Level 7 UK Diploma?

I would like to have any valuable opinion & suggestion for someone who does NOT have any bachelor's degree but more than 5 years management experience (as per the requirement mentioned) to following this education and to have the degree/diploma certificate?

https://msbm.org.uk/presov/programme/postgraduate-diploma-in-strategic-information-and-systems-analysis

 

There are a lot of British schools in recent years that are not authorized degree providers themselves, yet can legitimately provide some degree-level courses and partner up with British Universities that will put you through a top-up program and award a degree. This seems to be the case with this school.. What you're getting is not a degree - it's a PostGrad diploma. Funny - they grant you that without the first degree - but I guess the PG Diploma is within their partners' scope and they (Metropolitan or the partner schools) will waive the degree requirement by virtue of your management experience. Odd. Procedures are probably very different in Slovakia, where this program originates.

I'm wondering - this program is from their Presov, Slovakia campus. That may explain the PG diploma with no degree. Rules may be different there. The school says in its intro page that their programs are blended - campus and online. Are you sure you won't have to attend classes in Presov? Or maybe you're OK with it. As long as you find out.

Having a PG Diploma without a preceding Bachelor's is a bit unusual. Are you sure that's what you want? They say also it's awarded by their partners - who are they, in this case? Do you wind up with a certificate from a Slovak school - or a British one? Or both? There are a LOT of unanswered questions here.

If you decide you'd rather have the Bachelor's, the school offers courses and subsequent access to top-up programs at their British University partners. They cost, though.
First and foremost - figure out what you need. Do you need a Bachelor's or a PG Diploma with no underlying degree? Go from there. And I wish you the best, whatever your decision.

 

@Smartcard Didn't you say in another thread you had an engineering degree? That'd do very nicely with the PG Diploma - probably help you gain a Master's if you so desired.
Apologies if I'm mistaken. -or if you're enquiring for someone else.

 

Hello Johann, you are correct this inquiry is not for me but for an uncle of mine who is a senior manage in a company but does not have any sound academic qualification. He asked me to inquire about this.

His requirement is to obtain a recognized Degree or even Diploma in IT or Business that can be done online.

 

An expedient course for your uncle might be first, to earn a University-issued diploma, which will then give him advanced standing towards a degree. Here's one list of some schools that offer such a program in the UK. https://www.academiccourses.com/Diploma/Business-Management/United-Kingdom/

I just noticed - not all of these are issued by Universities - but all seem to have pathways/advanced standing for specific universities. Google, of course, will provide you lists according to whatever parameters you feed in. Happy hunting! I wish you uncle every success. I'm sure he'll do well.

 

Thank you for your wishes and suggestions. Do you have any such courses in other countries even USA?

 

They seem to abound in UK and some Commonwealth-orbit countries, e.g. Australia but are harder to find elsewhere. N. American Universities mainly offer full degrees and short certificate courses that may / may not carry credit for degree programs. (Also PG certificates etc. but they're another subject.) I looked in UK because I thought that might be your preferred country.

 

Clock beat me again. Here's the rest of my reply:

Degree completion programs for those who have racked up some University credit - there are lots of those. I don't know of any diploma programs, offhand that can be used as an organized way to get those credits. People here often get their initial credits from a number of sources - testing, individual courses at multiple schools, etc. There's most of a whole forum dedicated to that at degreeforum-dot-net . They do that to save money. It's legit and they save lots.

But I'm not aware of organized online diploma programs in Business or IT that would facilitate entry into degree programs here. I'm not saying there aren't any - just that I don't know of any. Nomaduser seems to be the authority on degree completion. Maybe he knows of some. I do remember an online certificate program - U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus that gave 12 (out of 120) credits towards an IT degree. But that's not what you're looking for - plus it was years ago.

Unless somebody else can come up with a N. American diploma program that suits - maybe your uncle might:

(1) Undertake diploma studies that could lead to a degree in UK or Commonwealth-orbit.
(2) Dive right into a full degree program in N. America if he prefers.

 

I check with them, and they replied that "The Awarding Body for International Postgraduate Diploma Diploma (Level 7) Courses is the OTHM Qualifications, UK." https://www.othm.org.uk/
I don't know how recognized and reputed they are?

 

I don't either. But they seem (to me) to be legit and OFQUAL vetted. No guarantees - I don't know all that much. Ask locally. Lot of partners in this! You start off with Metropolitan, your Diploma is awarded by OTHM, then if you want a top-up degree, you go to another school - London Graduate School - do your courses there and finally get your degree from the University of Chichester. Thats via OTHM. I'm not sure how it works through Metropolitan and their Presov campus.

