There's been a lot of discussion on this forum about Heriot-Watt University's distance MBA and DBA. I don't recall seeing anything about their distance PhD... "Attracting high-calibre students from across the globe, the DBA and PhD builds on the learning gathered in our MBA and MSc courses to create a research-based programme of original thought and novel ideas. Studied by distance learning, students will have the full support of a dedicated Edinburgh Business School supervisor." https://www.ebsglobal.net/programmes/dba.aspx
It's a new thing, so none of us have commented on it yet. It's a fine school, though from the U.S. perspective, not AACSB-accredited. That said, it's ranked a whole lot higher than a lot of B-schools that are so accredited. A lot of DBA students have signed up over the years, and few have run the gauntlet (they publish stats on the website), so there must be some rigor there with their doctorates.
PhD degree is the last year's twist in their DBA program, which was mentioned a lot in this forum. I recall people enrolling, although I can't remember if a member of this forum ever reported graduating. By all accounts, it is an excellent program people should consider more often. It is approximately the price of the cheapest US RA distance learning program (U. of Cumberlands and Cal Southern), only attached to a major British university. And, of course, their MBA program is a massive, pioneering DL offering; Dr. John Bear used to be an exclusive US representative for them. Along with U. of London, it in all appearances the big British hidden gem.
You're absolutely right, my bad. Should have just said "Scottish" University, this is bound to be accurate. In any case HWU is most definitely NOT in "Britain"; it's in another country currently in union with Britain.
England, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scottland relationship are confusing. It just likes a country within a country.
I think I can help with this one. England is a single country. Great Britain is comprised of three countries, England, Scotland and Wales, that together form one island (there are a whole bunch of little islands thrown in there to but I think you get the idea). Then it becomes the United Kingdom when you throw in Northern Ireland. Then there are these places known as Oversees Territories where GB has some control. These are places like Gibraltar and Bermuda. There are a little bunch of them sprinkled around the world.
It's a complicated thing that has evolved, and is currently devolving in a somewhat different direction. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a political entity comprised of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (and in the hearts of residents, Wales and Cornwall as well, although politically they're part of England with much less local control than Scotland or NI) Great Britain is a geographical label for England, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall The British are the races or nations that have lived in Great Britain for the last thousand years: the English, Scots, Welsh, and Cornish peoples. Not all members of those groups like to be lumped in with the others nowadays, particularly when England and Scotland teams are playing a match, but it's correct. As someone of mixed heritage, I find it amusing but a bit sad when some Scots point out that many of the English are ethnically Germans, or some English point out that many Scots are genetically Scandinavian. If we go back far enough, we're all mongrels.
Back to Heriot Watt: I actually seriously considered applying to this program lately, and dissuaded (for now) by cashflow concerns more than anything else. If I'll ever become a Business faculty and can spare the cost, I'll seriously look into it again. It looks rock solid from any feasible angle, and unless one has unlimited funds, I don't know a program that is a better choice. No, that's not entirely true: if funds are, on the contrary, seriously limited, South African options merit serious thoughts. I'm honestly surprised more people didn't try HW DBA on this forum.
Me too, Stanislav, I wonder why more haven't pursued it. But you already have the Ph.D. from the major U.S. university, and after you nail down the grad accounting degree, you'll have all you need and more in terms of education. The HW Ph.D. would be pure icing on the cake.
Thanks. Once I'm enrolled, my exams will be this December. I'll either get the degree or crash and burn spectacularly. I like myself a good icing