HELP!! Three year Canadian Degrees??

Hey!!

I keep thinking of questions to ask such a knowledgeable group! I was searching the Internet for other possibilities (should I decide not to enter Excelsior), and came across Athabasca University. While looking over the site, I noticed they have a three year Bachelor's Degree that they offer. What is the general difference in this degree (other than the fact that it just takes a year less to earn), and what good would it do for somebody? For somebody who is eventually considering teaching certification, I still believe it might be in my best interest to earn a four-year Bachelor's from Excelsior. Does Athabasca accept CLEP/DANTES exams? And would any classes taken at Athabasca count toward a Excelsior degree? In other words, could I earn a Three Year Bachelor's in Sociology at Athabasca and then count those credits toward an Excelsior degree?

Cade

 

Over Simplified Answer

It is a more concentrated and abbreviated course that falls somewhere between the US AA/AS and the BA/BS degree.

It is more than that actually but not 3/4's of a bachelors. In some terms it is more of a terminal degree for those that need/want a degree but do not plan to go on with there education.

 

Please see my earlier post, "Athabasca U. transfers fewest credits":
http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8598
They won't accept CLEP or DANTES, except perhaps through their PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) programme, and there are a lot of other things they won't accept.

British 3-year degrees are considered equivalent to US 4-year degrees. Canada has both 3-year and 4-year degrees, and the 3-year degrees are not considered equivalent. Some people I knew used the 3-year degree to go on to Canadian law school, but everybody else went for the 4-year degree.

Excelsior will accept Athabasca coursework. In fact, Athabasca is one of the few foreign universities whose coursework Excelsior will accept directly, without going through Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
http://www.excelsior.edu/pdf/Acceptable_Institutions_Outside_the_United_States.pdf

 

Interesting topic. Briercrest, a Canadian school I am attending, offers a 100 hour BA. How would this be considered in academia? A true 3 year BA would consist of about 90 hours, right? A traditional 4 year BA would consist of about 120 hours. Hmmm...

 

As a follow up, would I likely be admitted to a grad school with a 100 hour BA from Briercrest> Or would I be required to take a few more classes first?

Pug

 

Keeping in mind distribution requirements, I can't see why a 3 year BA couldn't be followed by a 4 year BS or BA at Excelsior.

Three year degrees are useful, if you just want to study for three years. They are a consolation prize if you don't finish 4 years. Unless an employer is anal about specific coursework they would hardly distinguish between 3 or 4 years.

I have a 3 year BA and then after 2 more years received a 4 year Bachelor of Commerce.

To get into some professions that require a degree (accounting) 3 years is enough.

To get into grad studies one would typically need a 4 year degree but I am sure it has been done with a 3 year degree.

 

Three years is the norm for BS/BA degrees from both UK and South Africa. I know people who have had trouble getting them accepted by California State Universities for entry into a masters program but were finally accepted.

 

Say someone had a three year degree from Athabasca. Do you know if they could go on to a four year degree, in the same discipline, at Athabasca or a similar school?

 

If you get a 3 year degree at Athabasca and want a 4 year degree you would have to meet the requirments for a second degree which means you have to take 60 credits. There are a few schools that will let you upgrade a 3 year degree to a 4 year degree by taking a one year certificate program but most don't.

 

Canadian three-year bachelor's degrees are normally called "ordinary" degrees and four-year bachelor's degrees are called "honours" degrees.

Ordinary degrees are generally designated as BA, BSc, etc., whereas honours degrees are BA(Hons), BSc(Hons), etc...

Canadian and American educational standards are different. My personal opinion (and it's just an opinion) is that a Canadian ordinary degree is as good as an American four-year degree. A Canadian honours degree gives the specialization of an American master's program. I think just because something is given the "bachelor" title doesn't mean it's set at the same standard.

Again, only my personal opinion.

 

Scott,

apparently Athabasca doesn't agree with your position as their new requirements are now 120hrs and 4 years for a BS.

http://www.athabascau.ca/calendar/03/page03_17.html

Kevin

 

Being a DL degree, it is possible that this four-year degree is not an "honours" degree and may be similar in standard to the American four-year bachelor's degree.

