Graduate School: Between RMC and UBC

[ifeelweird]

In the Reserves right now.  Been accepted to RMC (Masters) but am eyeing a program at UBC.  Both are slightly different in nature but the RMC program leads to an MA and the UBC option leads to an MEd.  I have been searching for where RMC resides in Macleans Uni rankings only to come up short (2005 rankings).  For obvious reasons, looking to choose the school that is more well known, not necessarily better.  Better is hard to define in terms of programs since each one differs so much.  My studies are not technical or medical, so the choice really comes down to what school is more well known and respected in the court of public opinion.  Both programs have decent professors from around the world.  My main criteria is that the program be entirely online.  So each one is.  Most schools don't have MAs and MEds online, so my options are limited.

Any comments would be helpful.

 

[Strike]

Don't ever expect to find anything in Maclean's.  The last time they mentioned RMC during their annual school rating, it was limited to saying that the school had the best looking men and the ugliest women.

Personally, I think the author of that particular statement got shot down more than a few times by these "ugly" women while he was (most likely) attending Queens.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

In the Reserves right now.  Been accepted to RMC (Masters) but am eyeing a program at UBC.  Both are slightly different in nature but the RMC program leads to an MA and the UBC option leads to an MEd.  I have been searching for where RMC resides in Macleans Uni rankings only to come up short (2005 rankings).  For obvious reasons, looking to choose the school that is more well known, not necessarily better.  Better is hard to define in terms of programs since each one differs so much.  My studies are not technical or medical, so the choice really comes down to what school is more well known and respected in the court of public opinion.  Both programs have decent professors from around the world.  My main criteria is that the program be entirely online.  So each one is.  Most schools don't have MAs and MEds online, so my options are limited.

Any comments would be helpful.

To the Applicants and Military Pers:

Lots of great questions on this board.  But some of the responses are not surprising.  Like military members/recruiters on here saying, "bullshit", etc.  That is not the image any organization should be protraying.  That redneck militant mentality is, unfortunately, prevalent in the Forces, although there are some cool people in too.

Gee, since you are so clearly special and a cut above the rest of us "rednecks" why would you want to soil your CV with more unpleasant potty mouth military influence?  Guess what, buttercup--"military mentality" is what the whole point of the exercise is.  RMC is more than just a place to grab a free degree and then drag your arse through the "burdensome" military obligation. 
You want the court of public opinion, here you go:  since you don't do anything usefull in school ("My studies are not technical or medical") then you are just angling to further your arts degree.  Am I wrong?  Do everyone a favor, stay out of the military and go to a "big important fancy" university that Macleans will approve of. 
I've seen my share of ring knocker time wasters get their degree's, then deliberately fail on  Phase training in order to show themselves to be useless soldiers and get punted without having to fulfill their military contract. 
And just when it looked like Canada is trying to step up to the big leagues and get involved in the world dynamic. 

 

[ifeelweird]

That last post is absurd.

I am not going to be on campus.  The program is totally online from a distance.  I have already passed my courses and am QL qualified.  It is not an issue of being a soldier, since I do not intend to have a career in the Forces.  It is an issue of what would be the better choice of schools as described in my original post, only to go off into the civilian world for employment, which is pretty much where I am right now. 

I can see already that this is probably not a place to field queries for such things.

 

[bbbb]

I'd choose UBC if I were you, more academic that way. Kingston is a nice place though.

 

[Dirt Digger]

For obvious reasons, looking to choose the school that is more well known, not necessarily better.

If this is your driving force, then MEd is the obvious choice.  After all, it's the one that will add the greatest number of letters to the end of your name.  Personally, I'd be more concerned with the quality of education than what others thought of my alumni status.

 

[Big Foot]

I am not going to be on campus.  The program is totally online from a distance.

I'd choose UBC if I were you, more academic that way. Kingston is a nice place though.

bbbb, the MA program here is much different than the undergrad program of which we are both a part of right now. The postgraduate program here is just that, postgraduate, entirely academically oriented. As well, had you paid attention to the previous posts, you would have seen he is going distance education.

 

[ifeelweird]

Thanks Bigfoot.

 

[big bad john]

Talk to Muffin, PM her and ask her sage advice.

 

[Pieman]

Wouldn't a MEd offer more possibility of employment than a MA? 

