Recent Experience with UNISA Masters

Please forgive the cross-post. I believe I wasn't in quite the "right" place on the forum for this post. BUT -

I really have to write and say how totally pleased I am with my UNISA experience. I am enrolled in the MA in TESOL program. I applied by the application deadline, submitted my documents and heard back from them exactly when they said they would respond. I received email confirmations of my submissions and payments immediately. So, the application process has obviously improved incredibly in recent years.

Beyond that, I have to say that my supervisor is amazing. She is a full professor, supportive, encouraging and dedicated to ensuring that I get through my program. I receive "touching base" emails from her, printed materials (magazines, etc.) about UNISA through the mail and never feel "left hung out to dry". UNISA does continual research to improve the student experience, with surveys and research questionnaires to see how they can improve their services.In fact, 2015 has been dedicated as their year to focus on ethics..and the president has posed the concept that they "cannot consider themselves an ethical university without a strong focus on student service".

I used their library search facilities (at no cost) - while I was teaching in southern Mexico with no access to professional literature at all. The lit search that came back was speedy, comprehensive and indispensable. I was astounded at the sheer volume of it.

In the M/D areas, you enroll initially for a Research Proposal. You have one year to complete this "module". You are allowed to submit two draft proposals and a third final proposal for your dissertation. The Higher Degrees Committee evaluates it - and it has to be of high standard to get by them. If you fail at the third attempt, you are dismissed from the program.

Cost:
They have recently added an "international fee" for students from outside of Africa. It amount in US dollars, to approximately $520.00. The fee for all students is around $1,000 per year for the research masters/doctorates. This is beyond reasonable and honestly, the fee for international students is overdue. If I am able to complete my dissertation this year, my masters degree costs will amount to under $2,000.00 for everything. No attendance in South Africa is required for my degree.

Summary:
I feel the rigor, the quality of my supervisor and the attention they are giving to their students is just simply outstanding and I could not be happier. I have no doubt that my degree will be widely accepted in the U.S. It is a degree accredited by the highest governing body in South Africa and Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are just two of many well-known alumni. For being a mega-university, there is a strong feeling of connection with other students, whom I've never met and never will - but there is a strong sense of pride engendered through the programs, forums, UNISA radio, printed materials and Inspired - the UNISA magazine.

UNISA was a perfect choice for me - and I thought an update would be useful to those here on the board.

CBear

 

Thank you for this extremely encouraging report. It was a pleasure to read. I've admired what they do since I first put them in my book nearly 40 years ago. My one visit to the campus was also splendid. Warm friendly people and spectacuiar architecture. Douglas Dean, who wrote the chapter of my book for incarcerated people had earned his BA and MA while in prison in the US, but no US school would accept him for a doctoral program. UNISA rose to the occasion, and made it possible for Doug to earn his PhD in psychology. He's still in prison, but is a licensed psychologist in the state of Wisconsin . . . and UNISA quite enjoyed tweaking the US educational establishment, saying, in effect, "Hey, if you won't do it, we will."

 

Will you need to travel to South Africa to present your dissertation before a panel? Or do they have some way that you can present your defense without having to travel there?

 

No defense is required for many degrees at UNISA. Mine is one of them. Although you are invited to visit the campus and your supervisor, it is not required. So, no trips to SA - although I would sort of love to go!

I have not heard of any degrees where a defense is required...although I have read here on the board of some people being required to attend "colloquia" in the Business area.

 

Yes, after you posted this, I went to the site - and indeed - they have a page for "Prisons and Detention Barracks" examination possibilities. "http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=17069"

Brilliant!

 

That's awesome! That's about the cost of 1 class at Penn State Online.

 

As someone who has referred a lot of people to UNISA I'm certainly glad to get this positive review. It supports the view we've gotten from other people who have actually enrolled in the school. Much of what we hear is some version of a perpetuated myth that UNISA is difficult to navigate, unresponsive, etc. Mostly this comes from people who 1) can't be bothered to simply read through the website for the relevant information and 2) have unrealistic expectations about their casual communications with the school. The school has over 350,000 students spread out all over the world. I'm sure they have thousands of phone calls and emails every day. Not only is it unrealistic to expect these to be answered, from a business perspective it would be unwise to even try. In any case, I only want to restate that our experience on this board is that everyone who has actually read through the site, registered with the school (it's free and there's no obligation), applied and enrolled has reported a consistently positive experience. :yup: