Open university

shmux

Hi

I was looking at doing an MSc with Open University.

I see from their website, one qualifies with an MSc (maths) (open).

Is the "(open)" bit used as a warning to future professors or employers that the MSc this man has is shiit!!!!???

Thanks !

Fergus08

Why should it mean that? The OU's BSc in maths is recognised by the teaching council as an adequate preparation for teaching maths at secondary level.

There are some employers who will be very sniffy about the OU. But in the public sector and for many in the private sector an OU degree has the same standing as any other degree. Also, all OU degrees, from what I can see, are 'mapped' onto the HETAC qualifications scheme. That is, there'll all recognised and fully accredited here and have the same official status as TCD, NUI, DCU degrees.

So, if a potential employer wants to regard the three years of part time study you put in to gaining an MSc in maths as "****", then you'd have to consider whether such an employer is going to be worth working for. Ok, you may have no choice nowadays but to regard an OU MSc as **** says more about the person making that statement than about the person who holds the degree.

But, having said that, if you want to proceed to an actuarial or accountancy job then the OU may be an issue. Many of the big names in accountancy are insanely and irrationally snobby, so this is something you'd need to bear in mind.

If, on the other hand, you're going to do it for academic reasons then you're fine. There a dozens of academics (a very sniffy profession) who got their undergraduate or post graduate degrees from the OU. There are at least 10 I can see working in Irish universities and dozens working in UK universities including Oxford and Cambridge. You'll find the OU highly regarded, for the most part, in academic circles and not treated in any way different from conventional universities.

Gaining an MSc in Maths is quite an achievement - don't be put off by the perceived, and it's only a perception, lower status of the OU.

shmux

Excellent comments.

You know academics with OU qualifications ?! Unbelievable! How?

Fergus08

http://www.ucd.ie/research/workingatucd/researchertestimonials/paulinerudd/

http://biology.nuim.ie/staff/index.shtml

http://physics.nuim.ie/staff/lanigan.shtml

http://www.nuigalway.ie/psy/m_elliott_page.htm

http://www.geog.cam.ac.uk/people/oppenheimer/

http://www.dur.ac.uk/geography/research/researchclusters/?mode=staff&id=353

shmux

Man you are a genius.

I will be checking these links out!

BuffyBot

The (Open) part is superflous anyway. It really just refers to the awarding university. For example one of the above pages says BA (Hons) (Open), MSc (Bham), PhD (Lond.) - shorthand for Open University, University of Birmingham and University of London

I've rarely seen anyone use it outside of acadamia - most people just list the degree. As Fergus08 points out, the OU is recognised pretty much everywhere in the same way as pretty much any other university.