Madurai Kamaraj University Distance Education Study Center in USA

[tamiluniversity]

I would like to bring to your attention that the Madurai Kamaraj University in Tamil Nadu has expanded in the USA. The Distance Education Study Center has been in operation in Maryland since 2006. This study center enables people interested in continuing their education to attain a degree of their desire. The University offers 99 courses and these courses are affordable compared to the American Universities. The degrees offered by the Madurai Kamaraj University is an accredited degree in India and can be recognized through any foreign degree evaluating agency in the USA. I would like to encourage people to check into this. This program helps one acheive his/her goal at one's own pace and at a resonable price.
The website for this study center is www.mkudeusa.org and the website for the Madurai Kamaraj University is www.mkudde.org

For further questions feel free to email studycenter@mkudeusa.org or tamiluniversity@hotmail.com

[johann]

Hi again, TamilUniversity

As I said in another thread, I tried several times to access the MKU US website today and the home page would not come up.

I also tried without success to access the home page directly - www.mkudeusa.org/Home_Page.html.

Maybe they're a good school for other subjects, but I wouldn't want to take web-development courses there!

Hopefully it'll be working when I try again. This is not an impressive start!

Johann

[johann]

Hi

It works today. School is legit - offers UGC-recognized Indian degrees - but their US web-presence leaves a lot to be desired. They may offer good instruction ((I hope so) but there's a steep operational learning-curve ahead for MKU in the US, I think.

See my more detailed comments in the other thread (value of an Indian Degree etc.)

Johann

[hermes]

Yes, it's working today. It has been improved visually, but not so much content-wise. For example, 'courses' just lists programs. I need to know in advance what courses are offered, for example Early Modern History of India; Sanskrit Literature; South Asian Geography, whatever. I would sign up for $800 a year, but not $1200. That's overpriced for a second-world university, IMHO.

Also, I don't see rates listed for foreigners in India. For example, if I travel to India (which I'll be doing anyway) what is the cost to study from say, Mumbai, as a foreign national? Or from eslewhere in Asia, which or more likely where I'll be for the longer term. I have asked this question from IGNOU, the more established Indian DL university. IGNOU has rates posted for persons in (holidaying in? legal residents in? Passport carriers of? permanent residents of? WHAT?) say Sri Lanka or Nepal. Based on previous attempts to communciate with IGNOU I do not have high hopes that they will even reply.

BTW, if you think MKU's website is not user-freindly, try IGNOU's! I'm giving them some time. I expect MKU will get better.

Pros:

- India has a reputation for serious universities. The academic standards are usually very high.

-The price is moderate (though high compared to Indian citizens living in India. Naturally, foreigners pay more.)

Con:

- Westerners expect more customer service from a university, especially in advance

BTW, I cannot reveal the identity here but I was in touch with an advisor to DL universities overseas. I expresed my frustrations. He advised me that the sellers, rather than the buyers, are in control right now of DL. The mandate of the universities in second and third countries is not to serve foreigners. We are the cash cows is how I would put it. Unless fees are reduced I will not be studying with Indian or South African universities.

[johann]

Hi

Hermes, I understand what you're saying about foreign DL being a seller's market etc. - That alone doesn't ever excuse bad service, but some (not all) schools don't care, I guess...

This (MKU) situation is different to most, in that Madurai Kamaraj is not selling from its own turf! It has gone to the trouble of organizing a study centre in Maryland and the entire purpose of the US site is to enrol US (and maybe a handful of other non-Indian) students. I'm sure there's oversight from the "Mother Ship," but about the only thing that actually comes from India is your DIPLOMA! They're basically selling from the US to the US.

They can't do that successfully by the "old rules." Set up shop in America for primarily American students -- and you have to go by the expected American standards of business practice...or fail miserably.

You're right. We've both said that the FIRST thing they need to do is redesign that cold, stiff website -- yeah, and put some course details up while they're at it, like we said!

That'd be a start..... :-)

Johann