VAE Diploma

I am interested in the "VAE Diploma". It appears that these degrees are legitimate, but there seems to be no law that I can find that requires the granting university to be accredited. The only requirement I can find is that the school be in a French Speaking country. Well-known and respected Dr Prade (I've heard from a reliable source) is evaluating VAE Diplomas as equivalent to US regionally accredited degrees. I understand that the qualifying factor is how well the process is conducted, and has no bearing on the school's accreditation. Do we have any experts here who can clarify this? It is a fascinating concept but very unclear.

 

Are we sure Dr. Prade is just evaluating? Are we sure he doesn't share an address with one of these "schools"? Are we sure he doesn't accept payment on behalf of one of these "schools"?

 

The VAE (validation des acquis de l'expérience) is a method to convert vocation work experience into credit that can be applied to a diploma (degree) program in France. I do not know if any US institutions recognize a VAE, but there is a US program that appears to be quite similar that has been around for quite some time.

Those with significant work and teaching experience in a vocational can receive college credits via a Swan Bill evaluation. I think that the amount could be as high as 40 semester or 60 quarter units and would be applied to a bachelor of vocational education degree. We have this program at Cal State San Bernardino, but I also it at Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fresno.

Tony Pina
Faculty, Cal State U. San Bernardino

 

Although credits earned through the VAE system are currently evaluated as RA equivalent through very respectable foreign credentials evaluations agencies such as AUAP, the odds are that the very suspicious arrangement between AUAP - Universite Francophone Robert de Sorbon is becoming too obvious to more and more people and it will be soon exposed for what it is, a set up.

The system that currently applies is three years of professional experience equals one year of completed college studies. This system applies even to advanced degrees such as the Ph.D.!!!!!!!

AUAP and some other evaluation agencies have been using this system, in conjunctiion with a U.S. Immigration rule, for years as the basis for having immigration visas and green cards issued to immigrants, who then are assisted in obtaining professional licenses and entering major U.S. universities (even Ivy League ones). The trick is these agencies evaluate immigrants' (even degree-less ones') prior work experience as equivalent to U.S. RA university qualifications.

They claim to have successfully processed through this system thousands of immigrants in the last few years. This is apparently a very lucrative market which, with the invention of Robert de Sorbon, will be now possible to be extended to include U.S. citizens as well.

Can you imagine? Anyone with 12 years on a job - which through this system equals a fully accredited bachelor's degree - is able, with the assistance of one of these agencies, to enter a master's degree program at Yale or other comparable universities!!! That's what these agencies claim, anyway.

Just my opinion from the little I know.

 

Sorry if you already have this information, but for those who don't know Jean Noel Prade, a former chief judge in the Paris, France court, is the owner and chief evaluator of AUAP.

He appears to have a very close connection with Robert de Sorbon too, although this connection is now denied by Sorbon. Until recently the Sorbon site was registered in Florida in the name of Prade. I believe that was changed recently. The only evaluation agency mentioned on Sorbon's website is AUAP and, it appears, that all degrees issued by them are automatically sent for evaluation to that agency. Fees to Sorbon are paid directly to AUAP.

However, Sorbon still maintain that there has never been any connection between their school and Prade or AUAP. Amazing, isn't it?

Some people believe that in fact Jean Noel Prade owns both AUAP and Robert de Sorbon, but there's no concrete evidence for that.

My opinion from the little I know.