RA v NA

I understand the difference between the two. However, my question is if you earn a degree from an NA school , what are the drawbacks versus RA?

 

I think the drawbacks can be briefly summarized:

1) NA undergrad degrees may not satisfy admission requirements to some RA grad programs.

2) NA credits may not be accepted by some RA schools.

3) NA degrees may not be acceptable as qualifications for some types of jobs (notably university teaching positions).

 

sorry. i did searches and found more. just did not inittially see them from scrolling through.

 

Three good points.

 

Rich Douglas posted the following, I copy:

NA degree acceptance:

Federal government (civilian)--yes
Military--yes, usually
State and local governments--lots of them, yes
Private (commercial and not-for-profit)--hit-and-miss; I suspect more hits
Academia (administrative)--hit-and-miss; I suspect more misses
Academia (faculty)--almost always no

 

Would a degree from an off-brand RA school be better than any NA degree?

Most people wouldn’t know the difference between TESC and Aspen. They would put both schools in the I never heard of them before pile (unless they know their DL s**t).

 

I would think that that answer is “no” from an education pov. I have been taking classes at Clovis and AJU, I have to say that Clovis is a good school and I enjoy the classes and learning. The sad thing is there is no challenge, little instructor interaction, and no proctored exams to insure a learning outcome. AJU has been great as well; the work load is about ten times greater than Clovis. My instructors are up my butt with emails and feedback. The school has bent over backwards to be great. I feel like AJU challenges me in a way the Clovis does not.
As far as acceptability, I think the “DETC” is making headways in acceptability. The two State Universities in driving distance both after looking into DETC said they would have no problem allowing me into their masters programs. The reason DETC is making headways is that their leadership is so proactive in marketing their accreditation. A week does not go by he(Lambert) or his staff are not at a higher education conference. Although I think RA is the way to go, with B&M’s firing up online programs it has lessened the stigma of taking credit transfers from DETC schools.

 

If you earned a degree from Aspen, you would undoubtedly have a great education and a fine degree. I would say that 80% of employers would not know the difference between a NA degree and an RA degree. Both are recognized by the DOE. You would not be able to teach with a DETC degree and that might be the most significant drawback.

It would be wise to check within the specific industry you would like to work and even check with a few specific companies to insure that they will accept a DETC degree. If they do, go for it!

 

I'm finishing up my degree for personal reasons, the whole NA vs RA thingy is not an issue.

 

You hit the nail on the head cranio maniatico!

Abner

 

It appears that for profit's are now labeled as money making machines and there is a trend to dismiss them as valuable providers of education.

I think more then in the past, today there are negative views about Phoenix and other for profit universities.

Especially when public or state universities increased the DL on line offerings, move that makes non traditional DL providers look better.

 

The market value of the term "State" in a school's name should be evident from its popularity among questionable unaccredited schools. For example, Oregon ODA lists 11 different unaccredited "State Universities" -- none of which are actually "state universities" in the way that this term is usually understood. The best known examples are probably Columbia "State" University and Breyer "State" University.

 

It really depends on what your intentions and future educational plans (post the degree) are. if the NA degree is an undergrad, you can use to seek employment as many employers don't pay much attention to NA/RA issues. Should you decide to pursue grad work, online RA schools (many of them) would accept your NA undergrad for masters, or NA masters for doctoral degrees. While many of them do not post that information on their website due to accreditation issues, they would accept NA degrees. Now, if you plan on teaching, make sure your masters and doctoral degrees are from RA schools otherwise, you will hate yourself once you finish only to be disappointed. Goodluck as you decide!

 

Degree Acceptance Policy

When considering the difference take a look at the acceptance policy of various employers. For instance:

Degree Acceptance Policy

"State of Alabama Personnel Department

Policy on Accepting College Coursework, Post-Secondary and Advanced Degrees

1. Specific college coursework required for a job, as well as Bachelor’s, graduate, post graduate, and doctoral degrees will be accepted from the schools accredited by any of the six regional accreditation associations in the United States. These associations are listed below.

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools – The Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC)
New England Association of Schools and Colleges – Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges – Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-ACSCU)

2. Coursework or degrees from schools that have not been accredited by a regional accreditation association will be accepted if a regionally accredited school considers the coursework or degree to be an acceptable prerequisite for admission to an advanced degree program. For example, if a regionally accredited school accepts an applicant’s bachelor’s degree for admittance into a graduate degree program, State Personnel will accept the degree. In the case of required college coursework (but no degree requirement), State Personnel will accept the college coursework if a regionally accredited school accepts the coursework towards a post-secondary degree (e.g., a bachelor’s degree). This must be documented by a letter of acceptance from the regionally accredited school. State Personnel will review such requests on a case-by-case basis.

Note: This policy is subject to change. Certain state agencies may have additional requirements."

Personally, if you only have plans for one degree, consider an RA degree. However, ultimately it is your choice and many other factors besides accreditation factor in to a school choice. I would caution that despite ignorance by a personnel department the wrong accreditation can still lead to an individual being terminated based upon a degree acceptance policy.

 

thank you everyone. I do have to say this forum is very helpful which is a result of the people on it. I am in construction so i am not sure if i would pursue a masters in BA or not. I think the BS would be plenty as that is the only thing currently holding me back as i have 14 years of const experience.
but looking into different schools, it is very interesting in their accredidation. would of never thought some of the very well known schools that are NA. to me it seems as people have said, that unless you are pursuing certian careers it really doesn't matter.