What University you got your degree in does not have as much weight as you would like to believe. Both UBC and RMC are good Universities. Neither will offer much of an advantage over the other on the job market. The degree itself and your work experience is what gets you positions.

 

[rick7475]

Having toured both campuses, I would choose UBC for it's beauty and architecture.

 

[Journeyman]

After...

My main criteria is that the program be entirely online.  Any comments would be helpful.

AND....

That last post is absurd. I am not going to be on campus.  The program is totally online from a distance.

You still get....

Kingston is a nice place though.

and

I would choose UBC for it's beauty and architecture.

....are these really the wise info sources you were hoping for?

Clearly the problem stems from having said:

Any comments would be helpful.

Perhaps you should have specified useful comments. 

That being said....informed advice cannot be given without some specifics of your post-grad intent. Do you plan on teaching? Will your degree advance you within the defence/security sphere? Do you merely want a graduate degree to please mom & dad? Without some further info, I'm afraid you'll only get advice equal to the two cited above.

 

[GINge!]

I've seen my share of ring knocker time wasters get their degree's, then deliberately fail on  Phase training in order to show themselves to be useless soldiers and get punted without having to fulfill their military contract. 

Really?

Roughly how many would that be?

The only OCdts I have seen who failed phase training that badly were released from the CF without their RMC degree. There were 2 I know of who had completed their degree, failed phase-4 training, and forced to live out their 5 year obligatory service as a "zulu'd" 2Lt.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Really?

Roughly how many would that be?

The only OCdts I have seen who failed phase training that badly were released from the CF without their RMC degree. There were 2 I know of who had completed their degree, failed phase-4 training, and forced to live out their 5 year obligatory service as a "zulu'd" 2Lt.

Five.  Three were from the franco half of the course, also the ones who were openly wearing "VOTE OUI" t-shirts.  I was with them on Armoured RESO 1+2, 1995.  They were quite plain about their desire to become good officers for "the new country of Quebec" but knew they had to bide their time.  At least one had already managed to waste enough time in to complete his degree.  The other two, one I was with on Armoured RESO 3, and the other was in the Arty PHASE 3 training.  The guy that was on Phase 3 was quite glib about his knowledge of the system, and he was deliberately trying to fail Armoured because he was pissed he didn't get Int Officer and was trying to force a re muster.  He also said that if he didn't get the re muster, he would just fail whatever he had to in order to be released from his obligation.  Maybe RMC wouldn't give him his degree, but all of his credits would be transferable and all he would have to do was take one course at any U and graduate with an honours diploma. 
Maybe I was just part of a bad batch.  My Phase 1/2 group was the one where the franco platoon got investigated for hazing another franco, but it was the same bunch of jackholes for the most part for Phase 3. 
I can only hope that things have changed in the last 10 years.  It just irks me to see prima donna's throw around comments like calling soldiers "rednecks" who seem disgusted by the concept of military service.

 

[ifeelweird]

My intention is to teach.  With my qualifications right now I am set up for that.  The Masters is for more development and better prospects for the future.  An MA compared to an MEd., for instance, is "better" in the sense that with an MA, you can prospectively enter into a PHD program.  An MEd., MBA, etc. are professional programs, whereas the MA is academic, usually involving a thesis.  The MEd., MBA, etc. usually do not require a thesis, but rather, course work only.  Both are good, however: except a thesis is really where it is at, pushing the limits of your studies and more demanding.

Do I want to teach for the rest of my life?  Maybe.  Having the MA from RMC looks good on paper and I can augment it with diplomas and certificates that will enable further specialization.  For instance, there exists "Graduate Certificates" (i.e. Adult Education) for holders of Masters Degrees.  This is something I am really looking into: getting an MA from RMC, since it is a good school and the tuition is DIRT CHEAP.  Then, signing up for a distance Graduate Certificate at Harvard or Yale...

Still not sure at this point.  Both would be good options, cept UBC would cost me over double.

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Having the MA from RMC looks good on paper... I am really looking into: getting an MA from RMC, since it is a good school and the tuition is DIRT CHEAP.  Then, signing up for a distance Graduate Certificate at Harvard or Yale...

Still not sure at this point.  Both would be good options, cept UBC would cost me over double.

Ug.  I'm done.