Oregon and foreign degree approvals

A while back there was a question that I don't think I answered:

"Does Oregon recognize UK based Mprof or Dprof Degrees based on work related projects?"

Oregon recognizes any UK degree that is issued by an institution authorized to grant degrees by the British government. Some of these are historic charters, some are more formally authorized by the government as we would think of the term.

We do not recognize degrees issued by entities that operate in the UK but don't have formal UK approval to issue degrees (e.g. Warnborough, which claims Irish degree approval but has "campuses" operating illegally in the UK, according to UK authorities).

The UK maintains online lists of their legitimate schools.

Our law does not prohibit the use of foreign distance education or work-related learning and credit, it just says that such degrees are only valid if issued by a school that has the "foreign equivalent of U.S. accreditation," which means that the supplier has meaningful academic standards overseen by a demonstrable national government process with stated academic standards (sorry, a business license does not make it), and that all its degrees are legal for use as credentials inside the authorizing nation.

 

Meaningful academic standards!

I fully accept that the US is a large country but the concept of 'meaningful academic standards' concept is a complete a complete joke'! There really arenlt any in the Us once toyu get beyond the major 'real institutions'! It really is time that folks in the US 'got real'! You live in an imaginary world that somehow 'regional accreditation' is a standard to be proud of - you are living in 'the land of make believe'!

I do not want this response to start a diatribe about US versus the rest of the world re education. The US is this, that and the other, has produced Nobel Prize winners, etc, etc, etc.

All this stated, the 'general' level of education in the US and the diversity of educational institutions (that contribute the academic dilution) is legion in the US and we are going the same way in the Uk - unfortnately! I am i no way wanting to limit education to the 'few' but you only have to look at degreeinfo to see how people do not want to 'struggle'! They want an easy option, as cheap as possibloe and want obe called 'Dr'! Education, as I have posred here before, is about 'struggle' - just as an athelete struggles to go that one bit better! All people here seem to want to do (sorry many people) it to get a degree (DOCTORATE ESPECIALLY) fast, quick an easy...and cheap! Nothing really worth having in life is fast, simple and cheap and RA is certainly no standard to go by! The US has to wake uip (as hasd the Uk where I am) to the fact that their education systems are being so diluted they are becoming (have become in my view) almost worthless! No, I'm not a reaction person! I know quality and what isworthwhile whenI see/read it!

AJJ

 

Why?

Why would any UK degree holder be interested in what Oregan thinks?!?! Indeed, why would the UK be interested in anything to do with the vast majority of US issued degrees which, by and large, at least at bachelor's degree level, equal UK high school leaving diplomas? n

It is now well establishesd that a Firt Class Honours Bachelor's degree from a good UK univetsity is equivalent
to a Master's degree at a 'typical/average' US university. I'm not scoring points but these are facts now accepted at cross-exchange rates between US-UKunivertsities. Don't get on any 'high horse' here-these things are set in stone for those of you not involved in higher education and who 'sit on the fence' giving your opinions!

AJJ

 

Re: Meaningful academic standards!

Interesting opinion piece. I'll look forward to the facts that back up these points, if they exist.

 

Re: Why?

Please provide authoritative sources for your information.

 

I don't know why the other member asked how Oregon treats UK degrees. I was asked what our standard is and I provided it. It is the same standard that is applied to all non-U.S. degrees: approval by the foreign government, using meaningful standards.

 

Re: Meaningful academic standards!

Hi AJJ,

I think you may have missed the point. No one is saying that USA degrees are better than any other country. RA accreditation was referenced as a standard simply because it is what is best understood within this country.

 

AJJ,

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003026.pdf

Look at page 117 and let me know when you find the facts to support your position.

"Table B. Classification of education programs in the G8 Countries into the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)—Continued"

Both the UK Bachelors and the US Bachelors are listed as first university degrees. Where is your support for your contention otherwise?

 

I agree with AJJ.

 

When comparing national educational systems, one should remember to ask, "Which is better for WHOM?"

Thousands of students from all over the world come to the U.S. to pursue higher education in a vast array of subjects. I think we're probably among the best in engineering, for example.

