In need of all sorts of help in finding a good college/university...

I currently have my AS in graphic design and I'm looking into going to school in London to get a better degree. I was wondering if anyone knows any good graphic design schools and which degree I should choose.

I feel stupid, but the different degrees are confusing me, haha. I see that there are BA's but then I see that many schools offer a lot of MA programs. Then there are foundations degrees...Is that like an associates? Is a BA still good to have? If someone can just explain the different levels of degrees in comparision to american ones that'd be great.

Thank you!

Wikipedia has a pretty exhaustive list of pages on this topic...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Education_in_the_United_Kingdom

Basically, foundation degrees are vocational qualifications, and are similar in level to US associate's degrees.  A BA is regarded as a standard "college degree," just like in America, and a MA/MS, PhD, etc. are basically the same.  The main difference is that UK BAs usually take three years instead of four, and it is possible to stay on for a fourth year to earn an undergraduate master's degree, which is better than a UK BA but still not quite on the same level as a post-graduate master's degree in the UK (a US MA).

Check out the wiki pages - they should help.

A Masters Degree in the UK is usually the same level as a Masters Degree in the US.

Vicky

A Masters Degree in the UK is usually the same level as a Masters Degree in the US.

Vicky

That's what I said...

A BA is regarded as a standard "college degree," just like in America, and a MA/MS, PhD, etc. are basically the same.

The difference lies in the existence of undergraduate, "fourth-year" masters degrees, which are generally considered to be of a lower standard than post-graduate masters degrees (a post-graduate masters is generally considered equivalent to an NVQ 5 while an undergraduate masters is not).  Most, if not all, US universities would not equate an undergraduate masters degree with a US (or UK post-graduate) MA.

Are you talking about the specifically Scottish MA, which is awarded at the end of a 4 year undergraduate degree?

I'm not sure if that is right to be honest, certainly not as far as UK NARIC are concerned, though the US may interpret it differently.  I am pretty sure that NARIC consider a 3 year bachelors + 1 year post grad MA as the same as the Scottish 4 year MA.

But I stand to be corrected.

(I say specifically Scottish as it is only Scottish Uni's who do the MA as an undergraduate degree).

Vicky

English universities do have undergraduate masters as well- my fiance is on one of those courses, actually (4-year undergraduate course at an English university and he'll graduate this July with a Masters in Computer Science [MCompAI], having skipped over the BSc entirely.)

eta: his degree is assessed exactly like an undergraduate degree and is awarded a classification (2:1, 2:2 etc) even though it is a masters degree.  It's a strange concept to me, I don't pretend to understand it!

Yup, the Scottish MA is what I'm referring to - or, more specifically, the ancient universities - Oxford and Cambridge offer undergraduate masters degrees, I know, and I believe Dublin does as well. 

UK NARIC may consider them to be equivalent to a three-year BA plus a one-year MA, but the US higher education system just doesn't have an equivalent.  The undergraduate MA is often technically awarded as a honours degree - a first, valid only in conjunction with the BA rather than a course of study leading to a separately earned degree.  In the US, it's a four-year BA or an MA - there's no middle ground.  As the OP is asking about the difference between US and UK degrees, I wanted to point out this difference.

(Is it weird that I am bizarrely obsessed with the UK higher education system?  One of these days I'll taste it for myself...  )

Are you talking about the specifically Scottish MA, which is awarded at the end of a 4 year undergraduate degree?

English universities do have undergraduate masters as well- my fiance is on one of those courses, actually (4-year undergraduate course at an English university and he'll graduate this July with a Masters in Computer Science, having skipped over the BSc entirely.)

springhaze is right - I have one of these undergraduate masters too and I was nowhere near Scotland when did it (I went to Exeter Uni) . I have an M.Phys degree - a 4-year undergrad degree, but with a 2-year research project instead of your basic dissertation project and more advanced lectures in the 4th year. Technically, these degrees are known as M.Sci (not sure if you can get one in the Arts), but different degrees have their own names. I've also seen M.Eng (Engineering), M.E.Sci (Earth Science), M.Geophys (Geophysics).

Although they are not considered as high a qualification as an M.Sc, they are intended to be a stepping stone towards a Ph.D and often students can go straight from an undergrad masters to a Ph.D. I was offered a Ph.D place in Physics a couple of months after I graduated, but I decided to go for an M.Sc by research in Earth Sciences first to specialise so I could do a Ph.D in Geophysics instead.

I have an MEng from an English uni. and have never heard of it being a 'lesser' degree then an MSc - maybe this is the case if one stays in academia?  Certainly in the Engineering world it isn't, for instance for IET chartership it carries the same weight as an MSc.

The only problem I've had is that with them being a relatively new thing some older professionals aren't that familiar with them.

Edited to add: This is all in the UK, I can well imagine American employers having issues with unfamiliar qualifications.

Wow.  Thanks all.  A mine of information!

 

Vicky

Since Meg seems to have interest in this, maybe you can help me out :-). My husband graduated from Cambridge, and has told me that four years post-graduation he is automagically awarded an MA. Is this just nuts? He says that Cambridge assumes you've been learning and growing from your "real world" experience such that you deserve an MA (obviously) after a while. I think he has to say that its an MA(cantab hons) or something to that effect. But I still find it quite weird. So my question is...why?!?!

