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PhD - Leicester VS Liberty - MissProfessor - 11-14-2020

I am a College Professor  looking to complete my PhD in Communications or Business.  I currently have an AACSB  MBA from a U.S. school. I would like to continue teaching at the University level.  I like my current school but do not want to close too many doors for myself in Canada and the USA in terms of employment. 

I am seeking an online program.  Hopefully no more than $50,000.  I have short-listed the University of Leicester and Liberty University.

I love the completely online option at Liberty and the format of it’s PhD programs.  It is also non-profit and regionally accredited.  No too thrilled about the religious and political side of this school, but as a distance learner I think I can tune that out.

I like that Leicester also seems well organized with more deadlines, assignments, class interaction, etc, than some other UK schools, like Heriot-Watt, seem to offer.  It does, however, require at least 2 campus visits.

Which school would you go with?  Which would be better for someone living in North America.  I am not seeking tenure at a tier 1 school as I prefer to focus on teaching, not researching, after my PhD is complete.

Thank you for any feedback or guidance you might be able offer.  I keep going around in circles with my decision!


RE: PhD - Leicester VS Liberty - nomaduser - 11-14-2020

Liberty University is more popular in US. But University of Leicester have much better academic reputation according to QS and THE Rankings...


RE: PhD - Leicester VS Liberty - MissProfessor - 11-14-2020

That what it seems like to me too.  I am having a hard time deciding.  Leaning towards Leicester at the moment.

I am just wonder now if one would be better than the other with regards to teaching in the USA.


UK School VS Regionally Accredited US School - MissProfessor - 11-14-2020

Looking to continue teaching in North America. Currently instructing at a college right now with an AACSB accredited MBA.  I would like to complete my PhD online.
Debating attending a UK school (Leicester) versus a regionally accredited American school (Liberty).  

Which do you think would be a better school to attend for someone who would like to continue teaching in North America?


RE: UK School VS Regionally Accredited US School - Merlin - 11-14-2020

(11-14-2020, 07:10 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: Looking to continue teaching in North America. Currently instructing at a college right now with an AACSB accredited MBA.  I would like to complete my PhD online.
Debating attending a UK school (Leicester) versus a regionally accredited American school (Liberty).  

Which do you think would be a better school to attend for someone who would like to continue teaching in North America?

Well, it ultimately depends on where you end up wanting to teach. Where are you teaching now? If you want to teach at a top-tier US school (particularly at the grad-school level), you'll want to limit your search to AACSB Ph.D. programs unless you aim to move outside business. That said, finding the right online AACSB Ph.D. program may be a pain though since there aren't many to choose from, and you'll be paying out of pocket.

Honestly, if you don't care about AACSB, you'd be better off looking for a local Ph.D. program where you can get your tuition and academic costs covered. Though that will be hard to do if you're working as a teacher full-time... unless you can do it at the school you're currently teaching at. Your school may provide a means to do both.

Failing the above, it comes down to reputation. A well-regarded UK school will be superior to a less well-known US school. In this case, Leicester is better regarded than Liberty, so it's probably a stronger choice.

Aside from reputation you also need to make sure you find a school that matches your academic and research interests, and a graduate advisor that has a good reputation in the field you're pursuing. When applying, they will ask you about your research interests and what you're looking to do. They should tell you early on if they have available advisors in your research area and if they have open slots for new Ph.D. students in that area.

Be sure to set up a call with the proposed subject advisor(s) for whichever schools you're applying to. You'll be working with that person for 3-7 years so you'll need to make sure that you can get along and you have compatible goals. You also want an advisor with a good reputation in the industry, as their reputation will color yours when applying to jobs and research opportunities. A good reputation will open doors for you, while a bad one may make those doors harder to open. Most will have a neutral rep which won't really impact you in a good or bad way. If you can find an advisor that you like and has a great reputation in academic circles, that is the best. You may also want to review some of their published journals/books to familiarize yourself with their work as part of the review. This will make for a much more effective initial interview/conversation as well since you'll be able to ask well-informed questions.

