If you are an employer, which would you choose?

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I've been told that a first from Oxford is the same as a first from anywhere else, because external markers look over everything to see all is marked to the same standard.

It seems plausible, and I was talking to a girl who graduated from Aston with a first and went on to Oxford for her postgrad.

I think the key difference between MMU will be that Manchester will (theoretically) have better teaching, but in my experience the teaching here is somewhat poor.

Naaaaaah. Just naaaaaah.

The universities' external markers are from the same tier as the university in question. For example the external for something in my department at Bristol (don't know how many there are for each Faculty/School/Department or whether it's even broken down that much) was at UCL, and my tutor told me that they're always on the same kind of level. It helps to ensure some vague maintenance of standards, but not so that they're equal across the spectrum.

It's not uncommon for someone with a great degree class from a lower end university to get into postgrad at a more prestigious one - they're often fighting for the place against applicants from said prestigious uni and similar though, and it doesn't mean that a first from each would be equivalent in any sense.

Reply 41

ChemistBoy

Original post by Ronove

The universities' external markers are from the same tier as the university in question.

That isn't true. I know for a fact that the chemistry course at Nottingham Trent has been externalled by someone from Cambridge in the relatively recent past, for example.

Reply 42

SirHas

Original post by ChemistBoy

That isn't true. I know for a fact that the chemistry course at Nottingham Trent has been externalled by someone from Cambridge in the relatively recent past, for example.

You're right the external examiners do vary from university.

Reply 43

The Velour Fog

I know somebody who's a scientist, who was recruiting new scientists for Unilever, and her method was finding out about the person in the interview. She said she didn't care about where the degree was from (despite her studying at Cambridge and Birmingham), as she already expected them to be suitably educated and qualified for the job by having the degree itself.

So, on that logic, assuming both candidates have good personalities, I guess the person with the distinction from Manchester Met would be better suited, as it would suggest that they have a better work ethic (?), (perhaps) know more about the subject (or conversely, are just good at cramming).

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 44

addison_cb

I personally would go for the second one (Manchester Metro) with the better grades. Even though University of Manchester is a top university, it wouldnt matter to me much UNLESS for example the student attended a great university such as Oxford, Cambridge and the likes (top 5-10 in the world even, Harvard, Yale) then i'd choose the ones from the more elite university.

I say this because, not only is it a challenge getting in to places such as Oxford but getting out with a grade fairly above average tells me as an employer that this person has overcome ruthless competition.

Reply 45

SirHas

Original post by addison_cb

I couldn't have put it better myself!! 👏

Reply 46

swapnilramani

Well, let me first tell you, education has nothing to do with the work that we deal with in actual life, so my decision would actually depend on the merit of practicality based on various tests that I will conduct to see what kind of decisions both the persons will take if they are put in various situations and which of them will be fruitful for the company.
Because my friend some big businessmen has said it very well that, businessmen always employ the persons who are more intelligent then the entrepreneur himself, because those are the persons who will help to get the entrepreneur the successful life.

Reply 47

SpicyStrawberry

Original post by GeneralOJB

First obviously. A fail from Manchester is better than a distinction/first for MMU, cause at least you managed to get in to a russel group.

Are you for real? It's not THAT hard to get into a Russell Group university, their grades are only slightly higher than ex-polys a lot of the time. Manchester had loads of courses in Clearing last year and the dropout rate has been quite significant for the first years in the current academic year, so it isn't perfect, not to mention their entry requirements for the Masters courses in question are the same...

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 48

41b

Original post by Ronove

and my tutor told me that

Right but a course convener is better than a tutor and Manchester is a better university than Bristol so by the law of academic snootiness I must be right.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 49

username234673

I'd get them both in for interview and see who fits in with my personality and the personalities of the other people within my business.

Reply 50

Ronove

Original post by 41b

Right but a course convener is better than a tutor and Manchester is a better university than Bristol so by the law of academic snootiness I must be right.

Course convener? I have never even heard of that. And you don't even know what my tutor's job title was. And Manchester is not a better university than Bristol, lol.

Reply 51

Ronove

Original post by ChemistBoy

That isn't true. I know for a fact that the chemistry course at Nottingham Trent has been externalled by someone from Cambridge in the relatively recent past, for example.

Fair enough, but when did Cambridge's chemistry course last get externalled by someone at Nottingham Trent?

Reply 52

41b

Original post by Ronove

Course convener? I have never even heard of that. And you don't even know what my tutor's job title was. And Manchester is not a better university than Bristol, lol.

What was your tutor's job title?

Reply 53

Ronove

Original post by 41b

What was your tutor's job title?

Reader.

Reply 54

41b

Original post by Ronove

Reader.

I've never even heard of that :biggrin:

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 55

Ronove

Original post by 41b

I've never even heard of that.

Wikipedia is your friend. If you're going to act like it's relevant, you can't then act ignorant when you're informed of the answer.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader_%28academic_rank%29

Reply 56

41b

Original post by Ronove

Wikipedia is your friend. If you're going to act like it's relevant, you can't then act ignorant when you're informed of the answer.

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reader_%28academic_rank%29

Maybe if I had gone to Bristol I would know better. :nopity:

Reply 57

Ronove

Original post by 41b

Maybe if I had gone to Bristol I would know better. :nopity:

To be fair, I didn't know it was considered to be 'professor without a chair' until I read that. And since my tutor (evidently jokingly) seemed to lament not actually being a lecturer one time when someone referred to him as one, I presumed it was a lower rank than one. Evidently not, and evidently that's another one of his 'jokes' that I missed that I can add to the list.