Will you have to pay for round trips to Presov - or is that sorted? With this many entities involved , it's almost like four clerks taking your money at the register! Probably an expensive way to wind up with a Bachelor's degree. However, if your uncle takes his desired level 7 program, he will have 120 credits towards a Master's. Only 60 to go to complete it. There are British Universities where applicants without Bachelor's are admitted to Master's programs, particularly in Tech fields. I can't remember which but there was a thread "Masters with no Bachelors" a while ago. Might be something there - and Google is your friend, again. And maybe U. of Chichester has such a program for Diploma grads. Metropolitan and/or OTHM would know.

BTW - I didn't see this one in a list of OTHM's Level 7 diplomas. That's no biggie - could be a new addition that hasn't made it to the site. But check.

Cheers

J.

 

hmm... OTHM shows a list of diplomas they offer and the progression into a Uni program

https://www.othm.org.uk/university-progression.html

Is the program by msbm legit? maybe dropping OTHM an email to clarify would be helpful

 

I think that would be the best way of checking. As I said:

I don't really think there's a legitimacy problem here - but whether I do or not - it's prudent to check thoroughly. And it might also be prudent to see if the diploma can be earned by dealing with OTHM directly. There might/might not be a better deal financially - fewer middlemen, perhaps.

 

And maybe another consideration is the uni. pathways. Maybe msbm offers more in that direction. Lot of variables here. Schools of this type may have facilitated advanced entry to uni - but they have certainly not made it less complex. Quite the opposite.

 

I wrot to OTHM yesterday to confirm the legit, but no reply yet.

 

I wrote to MSBM to confirm if they have any arrangement with the University of Chichester for this Diploma https://msbm.org.uk/presov/programme/postgraduate-diploma-in-strategic-information-and-systems-analysis and following is their reply:

 

Well, that's disappointing - unless they have arrangements with another University - and I'm (pretty, not absolutely) sure they would have told you...looks like a person could earn the diploma and be left completely on his/her own for a university pathway. Tthis is looking less attractive as it goes along - but it's a big marketplace. Literally dozens of others. I'm not an expert or anywhere near. I've learned a little about how it works and that's all. I haven't set foot in UK since .... oh my, 1956.

One thing (among others, of course) that's good about UK universities - you study what you signed up to study. No getting bogged down with "general education requirements" as over here. You did those in high school. That's why a Bachelor's is three years - not four. I think there are probably plenty of online degree AND diploma programs from UK
Universities that would be worth your uncle's while. Probably no need for these private 3rd party schools OR degrees from beyond UK.

 

Many Johann for all the details, will also consider for him to check this https://www.xamk.fi/en/open-amk-courses/diploma-of-higher-education-in-tourism-and-business-management-in-finland/

 

Right. Check their new list of other courses too. Might be something more related to your uncles needs than tourism. I believe they offer IT and business (not tourism) related courses - for university credit - among the new offerings.

 

not sure why you would msg MSBM when they're just the middleman. You should just get in touch w/ OTHM and Chichester. They would be the best to let you know.

also another option - if the MSBM's PGDip in Info Sys is legit (like actually accredited from OTHM), it should be accepted into the Masters in Applied Computing program at Portsmouth

https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/msc-applied-computing-learning-at-work

Which would allow you to do the last 60 credits (research mod) to get the Masters degree.

 

Good suggestion - but I believe he's already trying that. Smartcard wrote OTHM first and enquired at MBSM while waiting for a reply. See posts 14 and 15. See what options one gives you while you wait for a reply from the other. Sounds logical to me. There are so many paws in this it's hard to know who's originator and who's middleman. That's most of the problem. MSBM teaches, OTHM awards the diploma. I don't know if OTHM teaches this same program. Their website says no. I think I suggested going direct if they do. Yes I did - post 12. Heck, we're not sure if they even award it as MSBM says they do. That's the main thing we want to know.

While we were waiting, I was wondering what Uni. pathways MSBM was offeringv, so Smartcard enquired. Yes - it seemed like OTHM had more going for it - until we found this: The main problem is that the diploma (which OTHM awards for the MSBM-taught course) - is NOT on OTHM website. Smartcard is awaiting their answer on that. I think he's doing a pretty good job - we may find out that we've come up with a fatal flaw (diploma no longer or never awarded by OTHM list as MSBM claims) -- or not.

I think what was done is pretty complete and reasonable here. It's more complex than it should be, for sure. I think we can both agree on that.

I think your U. Portsmouth suggestion is excellent - now if we could only get this diploma thing sorted....