Trying to Decide Between Universities - Round 2

Have you considered a part time PhD in a canadian university? The PhD from McGill University is research based only and no course work is required, it requires some residencies but it may be negotiable. The PhD from Sherbrooke university is research based and it can be completed in combination with industry. Concordia University in Montreal takes part time students so you could negotiate a few visits a year with your supervisor. The PhD from Concordia needs few courses but you could probably take them at another canadian university that has transfer agreement with Concordia.

If you are going to pay a fortune to do it in the UK, you might want to explore all the possibilites at home first. I think, it would be matter of finding a supervisor that is willing to supervise you at distance.

 

Gert: LMAO. I needed something funny.

 

Sherbrooke is all french only. I have no chance.

McGill requires eight full-time terms of residence (an M.Sc. degree in Computer Science may count towards two of these terms) + Course work. The course work is no problemo, but I cannot spend 6 full-time terms there.

Concordia, requires a 2year minimum period of residence of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study.

 

Jack Tracey writes: "I'd also disagree with Prof. Kennedy when he takes the shot at UNISA's costs, administrative inefficiency, etc. and comes to the conclusion that the school won't be around long or must not be very good. This is jumping to a conclusion. UNISA will be around forever regardless of the mess. It may never be ranked with the best schools in the world but will remain a viable and valuable educational resource for zillions of people in Africa and across the world."

I have no idea how long UNISA will be around - anytime from now to forever - but I do assert that an institution that people here admit has an appalling administration, like any firm selling any product, cannot be "much good" and its products must be suspect. Why I should change this conclusion ('jumped' or otherwise) which I would apply to anybody else selling something that people wanted, I fail to appreciate (though no doubt Jack will enlighten me!). That such an institution "will be around forever regardless of the mess.", suggests heavy political protection, deep subsidies and high tolerance by its 'zillions' of customers for the 'fine mess' they are dumped in.

We are back at standards. But, I won't go down that route at risk of offending Jack and others who are in danger of ignoring them.

 

OK, here's a reply from UNISA today.

"Unfortunately I have been unable to find a suitable study leader for your study up to this point. So, if you are also considering offers from other universities, it might be worth your while to cancell your application at Unisa."

 

Javad, decision is made, and as the Scots say "away with them" (SA that is), since travel is a problem for you going to AUSSY and SA, its back to the Brits (overnight flight and familiar surroudings you said).

Great Pub's in the UK, however RF Valve came up with a great suggestion for the Quebec universities..did you try this as an option? (great Pubs in Montreal also)

From the fence where I sit, your only option left is the Brit thing, but a puzzling thing came up, why are you doing an MPhil if you already have a Masters degree? Those stubbon & cheap Brits should have you straight into the Ph.D program, dont they know a North American masters is just as good as theirs.

As I mentioned in one of the earlier posts, if its the UK, either John Moores, Bradford or Liverpool, get the placement offer and sign it back and let us all know if and when you have signed on with wherever it is your going.

J.R (ic)

 

John, please see my post above re Cdn Universities in Montreal.

Apparently in UK you have to be in the MPhil program for a year before being admitted to the PhD program. However, I will try to negotiate this. I have already been in communication with the Prof. assigned to me at Bradford and so far so good.

I will keep you all updated.

Thx.

 

Javad, good luck with Bradford, it traditionally has a reputation as being a good techy school.

Sorry, missed your reply to RF Valve on the Quebec university thing.

Cheers.

J.R(ic)

 

French Universities also accept dissertations in english. Concordia would accept you as a part timer,when it says 2 years residence, it means that you have two be registered at least for two years in the university. If you are able to find a supervisor that is willing to supervise you at distance, then you should be okay. I know some people are doing this but at the last stage of their dissertation. The computer Science program only requires few courses, and you can transfer some credits from another university, so the only obstacle is to find a supervisor willing to supervise you. Concordia is the only university that I know that takes part time PhD students. The other PhD programs require you full time work at their research facilities.

 

I have no connection with UNISA and so am not in danger of being offended by the facts. Unfortunately, you have presented none to support your conclusion. Rather, you've based your opinion on the statements of a few members (most of whom are not and have never been UNISA students) and ignored the experiences of the thousands of satisfied and successful graduates of that school. Therefore, your conclusions are based on skewed data. UNISA is a major institution in a developing country and is not in any danger of going under. Does it have problems? Sure. So do a bunch of British schools (as we're seen in some other recent threads). I care about standards but am not a prig. Your thinly veiled insult does you more dishonor than me.
Jack

 

Standards are universal measures

Jack: "UNISA is a major institution in a developing country and is not in any danger of going under. Does it have problems? Sure. So do a bunch of British schools (as we're seen in some other recent threads). I care about standards but am not a prig. Your thinly veiled insult does you more dishonor than me."