 

University of Calgary. One 3 year degree listed. remainder are 4 year (ordinary degrees using your example). Additionally, you must have a four year degree to be admitted to their Masters program. Surely your argument is not that the Canadian Masters is equivalent to the U.S. PhD etc...? I am not disputing the 3 year bachelors only the position you proffer on the standard of Canadian 3 year education vs American 4 year. However, you are entitled to your opinion.

Moreover, it is the U.S. that will not accept the 3 year Bachelors. Kind of makes me believe that we have the more rigorous standard.

By the way any bets on how many Canadian teams make it through the Stanley Cup? Go Boston!


http://www.ucalgary.ca/pubs/calendar/current/how/degrees.htm

 

My (and Dennis's) alma mater, the University of Alberta, offers a "BSc Honors" (4 years), a "BSc Specialization" (4 years), and a "BSc General" (3 years). All my CompSci classmates were enrolled in the "BSc Specialization" -- generally because the Honors requirements for Math and Physics were too stringent. A potential employer phoned the placement office, looking to hire a CompSci Honors student, and we couldn't find one (although there were a few Honors dropouts)!

 

It's true that the three year first degree in Canada derives from British tradition. So where does the four year US tradition come from???

Now, I once had an economic history Prof from Ireland who did her PhD at the University of Western Ontario. Her evaluation of Canadian undergrads is that they were considerably harder to teach than Americans. Why? Undermotivated by the state subsidy of tuition.

Of course, it could be just her experience there at that time; I've found Alabamian's used to skipping class (more than anywhere else!) and Utahns at U of Utah to be non-reading dullards compared to most other US undergrads...But?

--Orson

PS Furthermore, if myopia is definitely positively correlated with IQ, then both of the above US places are sub-average: especially in the South, no body wears glasses! By contrast on the Chicago to Minneapolis shuttle flights, glasses wearing is almost universal - say 80%! People read and are well-educated in my native Minnesota.

 

Orson wrote:

> Her evaluation of Canadian undergrads is that they were
> considerably harder to teach than Americans. Why?
> Undermotivated by the state subsidy of tuition.

Which Americans was she comparing them with? California community college students who pay much less in tuition than Canadians? Ivy League students whose parents pay their way?

 

I once saw a British university site the listed equivalents for each countires degrees. I cannot find the site and like an idiot I did not save it.

The British school site equated the Canadian 3 year BA to be equivalent to the US 4 year degree (probably due to depth). As I recall the Aussie's consider first year of US university to be the equivalent of their grade twelve.

Here however is the consideration that you need to make. Big deal if a British university considers the 3 year BA from Canada to be equivalent to the 4 year US degree. If you are intedning to use the degree in the US my guess most Americans schools and inviduals would be somewhat insulted by the insuation and unlikely to agree. Therefore go for the 4 year Canadian Honours degree.

Frankly, after having education in both systems I feel that my experience with the Canadian system was more academically challenging and the US one less so.

North

 

on point,

several U.S. universities I came across would either accept the 3 year or accept with an evaluation.

North,

I will be happy to debate, and we can all bring forth facts on the relative educational levels of our country of choice. My question would be why folks who defend the superiority of other country's educational systems would stoop to the U.S. standards?

hmmm....

 

Not too sure what your point is....hmmmmm

However, as a US citizen and someone living in the US I .............earned an American degree. Tends to make sense.

At any rate, these things can be debated ad naseum with no knock out punch (like trying to argue Calvinism versus Arminianism). I just gave my opinion...which is nothing more than my opinion.

Fed, it is much like the endless debates over the merits of the US PhD versus the British/Aussie/SA system of Research PhD's. A Brit is likely to argue that a Bristish scholar is already has more depth in his Masters degree and so develops that in more pinpoint accuracy in the research PhD. However, is there much doubt that in a good many of the PhD fields the US is a world leader?? Americans seem to hold their own in the world pretty well.

You would help folks here if you listed schools who would consider the 3 year BA for entrance. I still think his best bet is the 4 year Honours program but with some help from you he may be able to make a very good choice for grad school using his 3 year BA.

North

 

Cade,

please post if your interests are outside of Sociology.

North,

Debates are worthwhile. Don't take my obstinence for not valuing your opinion. However, statistics bolster one's opinion. For anyone who is interested here is some info. Take a look at the stats. Canada does well in the sciences.

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003026.pdf

Kevin