Cost of Potchefstroom Master's Degree

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Michael, Mar 30, 2001.

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  1. Michael

    Michael Member

    I heard from Chris Killacky concerning Master's degrees offered jointly by GST and Pothch. He told me that the cost would be 4200 U.S. dollars. I told him that according to the Potch site the cost was about $700. He then said that was only for students studying in residence at Potch.

    Any comments on this?
     
  2. bing

    bing New Member

    I think they stick it to the Americans. However, it is still relatively cheap compared to the U.S. schools. Personally, for the price difference the Australian schools are a better pick for postgrad degrees.
     
  3. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Michael:

    When I began the Ph.D. program in September of 2000, the fee for the masters was 1900 pounds (about $2800.00). It could have increased as of March 1, 2001.

    One reason for the difference in price is that the PUCHE/GST program fees are paid directly to GST (then PUCHE's fee is forwarded to them by GST), where if one is studying residentially at PUCHE the fees are paid directly to PUCHE.

    The exchange rate for British pounds is like 1 dollar to 1.5 pounds, while the South African Rand is like 1 dollar to 7 Rand. This makes the residential fee much smaller, because it is paid directly to PUCHE via Rand.

    Hope this helps.
    Russell
     
  4. Michael

    Michael Member

    Thanks, Bing and Russell.

    I know one thing: the fee for a UNISA Master's is about 600 U.S. dollars per year, even if studying by distance--as far as I can tell. So, that's another reason I'll probably go with UNISA.
     
  5. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    Only that, given the cost difference and wider range of specializations, I would now definitely go with UNISA over Potch for a master's.

    Good luck!


    Peace,

    ------------------
    Tom Head
    www.tomhead.net
     
  6. Michael

    Michael Member

    Tom,

    Yes, definitely. And my second choice now would be Coolamon College in Australia. I could get some advanced standing in their MA in Theological Studies, but the cost, although very reasonable by American standards--about $2300-$2400--is still much more than UNISA. And, as you pointed out in another thread, the MTh is a higher qualification than the MA.

    Thanks!
     
  7. Mark A. Sykes

    Mark A. Sykes Member

    Hmmm... That's what my Unisa Bachelor of Science is running. Nice, consistant pricing policy.

    Mark A. Sykes
     
  8. Michael

    Michael Member

    Mark,

    The more I learn about UNISA, and the more contact I have with them, the better I like them--I'm very impressed with them.
     
  9. Guest

    Guest Guest

    Michael:

    You would definitely have a broader range of options at the masters level through UNISA than with the Potch/GST program.

    Russell
     
  10. Michael

    Michael Member

    Well, I just heard from Dr. Byron Evans about the GST/Potch master's degree program; he said the degree would cost 2200 British pounds, or about $3115. Dr. Chris Killacky said it would cost $4200.

    I've already decided against GST/Potch, but if I hadn't, this discrepancy in cost quoted by these men would make me hesitate.

    Does this seem peculiar to anyone? Should it be a cause for concern, or is there a reasonable explanation? I guess I am suspicious partly because of GST's former long unaccredited history.
     
  11. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    After checking my rate schedule, I found that the figure cited by Dr. Evans is correct; it would be 2200 pounds sterling.
    I was wondering at the rate Dr. Killacky quoted you, since I knew my doctorate would run less than $4,000, and it did not seem conceivable to me that a research-based master's would cost more than a doctorate.

    Should this be a cause for concern? I'm not sure. I do feel, at times, like the administration of GST is extremely small; I'm happy with the concept and what I've seen of the faculty, and there is certainly academic quality control at Potch, but the fact remains that the registrar of the school quoted an incorrect tuition figure, which gives me cause to raise an eyebrow. All I can figure is that he might have been using an old conversion rate table. Surely he knew the program was 2200 pounds sterling, regardless of what it might be in U.S. funds.

    As for its history: I've looked into that pretty thoroughly, and I'm not terribly concerned. From 1958 until 1990ish, Geneva Theological School apparently worked with Geneva Theological College in Indiana, an unaccredited Bible school; there was some connection with the U.K. Philosophical Society, now based at the University of Sheffield, and the Philosophical Society held many a meeting at the home base of Geneva Theological College. When the connection was established with Grinnich, it looked like a credible school and an opportunity for GTS/GST to start fresh. When this folded, GTS/GST was accepted as an accredited theological school of Potchefstroom, along with 17 or so other such institutions worldwide. It's not a particularly prestigious history, but I haven't seen anything to make me believe GTS/GST was itself less-than-wonderful -- and if I had, there would still be the matter of Potch, which is beyond reproach (Cornelius Van Til spoke very highly of its theology faculty some decades ago when he received his honorary Th.D. from same, and then there's the whole F.W. de Klerk connection, which I feel I've covered often enough already). So I'm comfortable with the arrangement, the school, and its history.

    But I have to wonder why the registrar quoted you an incorrect tuition figure.


    Peace,

    ------------------
    Tom Head
    www.tomhead.net
     
  12. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    This should read "Geneva Theological School," of course; Indiana is a little out of the way.


    Peace,

    ------------------
    Tom Head
    www.tomhead.net
     

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