Anyway, that is a long-winded way of saying, "it depends". It's not just about comparing schools, you need to assess their reputation, accreditation, and quality. The latter is often represented by their graduate advisors and research budget, etc. If you're doing remote, you'll also need to consider cost and time investment. You'll need a part-time Ph.D. if you're working more than part-time, and many schools only offer full-time Ph.D. programs.

Good luck with your search. I'm doing the same thing myself, though I'm not looking to start until 2021-2022 so I'm taking things slow.


RE: UK School VS Regionally Accredited US School - MissProfessor - 11-14-2020

(11-14-2020, 08:52 PM)The Merlin Wrote:
(11-14-2020, 07:10 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: Looking to continue teaching in North America. Currently instructing at a college right now with an AACSB accredited MBA.  I would like to complete my PhD online.
Debating attending a UK school (Leicester) versus a regionally accredited American school (Liberty).  

Which do you think would be a better school to attend for someone who would like to continue teaching in North America?

Well, it ultimately depends on where you end up wanting to teach. Where are you teaching now? If you want to teach at a top-tier US school (particularly at the grad-school level), you'll want to limit your search to AACSB Ph.D. programs unless you aim to move outside business. That said, finding the right online AACSB Ph.D. program may be a pain though since there aren't many to choose from, and you'll be paying out of pocket.

Honestly, if you don't care about AACSB, you'd be better off looking for a local Ph.D. program where you can get your tuition and academic costs covered. Though that will be hard to do if you're working as a teacher full-time... unless you can do it at the school you're currently teaching at. Your school may provide a means to do both.

Failing the above, it comes down to reputation. A well-regarded UK school will be superior to a less well-known US school. In this case, Leicester is better regarded than Liberty, so it's probably a stronger choice.

Aside from reputation you also need to make sure you find a school that matches your academic and research interests, and a graduate advisor that has a good reputation in the field you're pursuing. When applying, they will ask you about your research interests and what you're looking to do. They should tell you early on if they have available advisors in your research area and if they have open slots for new Ph.D. students in that area.

Be sure to set up a call with the proposed subject advisor(s) for whichever schools you're applying to. You'll be working with that person for 3-7 years so you'll need to make sure that you can get along and you have compatible goals. You also want an advisor with a good reputation in the industry, as their reputation will color yours when applying to jobs and research opportunities. A good reputation will open doors for you, while a bad one may make those doors harder to open. Most will have a neutral rep which won't really impact you in a good or bad way. If you can find an advisor that you like and has a great reputation in academic circles, that is the best. You may also want to review some of their published journals/books to familiarize yourself with their work as part of the review. This will make for a much more effective initial interview/conversation as well since you'll be able to ask well-informed questions.

Anyway, that is a long-winded way of saying, "it depends". It's not just about comparing schools, you need to assess their reputation, accreditation, and quality. The latter is often represented by their graduate advisors and research budget, etc. If you're doing remote, you'll also need to consider cost and time investment. You'll need a part-time Ph.D. if you're working more than part-time, and many schools only offer full-time Ph.D. programs.

Good luck with your search. I'm doing the same thing myself, though I'm not looking to start until 2021-2022 so I'm taking things slow.
Thank you for your detailed reply!  The school I am at is just an average small city 4 year school.  I do not care about AACSB that much as I really have no desire to be in a tier 1 school.  I plan to focus on teaching when I am done and  don’t have big desires for a career in research.

I teach marketing and I am actually strongly considering a PhD in Communications since it is better aligned with the marketing courses I teach (marketing communications, branding, advertising).  I find I am a better fit in a Communications PhD program than a DBA program.

I like that Liberty has was looks to be a well structured PhD in Communications.  They have several faculty with research interests that are in line with mine.  I also like that the school is on North American soil and has a reasonable time change for me to deal with!  LOL They also have no on-campus requirements unlike Leicester, which had two.

I do like Leicester’s reputation, but I worry about the distance. 

My school just wants a doctorate completed and could probably care less about which school to be honest.  Rolleyes


RE: UK School VS Regionally Accredited US School - nyvrem - 11-14-2020

I've emailed Leicester before to ask about the on campus part. They mention it's possible to do that via skype though best to check with them again.


