From: esz001@cck.coventry.ac.uk (Will Overington)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,uk.misc
Subject: The Institute of Physics Graduateship Examination
Date: 28 Jul 92 09:06:58 GMT
Followup-To: sci.physics
Distribution: uk
Organization: Coventry University, Coventry, UK


I am sending out this note to sci.physics and also crossposting to
uk.misc, with followups directed to sci.physics.
I have set distribution to uk, as it really is just a uk issue.

28th July 1992

During at least part of the 1970s, maybe before as well, maybe later
as well, The Institute of Physics used to conduct its own Graduateship
Examination.

The broad idea was that persons who got an Honours degree in Physics
from a University or of CNAA were exempt from the Graduateship
Examination, so the Graduateship Examination was really an alternative
way of becoming professionally qualified as a physicist for those
people who had not got an honours degree in physics, for whatever
reason.

There were two stages, Part I and Part II, with Part I exemption
being available to persons with Ordinary Degrees, Pass Degrees, HNDs
and HNCs with a number of endorsements, (it being stressed that this
latter was a concession to part time students, not a recognition of
content).

It was possible to take the examinations by private study, but the
going rate was to go to day release or evening classes at a polytechnic
or similarly. For example, Oxford Polytechnic used to offer a two
year day release course, but whether you took Optics in year 1 or year 2
depended which year you joined the scheme, and so on with half a dozen
subjects.

Gradually, the Graduateship Examination scheme got fewer and fewer
entrants, colleges had problems getting enough students to run classes
and it all got wound up. I do not know the details as to how long this
run down took, maybe quickly or a gradual decline in numbers, but it
happened. It may be that the rise of the Open University had a great
deal to do with this decline in numbers.

However, there is an interesting second order effect concerning the
scheme.

In the early 1970s the Part II Thesis Option was introduced, whereby
a person could do a project and write a thesis instead of taking the
traditional course and examination route.
The work could either be done with a college, or with an employer,
which, for people unable to go to day release, either because they
live too far away from a college, or family commitments or because
they cannot get day release facilities, was a major opportunity.

This option was abolished along with the main scheme.

I have, at various times, over several years, being trying to persuade
the Institute of Physics to give consideration to reintroducing the
Graduateship Examination Part II Thesis Option.
This, I feel, could be done without needing to reintroduce the main
scheme, though logically, it might need to be called just
Graduateship Examination.

I have not been at all sucessful with this, merely being told that
there are no plans, the reasons why the scheme was wound up (difficulty
in getting enough students on a course at a college, which I feel
misses the point about the Thesis Option, as they are essentially
one off cases every time), and the various ways that one can get to be
an M. Inst. P. upon confidential reports of ones work by an employer.

(For the avoidance of introducing confusion, M. Inst. P. requires
both a combination of academic achievement and responsible experience.
I am not saying here that the report is said to be as good as a
qualification, I am regreting that the issue of a qualification is
being marginalized in a system that is requiring both academic
achievement and a report.)

Now, in my own opinion, a confidential report from an employer, no
matter how glowing, just does not compare with a certificate of having
passed an examination at a nationally recognized level, for the
Thesis Option certainly included an examination, both the thesis
volume itself and an oral examination.

I have now decided to have another attempt at getting the Institute
of Physics to consider the matter, which, I feel, it has not yet done,
merely telling me the present situation, not investigating the
possibility of change.

I am, this time, seeking to create a lobby of people who would like
to see the thesis scheme reintroduced, at a proper first degree
honours level, with the availibility of academic dress, as before.

I feel that this reintroduction would be of interest to potential
students, such as people working in industry or colleges; to training
officers; to people seeking to provide educational incentive to their
staff; indeed to all people interested in the increase of educational
opportunity.

Please discuss this suggestion, or reply by e-mail if you prefer.
Newsgroups: sci.physics