U of London vs. U of Liverpool Online Master Program

Hi there I am new to the forum so I hope I am posting on the right section.

I am fairly new to Online ed, I know people here are intelligent, so forgive me if its a stupid question. So anyway, I graduated from University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts, and worked few years and planning to work full time while getting back to school,

now I am debating over two school .

Which is University of London and University of Liverpool. I am looking mostly UK university because seems like they are more cost effective than US'.

So these are pro/cons

U of London
Pro:
-Cheaper,
-shorter duration,
-better reuptation.
Con:
-Need to take the GMAT for admission,
-lack of study support,
-two exams per year.

U of Liverpool
Pro:
-more flexible intake
-lower entrance requirements
-better online support , no exams , grades mainly based on assignment (more similar to the US education system i come from)
Con:
- more expensive
- less famous
- longer min duration


And also, I wonder if i successfully completed the programs, would the certificate indicate it was a distance program?

Thanks.!!!!

 

I don't want to be picky but I don't believe that any of the University of London programs are actually "online." (just in case it matters)

 

It depends on your learning style, the U of London program is not online but an external program. This means that it is not an online program with online discussions, activities, etc. Basically, you are given a set of readings and theb you go to the British embassy to write the exams. It is good for those that are good exam takers and hate to be on a schedule of online discussions, assignments, etc.

The U of Liverpool program is more structure, you are required to attend online discussions and submit online assignments. It is better for those that hate exams and like a more structured program.

Both programs are fine but it depends mainly on your learning style and schedule.

 

RFValve, do you have experience with the UoL programme?

 

I have never completed a program with them but I applied long time ago for its Masters in Finance. I was required to take few exams and a dissertation, the exams were conducted by the british embassy. The program was affordable and was mainly based on exams and research.

I completed an ACCA certification instead as it was even cheaper than the MA but then I switched fields so never practiced accounting and finance.

I rather do exams than useless online discussions and canned assignments but some people hate exams and prefer a more structured and safe approach that requires discussions and some assignments.

Exams push you to learn something and are more flexible than scheduled online discussions and assignemnts but that is my preference.

I think it is matter of choice. In finance and accounting, a masters is not really useful as the market requires a certification such as CPA, CGA, CMA, etc so a distance masters is not going to help much unless it comes from a very prestigious school or you are more interested in teaching.

An MBA is a different thing, it seems that this program is becoming a main requirement for entry level positions in consulting, general management, etc. I believe any british school would be credible enough but most employers really need tons of experience so the MBA is really a cherry on the cake.

 

Go to UoL.

 

I am studying with Liverpool, so any questions, feel free to ask. If I can refer you to an enrollment adviser let me know too please, as we both could save the fee on 5 credit points. You did not state which degrees you are looking at. As the delivery mode might slightly differ from "lead college" to "lead college". Royal Holloway for example requests a week long residency for their MBA. In terms of accreditation, the official representative of the UoLiv at LinkedIn said that they are in the process of obtaining the AACSB, but no clue how long that will still take. In terms of fee you also have to be aware the the UoLiv tuition increases substantially when you pay in installments. But in the end it comes done to the fact RFValve described: Do you want to learn on your own and write an exam twice a year or do you want to constantly have to write short essays?

 

The U of London program requires a lot of discipline, I know a guy that started but never completed even one exam. You have to make time to study and be ready to make your own schedule.

The Liverpool program requires you to complete modules every 6-8 weeks so you are forced to complete the program on a given time frame. Its advantage (For some) is that it doesn't have any exams so it is all essays and projects.

 

UoL? University of London (UoL) or University of Liverpool (UoL)? :lmao:

 

That was the intent of the joke. Of course, we could throw in the University of Leicester. :lmao:

 

The modules are 8 weeks long, but you can extended breaks between them. You just have maximum time until you have to finish the course. (I believe 5 years, but I never planned to take that long, so I am not sure about it)

 

I think im more familiar with u of Liverpool learning style. As it's somewhat similar with the north American style when there are assignments and you need to work in progress instead of just one exam.

Anyone know what kind of learning support from u of London.? Although I like u of Liverpool distance education model over u of London's. But the cheaper tuition fee and shorter duration is still tempting.

And sweetowski can you refer me the enrollment advisor. And does it means the tuition fee quota I get now. Unless I paid in one installment. If not it's likely I need to pay more than they have quoted now in the end?

 

I cannot speak to the University of London generally, but the course that I am just finishing was very much an online one (aside from the exams that I took at a local community college). From what I've heard, there is much more support in master's degree courses. From my experience, the University administration was difficult to get in touch with, but the tutors and instructors for the individual modules were very helpful. I had group assignments assigned in each module and there were several Elluminate sessions. I would try to find someone that has completed the specific course in which you're interested. They should be able to give you information about the mode of instruction in that case.

Peace,
db

 

Hello, please send me your email and real name via private message so I can refer you.

I am not sure if I understand your question about the tuition right. But as an example, when I looked at the MSc back in 2010 the tuition shown on the page was €15,700. But this was the amount for payin in one installment. When paying per module or in installments the costs were the following:
45 Monthly Instalments €446.58 = €20,096
36 Monthly Instalments €523.33 = €18,840
12 Modular Instalments €1,570.00 = €18,840
3 Instalments € 5,756.67 = €17,270

The same structure is true for the MBA and therefore I assume it will be kind of the same increase at all programs.