Get Opinions on UNISA Degrees: Can I Go to Grad School?

[Mépris]

Hi,

The odds are that my applications to US colleges will fail. My other cards are the grandes ecoles in France (5 years master - can do either physics, applied math/stats/cs or even engineering, though I doubt I will do that), Physics BS (3 years) at the local university and yeah, that's about it so far.

So, I was considering doing a degree online and UNISA looks like a good place to do it. What is interesting with them is that they will provide me with the flexibility that my local university can't. I will be able to come out of it with an applied math or maths & stats bachelor's degree. My main concern is whether I will be able to go to grad school with an online degree. How does one go about that? Is that even feasible? What about research? I know people at the local university, so *perhaps*, I could try and get into contact with the maths department there and see if I can get some research experience under my belt?

Opinions welcome.

Thank you.

Edit:

UNISA stands for University of South Africa (google it if you have to)

 

[wondering12]

I was looking forward to apply to UNISA for Msc in physics because I want to keep my full time job. There are no universities in my country that provide degrees in evening or weekends not to mention distance method. I tried to apply, however I run into unusual correspondence irregularities in documents exchange when applying therefore I did not complete applications until find out more about UNISA and etc.

 

[wondering12]

I appreciate anybody giving comments about UNISA through correspondence.

 

[GregJ]

Keep in mind that UNISA is no longer internationally acreddited. The accreditation lapsed and they just never bothered to renew it.

They are still very good however. I started, but never finished a degree in astronomy with UNISA.

http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=17079

 

[wondering12]

thanks for reply.
You mentioned that they are very good. Very good in what? What is your experience with them?

 

[GregJ]

Well, their courses are well structured, interesting and the amount of modules available is great as there will always be something interesting for you to take. I found that the math side of things were of a very high standard.

One problem I didn't like is that some modules have exams that overlap (quite a lot do in fact), meaning that you cannot take them in the same year and would have to postpone some to another year.

It's depressing really that they never renewed their accreditation (out of sheer laziness).

 

[wondering12]

Is that the reason you did not finish it?
I noticed that you have master's in theoretical physics. How did you finish it?
I am looking for online master's in physics. The reason is that I do not want to quit my job. J

 

[GregJ]

Oh, I didn't finish because I decided to start traveling the world (nothing to do with UNISA itself). It took me over 7 years of constant traveling before I decided to move to the UK. Right now I am working toward my undergrad masters at regular a red-brick university.

Bottom line is I would recommend UNISA, it is just that the accreditation might be an issue later on. There is a very lengthy way around this, which is mentioned in the link I posted in this thread:

"One way for the accreditation of Unisa’s qualifications in foreign countries with an established Qualifications Authority, is for the two qualification authorities involved to negotiate the mutual recognition and accreditation of each other’s qualifications."

It is possible, but it is also unfortunately not guaranteed.