RE: UK School VS Regionally Accredited US School - MissProfessor - 11-14-2020

(11-14-2020, 10:24 PM)nyvrem Wrote: I've emailed Leicester before to ask about the on campus part. They mention it's possible to do that via skype though best to check with them again.
Thank you!  I sent them an email to inquire about the two on-campus meetings.  That has a big impact on overall cost of the program.  I’ll wait to hear back from them.

I’m so torn as to which program is best for me.  I do love the coursework part at Liberty.  I also like the 8 week course structure, the interaction with other students, and what seems to be a fairly helpful faculty.

Leicester seems more structured than some other UK schools, which I prefer.  I tried Heriot-Watt.  It felt like a correspondence program.  Not enough structure, deadlines, or interaction.  I tried one class and knew it was not for me.


RE: UK School VS Regionally Accredited US School - Merlin - 11-15-2020

(11-14-2020, 09:35 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: I teach marketing and I am actually strongly considering a PhD in Communications since it is better aligned with the marketing courses I teach (marketing communications, branding, advertising).  I find I am a better fit in a Communications PhD program than a DBA program.

Well, if you're interested in pivoting into Communication, then yeah AACSB doesn't really matter at that point. That opens up a lot more options.

(11-14-2020, 09:35 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: I like that Liberty has was looks to be a well structured PhD in Communications.  They have several faculty with research interests that are in line with mine.  I also like that the school is on North American soil and has a reasonable time change for me to deal with!  LOL They also have no on-campus requirements unlike Leicester, which had two.

I do like Leicester’s reputation, but I worry about the distance. 

Well, it sounds like you mostly have your mind made up then. Liberty is checking a lot of boxes for you anyway. It sounds like you just need to talk with admissions and find out who your advisor would be if you were to come into their program. If possible, see if you can arrange a short chat with them to learn more about their program, research goals, and mentoring style to see if they sound like someone you could work with.

(11-14-2020, 09:35 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: My school just wants a doctorate completed and could probably care less about which school to be honest.  Rolleyes

Well, that makes it easier. If they want you to complete a doctorate, are they at least going to help subsidize your degree?


RE: UK School VS Regionally Accredited US School - MissProfessor - 11-15-2020

(11-15-2020, 04:43 AM)Merlin Wrote:
(11-14-2020, 09:35 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: I teach marketing and I am actually strongly considering a PhD in Communications since it is better aligned with the marketing courses I teach (marketing communications, branding, advertising).  I find I am a better fit in a Communications PhD program than a DBA program.

Well, if you're interested in pivoting into Communication, then yeah AACSB doesn't really matter at that point. That opens up a lot more options.

(11-14-2020, 09:35 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: I like that Liberty has was looks to be a well structured PhD in Communications.  They have several faculty with research interests that are in line with mine.  I also like that the school is on North American soil and has a reasonable time change for me to deal with!  LOL They also have no on-campus requirements unlike Leicester, which had two.

I do like Leicester’s reputation, but I worry about the distance. 

Well, it sounds like you mostly have your mind made up then. Liberty is checking a lot of boxes for you anyway. It sounds like you just need to talk with admissions and find out who your advisor would be if you were to come into their program. If possible, see if you can arrange a short chat with them to learn more about their program, research goals, and mentoring style to see if they sound like someone you could work with.

(11-14-2020, 09:35 PM)MissProfessor Wrote: My school just wants a doctorate completed and could probably care less about which school to be honest.  Rolleyes

Well, that makes it easier. If they want you to complete a doctorate, are they at least going to help subsidize your degree?
Yes, I will be getting financial support.  Probably a fair amount annually.  Our PD funds are pretty good!

I agree, I need to chat with Liberty faculty to explore more about my areas of research interest.  They don’t explain each faculty member‘s area of interest as thoroughly as Leicester does and Leicester does not explain the course work side as well as Liberty does!  

To make things even more interesting, I have found not one, but three possible faculty members I would love to work with if I did a PhD in business (marketing) with Leicester.

So now it seems I am deciding between a PhD in Communications from Liberty and a PhD in Business from Leicester!

The 4000 +\- word research proposal that Leicester wants has me a little stressed, to be honest.  Liberty has a less stressful admission process that’s for sure.