Perceptions on Partnerships/ Distance Learning

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Paradigm Shift, Apr 19, 2020.

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  1. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Greeting folks,
    Been using DI to scour for info on some universities for awhile now.
    So I'd like to get your option on what is the perception on folks that take distance/ degrees in partnership with foreign universities?
    A little background I've just completed my MBA here in my country, offered by LSC from UTWSD. Though I've not step foot in UK.
    So how is it perceived by employers or hiring professionals that even if its the same university degree offered there, with the same printed certificate but done locally and much cheaper (I save on accommodation and would be able to work here whilst studying).
    Do you think it is a subpar degree or equivalent?
    It's the same question to universities with foreign branches (Heriot Watt, Monash, Nottingham).
    I'm thinking of furthering my Doctorates after the lockdown, but wondering if it will be worth it if I attended a local university here or attend one of the foreign branches (like above) to have a nicer university name on my CV.
     
  2. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Correction = UWTSD.
    Apologies.
     
  3. AsianStew

    AsianStew Moderator Staff Member

    So, you finished the MBA from the London School of Commerce/University of Wales Trinity Saint David partnership and you're wondering if it's a good degree? BTW, how young are you? Which country are you in? I would say it's equivalent to any of the 133 universities in the UK, the main difference is that it was attained offsite/online, which shouldn't matter as the content/materials taught are near identical to the onsite course. Continue onward to the Doctorate, it's the logical approach at this time.
     
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  4. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Almost 30. I worked a bit before starting my MBA as I wanted to get some experience first.
    Located in Malaysia.
    Been reading about the IPE, Horizons, and other err sketchy University.
    I've asked around here whether its recognized and if you'd like me to weigh in I can give my findings based on what I know.
    As for doctorates, the logical choice would be a DBA or a PsyD(my undergrad was psych)
     
  5. GregWatts

    GregWatts Active Member

    With respect to distance learning, there "may" be some bias against but I feel it is pretty small. I might venture to say that prior to Covid, most major universities had distance offerings of some kind and now that number is about 100 percent.

    I think there is always "home town bias". All else equal, one is probably better off getting a good degree local to where one wants to work. However, I wouldn't exaggerate this point. If the degree is legitimate (or even relatively respected), you can explain why you chose it, I think you will likely be fine. I think it may be better a better choice than a local degree from a disrespected school. You may even be surprised to find that a hiring manager is aware of the school and it becomes an asset.
     
  6. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    It is pretty common practice here that a lot of foreign partnerships happen, though not many are above a masters level.
    Hence I'm looking either at a distance type somewhere in the UK where my transcripts/degree can easily be evaluated due to equivalency sake.
    But probably cost me a fortune to do (I get what a McD worker makes in a month in the states converted to MYR) or take something locally.
    Who knows maybe when the Covid storm settles a little bit, there'll be proper and possible cheaper offerings for distance learning hopefully (people aren't doing so well here either).
     
  7. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    many Unis in the UK offer PhD with a option for distance learning. University of Leicester comes to mind, they offer quite a range of PhD options that lets you do most of it via distance. Even Oxford has some. There's no difference (transcript) between on campus and DL because everything is research based. You just need to show your prof you have the ability to conduct your research at your location. Iirc Teesside Uni has a DBA that can be completed online. Also if you're looking into a PsyD, or a PhD in Psy, can check the big 3 Unis in Singapore (NUS/NTU/SMU). They pbb have a better reputation. No DL option tho.
     
  8. nomaduser

    nomaduser Active Member

    As long as not all of your degrees are DL degrees, I think it's fine.
    Also, if you're a self-employed person, I don't think it will matter that much at all.
     
  9. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Mine are, never hurt me in the real world. It's not the '90s anymore.
     
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  10. Vonnegut

    Vonnegut Well-Known Member

    Before anyone can really state whether any of those factors would have a factor on the valuation or worth of it, with any of those conditions, I would think it would be prudent to really know or understand what your intended use of a doctorate will be. All of those factors can change, perhaps significantly, depending on what your intended goals are. But, that's just my thoughts.
     
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  11. nomaduser

    nomaduser Active Member

    But there are some annoying laws when you want to work in a different country.
    For example, when you apply for a work VISA in a different country, they require you to have a 4 year Bachelor's degree in that field.
    And they say they don't accept a degree earned through distance learning.
    It depends on where you go to... but there are still some old school government officials who create these laws.
    I think the best way is to get an online degree from a well-known institution.

    Of course, this doesn't matter if you want to work in USA for the rest of your life.
     
  12. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Several factors come into play here as speaking from where I'm currently situated.
    First I do enjoy the pursuit for knowledge and knowing more about the field of business.

    Though I am more inclined to the human development / training side, rather than the actual focus of business development.

    Second I would have liked to do a masters or Doctorates in Psychology but unfortunately where I'm from, they only offer Child and Clinical Psychology, where as I'm more interested into the Industrial & Organizational Psychology side. Hence I ended up taking an MBA to some what better understand the field of business, which at first I had not a clue of how it all worked.

    Third my option to pursue a Doctorates is to further my research and knowledge of certain areas of human development in the business industry and how to enhance performance of staffs and workers.

    I know there are things like job/skill training, train the trainer, NLP and what so ever mood boosting 3 day workshops, but mainly my findings are that these lack the long term impact and constant need for such courses only caters to the coffers of the providers and barely to the benefit of the organization.