Touchy, touchy! Standards are universal measures of what is acceptable and being in a 'developing country' (albeit the richest in Africa) is no excuse for excusing shambolic administration and treating it has 'normal' or acceptable. I agree all universities have problems, but those exhibited by what is defended and the affairs of some (un-named) British institutions are not comparable (I am a trenchant critic of some Schools here too but of their pedagogy and not their non-lack of half decent management).

I had to look up the word 'prig' - 'self-righteously moralistic'? - and can only wonder where you learnt to use this word. As for a 'thinly veiled insult' I tried the opposite: 'I won't go down that route at risk of offending Jack and others who are in danger of ignoring them.' Once we excuse things that are wrong and which we would not tolerate as standards in our own institutions, we are indeed 'in danger of ignoring them'. That was the charge, such as it was alluded to.

My information of the bureaucratic shambles of SA universities, including UNISA, do not come from this Board. EBS has long had educational dl connections with SA and I used to be a regular visitor. From reports on this Board, things do not seem to have got much better.

To bring mine or your 'honour' into a legitimate difference of opinion sounds awfully 'priggish', what? It's not worth falling out over.

 

I'd like to know what CSU has a bad reputation. I found my communication with the department admin very slow, but the Professor that I had to send my thesis abstract to responded quite quickly.

Thank you.

 

<RANT>
I was asked by the UNISA agent to pay via credit-card at the time when I first applied t othem because that was the fastest and best way UNISA liked to deal with tuition fees. I was also assured I would not be charged by UNISA unless I was fully accepted. The first thing UNISA did was to charge me the full tution fees. Now, since UNISA have been unable to find me a suitable advisor, I am in communication nightmare with them trying to get my money back. They want to charge me half the tuition fees... What a mess...
</RANT>

Sorry for the above rant, it is only based on my "personal experience" with UNISA. I am sure many people have wonderful stories to tell about them and by no means am I bashing them. I am just getting a little frustrated. That's all.

Regards,
J.

 

Quite a <Rant> problem that you have there. You never said if it was UNISA directly in SA that charged you the fees or the Agent in Vancouver. BC?

My guess is the Agent in BC, since this guy probably gets his commission based on the sign up?

Have you gone directly to the Administration at UNISA to point out this problem..a phone call would probably do it, copying the BC guy just in case.

If it was UNISA that did this to you directly, then ask the BC to help.

Either way, a strongly worded email, Fax and phone call should do it, since they couldn't deliver the suitable advisor..full refund of the fees I say.

Good luck.

J.R(ic)

 

I suggest that you contact your credit card company about the matter and let them help you deal with it...

 

My credit-card company is not at fault here. I don't think there is much they can do. I was told by the UNISA agent I would not be charged unless I was fully accepted. The first thing they did was to charge me.

I sent a nice but strongly worded email to UNISA and the agent in Canada and they're dealing with the matter. Apparently I am being told I would get refunded. I hope so.

 

Hi Javad

Your bank is there to protect you in case the merchant is being unreasonable. In this case the merchant, UNISA/Canadian Rep., misrepresented when they would charge you. Once you have received an incorrect bill you have a limited time to file a dispute with your bank. Unless UNISA will gurantee the charge has been reversed, I would immediately file a dispute to protect yourself. This is a case where being patient could cost you the total amount of the charge. Good luck.

 

what a good start with UNISA. In case you are interested, you may also consider the PhD in applied computer science from North Central. It seems that they will get accreditation pretty soon. The problem is that the course work is pretty lame since most of the courses are at the undergraduate level (C language at the PhD level), but I guess it is the dissertation that matters at the end.

 

It is the feedback that I got from some Australian academics. However, at the PhD level, it is more the supervisor and the quality of the research that it counts more than the university. In Canada, few people know about australian universities, so it wouldn't matter much if its USQ, CSU, CQU or any low tier university.

In Canada, they will be a shortage of university professors for the next five years (statistics canada). So the sooner you get your PhD the better the chances to get a job.

 

I find their fees quite high. But thanks for the suggestion.