Distance learning from Canada
 

Hi all,

I'm currently living in the north of England and interested in doing an environmental management course from a Canadian college or University. Can anyone give me an idea on how I go about this, which establishment and what's the best course?

Thank you all in advance of your help, much appreciated

Paul

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Distance learning options from Canadian universities:

http://www.cvu-uvc.ca/english.html

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Be aware that Canadians can be academic snobs when it comes to education. They assume that those that don't attend are not good enough to get in. Living in a different country may not cut it. Just a thought.:blink:

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Kind regards dear sir.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Eh?

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

If my family would move to Canada, my resources would stretch that far and I could sell my house, I would definitely attend in person.

The reason I have asked my original question and I am keen to try a Canadian course is I have friend just moved over last year and he is raving about the difference in the quality of education over there. So I thought do a course and lets see and maybe you can't blame them for being snobby.

I am doing an Nebosh general certificate course over here at the moment and it just seems like they're just interested in the fee not the student. The quality of education in the UK has become impersonal. Plus the fees are extortionate.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

At the time of typing there was only rich that had replied, the "kind regards dear sir" was aimed at him. Sorry for the confusion.:confused:

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

you're welcome.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

And my "eh?" was not in response to your post, but rather to the drivel contributed by Almost Canadian.

Have a look at the FES courses at York U in Toronto.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Thank you

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Just out of interest - does anyone know if the Open U in the UK do distance learning for us Canadian ressies?

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

It is not drivel but something I see everyday.

Canadians believe their education system is the best in the world. It may be, it may not be, something I have no interest in researching, nor do I care about the answer.

Outside of the academic world, I submit that, where one attends university is irrelevant (just because one attended Harvard for law, it doesn't necessarily follow that one will become a great lawyer - the difference between academic and practical ability).

Lots of potential law students in Canada attend Cardiff University to obtain their LL.B. I have met lots of Canadian born lawyers that obtained their LL.B. from Cardiff. I have never met one that obtain their LL.B. from another English or Welsh University. For some reason they appear to gravitate to Cardiff.

The result of this is that most Canadian lawyers one meets assume that, if one's LL.B. is English, it is because one wasn't good enough to get into a Canadian University. They appear to believe this even if one was born from England. I have met South African, Australian, etc. lawyers that say the same thing. I have heard the same thing said by doctors, engineers, architects, etc. that I have met.

As has been noted by various other posters on this board from time to time, the piece of paper one holds in Canada would appear to be way more important than one's actually ability. It is my understanding that it is not possible to obtain a law degree by distance learning in Canada, so I have no actual knowledge of how Canadians view such qualifications. However, I know of many that obtained their pieces of paper by distance learning in other professions and, invariably, they state that employers do not like them. It would appear that the rationale for such objections is: "You weren't good enough to attend "regular" school."

I have no particular axe to grind as I am not an educator nor will I be employing the OP. I merely wished to point out that employers see things differently from their English counterparts this side of the pond. I apologize to you for having the temerity to state something that, based on your experience, you are unable to agree with. Unfortunately, we all have different experiences and the above is mine.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

I currently doing an online Nursing Course at UVIC, which happens to be my local uni here.
Be warned that you need PR to then be charged at the regular fee. My courses cost $460 a time. If I was an international applicant it would be $1500!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Longer drivel. And who mentioned lawyers?

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

There's some truth in this in my experience. Working at a university, I'm bound by union collective agreements when it comes to hiring practices. I read several hundred resumes a year, and cannot hire staff that don't have a relevant degree. Countless applicants have perfectly adequate experience and ability, but not the requisite degree, so I can't interview them.

It's nonsensical, particularly in work disciplines that are new or emerging. If I need a social media specialist, the union puts a 5yr experience requirement + relevant degree into the job description. Finding someone with 5yrs of commercial social media experience is hard enough, tagging on a degree requirement too makes hiring an almost impossible task. Roles get advertised, re-advertised and re-advertised due to entrenched ideas about what makes a suitable employee.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

But that isn't a point in contention. Does your union state that the degree must be from a Canadian institution?

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Can I just say that this is not a Canadian thing, this is just human nature. This happens in school yards the world over. My ball is better than you ball and so on. The problem I have is that one form of education system is better than the other. I don't mind that Canadians think that their education is far superior than the rest of the world but what I do think that because someone can't actually attend to get the qualification it actually not as knowledgeable is ridicules.

I honestly believe that distance learning is probably just as good or ( dare I say it ) better. If I was to attend a course the help and guidance I would get, would be far greater thus the person distance learning as to put more effort in to achieve the same goal. I am not worried about people with blinkers, I'm more worried about satisfying the ones that are not.

Anyway, for me its a blessing. I'm a middle aged man who didn't recognise the benefits of education till it was harder to do. I now have two wonderful children who are now maybe suffering a little because I'm playing catch up. I severely wish this wasn't so but at least I can catch up and still work hard to give them their necessities.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

If it's not, I have a lengthy process to go through to prove it's equivalency. It's a PITA.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Don't you have peeps to do that for you?

