in the UK when I decided to study abroad. For this reason, calculating my GPA will be awkward, at best. I have no interest in standardized testing having been out of school for a few years now. And I really would prefer not to involve myself with a dissertation. I feel I would benefit more from elective courses, and that I really don't have much to offer by way of groundbreaking studies in the Human Resource field. At least not enough to write a 16k-word dissertation.

I would really appreciate any input on which of the two schools might be a better choice, or if anyone knows of any other options.

Thanks in advance.

**tomball** · 10-24-2009 03:46 PM

my vote - GOLDEN GATE

Why - You'll get the degree

FYI Check out

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The Centre for Labour Market Studies (CLMS) is an interdisciplinary Department within the University of Leicester in the UK. Academic staff within the department are drawn mainly from the disciplinary areas of Sociology , Education , Economics and Management and have an international reputation for high quality teaching and research

We offer a range of distance learning courses at Doctorate, Masters, Diploma and Certificate level focusing on:

Skills

People Management

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Human Resource Development, Management and Globalisation

**Arch23** · 10-24-2009 10:10 PM

Golden Gate. Classes pretty straightforward: exams, weekly papers/postings, final requirements. Student services good. And its master's in taxation is actually one of its gems and is particularly well-known in the Bay Area.

**joanie** · 10-26-2009 03:41 PM

Thanks for the advice. :)

**fromthisdesk** · 10-27-2009 10:36 AM

Can I ask why the doubts in H-W? I was looking at the programme too and it looked okay to me but my research has been very limited to date so any feedback is appreciated. Thx.

**dl_mba** · 10-27-2009 10:56 AM

H-W is a very good school. The assessment for each course is thro 3 hr closed-book proctored exam(u need to go to the nearest examination center).

They have a local presence with an office in Miami, FL.

http://www.ebsglobal.net/contact/usa-queries

Edinburgh Business School

1101 Brickell Ave Suite 1001

South Tower

Miami

Florida 33131

USA

Tel: within the USA, call toll-free on 1 877 MBA EBSA (1 877 622 3272). From outside the USA, call +1 305 358 9305

Fax: 305 358 9306

Email: infoenglish@ebsamericas.com (English language) or infospanish@ebsamericas.com (Spanish language)

Originally Posted by fromthisdesk

Can I ask why the doubts in H-W? I was looking at the programme too and it looked okay to me but my research has been very limited to date so any feedback is appreciated. Thx.

**mongoose65** · 10-27-2009 11:20 AM

I am not sure that HW is "RA" equivalent. Many licenses and certifications (particularly in education ) in the US do not recognize foreign degrees because they are not RA. An employer may like it and it could be very beneficial, but still some doors may be closed because it is not US RA.

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**Ian Anderson** · 10-27-2009 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by joanie

..........................
I would really appreciate any input on which of the two schools might be a better choice, or if anyone knows of any other options.
...........................

If you live and work in the USA then I would guess that Golden Gate would be more recognizable than EBS. In Northern California GGU is fairly well known but I can't speak for other parts of the USA.

I've never hired anyone with a non-USA business degree but I have often wondered how applicable foreign taught business practices would be to a US business. Of course, when hiring, other factors are more important than the degree - such as the interviewee's capability to perform the job?

**joanie** · 10-27-2009 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by mongoose65

I am not sure that HW is "RA" equivalent. Many licenses and certifications (particularly in education) in the US do not recognize foreign degrees because they are not RA. An employer may like it and it could be very beneficial, but still some doors may be closed because it is not US RA.

HW is RA equivalent. It has the "highest" national accreditation in the UK as RA degrees do here (of course, quality varies).

**joanie** · 10-27-2009 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by Ian Anderson

If you live and work in the USA then I would guess that Golden Gate would be more recognizable than EBS. In Northern California GGU is fairly well known but I can't speak for other parts of the USA.

I've never hired anyone with a non-USA business degree but I have often wondered how applicable foreign taught business practices would be to a US business. Of course, when hiring, other factors are more important than the degree - such as the interviewee's capability to perform the job?

I'm actually on the East Coast, but I'm not too fond of the distance programs based locally. Any opinion on Webster? Or, since it seems as if you have hiring experience, whether an MS vs MA would make a huge difference in an HR applicant?

**edowave** · 10-27-2009 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by fromthisdesk

Can I ask why the doubts in H-W? I was looking at the programme too and it looked okay to me but my research has been very limited to date so any feedback is appreciated. Thx.