However, if you want to study Civil Law in English, by no means an easy undertaking, you'd probably be better off at Oxford than Louisiana, though both have such programs. Actually, you'd be MUCH better off to learn another language and study in Spain, France, Germany or even Russia, but I digress.

One overwhelming charactoristic of American higher education is its amazing availability, its incredible openness. Anyone with sufficient intellectual ability, at any time of life, can study almost any subject. (Medicine might be an exception for the older citizen; I don't know).


I don't think that's true in most countries. And I can't imagine an America where it WASN'T true!

 

You are completely right and that is perhaps one thing that people who live in other countries have not been able to grasp fully. It is not unusual for people who are unqualified academically to attend universities in their home countries to come to the US to get tertiary education from top state colleges.

Does that imply that academic standards in these countries (including third-world countries) are higher and better than that of the US? The answer is certainly no because US college education is one of the best in the world (it is in fact the best). I think that people come here to study because college education is highly available in the United States. Some people also come to get the best education that money can buy (from Harvard, Yale, etc).

Please be mindful that ‘academically unqualified’ does not imply lack of intellectual ability for college education. Paucity of tertiary institutions and limited number of admission spots are usually the case in most countries. Also, nobody is too old for tertiary education in this country. In most countries, people don’t get a second chance to further their education but in the US, one could always find a school that would allow him/her to further his/her education with relative ease.

 

Just a confirmation

I want to know if your phrase "Oregon recognizes any UK degree that is issued by an institution authorized to grant degrees by the British government. " applies to all European countries as now all Europe has signed the Lisbon convention

Regards

 

Oregon recognizes as valid any foreign degree issued under the correct approval authority in a country that has the "foreign equivalent of U.S. accreditation." I've talked about the standards elsewhere in these threads and they are on our web site.

The mere fact that an entity is located on the ground or in the ether in a European country does not make its degrees valid for use here. Examples of some that do not meet the standard include Warnborough (nominally Irish), Robert Kennedy (nominally Swiss) and Knightsbridge (nominally Danish).

I cannot go into great detail as to the problems with each of these (and others), but you will find none of them listed by UNESCO, accepted by AACRAO or on lists of colleges approved by the responsible government ministries in their home countries.

 

He makes some valid points, but given the literacy level associated with his post, I'm not sure I'd want a degree from whatever educational system he is promoting.





Tom Nixon

 

And validity should never be confused with soundness. Just thought I'd throw that in, too.

 

Thanks Mr Contreras

REF: "Oregon recognizes any UK degree that is issued by an institution authorized to grant degrees by the British government"

You wrote this phrase wich is very clear concise and thoughful and represents well the position of the State of Oregon.

You probably did not understand my question totally.

I just want to be sure that I can replace the "UK" by Belgium, Germany etc... Your reference to Switzerland is not very clear as it is not part of Europe.

Is the phrase

"Oregon recognizes any German, Swedish, Italian degree that is issued by an institution authorized to grant degrees by the German, Swedish, Italian, etc governments.
correct...

As they are part of Europe.
Thank you in advance

 

Re: Thanks Mr Contreras

Tschuetsch!

 

Well, there's Europe (geographic) and there's the European Union (political), right? Both are made up of nations, last I heard.

Oregon accepts any foreign degree that is issued by a provider that has appropriate approval from its national college approval agency, within certain minimal standards that are set forth on our web site.

We do not accept a business license in lieu of authority to issue recognized degrees equivalent to other degrees issued in the country. They are not the same. Thus we don't accept degrees acquired from Rushmore University of the Cayman Islands or from Washington International University from the British Virgin Islands, because these nations only issue what amounts to a business license.

We also don't accept approvals that are clearly the result of fraud or a dysfunctional government, such as the current slurry of fake schools nominally approved by Libera, e.g. Robertstown University, St. Regis University etc.

 

Alan, Alan, Alan...

Just THINK of all the brilliant scholarship Oregon will lose out on as a result of your state's narrow minded insistance on legitimacy and intellectual rigor!

Tsk, tsk, tsk.