# RMC: Is it a university or college?



## ChaosTheory (13 Oct 2005)

Why is RMC a college and not a university?


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## George Wallace (13 Oct 2005)

It is a University!


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## 23007 (13 Oct 2005)

It was founded in 1876 at which time they did not grant university degrees to its students. They did not begin giving out degrees until about the 1960s from what I remember and they did not want to change the name because of tradition. And besides, Royal Military College sounds much better than Royal Military University!!


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## eliminator (13 Oct 2005)

Royal Military College- _A University with a Difference_

That's the slogan they use for recruiting to help clarify our stance as an actual university. 

I go to a lot of dinners and always hear the question about the "College" part of our name. Although there have been attempts in the past to revise the name, it has always remained the same. The whole idea of tradition has alot to do with this and groups such as the RMC Club of ex-cadets have a strong voice in the matter. Same as the idea of all the uniforms we wear. Right now I'm about to put on my "battle blouse" and infantry of the line pants along with my wedge and chin strap... Great for picking up the ladies.

The varsity manages are always having trouble recruiting athletes to RMC because many thing that it really is a college, but in fact we actually do grant undergrad and post grad degrees.


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## George Wallace (13 Oct 2005)

Several large universities around the country, have smaller universities within their confines.  You may wonder why some of them are called Colleges also.  King's College comes to mind.


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## winchable (13 Oct 2005)

> King's College comes to mind



*sigh*
My alma mater...hope it burns,
Same reason for RMC though,
the original college in King's County was called King's College, so even when they moved to Halifax they kept the name.

Universities are funny with traditions like that.


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## bbbb (16 Mar 2006)

RMC is a MILITARY COLLEGE, not a university, not a community college. There is a big (although difficult to see) difference between RMC and St.Lawrence College/Queen's University. 

RMC Degrees are handed out to fulfill officer requirements, understand it is a military education you're getting at RMC, not a civilian one! I agree with the RMC Club stance on this little issue. 

RMC at Sandhurst NO LONGER GIVES DEGREES if I understand them correctly. They stopped giving degrees some 4 or 5 years ago to maintain its integrity as a center of MILITARY education.


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## GINge! (17 Mar 2006)

bbbb said:
			
		

> understand it is a military education you're getting at RMC, not a civilian one!



The Academic Wing may disagree with you on that.


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## bbbb (17 Mar 2006)

The RMC education is supposed to be military, that may have changed since the 50s but RMC is still part of DND and the CF so it's role is at least supposed to be military. If it isn't then why have RMC at all? Giving civilian education makes distinguishing RMC from civvy U very difficult hence why Sandhurst stopped giving degrees. Don't quote me on Sandhurst but from what I understand that is what they do. It makes sense to me that military personel spend their time doing military things, not the same education Engineering students at UBC do.


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## GINge! (17 Mar 2006)

I'm not sure I understand you.  

World History 101 and Calculus 301 are the same classes whether they are taught at RMC or Queens. The RMC undergraduate degree (unlike USMA for instance) is recognized by civilian universities, and as such you can use it to enter into a civy PG program.


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## Wookilar (17 Mar 2006)

I would say that RMC *should* be a Military College, but the reality is that Military training takes a back seat to the academic side of the house. Hence only one Division training *weekend* in the entire year and only two hours a week dedicated to military topics.

If you do not attain your BBB's, you technically do not graduate RMC. What has that got to do with military training?

Initially, the degrees granted from RMC were actually from Queen's as they had the authority to do so, RMC did not.

Parade practice for a few hours a month and inspections two days a week *do not* count as military training (It still puzzles me why so many RMC grads have terrible drill in their units when they do so much of it here).

If the military really ran the show, there would be more staff (not 32 for 1000 OCdts). There would be no toleration of improper dress and deportment (because they would be caught more often) If I see one more Ipod wearing person with wires running under their uniform, I am going to flip!!!. There would be no sleeping in class, skipping class or being disrespectful to instructors (civy or military). In short, this place would be run like a QL3 course on any other training base in the nation, any trade, any element. Screw up, you get charged or atleast a mitt full of extras. Detention does not count.


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## DG-41 (17 Mar 2006)

That's the way it used to be.....

DG


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## Good2Golf (17 Mar 2006)

bbbb said:
			
		

> RMC is a MILITARY COLLEGE, not a university, not a community college. There is a big (although difficult to see) difference between RMC and St.Lawrence College/Queen's University.
> 
> RMC Degrees are handed out to fulfill officer requirements, understand it is a military education you're getting at RMC, not a civilian one! I agree with the RMC Club stance on this little issue.
> 
> RMC at Sandhurst NO LONGER GIVES DEGREES if I understand them correctly. They stopped giving degrees some 4 or 5 years ago to maintain its integrity as a center of MILITARY education.



RMC is a university-level college.  You get a degree that meets Canadian national standards for undergraduate or graduate degrees.  From the AUCC webpage listing RMC as a member, "AUCC's 90 members are universities and *university-degree level colleges* from every province."  

