Please explain UNISA doctorate???!!!

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by anngriffin777, Mar 10, 2014.

Loading...
  1. anngriffin777

    anngriffin777 New Member

    For all of you degreeinfo.com veterans, please don't start yelling that there are 100's of threads about UNISA already, etc. I still don't quite get it. Ok I know this is a cheap, South African degree, and I've scanned over their website. Here are my questions:

    -How long does it take to get their doctorate? Is it just a dissertation, etc., or what?
    -Are books included?
    -Is the degree going to be recognized in the USA? I know nothing about foreign accreditation
    -How long does it take to get in their program?
    -Will the diploma look like a regular one?
    -Is this an easier doctorate than the traditional 4-6 year route in America?
    -Why is their website so small, non-descriptive, and weird? I can't really make heads or tales of it. It's not like a regular college website in the United States. Maybe I should not expect for it to be as it is in Africa, but I don't quite get it.

    If you really understand their process and can help me out with this in a simple kindergarten way (I'm talking UNISA for Dummies), then by all means HELP!!!:sad: Please don't respond with sarcasm. Thank you.:sigh:

    P.S. It seems like there is another UNISA in Australia. Is this a coincidence or are they sister schools or something like that?
     
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    But there are hundreds... oh, just kidding. You're right that it really can be very confusing. I haven't enrolled at UNISA, but I did go look into the "South Africa" process closely a few years ago, and my answers are based on that. If someone with experience contradicts me, listen to them.

    It is mostly "just" a dissertation (although they call it a thesis), but it's a "big book" dissertation, which is a lot longer than a "little book" dissertation that is usually required by American universities after their coursework phase.

    Tough one. Since you don't have coursework, there aren't textbooks, as such. You need to read a lot for research, though, and I'd think that whether those are included would depends on what they have available through an online library. I'd ask for guidance once you're in.

    Yes. However, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily be seen as equally competitive for positions that require a doctorate as someone who earned one from a school that's more recognizable to Americans.

    People report that trying to go through the school itself takes forever. Better to speak with IACI-Canada to get help cutting red tape. Despite the name they also work with Americans. In fact, if you're at all serious about UNISA I'd say run don't walk to speak with them about it.

    That depends on whether you believe people called "Phony Diploma":

    [​IMG]

    Not based on those who've done it. It requires a lot of self-motivation and self-starting to go through a "big book" thesis when one is mostly on one's own.

    I wouldn't call it small, but I would agree it's not easy to find this sort of information, and I'm not sure why.

    Coincidence. They share an acronym, not a name, just like the University of Southern California and University of South Carolina do.
     
  3. distancedoc2007

    distancedoc2007 New Member

    Thanks Steve, well said. :)
     
  4. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    And there is a third UNISA in Brazil.

    - University of South Africa
    - University of South Australia
    - Universidade de Santo Amaro

    They are all completely unrelated -- but they all like to abbreviate their names as "Uni + S + A"

    At one time, there was a school in Texas called the "University of San Antonio". If they were still around, they might be doing the same thing.

    The three UNISAs seem to coexist peacefully, probably because they are on separate continents. However, the University of Southern California and the University of South Carolina actually went to court over the rights to put "USC" on their athletic uniforms (the western USC won).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2014
  5. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Yes, but so any PhD from an accredited school in the world coming from India, Mexico, Brazil, etc.

    One thing is that is recognized as a PhD and another thing is that you actually get hired with it for a position that requires a PhD.

    There are many threads that talk about this in this forum. There are hundreds of people that express interest in a PhD from UNISA but we don't have many actual graduates and from those, we don't know how many got positions in the US that require a PhD.

    As a distance learner, you are missing a lot of things that make you employable in your field such as networking, on campus teaching experience, conference presentations, etc. These programs are meant for people already working in Academia or Research that just need a check mark for promotion but not for someone trying to break into these fields.
     
  6. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    The PhD degree is primarily required for academic positions. Hiring for most academic positions is competitive. Most academic openings attract large numbers of qualified candidates, including many candidates from well-known American schools. A degree from a school in South Africa with little or no reputation in the US may meet the requirement for a PhD -- but it may not get you the job if the competition has PhDs from Berkeley, Yale, Michigan, etc.

    Even in South Africa, UNISA -- while certainly legitimate -- is not generally regarded as one of the top schools.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2014
  7. Ed Edwards

    Ed Edwards Member

    Generally speaking I have heard nothing but good things about UNISA. Plus their tuition is one of the lowest out there. The degree itself will serve as well as any unranked generic legitimate degree. Will you be teaching at Harvard? Not just because of the degree but if you did something extraordinary and made a name for yourself it would technically qualify as a teaching credential. If you only want to teach and it is your single passion and you have to do it no matter what, a UNISA PhD would make you very competitive in the Community College circuit and for the several hundred or so nationally accredited schools..
     
