When I think about Birkbeck I think about it as a part of the University of London. It is however, a separate school that offers a whole range of degrees apart from the University of London. Well now Birkbeck is offering a new set of degrees through DL and these are not being offered through the University of London but directly by Birkbeck. Four new degrees from their Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Birkbeck Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Sees Growth in Distance Learning Geology Degrees - Press Release - Digital Journal
Distance Learning Geology :: Fees With this type of fees, the diploma better not print "University of London External" :X
Apparently it's not one of the University of London International Programmes, so I'd be awfully surprised if it said that on the diploma. But then, do people who actually do graduate from one of the University of London International Programmes get a diploma that says so, or does it simply refer to the constituent college that sponsors the programme?
Interesting. But that was nearly twenty years ago, and they don't even call it the external programme any more. What does it look like now?
As far as I can tell the world "external" no longer appears on the diploma. dropping of the word external from the degree certificate in General Forum and the specific college (Birkbeck, LSE, etc.) is now referenced.