Value of UNISA degrees in US?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by CadeTheNascarStar, Jul 29, 2004.

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  1. CadeTheNascarStar

    CadeTheNascarStar New Member

    Was just wondering what kind of value a UNISA Master's or Doctorate Degree would have inside the United States for somebody that would likely want to become either a full-time or part-time instructor at a regionally accredited college?

    Cade

    Also, how much do they cost?
     
  2. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    This has been discussed before, there are many full time faculty members holding PhD degrees from UNISA in the US. Do a search in this forum and you will find several lists with faculty members.
     
  3. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    As someone who continues to consider the prospect of a PhD from UNISA, I will make a few comments. The first is that I assume that the degree will be looked at askance by more than a few. This may be partly due to the "DL" aspect, partly due to the "research-only" aspect, partly due to the lack of "name recognition" aspect and partly due to the "African" aspect. That's a lot of parts. My second comment is that I believe that the right presentation in an interview can essentially neutralize most of the above. My third comment is that someone who hopes to teach in the US based on a UNISA PhD may find it easier to land a job if they also build into their resume some nice publication credentials. Getting published is all about the quality of your work and I believe that it gets peoples attentionif you've got a list of published articles, chapters or whatever. Fourth, and for me it is perhaps the most important, I may not have another choice. I'd rather have a PhD from UNISA than not have a PhD at all. Good luck with your plans, whatever they may be.
    Jack
     
  4. roysavia

    roysavia New Member

    I would like to add a few of my own thoughts to Jack's comments. Some students cannot afford the tuition fees associated with U.S. PhD programs. I had my heart set on attending Union but I nearly fainted when I saw the $15K per year fees. I may still consider attending Union in the future when my finances are in order.

    Now about UNISA. Jack does raise a couple of good points. It's true, you will be bombarded with questions by the administrators when you apply to local colleges. If your intention is to continue your research and education after graduating from UNISA, you will most likely have a good chance at securing employment. You will need to prove to the selection committee of the college you wish to teach at that your doctorate is merely a stepping stone in your quest for professional development. Jack also raises a good point. Publish, publish, publish! You have a much better chance of acquiring employment with a college or university if you continue your research and publish your work on a regular basis. In fact, some colleges would rather hire a candidate with a foreign doctorate who has published articles, books, journals, etc. than someone who earned a U.S. doctorate and has not pursued any further research.
     
  5. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member


    Yes, it might seen difficult but it is possible. One possible way to kill any credibility issue is to pursue post doctoral studies at a prestigious university and make some bucks in the process. Here is the list of faculty holding UNISA degrees

    http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12376&highlight=UNISA
     
  6. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    Sorry that I didn't say anything about this in my previous post. The fact is that I don't know the answer but I'm willing to guess that, if you want to add in books, research materials, etc. you'll be looking at a full $700.00USD per year. I haven't checked the exchange rate recently but, regardless of the actual final figure, you will not find a better deal anywhere.
    Jack
     
  7. Buckwheat

    Buckwheat New Member

    I"m also considering UNISA, like the previous post, Union too broke my heart! The 15,000 dollars a year in a Ph.D program can add up quickly!
    I'm still dabbling in a History program search that does not require a person becoming a road warrior!

    However, I think ( two cents worth) as more colleges and universities become "brick and clicks" international barriers will too fall by the wayside as recognised uniformity! With so many people seeking or holding a degree from an institution that has both "brick and click" instead of rented office space, a flood gate has opened and within a generation or two the shrinking pool of naysayers will be the only ones not facing reality!
    Gavin
     
  8. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    I agree. Also, I'd guess that there will be further clarification regarding the equivalency of degrees from other countries, hopefully leading to fewer concerns such as those raised by Cade in the original posting of the thread.
    Jack
     
  9. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    I disagree with Jack.

    I think the gap between university systems in different countries is widening.

    I don't mean this as a racist comment. My father was a professor at an African university for many years (though not in South Africa).

    Many African universities were originally modeled on universities in the homelands of their colonial masters. But part of the postcolonial process has been an ongoing adaptation of these universities to meet the needs of developing countries, rather than to meet the expectations of the developed world.
     
  10. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    Of course you could be entirely correct in this matter. My occasional reading of various South African newspapers might support your view as there have been a number of stories that suggest that admissions standards are being relaxed, perhaps to allow a larger segment of the population to receive at least some university level education. I have no special knowledge in this area. I suppose that I'm simply hoping that this phenomenon is restricted to the AA and BA level programs and doesn't extend all the way up to the doctoral programs.
    Jack
     
  11. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I also think that a UNISA degree would be seen better than one from a virtual university.
     
  12. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    Unisa has a building. But it has no residential programs.
     
  13. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    OK, so having said all that, I'll ask that people attending to this thread turn their attention to the Off-Topics forum and read the thread "'Degrees for sale' at UK universities." This suggests that the quality of higher education is suffering in places other than ZA. I, for one, would experience no surprise if a similar story were to surface in which US schools were implicated. In any case, my point is that perhaps the concept of international equivalency of degrees is not so far fetched (or at least a good goal).
    Jack
     
  14. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    UNISA might be african, from a second world country, etc but at least programs seem to have a decent level of quality. You get a good value for your money.

    American and UK education seem to be experiencing bad times where universities need to survive by watering
    down programs to make a buck. Typical two year full time MBA programs are now being offered in 10 month time frames and study while you work formats. What is the magic formula that universities have found to give the same level of education in less time? This trend does not seem to stop, we will see shortly MBA programs being offered in 4 or 6 months part time since this seems to be formula to attract more students. The overall education system will loose credibility and it won't matter if your degree is from UNISA or any other place, companies and organizations would need to screen better candidates as education is not a guarantee of quality candidates.
     
  15. roysavia

    roysavia New Member

    Actually UNISA has several buildings as well as a research center. If you take a virtual tour of their campus, you will see that their physical facilities are considerably extensive.

    http://www.unisa.ac.za/accessibility/
     
  16. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    Actually, I have been there in person. I lived in Gauteng for several years.
     
  17. criminologyprof

    criminologyprof New Member

    How do I get info on an American representative for UNISA? I am told they assign a professor from America as a go-between. anyone go to this university?
     
  18. Tireman 44444

    Tireman 44444 Well-Known Member

  19. TheResidentAlien

    TheResidentAlien New Member

    I can tell you in Australia, at the University of Newcastle, Dr. Rev. Fergus King has his Phd in New Testament Studies from UNISA.
     
  20. Hille

    Hille Active Member

    Good Morning, During an internet search I found that International Correspondence and Unisa had or have an agreement to confer UNISA degrees. I am not sure if this relationship still exists. thanks. hille
     

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