Just Curious... For thise individuals enrolled in Foregin Universities (eg: UNISA, Austrialia, Canada) How does the exchange rate compare to the US Dollar? How much does it actually come out per credit/unit at your school?
Exchange I am resident in Canada where the currency has been weak for some time. However, I am doing a MA in the UK by distance and the recent change in exchange betwen the CDN Dollar and the British Pound has been most welcome from my point of view. Roy Maybery
Sorry, Dr Gina, despite periodic claims to the contrary, UNISA is not its own country. The rand is running round 14 cents, rising in recent weeks from runtiness. Try to say this real fast. For fun with currency exchange rates, go to http://www.xe.com/ucc/
I am a DLitt et Phil student at UNISA. The exchange rate is excellent for the DL program I am in. The current fee is $999.00 (U.S.) per year which is least expensive than any accredited doctoral programs in Canada or the U.S. I did consider the Union Institute & University and Arizona State University but the tuition (in U.S. dollars) would have put me in the "poor house".
Thanks for the info... If the exchange rate is so much better for studing at institutions such as UNISA, then why do many people prefer a US Related RA degree? Is it the acceptance factor or is there any difference at all?
This depends on what you are studying. If someone is pursuing an MBA, it would be wise to study from an American school. UNISA has a very good business program. However, it may not receive the same recognition from employers as TIU, Regis, Drexel, Capella or UofP. I decided to pursue my doctorate through UNISA for two reasons. Their Sociology department has one of the leading demography programs in SA/AU and they are the least expensive.
From my persepctive, it depends on the field of study and what your future plans are. I originally looked at some programs at University of Quens land and at Curtin in Australia. But came to drealization I was most interested in engineering management with the goal at teaching at a US university. While there are many foreign programs that are excellent, discussions I had with some freinds who are curently professors (both US and in Australia) led me to looking at US programs as the best for my needs, which led me to University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Colorado State. Applied to both, got accepted at Colorado State, one year down, about 3 to go.
Also, Dr Gina, some people just like wasting money! Roy and Mike are right that certain disciplines may well be better served by a US degree. However, in discussing Antipodean DL, I often get a response questioning whether so "cheap" a product can really be any good. It's the "something for nothing" skepticism. A few people, also, are either xenophobic or racist (loathing the French is a separate category, however). In my own dealings with several South African universities and a couple of Australian ones, I have been impressed by the courtesy, kindness, professionalism, and academic rigor which I encountered. There was one minor exception with one SA university faculty, which was grossly disorganized in my experience; other posters have had very happy dealings with that same university faculty, so my experience with it shouldn't be taken as necessarily normative. Certainly name recognition by the public at large will be greater with a US or Canadian university, but to spend anywhere from 2 to 5 times the money so that cousin Tony or his dog Earl can say they've heard of the place seems kinda pointless. If professional licensing is a factor, then it's worth the cash if--if--that can only be had with a US credential. Some in-state US tuition can be low enough to match or beat the exchange between the Australian and US dollars, but even with the rising rand, South Africa is a great cheap source. I could not pursue what I am pursuing by way of DL were it not for the SA and Australian options.
At the moment, 1 USD = 0.62 British pounds. The Lancaster University M.A., I'm doing runs about 2700 G.B.P. or U.S. $4500. That averages out to U.S. $450 per module. Each module approximates 3 credits, so that's $150 per credit. Not bad for an U.K. program, I suppose. John
