University of Loldon Diploma

Re: The propblem with your theory is...

UI-UC had two Nobelists in 2003. I have a feeling the ranking didn't take those into account.

Like you, I also tend to put more weight on academic measures. In reality, though, how much impact is a cadre of Nobel Prize winners going to have on the typical undergraduate or master’s level student? Unless you're a PhD student in one of those fields, the effect is virtually nil. An undergraduate math student, for example, is typically learning math that is 100-300 years old. A Fields medalist will have absolutely zero effect on the experiences of an undergrad (typically).

I don't put much more faith in the US News rankings, though I will say that I think they put slightly more thought into their criteria than the ranking discussed in this thread (where they gave a seemingly arbitrary weighting of 20% to each of the five criteria). Whereas the ranking in this thread probably doesn’t use enough criteria, so that individual institutions are not adequately distinguished, the US News criteria are perhaps too picky, which ensures that there will be a lot of meaningless movement from year to year. Of course, this makes for good magazine sales. It’s like the pundits on the nightly business report who go on and on about the Dow changing 20 points today. It means nothing. It’s just noise.

The US News ranking favors private schools with large endowments. They also place a heavy weighting on things like drop out rates. If you're not one to drop out, then that criterion means nothing to you. My alma mater, UC Berkeley, has very high drop out rates. Its alter ego across the Bay, Stanford, has very low drop out rates. If you're paying $150,000 for a Stanford education and you threaten to drop out, I imagine you get a visit from a Dean who does his best to convince you (and your suffering parents) otherwise. At Berkeley, they don't give a damn. There's a long list of students on a waiting list who would love to take your place.

Does that make Stanford a better school? I don't know - friendlier certainly. Some say the relatively unfriendly nature of Berkeley and its sometimes oppressive bureaucracy make it a good preparation for the "real world".

I know this is a bit of a ramble, but I think this gets partially at some of the themes in this thread, such as the relative prestige of the UoL External Programme, and the uneven quality of UoL's constituent colleges. I think it's largely irrelevant. What most people are talking about when they talk about prestige is the research quality of the faculty. If you're an undergrad or masters student, whether DL or on-campus, it doesn't really matter. What you want is a program that requires a high level of work, that has well thought-out and up-to-date materials and reading lists, and that has stringent examination schemes. UoL External provides that, and that's really a function of the entire External Programme, and to a lesser degree the constituent colleges. But again, it doesn’t take a world-class faculty to design learning materials for undergraduate and masters programs – just a competent and conscientious faculty that takes great care in including the relevant material and seeing that it is aimed at the appropriate level for prospective students.

 

Yes, I agree with that one. My wife graduated from the LSE and her diploma looks pretty disappointing, if it wasn't because it was handed and signed by Sir Anthony Giddens, the outstanding sociologist and former LSE director. Otherwise, the diploma looks terrible.

Respect to that list, I think it is just a joke, a Chinese joke they are playing on the rest of the world, some type of sociological experiment. I think I read that SUNY Albany is ranked higer than Georgetown ....... The LSE is not even ranked.... Too bad of a institution to make it on the list. Next year!

 

If oxpecker can't find the London diploma, I have a scan of one (not mine) that I can send anyone that's interested. Just send me your e-mail address in a PM and I'll send it out (the file is too big to post here).

 

Bruce was kind enough to email me a U of London diploma. When I first looked at it two words popped into my mind "Cheap & Trash".

 

If your initial impression is cheap and trash,then almost ALL British diploma format and paper quality will appear so to you.The British ivy league diploma is almost identical with the london diploma.

 

Oxpecker,if you can dig out your london diploma,I would be delighted if you can send me one. I am curious to identify major variations of the diploma format and wording for different year of london diploma.Currently,it appears to me london changes its format at a decade or two's time.

 

You might be right. However let us not forget that it's the education and knowledge that we get is what really counts. Even though I am very disappointed with the look of the diploma, I still have a lot of respect for the University of London and think that they are a great school.

 

Imperial College MBA Degree Certificate

Hi, I'm located in Toronto and in a progress of searching a MBA degree from U of London Imperial College. I'm very curious in seeing a sample of the MBA Degree Certificate for External Student.

Can someone forward a sample to me please?

Thanks,
Clarence

 

Steve,

What's the degree that you have from UoL as an external student? I have been looking for any past students who finished their degrees from UoL externally, especially to know what they did later on, how their degree was perceived, etc.

Would it be possible for you to talk about it? (though I know this was not what this thread was about - you can reply in another thread...UoL Alumni, if you look at the thread list)

 

Yes, Steve, I was confused. Sorry.