Is an OU degree considered as good as a degree from a Russel group uni?

[toptramp]

Not so much an AIBU but I am thinking of doing a masters and am wondering if anyone has had experience with an OU masters course or even an undergraduate course?
Do employers give OU graduates extra kudos for being self motivated or is it irrelevant?
I would like to do myy masters at Bristol but can imagine it's tough to get on course and expensive plus it would mean a commute.

Not AIBU at all really....would be better in chat or student parents...

Masters can usually be from a distance whatever the uni. Contact and ask.

No, OU is not respected as much, anywhere near as much.

And no, this is not an AIBU.

IME private sector employers do look down on OU graduates, compared to Russell University graduates. The fact that the courses are modularised, and can be fitted around other commitments over an extended period are negative factors in their view - wrongly IME - I would admire an OU graduate who has juggled a degree around childcare/another job more than a privileged full time student.

I also think that employers like the feeling of employing someone who has already been through a tough selection process. It validates their own opinion, and is probably part of the reason for the success of Oxbrige graduates.

I did an OU degree when I was a SAHM, It was fantastic, and I loved it. I did Psychology and it was BPS recognised and all that. I also have a degree and PhD from what I think are RG universities (the whole RG thing is pretty new isn't it?). Imperial College and Edinburgh? I think it depends what you want to do really.

What OneHandFlapping said.

As a (past) recruiter, I would always put OU graduates at the top of the shortlist (if they had a good result) because of the dedication required to study off your own bat while working. Obviously they would need to fit the other requirements of the job description.

To be fair, a lot of students at other universities now get their degrees while working and/or as mature students with families.

Yes, in my experience. Perhaps it depends upon the subject.

It depends on what subject and area. I would disagree with Loopy, up to a point. You need to look at what you want to do with your masters and what the employers in question are looking for. Some OU MAs are very highly thought of by some employers. And some RG group masters programmes are crap.

What I meant by all that waffle is that you need to be clear in your own mind what you want out of the MA course you do and then match that as closely as possible with the courses on offer rather than using the awarding body's perceived social status as a determining factor in your decision.

DH is currently doing a distance-learning MA from a RG university. I get the feeling that OU courses are still generally seen as 'a little extra' to do in your spare time rather than a serious academic pursuit. Of course that's a very outdated attitude, but now that the traditional universities are increasingly getting into distance learning themselves I do wonder what advantage there is to doing a OU course that RG universities can't offer. DH's MA course is very well designed with online tutorials and material, and there's a lot of modular flexibility.

Bachelors not as good, wrongly IMO. Masters are currently equivalent because you do them while working particularly in areas such as education. However now other unis are catching on I don't know how long that will hold up.

Ime the content of an ou course is not as advanced as a similar undergraduate course from a top uni.

Not as respected. But I wouldn't get too hung up on RG. 1 in 5 graduates are from a RG uni.

It does dePend though on the field etc and who you are asking. For a role where the degree is not the primary requisite employers may admire the fact that someone has had the initiative, self deiscpline and motivation to do an OU degree and those attributes may be more valuable than the degree itself IYSWIM

I work in Higher Education and my colleagues generally acknowledge that OU courses are at least as difficult and demanding as more conventional university courses. Some of us act as external examiners for the OU and other, more conventional institutions and therefore have an insight into the different programmes, standards and learning outcomes, so are in a good position to judge their relative merits.

Any employer who judges a job candidate on where they studied, rather than what they studied and how well they did must have a very narrow world view.

I got an honours degree with thw OU. In my experience people have always respected it. The materials are second to none, it shows dedication and self management that full time study doesn't necessarily require.

I am currently studying with the OU for my history degree, I also work full time. I hope that my degree will be as respected as someone who has a degree from a traditional uni.

Amateurish - just out of interest, why do you believe this? Have you done research into this? If so, I'd be very interested in hearing about it.

"Do employers give OU graduates extra kudos for being self motivated or is it irrelevant?
I would like to do myy masters at Bristol but can imagine it's tough to get on course and expensive plus it would mean a commute."

I imagine a lot depends what your masters is in and what you plan to do for employment.

My FIL has done several OU courses in Maths and he tells me the teaching is excellent.

What are you planning to do your masters in?

No research robert just personal experience.

As a student or an academic? Have you taught/studied on both?

Do you have wide experience of different subjects and universities? I can't really compare from my own experience, because I did two quite different subjects at my "real" college and the OU.

I wonder if there will be a marked increase in the uptake of OU degrees in the next few years amongst school leavers relunctant to take on so much debt from a traditional degree? How much approx do OU degrees cost?

yabu

Dunno - my df did an ou degree back in the '80's he was in his 40's . However, he gave it up early. He'd previously been to an ivy league uni in the US on scholarship and dropped out but because the OU was modular and the US has been modular for years he was able to get a degree in the US with the combined modules. That was pretty unusual back then in the UK.

I think a uni in south africa (Wits?) do modular distance learning that's considered fantastic these days.

I'm really genuinely surprised by so many people saying it isn't as respected

That is at odds with everything I know. People on here have asked this question before and usually lots of people come on and say that they are employers and value OU study very highly indeed, because of the motivation and time it takes, plus the standard of teaching is good.

I went to Oxbridge, I also have an OU degree. The standard of the OU work was excellent. It was hard going too; I had to work very hard for it.

OU degrees are also going up, Geranium, I think they're going to cost a couple of thousand for each 30 credit module. So, in line with any other uni.

I think the saving grace financially is it's a lot clearer about how to apply for financial support, and modules can be done on as and when- if you can only afford two a year, rather than four, thats not a problem.