(04-08-2020, 03:16 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: Hey all, I was looking at this university and noticed they have distance learning courses that lead to undergrad or graduate degrees, and the degree that hit me is their MPhil/Ph.D. in Computer Science with a duration of 4 years for both degrees, at a cost of $4327/year UK Pounds or roughly $5355 USD/year. (EU and International students have the same fee for some programs!)  

For those who can't finish the courses as that is a full-time 4-year program, then the part-time 6-year program will do, the cost is slightly different at $2163/year UK Pounds or roughly $2675 USD/year (again, EU & International students are the same fees).  Note: These are the two Pgr programs I searched for, they have other Postgrad (Research or Taught) programs...

Univ of Staffordshire Link: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses/distance-learning
6 year part-time MPhil/Ph.D. Link: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/SSTK-12356.jsp
4-year full-time MPhil/Ph.D. CS Link: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/SSTK-12355.jsp

1. Has anyone here had experience with Staffordshire University? 
   
2. Are they a fully accredited institution (from a UK standpoint)?
   
3. What is their reputation (Good, Bad, Meh, or Ugly)?
   

(04-09-2020, 01:13 PM)MisterE Wrote: I'm currently looking at distance PhD programs and the part-time option here looks very interesting.  

I am not looking to kill myself with classes again on top of a (more than) full time job, but taking the step into the next degree level is something I am interested in.  I get a yearly education reimbursement from my company and if I don't use it, I lose it.  Fortuitously enough, the yearly cost for this part-time program fits nicely under the dollar cap for that, so I could essentially get this for no out of pocket expense.

A couple of questions though (if anyone knows):

1. Has anyone here had experience with Staffordshire University? 
   
2. Are they a fully accredited institution (from a UK standpoint)?
   
3. What is their reputation (Good, Bad, Meh, or Ugly)?
   

Thanks a lot in advance.

(04-09-2020, 04:36 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: 1. Personally, I haven't taken courses at Staffordshire University yet, so I can't comment on the experience.
For myself, as I don't have tuition assistance, I'm looking for cheap/easy/fast & value (good ROI in the future)

2. They're fully accredited in the UK, some national rankings have them at 37 & 53, world ranking in the 800's.
So, technically, they are in the top 1000 uni's in the world, an example of the Big 3 - none are even on the list.

3. Reputation seems "good enough" for me, 37-58 out of 131 UK schools, a little above the middle of the pack.
I've seen them ranked just under Coventry/FutureLearn in the UK that offers degrees, but much more expensive.

Take a look at Masters by MOOC, coursera, edx, futurelearn, udacity, upgrad all offer them at a steep discount.
Here's an example ranking for 2020, http://www.studyin-uk.ca/uk-study-info/university-rankings/

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Update Note: They ranked 9th out of 133 UK universities as a Top Research Univ here: https://www.staffs.ac.uk/news-archive/staffordshire-university-joins-worlds-top-research-universities-tcm4297070.jsp

(04-09-2020, 01:13 PM)MisterE Wrote: I'm currently looking at distance PhD programs and the part-time option here looks very interesting.  

I am not looking to kill myself with classes again on top of a (more than) full time job, but taking the step into the next degree level is something I am interested in.  I get a yearly education reimbursement from my company and if I don't use it, I lose it.  Fortuitously enough, the yearly cost for this part-time program fits nicely under the dollar cap for that, so I could essentially get this for no out of pocket expense.

A couple of questions though (if anyone knows):

1. Has anyone here had experience with Staffordshire University? 
   
2. Are they a fully accredited institution (from a UK standpoint)?
   
3. What is their reputation (Good, Bad, Meh, or Ugly)?
   

Thanks a lot in advance.

(04-11-2020, 01:17 PM)potnoodle Wrote:

(04-09-2020, 01:13 PM)MisterE Wrote: I'm currently looking at distance PhD programs and the part-time option here looks very interesting.  

I am not looking to kill myself with classes again on top of a (more than) full time job, but taking the step into the next degree level is something I am interested in.  I get a yearly education reimbursement from my company and if I don't use it, I lose it.  Fortuitously enough, the yearly cost for this part-time program fits nicely under the dollar cap for that, so I could essentially get this for no out of pocket expense.

A couple of questions though (if anyone knows):

1. Has anyone here had experience with Staffordshire University? 
   
2. Are they a fully accredited institution (from a UK standpoint)?
   
3. What is their reputation (Good, Bad, Meh, or Ugly)?
   

Thanks a lot in advance.

1. I went to Staffordshire University in the mid to late 1990s to do my Batchelors, back when tuition was paid for by the government. It was a perfectly respectable university, with a pretty good quality of teaching. It's in Stoke-on-Trent, which is an awful town to live in (it was bearable when I was a student due to the large student union with very cheap beer, which is all I was really interested in back then), but if you're doing distance learning, then that doesn't matter.  I can assure you it's a real place, I lived in Leek Road halls for two years, and I was treasurer of the Parachute Club.

2. All UK universities are accredited by the UK government, 'university' is a protected term and you aren't allowed to call yourself a university without permission from the government.

3. I thought is was pretty average when I applied, as I didn't do very well in my A-levels (undiagnosed ADHD). I ended up doing a slightly obscure course and almost everyone else on it had A's at A-level, and it was their first choice of university.

Also I should point out that this isn't really a Master's AND a Doctorate, this is the same with most UK research doctorates, you can either attain the MPhil and then drop out of the course, or go on to complete it and get the full PhD, it depends on how well you do at it, or how much time you want to spend on it.

Nobody calls themself an MPhil AND a PhD, if you complete the course, you just call yourself a PhD.

(04-11-2020, 01:38 PM)MisterE Wrote: I'm just interested in the full PhD program so the extra MPhil along the way is neither here nor there. 

• The Q Exam (or Qualifying Exam/Admissions Candidacy Exam) is usually a written exam, but can be waived in lieu of a publishable quality journal article. It is there to provide evidence of readiness for future doctoral study. It is usually taken after completing the taught part of the curriculum.
  
• The A Exam (or Preliminary Exam) is your dissertation proposal. It usually requires both an oral exam and a written proposal. Passing the A exam means the graduate faculty believes you're ready to begin your dissertation.
  
• The B Exam (or Final Exam) is the oral defense of your dissertation.