International Comparison of Academic Qualifications (External and Internal)

This discussion has been quite interesting... it confirms many of the things I have heard from anecdotal sources over the years... unfortunately it appears impossible to have a rational discussion of these issues without getting stuck in the proverbial revolving doors.

So good night to you, and good night to me, and goodnight to all.

 

Peter French wrote:

am currently examining 5 US Bachelor degree files. They are all RA. I will not disclose which universities they are from, except that they are not at the 'bottom end'. The students are variably seeking recognition for entry to post graduate study and professional practice - accounting, banking & finance. engineering. I have the files as i am deemed competent to make a professional and academic jusgement.

They all unfortunately typify what is pointed out in the NOOSR guides, that many [the majority in fact] undergraduate programs at US universities have a considerable content that matches our years 11 and 12 at secondary school. This means that the remaining content does not have the breadth of topic areas nor the depth within topic areas present, to consider these applicants suitable for either post graduate study or professional practice here.

So you are maintaining that it is impossible for a holder of a bachelor's from an average US school to enter into Australian postgraduate study. Is this a correct interpretation?

Dennis Siemens

 

This is quite humorous...

I don't believe anyone has said that the US is a bad country, or an evil country, or that it hasn't contributed many wonderful things to the world... all that has been asserted is that perhaps the country is a step behind with respect to average academic standards, however I guess the idea that non-US countries could have something to contribute to the world is anathema within American mythology.

 

My own experience within the two systems (US/Canada) confirms that the Canadian education system is in general superior academically.

However, in spite of the higher standards in Canada what is produced in the US in many areas is simply tops. I t goes back to the old saying that sometimes students with "B" averages are more successful and better employees. You can't argue with success.

One story that is pertinent here is that my High School history teacher commented that the only Canadian nationalism is ant-americanism. He said that we are not too sure what we are but we know we are not American. We have a sort of envy as well. That fact is that a huge pool of our talent (including very famous people) is seen in many areas of US life because they left Canada.

The English speaking world watches US movies, listens to US music, enjoys US technology, and drives US cars. You guys must be doing something right.

North

 

This forum is now deeply entrenched with issues that have no connection whatsoever with distance education. Posters viewpoints are beclouded by chauvinistic nationalism. All that some posters seem to be saying these days is that "my system is better than yours therefore schools that operate in my country are therefore the best in the world". I guess I have to decamp to somewhere till further notice. Nationalism seems to be the order of the day.
The truth is some people will never stop thinking about the old empire days. It has been over for more than six decades. Get over it. Even the nationals from the country up north, which have been living under the shadow of the United States is claiming that their system is also the best. If your system is the best, all that your countrymen have to do is to prove it to the world. Please ask yourself the following questions: Is my country the most industrialized country in the world? Has my country won more Nobel price than any other country? Is my country leading other counties in global business? If the answers to these three questions are “yes”, then your country probably has the best educational system in the world. Let's deal with the realities of the 21st. century and stop chasing the shadows of the centuries past.
If discussion in this board continues to head in the current direction, many posters will loose interest in this forum. Please gentlemen (I assume that you are), lets keep it civil and to the point. Canada, U.K, and Australia are not the only countries in this planet.

 

Bump. This post has become significantly outdated over the past 20 years. I don't see a single UK university consider these equivalencies accurate. If anything, I think that today a UK masters degree < US masters degree in terms of recognition around the world (Europe/Asia).

 

I thought a British honours bachelor's was the equivalent of an American bachelor's plus one year of graduate school. 1 year = 18 semester hours or the equivalent of a graduate certificate

When it comes to graduate programs, I don't think it's accurate to judge the level of the program based on the length and depth of the thesis. We have two different formats for our graduate programs. One of my former professors, who earned her doctorate in Europe, said that her PhD dissertation was three related studies. The U.S. takes a more general knowledge approach, so you do most of your learning in courses. Your dissertation is where you specialize.

The old curriculum in my program was too focused on research methods and criminological theories, but in other CJ PhD programs, a graduate could walk in on day one and be able to teach a policing or corrections course. My school revamped our curriculum because they realized the graduates were not prepared to teach the most common CJ courses.

I kind of went off on a tangent, but I guess what I'm saying is that hyperspecialization will result in a new professor having to read an entire textbook a couple of weeks before the semester starts because they needed someone to cover the class.