Why Not Apply for Global UniversityONE's Alpha Cohort Fellowship?

There has been a lot of interest in the full fellowships being offer in the inaugural class with Global UniversityONE, but it is clear that this opportunity is not for everyone, and so this article, lays out reasons not to take advantage of this opportunity.

You Don't Meet the Qualifications

If you don't already have a bachelor's degree (or have sufficient credits) from a government authorized tertiary institution, then at this time you can't qualify, as exceptions cannot be made at this point, due to the desire of gaining future accreditation (see more below)

You are Not Passionate about any of the Research Topics

If you don't feel that any of the research topics could be part of your life's work and legacy, then don't apply. Spend your time instead on something you are actually passionate about. This is not a program to jump through a hoop to get a piece of paper.

You Don't Want the Risk of Not Having an Accredited Degree

There is a risk in doing a degree with a university that is not accredited. Even if it costs no money and you are actually paid money, there are too many degree mills and so not having accreditation is looked at with suspicion. But, here are some reasons the risk is worthwhile for the right people:

1. The topics of study have intrinsic value. Whomever brings these concepts to fruition, will be making a significant contribution to this world.
2. I, Jacob Walker, have been heavily involved in the accreditation process, through different accrediting bodies, including leading accreditation teams, and advising a major accreditation body on their accreditation protocols. So I am very confident that Global UniversityONE can gain accreditation.
3. This is not an "either/or" situation. You can be in the Alpha Cohort and still be in another program that is accredited. Although, if a student in the Alpha Cohort is not putting in sufficient time, they will be asked to drop.

You are Not Good with Ambiguity

This program is in the Alpha Stage, so there are a lot of unknowns, and things not developed. For the right person who wants to make a real difference in an organization, this is an amazing opportunity to be in a startup environment. For someone who wants to go on a well-trodden path, this will be completely terrible for you.

You Need to Know How Long it Will Take

Global UniversityONE is a mastery-based university. This means that those who demonstrate mastery quickly can graduate quickly, and those who don't, will continue to be given support to graduate, but will not be able to graduate until they have fully demonstrated they have earned the title of "Master". It is estimated at this point it will take 1 to 5 years, and the fellowship will last for 2 years.

In my next article I will talk a bit more about what needs to be demonstrated to graduate with a Master of Social Innovation degree with Global UniversityONE.