hi everyone need help

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by domtrend, Jul 25, 2012.

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  1. domtrend

    domtrend New Member

    I have applied to the SMC Bsc.Business admin. program and have been admitted but I have concerns about whether this particular program is accredited or not.It seems all other programs are acredited (MBA,DBA).Has anyone information regarding this? or completed this program or better still enrolled into this program?
     
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    No Institutional accreditation

    Oldest trick in the book. I remember reading, years and years ago, about a "school" that offered customers a free B.A. to enroll for a Ph.D. That's what's happening here, except that I can't call SMC a mill. Most of its programs are ACBSP accredited -and they don't accredit bad programs, AFAIK. However, despite its smoke-and-mirrors to the contrary, SMC, though legally able to confer degrees, has no institutional accreditation - none whatever. Not a shred.

    Their free B.B.A. (tuition zero, one-time sign-up fee, 390 Euros) does not have the ACBSP programmatic seal of approval, as do other SMC degrees. The only thing it will get you is entry to SMC's own MBA program (6,750 Euros, ACBSP programmatic accred.) Elsewhere? Nada!

    I consider this statement from SMC's website to be EXTREMELY misleading:

    "SMC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), ..."

    ACBSP does not grant institutional accreditation to schools. It may accredit some or all of the business programs of a school. ACBSP only looks to accredit programs outside the US if a school has what they deem to be sufficient degree-granting authority in its own country. In this case, they have interpreted Swiss Cantonal Permission as sufficient degree-granting authority. This is basically permission to operate, with no academic oversight and to confer degrees which do not have the standing of mainstream schools. (They may have none at all!) SMC degrees are legally awarded, but don't share the same stage with Swiss Federation degrees, from the country's mainstream universities.

    You may get some mileage from a SMC degree, (not the Bachelor's) but if you do - it's only due to the ACBSP approval, which the bachelor's doesn't have. I'd discourage enrolling in a school that continues "frontin' like it's all that" --when it ain't necessarily so :)

    BTW - SMC degrees, despite ACBSP accreditation, are categorized as H- (deficient) in Germany. The bachelor's is probably worth the small sum you pay for it - certainly no more. Nice as a wall-hanger, though! SMC is not on any "State Lists" in the US that I've seen lately...but who knows?

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 29, 2012

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