UNISA - Any known credential evaluation problem in the US?

Hi all,

I teach math at a HS here in Texas, for professional development I need to get at least 18 graduate credits in math and then eventually a master degree. Because of my work-load fluctuates widely, the US semester-based program might not work well for me. My preference is the British open-university style in which students study independently and sit for exam by module. I almost make up my mind to enroll in UNISA and I have been in contact with IACI-Canada about enrollment.

(1) Once I graduate, I will need a US credential evaluation firm to evaluate my transcript. Will there be any issue of accreditation? I would appreciate any honest opinion before I take the plunge.

(2) Any other options beside UNISA in the commonwealth countries? I looked at Madurai Karamaj but it costs more and has less reputation.

Thank you in advance for any input.

 

Take a look at the University of London. I believe they have at least 1 Masters level Math degree program.

 

There are two more pieces of information for you. The first is in regards to your question of credential evaluation. To my knowledge, this is done on a case by case basis. We have several UNISA grads who have had no trouble with getting their UNISA degrees through the equivalency process but no one can guarantee anything in advance regarding YOUR degree because it is evaluated individually. The second thing is that the Masters degree program in Math at UNISA is not a taught (course based) degree program. It is a research based dissertation program. Every semester you register for the same Masters level research course until you finish. So the idea of earning 18 credits of graduate level coursework will not be satisfied with this plan. Read all about it:

Master's and doctoral qualifications

 

Nope, they do not have it. They have only Diploma of Graduate in Math, which I was told was undergraduate level. And then on MS side, they have only MS in Quantitative Finance. Thanks though for your response.

 

Yes, they do allow US residents to take it, but the cost is prohibitively high: One module alone costs about 1225 GBP, which translates to about $2000, which is almost twice the cost of local state university under resident tuition rate. (But of course, like I said before, semester-based course work will be too hard for me since my workload fluctuates wildly.) The total costs will cost me around 7500 GBP. Additionally, they do not have test center in US, you need to go to EU or otherwise pay additional 225 GBP (around $300) to arrange for a test center.

Thanks though for your response.

 

Thanks to Kizmet for giving me head-up but now I am getting more confused. The first email Dr. Esselen sent me has an attachment that say "Mathematics Honour Degree," and it clearly says that it is postgraduate level. A student needs to take 10 modules to graduate. The attachment also contains a list of available math courses, complete with textbooks and professors' phone and email address. The instructor will assign assignment work, and students need to take exam on January/February to pass the course.

What is an honour degree in British system? Is it an intermediate degree between BS and MS, which does not exist in US system? Is this honour degree program the same thing as the one you referred to? Dr. Esselen hasn't respond to my second email, so in the meantime I would appreciate for explanation from you or anybody else in this forum.

As for the fact that the UNISA MS is a research-based program, I do not mind at all since it is actually what I am looking for. I can't afford course-based/semester-based study since my workload fluctuates wildly. Beside, I am well adapted in independent research/study, I graduated from Excelsior College (then Regents College) some 20 years ago while I was still oversea and before the existence of Internet. And the impracticality of achieving 18 credits is not a big issue for me since my eventual goal is a MS degree anyway.

Thank again for your quick response.

 

In the Commonwealth system a Bachelors degree is a 3 year degree. The fourth year is the Honors year and not everyone elects to attend. An Honors degree is not considered to be a post grad degree in the US system. In the Commonwealth system you must complete your honors degree in order to be considered for a Masters or Doctoral degree program. If I can say this gently . . . you need to do some homework and not depend on others to inform you on decisions that might make big differences in your future. If you want to enter into the Commonwealth system then you need to know what you're getting into. Best of luck.






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In terms of accreditation equivalence you should have no problem. After earning B, M and professional D degrees from regionally accredited schools here in the USA, I completed a research M and PhD via a South African school that holds the same level of accreditation/recognition as UNISA. Just this year I had the degrees evaluated by both IERF and AACRAO. Both evaluated the degrees as equivalent to regionally accredited US degrees. However, per the 18 graduate credit requirement, I would certainly confirm whether or not your school will accept UNISA's academic paradigm.

 

If you do not mind, can you elaborate on your experience with south African universities? What university did you attend in SA?

 

Thanks to RAM PhD. Here I am echoing Phtobe's request: If you do not mind I would like to know which SA university you attended, specifically, I would like to know if your school has MS math program in research base, as I am looking for other options before I make the plunge. (PS. Never mind about 18 credits, it is not a big deal to me.) Thanks again.