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Oh yes, it's a job creation scheme to keep peeps in admin paperwork.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

How hard is it to get a job in occupational health & safety over there? And as anyone over there heard of Nebosh?

I am at the moment studying for my general certificate in health and safety, which is big over here and then going on to do my diploma in H&S in environmental management. Is there an equivalence? Not that I have any plans yet to come over there YET.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Don't think it's drivel at all. I've been on many hiring committees and the institutions one attended is definitely a major factor in considering the appointment. And trust me, rightly or wrongly, no applicant would be considered if they received their degree through distance learning.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

The distance mode of delivery is becoming more common - if you take a distance/online course or program from the institution I work for, upon graduation you get a degree parchment that indicates it's a degree from the University, there's no distinction made about how you were taught. You get the same professors in the majority of instances after all, and the content is the same.

The local school district has implemented online options for high school students for a few years now, so student expectations are that the convenience of online learning should be available once they leave high school and enter higher ed.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

This is certainly true of the field that I am working/qualifying in... (an alternative/holistic health care field)... I had to go back to school to get additional qualifications because they refused to recognise my UK ones. I just don't have the right piece of paper.

It doesn't matter that I have years of experience, references and UK qualifications, I can't get membership with the relevant professional body that I need to be licensed to work (or more accurately to get a billing number so that my clients can claim the costs back from their health insurance) without doing 2200 hours study in Canada. Well that is not quite true - I could get a licence with only 250 hours study in Calgary, but I can't join the professional association which is the important part to get that billing number.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Of course it is. Having degrees from well recognized US or European universities is a huge advantage over the local stuff.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Depends on the field though. It isn't quite as cut and dried as saying well-recognised. Sometimes they want you to have Canadian specific qualifications as well

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

You're mixing up academic qualifications with the sharp practices of professional associations in regulated professions. I'd imagine that the 2200 hours of study you allude to above have to be done in a specific institution run by the shyster association? Smell anything just a bit dodgy?

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

I don't think the MTAA fits in with the "shyster" association - in fact most massage therapy associations in Canada require a minimum of 2200 hours of study (in BC I believe it is 3200 hours!) It is simply that they don't recognise other qualifications. I could join the NHPC with fewer but they are less recognised by the insurance companies, most of which demand the 2200 hours of study before they will pay out on the costs for my clients.

The number of hours study is actually dictated by the health insurance companies NOT the associations. MTAA is just sucking up to the ass of the insurance companies by dictating that their members have 2200 hours of study in Canada

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

OK. But it's still regulations.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

My wife has a masters degree in Midwifery with lots of fancy letters after her name. Over 12 years experience and has delivered over 1000 new lives into the world, however if she wants to work in Canada she must retrain at a Canadian university.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Regulated profession, innit? I'm not arguing in favour of these sort of blinkered rules. But we started out (I thought) discussing academic qualifications.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Exactly the same kind of problem I am finding with my career...

It seems that anything in any way related to health care, they refuse to accept anything but Canadian (and possibly US?) qualifications.

I have also encountered engineers (one of my clients) who has also had problems with his UK qualifications being recognised.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

But, unless one intends to remain in academia for one's entire life, one has to persuade an employer that one's credentials are worthy of consideration. IMVHO distance learning versus attending an institution is no-contest.

I wasn't stating this from the position of a regulated profession, but from the perspective of Canadian employers. Even in the wild west that is Calgary, it is still hugely important. Not that I expect you to accept it:p

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Of course my experience is in a very limited area and hiring is very results orientated. When it comes to hiring support staff the ability and willingness to make a decent cup of tea and getting the biscuits is much more important than if they have a degree.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

I agree that distance learning is only now becoming mainstream. But please note RICH's remarks that the degree is the same whether distance or traditional.

What I objected to in your original remarks was that if you did Canadian distance learning while residing in the UK it would make the slightest bit of difference to future employment prospects. I repeat: drivel.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

To change the subject slightly, does anyone know how one can "do" a distance MBA from the U. of London without having an undergraduate degree? It seems a bit suss to me.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

And as someone who has attempted to persuade a Canadian employer that a part time degree is as valid as a full time one, I repeat: it ain't drivel.

As I am sure you will accept, Canadian employers appear to be scared by anything that differs from the norm:p

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

Please re-read what I said.

Some are, some aren't. Just like anywhere else.

Re: Distance learning from Canada
 

We've distance learners that graduated after 5+ years of fitting in a degree and work/family commitments, and gone on to medical school to become doctors, or to law school and a host of other professions. By the time they're ready to search for work I doubt how long it took to get their initial qualification has any relevance at all, and we've no evidence here that supports the suggestion that working while studying is viewed at all negatively by employers. More the case that it shows initiative and dedication.