I have a two year AAS degree from 2006 and am looking at the extremely cheap University of London four year degree in english lit. It looks like its about 4 grand. Am I even reading this right? Right now I have a job where I sit and stare at a computer all day. I could easily spend 20+ hours at work working on this degree. What has anybody ever heard about this university. I am not stuck on this particular degree but it is unreasonably cheap and I do have some interest in learning about literature and writing. Please help me with this. Thanks Brant
It's not only cheap and it also probably one of the best brand name degrees you can get by distance learning. If you have the time, go for it. But beware that a UK undergrad degree tend to be way tougher than a american one.
The reason why it's "unreasonably cheap" is that it isn't a taught degree. You don't receive instruction from professors. London just sends you a syllabus, a reading list and a list of study topics, and then you are expected to learn the subject on your own through independent study. The program is divided into class-like modules, with a rather grueling written examination at the end of each one. Some students thrive in this kind of program, but others don't. It's an extremely minimalist form of distance learning.
Actually the University of London is now too expensive compared to the degree ideas I found on this site. The easiest would be using clep and getting a general degree from a local college. The cheapest would be going to the University of South Africa. I read somewhere that the cost of books and tuition there run about 700$ a year. I am concerned about my qualifications though. I got my two year degree with about a C average and also only have a GED.
Actually there is a fair amount of variation in the level of interaction among UoL distance programs. The undergrad programs tend to be less interactive than the graduate programs. In any case, you are not quite as alone as Bill Dayson argues. Almost all programs now have internet boards for students to ask questions, download materials, submit assignments etc. Many of the programs have worked out arrangements with other institutions to provide extra instruction for the courses. However, the programs are definitely distance learning versus distance teaching. I didn't find this much of a problem (I am an MSc grad of UoL). My feeling is that, ultimately, every program, whether DL or traditional, is distance learning in a sense. Even the best professor in a traditional setting can only do so much. Ultimately you have to sit down and teach the material to yourself anyway. Certainly, I've had some great professors in a traditional setting who were inspiring, enlightening, and wonderful teachers, but more often than not what passes for traditional instruction these days is a professor blowing through 80 Powerpoint slides and calling that teaching. In a case like that, you certainly aren't giving anything up by opting for the UoL approach. Almost without exception, the materials that you receive will be first rate. The materials are designed for distance learning. You can rely on the fact that the exams will be very challenging. For many (most?) programs, graduating with any kind of honors is nearly impossible. The University of London invented distance learning more than 150 years ago. Their degrees are recognized everywhere.
I have been bouncing around trying for find a fit for me that I can afford. What it has boiled down to is finding a clep friendly college and pretending to fill out my two year to a four year degree with clep courses etc. Next year I am interested in getting a BA in Spanish and literature from The University of South Africa. I am hearing that it has a good reputation and is only 700 dollars a year which I can afford. I hope this doesnt sound too insane. I suck at languages and am not yet ready so I am thinking of getting a used Rosetta Stone program or something simular.
Some additional info on UoL for anyone who might be considering their programs. At least at the post-grad level, it is not true that you are just sent a syllabus and a reading list. In my program, you receive all the books, study guides, readers with copies of journal articles, assignment guides, and sample exams. You also receive a book and CD that explains in detail the exam process, and provides help in navigating a DL program. Some courses also had dvd lectures. Each course had a "tutor" - here in the US we might call this person a TA, who was available to answer questions via a web board and who graded assignments with feedback. All of my tutors had PhD's in the relevant field. There were organized discussion groups within the same UoL online environment. All assignments were submitted and returned via the online environment. My program also had a student-organized facebook, and linked-in group. All in all, it's not too different from a great many DL programs these days, and is a far cry from the early days of the external program. It's true that the programs are not led by a professor. However, most of the sorts of programs are led by a professor are quite pricey. Moreover, very few "distance teaching" programs are actually geared towards teaching the DL students. Most of the programs that I have looked into just provide streaming videos of on-campus lectures for viewing by DL students. These are generally asynchronous, so you can judge for yourself how much of a difference this makes in terms of learning in a DL program.
Most US schools place a limit on the amount of credit allowed for CLEP and DSST exams and require 30 units to be earned in residence. The exceptions are the big three. Since you already have a 2-year degree you should seriosly look at the big three programs. Some DSST exams provide UL credit. Check out Excelsior fees - my hunch is that earning a BS degree could cost less than "4-grand."
