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nickpellatt · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1522

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cable-initiates-the-age-of-the-twoyear-degree-2025984.html

Key quote from Vince Cable copied from the above article -

He believes that it is difficult to justify courses with tuition of six or seven hours a week. While two-year degrees would transform the university experience for thousands of undergraduates, Mr Cable believes that many would welcome three-year courses being condensed to reduce their tuition fees � and their debts.

Sure to further cloud the issue with employers who request 3 or 4 year programs! Seems like a good idea to me though!

tttompatz · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 11:47 pm Post subject:

Bottom line is:

School accreditation
Title on the parchment.

As long as the school is properly accredited AND the parchment says BACHELOR OF ___________ then it really doesn't matter how long it took you. The content is essentially the same.

Oh, and after you get your 1st Bachelors degree, subsequent undergrad degrees are only 2 years each (upper level courses) and can often be completed in 1 year (3 trimesters).

.

Chancellor · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:52 am Post subject:

What's the matter? Brit kids can't be bothered to finish a real bachelor's degree so someone wants to dumb things down by removing a bunch of content and shortening it down to two years?

Here in the States we have a two-year degree. It's called an associate's degree and it is worth about what a high school diploma was worth 30 years ago.

Rolling Eyes

nickpellatt · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1522

Its a move to reduce the burden of student debt, and seeing as students spend most of their time partying, sleeping, getting drunk I dont think its a bad idea.

I recently completed my BA via distance learning, and the content of that could easily be completed within two academic years of full time study. Unfortunately, many University courses only comprise something like 6 hours of lectures a week....on that basis I dont see any reason why it shouldnt be condensed into a shorter and more intense study experience.

Hate to say it, but I actually support the UK government on this, but I can see it adding confusion to overseas employers.

Chancellor · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject:

nickpellatt · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1522

My son will go to University in 2011, and will save before and work during which I agree is preferable to huge loans and debts. Good on your daughter. I dont have knowledge or experience of the system in the USA, but based on my very recent UK experience, I do feel undergraduate study isnt very challenging. It certainly doesnt take 3 years IMHO, so anything that reduces the time and reduces the likelihood of debt is a good thing. I dont know how true it is, but people in education in the UK do say A level study here is more challenging. My son gets his A level results next month so Ill see how he did then.

Regarding undergrad studies, I was granted special dispensation to study 180 points in one year, and easily coped with that alongside working a minimum of 28 hours per week. I still had far too much time to post here and use Facebook too!

Maybe it has just been dumbed down!

Chancellor · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:15 pm Post subject:

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I don't know. With AP, summer courses, and CLEP tests, you can get out of a lot of courses. I know that even though I didn't qualify for AP (because I finished HS in three years) I CLEPed out of a year of uni.