DETC Expansion of Scope Approved

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by emmzee, Sep 23, 2010.

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  1. emmzee

    emmzee New Member

    From a DETC bulletin here:
    http://detc.org/downloads/bulletins/No.%209%20-%20DETC%20Expansion%20of%20Scope%20Approved.pdf

    "The Distance Education and Training Council is pleased to announce that, at its public session on Sept 21st, the Council of Higher Education Accreditation Board of Directors voted to approve a formal request for a change of scope for DETC to include professional doctoral degrees. This action by CHEA brings the DETC's Federally-recognized scope in consonance with its CHEA-recognized scope. The U.S. Secretary of Education recognized DETC's work in the professional doctoral degree area in 2007."

    So until now doctorate degrees from DETC schools were USDE recognized but not CHEA recognized? Do you think this makes DETC doctorate degrees more appealing? The bulletin notes that 13 DETC schools currently offer professional doctorates.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I don't know the fine points of accreditation at that level but as a relatively well informed consumer this would seem to be a big step forward for DETC and I'd expect to see more doctoral level programs being offered by DETC schools. Does someone know of a listing of "professional doctoral degrees?"
     
  3. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    It's really about time, since the US DOE gave approval to DETC at this level a few years ago. It seems pretty silly that CHEA did not do so at the time.

    There really is no list of "professional doctoral degrees," since the US DOE, ironically, has no such designation. The easy answer is: everything but the PhD.

    The US DOE classifies degrees as:

    --Associate
    --Bachelor
    --Master
    --Intermediate Graduate (e.g. EdS, CAS, CAGS)
    --First Professional (JD, MD, DDS, DPM, DVM, DC, MDiv, PharmD, etc.)
    --Research Doctorate (PhD, EdD, DBA, ScD, SJD, ThD, etc.)

    Since most First Professional degrees are titled "doctor," many people understandably confuse them with "Professional Doctoral degrees." The common idea that a Professional Doctoral Degree is strictly a practitioner degree, while the PhD is strictly a research degree is not true at most universities.

    Good for the DETC. It looks like they can offer anything besides a PhD.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    This makes me wonder if a school like Deakin University, that already has a full compliment of doctoral degree programs including first doctoral degrees, professional doctoral degrees, automatically has these degree programs accredited by DETC or if they have to go through some additional process in order to have those specific degreees accredited.

    (wicked nice run-on sentence, thanks)
     
  5. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    No. It's just DETC blowing its own horn. Getting its doctoral scope recognized by CHEA as well as by the federal Ed. Dept. doesn't add anything that wasn't already there. More importantly, it doesn't improve the academic or professional reputations of any DETC doctoral programs.

    That's where DETC should be directing its attention.
     

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