 

For purposes of anonymity I would rather not state the name of the school; however, the school holds the same level of institutional accreditation/recognition as UNISA, U of Pretoria, U of Johannesburg, U of Free State and all the major institutions (i.e., all the schools that offer B/M/D level programs) in SA. To operate and award degrees in SA a school must be accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and registered by the SA Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). To award an academic degree of any kind in SA without the above accreditation/recognition is illegal.

Both of my SA degrees (M/PhD) were research degrees, which means there was no coursework in involved (although the supervisors reserve the right to require remedial work if they deem a student is weak in a particular area(s) of the field of study). The student has one year (at least in the institution I attended) to develop and submit a successful research proposal, which must be approved by the supervisor and postgraduate committee (somewhat of a US equivalent to a M or D committee). The student then begins the process of research/writing until the thesis/dissertation is completed. The supervisor must first approve completed thesis/dissertation, then it is sent to two external readers, typically selected in the field of the students study but who serve at different academic institutions. Both must approve the final product. So, in total, three persons (again, similar to a M or D committee here in the states) must approve the final product. Upon successful completion of the entire process, the student is awarded the degree.

Hope this is helpful!

 

Thank you. I am very close to completing my second master's degree. I also have three undergraduate degrees. If I am lucky, I may be accepted at a SA university, so your feedback has been helpful. My only concern is not having a research master as this seems to be big deal in SA.

 

I started this posting couple of weeks ago when I was thinking about going offshore for a DL math master degree. But after collecting info by bits and pieces here and there, I have finally decided to enroll onshore at UT-Brownsville's online instead. Simply put, the benefit is not there.

Allegedly, one of the main advantages of going offshore is saving. A master degree at MKU costs about $5500 for two years, and while I do not have straightforward info about UNISA's cost, I think it will be approximately the same. However, at UTB, one graduate course (not one credit) costs only about $700 at resident and one course/semester rate, less of course if you take more than one class. Multiplying to 12 translates into $9000. The difference of $3500 seems a lot, but if you spread it to about 2 years, then it is not too significant. Aside from cost, there are way too many unknown unknowns over there.

The more I research the offshore, the more I realize that there are many things taken for granted here are simply missing offshore. Transparency, potability, openness, flexibility, credibility, accountability, etc. At UNISA and MKU, it is caveat emptor, while here we have caveat venditor. I hope these info are useful for you who are in the same situation, and thanks to all who have pitched in.

 

A research Master's is needed so they can be assured that you are capable of performing the work at the doctoral level, sort of like the GRE for the Masters.

 

Do we know if it is possible to be accepted to any SA PhD program with a Master of Arts? Mine was not a "research degree," but there was a research component to my program, and I do have experience working as a graduate research assistant. I've been wondering if UNISA, or other schools, would be considerate of that.

 

I think that what we've heard, in general, is that if an applicant has good credentials but not much research experience they might get admitted into the MPhil version of the program. After that, if their reseach shows sufficient progress, they will be invited into the PhD program, expanding their Masters level research into the doctoral level. I believe that this process is relatively common.

 

Bite the bullet and apply to a ZA University. If you are accepted with a condition that you do a field study first, DO IT! Research courses and being an RA do not come close to actual writing of a thesis.

 

I have tried to post a new thread in the distance learning section, but it won't post for some reason, so I'll ask my questions here:

I have read a lot of posts and online info regarding UNISA, however most were several years old, or not specifically what I was looking for. I am starting an online MS in Mathematics program from a CHEA accredited university in the US, with the goal of teaching community college. I have found UNISA's PhD program in Mathematics, and as far as I can tell, this university is not or no longer accredited by anything recognized in the USA (if I am wrong, please correct me..... With references!). I was wondering if people know if community colleges would recognize a PhD from UNISA (for salary purposes) if my Masters is from an accredited institution? I'm not necessarily looking to teach at the university level (although I am not against the possibility either). I am choosing UNISA not only for the cost, but the main reason is availability. They are the only online PhD program in mathematics that I can find, and I am currently working full time in the engineering industry, so on-campus programs are just not an option for me right now (financially or time wise). So based upon my availability, UNISA's program looks perfect. Any information regarding my concerns would be GREATLY appreciated. Who knows what programs will be available when I finish the masters program, but I'm really hoping UNISA's will work out for me.

 

You are incorrect that it will not be recognized. UNISA was nationally approved (DETC) a few years ago in the US, but decided to drop it. This does not mean that it is unaccredited, or a diploma mill. UNISA is a very old and widely recognized distance learning institution. See University of South Africa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Nelson Mandela earned a BA there while in prison, and there are many other distinguished graduates. You may have to explain yourself a little since going out of country for a doctorate is not the same as attending a US university, but UNISA is nothing to be ashamed of.