Free State (SA)

Out of the blue I heard back from Free State and was told I could proceed with enrolling and would be able to complete a degree online. Yes, Free State offers online (Blackboard) degrees. So if you had to choose, Free State or UNISA? Does one hold a better rep?

 

Of the top 30 ranked South African universities, according to this ranking … UNISA is ranked 6th; UFS is ranked 12th.
Ranking of African Universities on the web - Best Universities in Africa
Another ranking has UNISA number 7 and UFS at 20.
Top Colleges & Universities in South Africa | University Web Rankings
Of the top 100 universities in Africa, UNISA 8th and UFS at number 15.
Ranking Web of World universities: Top Africa

 

Didn't our friend Brad Sweet get his second doctorate through Free State? If so, he might be a good source to contact. He did his first doctorate through UNISA.

Roscoe

 

I did indeed do my PhD Theology at the Free State. I was there for the defence of my thesis and then for graduation and the university reception for the new university president. If there are questions just write me and we can run through the difference in experience I had between the DEd at Unisa and the PhD at UFS.

 

Brad - would you be willing to outline some of the differences here (I have no way to write you)?
Thx.

 

You can send him a private message by just clicking on his name. That's probably what he means.

 

UFS is a b&m uni so despite rankings is usually held in higher regard

 

Good point, Lukeness. I was just thinking this.

Roscoe

 

I will like to know about your experience at UFS and UNISA. I am working on another project before I apply for to do my doctorate. But I have I come to the conclusion that I would pursue a doctorate from South Africa.

 

I have to admit, and this is just my opinion, but I think the idea of attending a university overseas online is kinda wired. The first question that would come to my mind is to inquire if the person studied abroad, and if they said no, I would have that momentary pause like WTF? I guess the idea of DL in another country would automatically make me think they went there because it was easy or it was a mill. I understand with Free State that isn't the case, but that would be the stigma in my mind . . .

okey:

 

This is a very real consideration that should be taken into account re SA degrees. An employer looking at resumes may be (unfairly) suspicious of degrees earned outside of the country you're living in. For example, Mike Licona (an author I appreciate who did his PhD through SA school University of Pretoria) had an entire page on his website dedicated to explaining why he chose to do his degree there. (I just checked and it looks like he updated the design of his site recently, unfortunately that page is now a broken link and not available in archive.org.)

 

The only way to get past that is to extol the virtues of SA schools every chance you get so that they become better known. Not just for their price but for the quality of the courses.

 

It could help to get an evaluation done from ECE or one of the other evaluators and list the equivalency title on your resume. Ex, when I applied to APU (I ended up deciding not to attend) I needed to have evaluations done for both my degrees (since they're from Canadian schools) and my BA was evaluated as:

Real full title: Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Information Systems & Human Behavior

Evaluated title (equivalency): Bachelor of Science with majors in Psychology and Information Systems

I like ECE's title better

 

For any SA graduate degrees it doesn't really make any difference whether or not it was done on campus or via DL. Most of SA's graduate degrees are research/thesis based and many people only travel to campuses to see their adviser and defend their thesis. SA universities are also much harsher on credit transfer and most (except universities which have developed out of technical or vocational colleges) would not even count any credits earned at our version of community colleges so this is another indication of their rigor and the fact that the degrees are focused on your area of study rather than a hodge-podge of irrelevant subjects to build credits.

 

Unisa vs. UFS

Unisa vs. UFS

I thought I would put down a few thoughts about the difference I found between the University of South Africa and the University of the Free State.

I began studies at Unisa in 2001-2002 and completed my dissertation in 2005, which I submitted and then graduated in 2006. I did not attend the ceremony in Pretoria because I was studying for the priesthood at the same time and the seminary would not be able to give me some time off for that.

What I found helpful with Unisa was that I could prepare my research and writing at my own pace. I began my DEd while working as an officer for the Canadian Navy and in fact wrote one whole chapter to the dissertation while deployed in the Persian Gulf with the American Navy. I was able to work anywhere since all research was either at an archive I had access to and had copies of documents I needed, and I could work on one chapter at a time and submit it when completed. My advisor understood the nature of my work and let me prepare what I could and submit hard copies. I never submitted digital copies of anything since the adviser-promoters want to be able to mark up the documents and send them back.

Some people criticized this method as being like correspondence, but what I said was that even if one were working at a b&m school at the doctoral level one does not need to be sitting at the university to write a thesis. It might help to keep some people motivated but not everyone needs that same level of drive from other people. So I also explain to people that students from other countries who come to study at Canadian universities often stay only long enough to complete the required residence time and then head home to complete the thesis where it is cheaper for them.

My registration was completed each year through IACI in Vancouver. I paid all fees through them and registration was very simply. Besides the fees and forms, there was also a statement of what was accomplished the previous year so that I could register. It is actually a re-register because they want to see if any work was done or not and was verified by the promoter before permitting a candidate for a degree to re-register.

My promoter was always available via e-mail or telephone. He did a lot of the leg work for me concerning the thesis format and final distribution before the examiners looked at it. I learned a great deal about the preparation of a dissertation and was able to apply this to the second dissertation just recently completed.

For my second doctorate I applied to four universities in South Africa and was accepted by all four immediately. However, UFS was the first to respond and I felt that there was something they particularly liked and accepted them to work with. I wanted to be involved with a b&m school as well since it would provide another type of acceptance should anyone question the degree. As I mentioned above, the doctoral level is different in that one can be anywhere in the world to write, it is just necessary to have the materials for the research to hand that is the working factor.

I was given the name of a woman in the finance department who handled all paperwork for registration each year, had my credit card number as well so that as the fees needed to be paid she would send me an e-mail asking how I would like them applied.

My adviser was less involved at this university and I was a bit surprised but when we were finally able to meet he said it was because he didn’t need to do much of anything. I presented a chapter or two per year after registration in 2007-2008 and submitted my final copy for examination in March 2010. It was examined and the resulting committee decided on a few changes, mostly in grammar and the odd paragraph. One of the examiners was one I had suggested here in Canada who knows well the subject of my research.

My defence was 14 September 2010 at the Faculty of Theology at UFS. I was the last to have his defence. I was passed and the following day attended the graduation ceremonies. I was asked to become an Associate Researcher of the faculty as my work falls in line with the type of work they are looking for and will be able to do this from Canada. UFS is looking to enter into the international market more and more, and despite the negative press in the last while has made great strides to improve image and conditions. The BBC recently had a very good report on the changes.

In both cases, Unisa and UFS, I had a very pleasant experience and had no difficulties with administration or advisers. The fees are much better than any western country and because both Canada and South Africa are Commonwealth countries, the qualifications are readily accepted. As I mentioned in previous threads of this forum I was accepted to postdoctoral studies at McGill University in Montréal in the Faculty of Education based on my Unisa degree and related research. This allowed me to prepare as well for the PhD in Theology at UFS. I am now looking at a further doctoral project and was asked to consider a second postdoc at UFS.

I hope this is helpful and sorry for the length. There is so much to tell.
Brad

 

I REALLY appreciate the detail of your post.
Many thanks, Brad.
May I ask the focus of your theology PhD?

 

The Pastoral Formation of the Laity by French Priests Among the Acadians of Cape Breton Island, 1792-1853: Considerations For the Apostolate of the Laity in the Post-Vatican II Catholic Church is the title. All my research is on my research section of my web site: Altimedia |

If there is more please let me know.

Brad