University of London - Distance-based PhDs

**SouthSideSaint** · 05-12-2010 08:02 AM

Good day all,

First, I wanted to thank you all for the amount of time and effort that has gone into this board. I have been on the site for a day or two, and am simply amazed. There is a wealth of information here that is otherwise buried in the web and the issues surrounding programs, accreditation, perceptions, and educational worth are an invaluable resource for many. There is a great deal of experiences in these boards and I welcome your input on my situation.

I have a question regarding the University of London, one that I could not seem to find a definitive answer on while searching the former postings.

First allow me to briefly introduce myself, so you know the context in which I am seeking answers. I am 30 years old, from the US, and work in Emergency Management / Homeland Security for the government. I am a third generation public safety employee, and the first to attend college. I earned two Bachelors from a traditional BM state school, and my Masters in Emergency Management from an online program at The George Washington University . I am currently looking for a distanced-based program to earn my PhD in Public Policy, Public Administration or Political Science . (Just and FYI, the two local universities in my area the offer this degree are extraordinarily cost prohibitive, and will not work with the dynamic schedule of someone in the emergency services. I believe distance-based is my only alternative but am trying to stay away from Walden and Capella because I would like to teach one day.)

My search has been a combination of exhaustive / frustrating, and I am amazed at how few programs are out there for this type of degree. I am not looking to avoid a residency or go to a diploma mill, but I would have assumed that some BM university would have established a cohort-style program in this field that allows for independent learning and required residency (1 to 2 weeks) at various intervals of the program.

~ TO THE QUESTION AT HAND ~

Reviewing the UofL‘s external site, they note that “It is not possible to study under the External System for an MPhil or PhD. All enquiries about higher degree study should be addressed to a College or Institute that offers the subject area in which you are interested.”

I understand this to mean that yes; distanced-based PhDs are available, but established through the Lead School as opposed to the External System.

This idea was further reinforced when I found this link to the Royal Holloway College,
( Royal Holloway, University of London ) where it states that “This Online Application Process is for:
• Masters (on-campus)
• PhDs (on-campus and distance learning)
• The Pre-Masters Diploma for International Students
• The University Foundation Programme

So, am I correct in assuming that distance-based PhDs, with applicable exams and papers, are available through the UofL? Does anyone have any experience in this arena? Any thoughts or input regarding this whole process is greatly appreciated.

My Best,

SouthSideSaint

**TEKMAN** · 05-12-2010 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by SouthSideSaint

Good day all,

First, I wanted to thank you all for the amount of time and effort that has gone into this board. I have been on the site for a day or two, and am simply amazed. There is a wealth of information here that is otherwise buried in the web and the issues surrounding programs, accreditation, perceptions, and educational worth are an invaluable resource for many. There is a great deal of experiences in these boards and I welcome your input on my situation.

I have a question regarding the University of London, one that I could not seem to find a definitive answer on while searching the former postings.

First allow me to briefly introduce myself, so you know the context in which I am seeking answers. I am 30 years old, from the US, and work in Emergency Management / Homeland Security for the government. I am a third generation public safety employee, and the first to attend college. I earned two Bachelors from a traditional BM state school, and my Masters in Emergency Management from an online program at The George Washington University . I am currently looking for a distanced-based program to earn my PhD in Public Policy, Public Administration or Political Science . (Just and FYI, the two local universities in my area the offer this degree are extraordinarily cost prohibitive, and will not work with the dynamic schedule of someone in the emergency services. I believe distance-based is my only alternative but am trying to stay away from Walden and Capella because I would like to teach one day.)

My search has been a combination of exhaustive / frustrating, and I am amazed at how few programs are out there for this type of degree. I am not looking to avoid a residency or go to a diploma mill, but I would have assumed that some BM university would have established a cohort-style program in this field that allows for independent learning and required residency (1 to 2 weeks) at various intervals of the program.

~ TO THE QUESTION AT HAND ~

Reviewing the UofL‘s external site, they note that “It is not possible to study under the External System for an MPhil or PhD. All enquiries about higher degree study should be addressed to a College or Institute that offers the subject area in which you are interested.”

I understand this to mean that yes; distanced-based PhDs are available, but established through the Lead School as opposed to the External System.

This idea was further reinforced when I found this link to the Royal Holloway College,
( Royal Holloway, University of London ) where it states that “This Online Application Process is for:
• Masters (on-campus)
• PhDs (on-campus and distance learning)
• The Pre-Masters Diploma for International Students
• The University Foundation Programme

So, am I correct in assuming that distance-based PhDs, with applicable exams and papers, are available through the UofL? Does anyone have any experience in this arena? Any thoughts or input regarding this whole process is greatly appreciated.

