Postgraduate courses or not?

[David H]

I just discovered sometimes people are allowed to take postgrad university diplomas without a degree. What is the point of designing a degree when they then bypass their own rules? So does anyone know how people are allowed to slip the system and why?

[joko]

if they are capable of completing the course and pass the entrants exam, i don't see why not.

college and university is designed to benefit the student, and if the student wishes to do the course and is capable, why should they be made to do a course they don't want to or need to do?
it is not like school where you are forced to learn whether you like it or not, uni is a choice made by an adult, solely for that adults benefit. these people will take what they want from the course and if they fail through lasck of prior knowledge, thats up to them surely.

[ruby27]

One reason I can give you from a personal account is because of being a mature student, and having professional qualifications rather than a degree.
I left school at 16 with an O'Level, I was very disaffected by school, but not with education. Following a professional qualification I chose to qualify in another subject which was at Masters level, there was no preceding degree to take. Some professions such as mine require you to undertake post qualifying training - this is again at a Masters level albeit only at first stage a post grad certificate. Finally I am currently studying with OU and wanted to do a Management course - the one that was most appropriate was a post grad certificate, so that is what I opted for.
I don't think Universities want people to skip degrees and this isn't what 18-21 years olds generally do. I suspect it is generally mature students who have evidenced that they have already met BA/Bsc standard

[David H]

Thank you both, having taken a certificate and diploma which were not officially PG, but in practice usually needed even more, I was just surprised when someone I met had taken a similar diploma at university which was PG with no degree. I know you can go straight to masters, but they are technically not PG, especially first degrees in Scotland.
I suppose in the end they will be treated equally whether they are called one thing or another, but I assumed rules were rules. Maybe I can apply for an upgrade? ;)