I think you answered your own question there.  Although you could add 'because they can.'

It's just one of those weird Oxbridge things.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find an employer that would count it as a 'real' masters.   Although you might get some joy abroad.

Since Meg seems to have interest in this, maybe you can help me out :-). My husband graduated from Cambridge, and has told me that four years post-graduation he is automagically awarded an MA. Is this just nuts? He says that Cambridge assumes you've been learning and growing from your "real world" experience such that you deserve an MA (obviously) after a while. I think he has to say that its an MA(cantab hons) or something to that effect. But I still find it quite weird. So my question is...why?!?!

Yes, this is true , but because there is not further examination required, the 'hons' part can't be used, so it would simply be MA(Cantab):

In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, the degree of Master of Arts (MA) is awarded to Bachelors of Arts of those universities on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university. There is no examination or study required for the degree beyond those required for the BA. This practice differs from that in most other universities worldwide, for whom the degree reflects further postgraduate study or achievement, and these degrees thus are frequently referred to as the Oxbridge MA and Dublin or Trinity MA to differentiate them. The degree can either be considered an undergraduate or a graduate degree, depending on perspective. The Oxbridge MA is based on a system of academic rank rather than academic qualifications.

All three universities have other masters' degrees that require further study and examination, but these have other titles, e.g. Master of Letters, Master of Philosophy, etc.

In the ancient universities of Scotland, the degree is awarded as a first degree to undergraduates (see Master of Arts (Scotland)).

from Wiki

Ah, NOW I understand what you are talking about.  I forgot about the Oxford-grad ex and his dodgy 'Masters'  . 

That is different from the Scottish Masters though, surely?  You don't study for four years to get this (pretty much honorary) MA, it is automatic four years after matriculation. 


Vicky

Section A – Applying to University
1.   www.ucas.com   The godfather of all university sites. Take at least an hour to browse what it offers. You can, for example, do an online test that will ask you about your interests and abilities and then use this information to select university degrees that would suit you. There is also a very helpful section on this site for parents.

2.   www.ukcoursefinder.com   Not yet 100% sure you want to go, or what you want to study? Do the online test to find out. Lots of information too on how to complete the UCAS form, whether to take a gap year etc.

3.   www.isco.org.uk   Go to the course finder page for another on line test. In 15 minutes 50,000+ courses will have been narrowed down to a dozen or so.

4.   www.hotcourses.com      Say what you want to study, which region you’d like to go to and watch what happens. I entered ‘Geography’ and ‘East Midlands’ and 398 results appeared.

5.   www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/uk.map.html   Can’t tell Aberdeen from Aberystwyth? This opens with a UK map showing you where all the universities are located with excellent onward links to further information about every university.

6.   www.hero.ac.uk   Hero = Higher Education Research Opportunities. Note that whenever you see .ac in a web address you know that it will be an ‘academic’ web site. This one gives detailed, reliable information concerning online prospectuses, etc.

7.   www.qaa.ac.uk   The Quality Assurance Agency reports on teaching quality in almost every department in every university. You’re spending a lot of your money on going to university; use this site to see that you’re spending it wisely.

8.   www.tqi.ac.uk   Choose your subject, then access a review of the teaching quality at each university. When you’re spending so much money on getting a degree you want to know if it’s Waitrose or Aldi!

9.   www.hefc.ac.uk   On this site you can access the National Student Survey – the results of a series of questions final year undergraduates were asked about the quality of their courses. Yet again, we remind you to spend your money wisely.

10.   www.education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide   Very clear, easy to use league tables. Find out the top ten universities for each subject.

11.   www.timesonline.co.uk   Click on education then on Times Good Education Guide for another set of league tables.

12.   www.unofficial-guides.com   “Refreshingly honest and idiosyncratic” said one of our student reviewers. Lots of student opinions are expressed, and they clearly enjoyed their time.

13.   www.push.co.uk      This is an alternative guide, telling you how it really is. You’ll need to buy the book or subscribe to get the full picture.

14.   www.prospects.ac.uk      This site tells you what sort of jobs people get with their degrees. Can you get a job with an anthropology degree? Look here to find out. There’s also information about open days and careers fairs, job vacancies and gap year experiences.

15.   www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife   A very chatty, friendly website offering plenty of non-assuming advice without criticism. Go to the education pages for advice on applying and lots more.

16.   www.studentuk.com      Lots of general, informal advice for teenagers. One of the themes is applying to university.

17.   www.springboard.co.uk   Bright and lively site with lots of advice (for parents too!) on applying to university, gap years, jobs. The degree search by region section is highly praised.

18.   www.doctorjob.com      As well as advising you about job opening for graduates, this also offers advice on applying to university.

19.   www.aimhigher.ac.uk      This site gives a good insight into why you ought to consider going to university. Loads of information, including the financial implications of going.

20.   www.opendays.com   Pretty obvious really. The book online section is useful.

21.   www.braintrack.com   Want to study abroad? Links here to nearly 7000 universities in 189 countries.

22.   www.fulbright.co.uk   If you want to study in the USA, take a look at this site.