My Best,

SouthSideSaint

Not sure if University of London offers Ph.D via distance learning, but alternate Valdosta State University offers Doctor of Public Administration , and Regent University offers Ph.D in Organizational Leadership .

**novemberdude** · 05-13-2010 05:00 AM

Originally Posted by SouthSideSaint

Good day all,

First, I wanted to thank you all for the amount of time and effort that has gone into this board. I have been on the site for a day or two, and am simply amazed. There is a wealth of information here that is otherwise buried in the web and the issues surrounding programs, accreditation, perceptions, and educational worth are an invaluable resource for many. There is a great deal of experiences in these boards and I welcome your input on my situation.

I have a question regarding the University of London, one that I could not seem to find a definitive answer on while searching the former postings.

First allow me to briefly introduce myself, so you know the context in which I am seeking answers. I am 30 years old, from the US, and work in Emergency Management / Homeland Security for the government. I am a third generation public safety employee, and the first to attend college. I earned two Bachelors from a traditional BM state school, and my Masters in Emergency Management from an online program at The George Washington University . I am currently looking for a distanced-based program to earn my PhD in Public Policy, Public Administration or Political Science . (Just and FYI, the two local universities in my area the offer this degree are extraordinarily cost prohibitive, and will not work with the dynamic schedule of someone in the emergency services. I believe distance-based is my only alternative but am trying to stay away from Walden and Capella because I would like to teach one day.)

My search has been a combination of exhaustive / frustrating, and I am amazed at how few programs are out there for this type of degree. I am not looking to avoid a residency or go to a diploma mill, but I would have assumed that some BM university would have established a cohort-style program in this field that allows for independent learning and required residency (1 to 2 weeks) at various intervals of the program.

~ TO THE QUESTION AT HAND ~

Reviewing the UofL‘s external site, they note that “It is not possible to study under the External System for an MPhil or PhD. All enquiries about higher degree study should be addressed to a College or Institute that offers the subject area in which you are interested.”

I understand this to mean that yes; distanced-based PhDs are available, but established through the Lead School as opposed to the External System.

This idea was further reinforced when I found this link to the Royal Holloway College,
( Royal Holloway, University of London ) where it states that “This Online Application Process is for:
• Masters (on-campus)
• PhDs (on-campus and distance learning)
• The Pre-Masters Diploma for International Students
• The University Foundation Programme

So, am I correct in assuming that distance-based PhDs, with applicable exams and papers, are available through the UofL? Does anyone have any experience in this arena? Any thoughts or input regarding this whole process is greatly appreciated.

My Best,

SouthSideSaint

As far as I understand it, University of London is a consortium of universities. The external programme of the University of London does not offer distance learning PhDs. Whether any of the constituent colleges willing to allow a distance learning PhD student is up to that institution and may well vary on a case by case basis. It is worth remembering that traditionally the English PhD is a research degree that typically does not require any mandatory coursework.

Your best bet would seem to be to identify any English schools that have a particular strength in your area of interest, come up with a doctoral research topic, and start shopping it around to departments and/or potential supervisors. It will be a lot of work but I can't effectively see another way to go (unless of course someone is aware of a distance learning based English PhD program in your area of interest, I'm not but I've never looked either).

I think the suggestion of Valdosta State is a good one. It will also cost a lot less than a PhD from an English university (I would guess 40-50% but I have not looked at the numbers recently).

Good luck with your search.

**AUTiger00** · 05-13-2010 06:49 AM

I'm not sure if this would fit, but Northeastern has a Doctorate in Law & Policy that has been discussed on the forum before. I seem to recall some dissertations in the area of Homeland Security .

You would have to travel to Boston one weekend a month though, which may make the program prohibitive.

Doctorate Degree Law and Policy|Northeastern College Professional Studies

**SouthSideSaint** · 05-13-2010 07:18 AM

I actually received a call from UofL yesterday, after posting my initial discussion.

UofL DOES offer distance-based PhDs on a case-by-case basis, through nearly all of their colleges. So, for example, the London School of Economics (LSE) has a PhD program in Social Policy, and the Birkbeck College has a PhD in Politics. The applicant must make contact with the school and instructor they are looking to work under and basically establish their own program.

Residencies are held IN LONDON either 2 or 3 times a year, the program lasts generally 4 years, and the student is expected to produce a research document totaling near 100,000 words. (over 300 pages)

I have a follow up phone call this afternoon with a Professor, and I'll post any new insights after that.

By the way, thank you for posting the two other distanced based programs, I did not know they existed. Any other you guys can think of that fints my parameters?

SouthSideSaint

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