  8. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Steve nailed it, with the rest of the thread being filled with great info, too.
     
  9. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    I wonder if this is really true. I like school and would enjoy earning a doctorate, but I really can't justify the cost. If it would legitimately give me a leg up on future teaching it might make the idea much more attractive.
     
  10. anngriffin777

    anngriffin777 New Member

    Hey you guys, thanks for the great answers. I think I want a doctorate when I finish the master's degree that I haven't started yet (it will be soon- I just like to shop around early). Then again, it's not a life-threatening necessity. This degree is cheap and very exotic and out of the box. It sure sounds like there's a lot of drama that goes with getting one. I will have to mull this over. Hmmmm......???? If the process were easier then I'd go for this in a minute. I would in reality probably go a more traditional route. I always could order a doctorate in reality show expertise from some diploma mill in Lithuania for about $200.00. They could call it Ludwig's University, or the University of Machiavelli. Has a nice ring don't you think?
     
  11. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    As CCs do not require a PhD, basically it can help to differentiate yourself from other applicants that only have a M.S.
    Same can be said about adjunct positions, any generic PhD from a no name school could get you an adjunct position at another generic no name school.

    It is what it is, you are getting a PhD from an accredited school with little brand recognition. Do not expect it to become a critical factor when applying for a research position at NASA, Microsoft, Google, tenure track at research institutions or senior vice president positions at research Universities.
     
  12. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    When I worked at Devry, I noticed few instructors with UNISA(SA) PhDs. I think it can help as many schools prefer doctorates but it also depends on the field, if you are teaching finance, stats, accounting or computers the degree can help. The problem is when you want to teach general management as there are ton of qualified individuals with better PhDs all the time.
     
  13. Ed Edwards

    Ed Edwards Member

    It is true, as noted by others, the CCC (Community College Circuit) only requires a masters, so a PhD would stand out. Same for the hundreds of other generic (but legitimate) no-names out there. Now, none of these jobs really pay anything, CC instructors make in the low 40's and can be asked to teach up to 7 courses a term. But, if your passion is to teach and this is your only way in, it will get you in all other things equal.
     
  14. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    Makes sense. I wish they had a business continuity or disaster management centered option... I mean there are a lot of options, but it would be nice to be able to really differentiate yourself...at least it seems so, I don't really know what I'm talking about in regards to degrees at that level. :)
     
  15. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Same for Universities, I interviewed for some state Universities in the middle nowhere that were paying 50K to start. I think is realistic to get one of those jobs with a UNISA PhD if you have some in demand certification such as CMA, CPA, CFA, etc.

    Not many people are ready to go to a small town and make almost no money.
     
  16. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    Anyone know what the actual curriculum looks like?
     
  17. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I am not sure about the UNISA PhD but if it follows the same format as the Australian and British ones, it is basically just the dissertation title in your transcript.

    The problem with this type of doctorates is that is all or nothing, there is no coursework, no comprehensive exams, no grade for defense not even for the dissertation. Some schools do not even post a specialization in the transcript but just the dissertation title.

    This can be hard for a distance education student as you might be enrolled 8 years in a program and at the end you will end with nothing if the dissertation committee thinks that you do not deserve the degree.
     
  18. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    One thing to be aware of about UNISA is that it is a "mega-university". People in the US don't always realize this, because there isn't really any equivalent here.

    What's the largest single university in your state? Here in California, it's UCLA, with about 42,000 students. That's pretty big by national standards, but it's not the biggest. The largest schools in the US, like Arizona State or the University of Central Florida, top out at around 60,000 students.

    For comparison, UNISA currently has over 350,000 students. Not only does that dwarf UCLA, it dwarfs the entire 10-campus University of California system. And to keep tuition low, UNISA has to handle all of those students on a low-budget, no-frills basis.

    So you have to adjust your expectations when dealing with UNISA. The administration and faculty may not be quite as responsive or provide as much personal attention as they might at a school like, say, Charter Oak State College (about 2,300 students) or Peru State College (about 2,500 students).
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2014
  19. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    So wha does "sufficient academic progress" look like? Wha are you actually doing years 1,2,3? Is it all just organizing and polishing an academic tome? I'm trying to wrap my head around why this takes years to complete.
     
  20. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    No, the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the University of South Australia (UniSA) are not sister schools. Nor is the University of South Alabama.
     

Share This Page