With such great experience in Psychology, Law, and Technology, I find it difficult to decide on the right path for an Advanced Degree. There is no curriculum which combines all three areas except Interdisciplinary Studies. I am unfortunately against Entrance Examinations such as the GRE, GMAT, and LSAT. I am far too old with too much life and work experience to re-study Math and play Logic games to prove my passion and ability to further my education in three or more areas. In researching a program where I can bypass these admissions requirements, I’ve found only Online Programs are available, as if getting a certain score on an entrance exam qualifies a person to study next to other students interested in furthering their education. It’s almost as if it’s a purposeful block, with a little voice that says, since the Legal Community won’t allow for a 100% Online Law Degree acceptable by the American Bar Association, therefore no other school will either. It’s like saying, if you can’t pass an exam, then you must attend online and are not aloud to socialize with other students. It’s isolation and improper.
Universities are expensive enough as it is. Shouldn’t there be an alternate route, such as “prove it in writing” with a Personal Mission Statement, a Resume, and some References. Now, they are getting even more rediculous with backround examinations where a person with a Misdemeanor must provide additional documentation to study on campus. There are easier ways to determine future criminal potential and blocking people from opportunity to learn and advance is what breeds potential future criminal behavior. Blocking a person from opportunity and piling on requirements doesn’t cause a person to take a machine gun to school to shoot the faculty and students when they are not allowed to study on campus, although it might in some. There are other ways of checking this and preventing future criminal behavior, such as Gun Ownership Checks, but even then there is a violation of Civil Rights.
There are two issues at hand. Isolation and a Universities belief that they can predict future learning and criminal behavior. They are not Prophets. They are not Fortune Tellers, and they do not have ESP. I’m not sure they understand they are limiting future potential genius solutions that could come out of a persons academic and social advancement.
It would be understandable to only allow Online Studies for a person with a Felony while on Probation, but still unfair. Those people are under a greater level of supervision anyway. To limit or place additional requirements onto a person who has committed a crime is like saying you are forever plagued and cannot learn in the company of other people.
Entrance Examinations supposedly predict a students potential to perform and/or assess the retention and recollection of previous knowledge. First, why am I going to spend 2 hours on a Math Test on subjects I learned and mastered 25 years ago? If it’s important to my area of interest and study, then perhaps that should be part of the curriculum on not part of the entrance.
Many schools are disqualified from my preference list for this very reason.