Research on External Degree Systems in the U.S.A & the U.K

本研究旨在对美国和英国的外部学位项目进行全面的描述，特别是关注其发展的驱动力和未来的前景。实际上，这些机构主要针对的是美国的摄政学院、托马斯·爱迪生州立学院和查特·奥克学院，以及英国伦敦大学的外部项目。同时，希望能对日本国家学位研究所的学位授予制度的发展有所启示。这项为期三年的研究的结果是，一些获得学分的机会，如成熟的远程教育、经验学习、大学以外的学术课程，被认为是构成维持这种替代学位方式的基础结构的要素。另一方面，可以说，严格的学习评价和要求体系是外部学位质量的关键。只要质量得到保证，在高等教育普及化的时代，外部学位项目是可以发展的。在对日本国立学位研究所发展的启示方面，项目的设计可以参考包括每个学术领域的需求结构或对学生和/或潜在学生的服务，如对他们学习的咨询功能。

This study was designed to draw a comprehensive figure of external degree programs in USA and UK especially focusing on their driving forces of development and future perspectives . Actually , the institutes mainly targeted were Regents College , Thomas Edison State College and Charter Oak College in USA and External Program at University of London in UK . At the same time , it was expected to draw implications to develop the system of degree awarding at National Institution for Academic Degrees , an organization that conducts a similar external program in Japan .As result of this research of three years , several opportunities to earn credits such as matured distance education , experience learning , academic courses outside the universities are pointed as elements which construct infra structure to sustain this kind of alterative way to degrees . On the other hand , it could be said that the rigid systems of learning evaluation and requirements are key of quality of external degrees . As long as the quality was kept and assured , external degree programs could be developed in the era of universal access to higher education .In the term of implications to the development of National Institution for Academic Degrees in Japan , the design of Programs including the structure of requirement in each academic field or service to students and / or prospective students such as function of advisory in their study can be referred .