    Forth, potentially one day I may go back and possibly contribute as a lecture or teacher and share my knowledge of the industry to those looking to potentially do what I've done since.

    Hence those are my main reasons to further my studies on to one more than just my masters.
     
  13. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Well I've spent a great deal in the states already and yes I've studied there. Though currently I'm in Malaysia for heavens know how long for, and will try my best to work the fields here as I potentially see an emerging market on employee development.

    Though a little thing about Malaysia is that the value of an employee is about as much worth as paying monkeys with peanuts but expecting huge productivity. This leads to high turn over rates at the same time high amounts of jobless people.

    What I mainly seek to do is transform companies into places where, yes they can pay minimum wages or whatever they choose, but retain employees through some sort of employee training or showing that they are worth something other than monetary value.
     
  14. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    "Doctorate" is singular. Just for future reference....
     
  15. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Thanks for the correction.
     
  16. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    Some of the discussion on the board lately has been about foreign schools partnering with other foreign schools to offer degrees and that's usually when skepticism comes. The skepticism is natural because living in the United States it's not common to be well-versed in the education systems of other countries. I'm still learning more about it every day and have a long way to go.

    We do have some partnership arrangements here in the United States, like Coursera partnering with a number of schools offering degrees, or a University system starting a degree program (see eVersity) and awarding degrees from a member school. People never question those because they generally come from familiar names that have had a long history of credibility in this country.
     
  17. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Yea, I've looked at Coursera and FutureLearn.
    Mainly their programs are up until Masters Degree. Would have taken it if I didn't already recently finish my Masters.
     
  18. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    In the US foreign credentials are generally well received, in my experience, with the following caveats:

    1. If the field requires a license that you possess said license. Very few people care if you went to nursing school in the US or Canada or the UK as long as you're licensed.
    2. That the degree "makes sense."

    I have a few employees who have degrees from the UK. They're British. No one looks at that and thinks anything of it. Likewise, we have a Greek employee with a degree from a Greek university etc. Where things get a little more complicated, I think, is where 1) you have no apparent connection to said country 2) you don't speak the language of the country in question 3) the country in question is not seen as "first world."

    Admittedly, there can some ethnocentrism tied up in these attitudes.

    Malaysian guy shows up with a degree from a Malaysian university? Sure, makes sense. Malaysian guy shows up with a degree from a Malaysian university and a Masters from a British university? Hey, he came from Malaysia to here, so why not that he stopped off in some other countries along the way? That sort of thing.

    Where it gets raised eyebrows is when someone shows up with a masters from, say, a Mexican university. They very clearly had US based work history during the time they were studying at said university and, when asked, they don't speak Spanish.

    Generally speaking, this problem has been alleviated somewhat because online learning has largely normalized. Just a few years ago it wasn't uncommon to find a hiring manager who was dead set against online learning. Today? Well, I recently had to let an experienced manager go for refusing to "accept" online learning, in part, and refusing to apply that standard evenly.

    As normal as online learning is, people enjoy the illusion that everyone still went to the university and took physical classes. Couple that with the idea that some countries are seen as places where you go to study when you "couldn't get in" to a better, U.S. based school, and you have a few challenges. They aren't insurmountable and I wouldn't let it dissuade me. Though, and I'm sure this will be a controversial statement around these parts, I think an NA MBA would offer more utility than one from Assam Don Bosco in many instances. Not because one is intrinsically better than the other but because the NA degree is likely to just appear as a check the box degree while the other would set a hiring manager wondering why a guy who is very clearly not Indian has a Masters degree from an Indian university.

    naturally, YMMV depending on the organization and the individual attitudes of the people you're interviewing with. The US is too large to trend in things like this. There can be thousands of potential employers in even a small town and they can all have very different philosophies of hiring. Plus most employers put more stock in work experience than degrees especially after you've had those first few jobs.
     
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  19. Paradigm Shift

    Paradigm Shift New Member

    Very well laid out explanation there.
    It'll probably shift to being more acceptable to view an online degree as the same as an actual on campus in some way as to how this current lockdown and unable to attend a physical college/university.

    Surprisingly in Asia, a lot of colleges are offering foreign degrees and people from almost all over the world actually turn to Asia(Malaysia, Singapore, India etc) because of the cheaper cost of the degree.

    I studied in the states, and paid 3 times of a regular in state tuition fee for the same piece of Toilet Paper as the local guy sitting next to me.

    Whereas with that, any one coming may it be from a 3rd world or 1st world country, pays less than that in Asia, and receives probably the same college degree.

    Now I'm looking into doing more certs to separate myself from the cesspool filled of all the Toilet Papers(degrees).

    As for a Doctorate, I'm just waiting to see what becomes available once more education centers reopen or form new alliances with foreign universities.
     
  20. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure about the controversy in this. It seems reasonable.

    Part of my research at Union showed that normal-sounding school names prevail, that a notorious diploma mill that sounds like a state university (Columbia State University) did better with HR professionals that an accredited school with an odd name (Capella University).

    Whenever my degree from the University of Leicester comes up, the first (and only) question I ever, ever get is, "Did you do it online?"*

    *(When I answer, "No, I did it by independent study and research," that usually ends the conversation.)
     
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