I think you might want to check out the AUCC's (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada) website and try and explain how a Baccalaureate or post-graduate degree conferred to an RMC graduate is different from any other degree-granting institution in Canada.  

Military training, mandatory PT and SLT (the other three pillars of the College experience) are what arguably make RMC military, not the purely academic program.  There are several other universities that offer war studies and strategic studies, it is not a monopoly held by RMC...  Civilians undertaking undergraduate and graduate programs at RMC are not doing anything more military than they would at Queen's. 

Cheers,
Duey


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## bbbb (17 Mar 2006)

Wookilar said:
			
		

> I would say that RMC *should* be a Military College, but the reality is that Military training takes a back seat to the academic side of the house. Hence only one Division training *weekend* in the entire year and only two hours a week dedicated to military topics.
> 
> If you do not attain your BBB's, you technically do not graduate RMC. What has that got to do with military training?
> 
> ...



Cadet Wing officer-cadets wearing Ipods? This is blasphemy! Here I am following the rules to the letter, spending hours getting my uniform perfect and these bums ruin it all by wearing Ipods on their uniforms? Aren't they supposed to get in trouble (ie charged, heavy fine, CB, extra drill...). What are the barmen doing during all of this? Is this the military or just air cadets?


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## Wookilar (17 Mar 2006)

Good questions. 

Why do you think that we now have parades every Monday and Friday? How about attendance taking since the end of January? Been a little more strict? How about the few surprise visits by staff in the CDH during meal hours?

As to why the Barmen have reacted the way (or not), you would have to ask them. 

Just a few examples of how far things have gone since the Military Wing was cut from RMC.


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## bbbb (17 Mar 2006)

You know, I like my Ipod too, but I never use it except during nights and weekends. The rest of the time I never use it. Why? Military personel should have more pride in the army than to do such things.


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## muffin (17 Mar 2006)

Some of this topic has been covered in this thread ;
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/38891.0.html

RMC is definatly a University by all Provincial and Federal standards. Our credits can be accredited at other Universities and we are bound by  regulations that govern those other Univeristies (ie we cannot charge less that x% of the tuition of Queens because we would show an unfair advantage etc etc).

We give degrees to Civilians, Public Servants and Military alike - though the requirements are different for each.

While the "red coats" and "UTPNCM's" etc have a more MILCOL approach to the degree (with the pillars etc) the civilians and reservists etc do not (because they do not require them).

muffin


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## AirForceWife (21 Mar 2006)

GINge! said:
			
		

> The Academic Wing may disagree with you on that.



I agree, my wife with to RMC as a civi and got a degree.


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## doubledawg (23 Aug 2010)

Hey guys,
I am new to these forums but I have a few questions about RMC.
RMC versus universities :
Colleges are experience based while universities are more theory based.
So is it better to end up going to a university?
Or is the degrees from RMC  equivalent to degrees from universities?

Please respond, and if you did, then thanks a lot for your help. It is deeply appreciated.


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## yoman (23 Aug 2010)

doubledawg said:
			
		

> Or is the degrees from RMC  equivalent to degrees from universities?



RMC is a college by name only. It is 100% a university. I would suggest reading about the different degrees offered by RMC here http://www.rmc.ca/aca/index-eng.asp


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## Pusser (24 Aug 2010)

Provided your spelling and grammar have improved by then. >

Also note that unless you go there under the Reserve plan where you pay your own tuition, room and board, you will have to serve your obligatory service before you can apply to other jobs.


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## Occam (24 Aug 2010)

ROTP is an entry plan into the CF.  RMC is an educational institution.

If you enrol under ROTP, you may or may not have to attend RMC - for example, if the program that you want to take is not offered at RMC (or there is insufficient room at RMC), then you may be allowed to attend a civilian university.  Bear in mind that some programs may not be acceptable to certain officer classifications.  For example, you wouldn't be able to take Marine Biology if you wanted to enrol as a Social Worker.  The CF has final say on what programs are acceptable.


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## doubledawg (24 Aug 2010)

Hold on...one second 
First of all, what is CF?   ???

So I understand that I can get into ROTP without attending RMC.
But what ever you said after ( the last 3 sentences ), I do not understand a bit. ???


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## Occam (24 Aug 2010)

CF = Canadian Forces

All I was trying to get across to you was that you don't really have a choice whether you go to RMC or not.  If you want to join as a CELE officer, and plan on taking Computer Science as your degree, you will probably end up at RMC, as it is offered there.  Only if there were no room at RMC would you be allowed to take a civilian university program.  If you wanted to join as a Pharmacist Officer, then you WILL go to a civilian university, as Pharmacology is not offered at RMC.


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## Occam (24 Aug 2010)

There are MANY threads dealing with these topics.  Have you searched?


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## Franko (24 Aug 2010)

Obviously doubledawg did not do any search whatsoever. Also figured that he might as well start 2 threads on the same topic.

Take a few hours and read. Get familiar with the site and the acronyms used here....like CF.          :

*Locked*

*The Army.ca Staff*


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