University of London External Programme
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| Image:Ulep.gif
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| Established | 1858 |
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| Type | Distance education |
| Students | 34,000 aprox. |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Website | http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk |
The University of London External Programme is a degree granting portion of the University of London, and has existed since 1858. It offers undergraduate and post-graduate diplomas and degrees to students without having to come to London for study. There are roughly 34,000 students world-wide currently in the process of earning credentials, the vast majority outside of the United Kingdom. A designated constituent institution of the University of London (i.e. the “lead college,” e.g. Royal Holloway), or several, creates materials which students can then read at their own pace for examinations that are then held at testing centers worldwide on specified dates. Hallmarks of the program are:
- its low cost vis-à-vis attendance in London,
- choice of flexibility between full and part-time study, and
- the goal of improved access, with the admissions standards being somewhat lower compared to admission to a consitutent institution directly.
External students are given the same examination papers and are graded on the same standard as internal students by University statute, hence ensuring a uniform credentialing process. A pupil who completes a course of study under the program is awarded a University of London degree, and should there be a lead college, a notation specifing which institution provided the instruction. As stated in a recent open letter written by the University, in 2005 the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) confirmed that confidence can be placed in the University’s management and awards made through the external system.
[edit] Private Tuition
In the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia, many students on the external program seek out tuition at private or non-profit schools which charge additional fees for instruction in preparation for examinations. Such institutions may be audited (although many are not), and if found to be of a respectable standard, may earn the designation of “permission to teach.” The designation serves both as a means of signaling to students some degree of quality in the services offered (although the University of London exmainers frequently note that they do not wish for pupils to intepret the sanction as such), and secondly designates places which are allowed to offer the undergradaute diplomas in the fields of law and economics (the only credentials mandating formal schooling of some sort).
[edit] Controversies
There has been debate in recent years about what status external students have with respect to their lead college. Some institutions embrace external students and treat them as full alumni in addition to their status as University of London alumni. However, others have taken active measures to deny external students alumni status or privileges when present in London. For instance, the administration, student union and alumni organization of the London School of Economics has emphatically stated that external students have no affiliation with LSE [1] [2][3].
Furthermore, local preparation centers not audited by the external program have also been known to falsely represent the credentials being offered, stressing the link with a particular University of London institution which is charged for developing course materials while neglecting to emphasize that the University of London at large is in fact in charge of the program and conferral of degrees. The University often takes legal measures to correct such false advertising.
The external programme is also grappling with the fact that Imperial College London has begun its departure from the University at large and will subsequetly grant its own degree. Since ICL currently prepares academic materials for several external degrees, it is unclear how such programs will be affected in the future.
Finally, while the Law Society of England and Wales as well as the Bar Council recognize external law degrees for the purpose of continuing on for qualification as a solicitor or barrister respectively, many popular American jurisdictions such as the State of New York do not. This has caused acrimony between various legal professional bodies over what degrees in fact are sufficient for the international practice of the common law.