Heriot-Watt has a great program. As Joanie pointed out however, there is not much interaction with other students, except through the EBS web boards. To me however, this is a plus. I liked the flexibility of not having to be tied to a cohort and stuck in group projects.

**adireynolds** · 10-27-2009 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by joanie

I'm actually on the East Coast, but I'm not too fond of the distance programs based locally. Any opinion on Webster? Or, since it seems as if you have hiring experience, whether an MS vs MA would make a huge difference in an HR applicant?

Hi Joanie,

From a hiring in HR standpoint, the MS vs MA really doesn't make any difference, so I wouldn't worry about that at all.

One thing I learned from my DL journey is that it's crucial to find a structure of learning that fits best with how you learn; after all, your education is more than just the piece of paper at the end, it's also the knowledge, and to some extent, the networking you pick up along the way.

So if HW is not a comfortable fit for you in terms of curriculum, assessment, and so on, then definitely research to find a school that you'd be happer in -- you'll get so much more out of the experience that way. This is what I did... I ended up trying 3 other schools besides Capella , but Capella fits me the best and so it's been where I've learned the most.

Hope this helps,
Adrienne

**tomball** · 10-28-2009 08:16 AM

[QUOTE=adireynolds;315826]Hi Joanie,

From a hiring in HR standpoint, the MS vs MA really doesn't make any difference, so I wouldn't worry about that at all.

Thank you :)

**joanie** · 10-28-2009 04:14 PM

Fromthisdesk - As Edowave said, HW is a good school with a good program. The course materials were well-written and interesting. I plan on writing my exam in June for the course I began this fall. But the lack of interaction was a little worse than I expected. I didn't have much luck with my few posts on the Watercooler boards, and I didn't see anyone else who posted about my course. The official board for the class, in which you can ask questions of the instructor, was silent. To top it off, contact with the administration (whether it be in the UK or the US offices) generally took more than a week and a half to get a response, even a canned acknowledgment of receipt. Whereas I thought this would be the ideal program for me, it turned out that I missed having people to bounce ideas off of and being at least hinted as to whether I was on the right track in my studies. My doubts about the program have nothing to do with the quality of education , and are not really doubts about the program at all. They're doubts that I'm able to keep myself on track and trust my instincts and judgment enough to pass a do-or-die exam on the material.

Also, I did privately message a few people who had completed my program in the past from the Watercooler, and everyone was candid and helpful.

Good luck with whatever program you get yourself involved with.

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**joanie** · 10-28-2009 04:27 PM

Adrienne, thanks for your answer about my MS vs. MA question as well as the wise advice in choosing a program. I've read about large disparities in the salaries of MS vs. MA graduates in business overall, but I haven't found much in regards to an HRM degree. While I don't see myself as ever bringing in the "big bucks," I need to ensure I can repay my student loans after all is said and done. ;)

**adireynolds** · 10-28-2009 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by joanie

Adrienne, thanks for your answer about my MS vs. MA question as well as the wise advice in choosing a program. I've read about large disparities in the salaries of MS vs. MA graduates in business overall, but I haven't found much in regards to an HRM degree. While I don't see myself as ever bringing in the "big bucks," I need to ensure I can repay my student loans after all is said and done. ;)

Hi Joanie,

You're welcome, but I realize I'd better throw a caveat behind my statement. My experience in hiring for HR departments is strictly international in the EMEA region, for gov't institutions, MNCs and for large national conglomerates. During these hiring situations, the degree in HR , when required, has simply been a box-checker requirement; we were much more concerned with experience gained on the job, as working in HR in this region generally means that you are either joining an HR department which is revamping from the old 70's style of just personnel processing, and therefore need to come in with the ability to be a part of the hard slog of strategic change, or into true start-up status when everything needs to be built from scratch. So, in other words, yes, it was necessary to have the degree, but the difference between an MS and MA is never considered -- which also reflects on folks here applying for these jobs from all over the world, so an MS in the U.S. might mean something different in structure from an MS from the U.K.

So it might be different in an HR hiring situation in the U.S., but I would frankly be surprised if it matters there, either. I'd be very interested to know more about where you read about the MS vs MA disparity, and in which fields that affects. I think that there could be acknowledged differences (from the hiring viewpoint) between an MBA and an MS/MA for a more operational role that directly impacts on the revenue function, but otherwise, from an HR standpoint, I'm not seeing it. My experience is that many HR managers today are savvy enough to understand that the degree is just one part of the total skill/knowledge/experience basket and that other parts will matter more.

Perhaps other HR professionals on this forum could chime in and let me know if my perceptions of HR hiring in the U.S. are skewed?

Cheers,
Adrienne

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