U.B. collaborates to offer doctoral degree
Pursuing a doctorate is the ultimate in higher education, but for Belizeans, attaining this lofty goal has traditionally meant spending large amounts of time and money abroad, along with the serious disruption of career and family commitments. Today a programme was inaugurated that will allow Belizeans to obtain a doctorate in the field of education without their lives or pocketbooks being turned upside down. It’s a collaborative effort between U.B. and Nova Southeastern University of Florida. At least thirty-eight students form cohort number one and they’ll spend the next three years working long weekends and online to earn their prestigious degrees. This afternoon administrators and students testified that in the end it will all be worth it.
Marco Olsen, Provost, University of Belize
“University of Belize, we will not help you to print a title in your business card within three years or even to enable you to get an increment. But we are here committed to ensure that you are prepared to make this country a much more strong country. And through education there will be such a deep change, there will be such a wonderful change not only in your lives, but in the lives of all those who live and believe in this.”
Wells Singleton, Provost, Nova Southeastern University
“You will be a changed person professionally and personally as a result of this journey and that change that will occur within you will then spread from you to the community, to this great country, and in fact well beyond the boundary lines, political, economic, religious, cultural that you might be facing at the present time.”
Lt. Col. Reuel Black, Enrolled in Doctoral Programme
“It was one of my ambitions from way back, however, during research I found out the cost of doing a doctorate degree overseas and just that in itself, the cost, I knew that I wouldn’t have gotten it. When it was offered in Belize and I saw what the cost was, I know that was the opportunity to do it.”
Stewart Krohn
“Sylvia, you’re the Director of Adult and Continuing Education at U.B., but you are also a member of the first cohort for this programme, why did you decide to get your doctorate this way?”
Sylvia Cattouse, Enrolled in Doctoral Programme
“Stewart, this has been something that I have wanted to do for a long time, but because of various exigencies and of course also, other excuses, I was not able to do so. But this is an appropriate opportunity, it’s right here on our doorstep, and it is the right price and there is no way I could have not gone ahead with this.”
Cost of the three year programme is in the vicinity of fifty thousand Belize dollars. Many of the students have received partial scholarships.
