CA-Approval: The Best, Coolest and Worst

I've been looking through the many CA-approved schools to see what I can see. As there are 2,310 of them, I haven't seen them all by a long shot. But I've been gradually looking at all the ones that call themselves 'university', 'college' or 'institute', or give some other indication that they are more than a trade school.

The most prestigious CA-approved school? Johns Hopkins University, which offers a hospital administration masters program in California. OK, that doesn't count. So, of the schools that don't have any recognized accreditation besides CA-approval, the best would have to be this guy:

Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences
( http://www.kgi.edu )

It was founded in 1997 with a $50 million dollar grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. It's already part of the Claremont College consortium. Catch it quick, since it will be accredited by WASC soon.

The *Coolest* CA-approved school? No competition. Check out THIS baby:

National Test Pilot School
( http://www.ntps.com )

Among the toys (oops, *lab equipment*) that they have for you to play with are some 30 aircraft (more than some countries' whole air forces) including 4 Aermacchi MB326 Impalas (from South Africa, I think), 1 Bell UH-1N Huey, 2 Bell OH-58C, 1 Sikorsky S-55, an old DeHavilland Dove and (get this!) 4 SAAB S/SK 35XD Drakens!!

http://www.ntps.com/Images/draken3.jpg

(Eat your heart out, Corvette owners...)

While we are on the subject, the *sexiest* CA-approved school would have to be:

Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality
( http://www.iashs.edu )

They offer short-residency doctorates. The required on-campus time is no hardship (SF is a very cool place) and I'm sure that the IASHS labs are very stimulating.

The worst CA-approved schools? That's kind of impossible to answer, since probably 1/4 of the schools I've looked for either had dead links or there was no sign that I could find that they had ever been in operation. There is a tremendous instability in the CA-approved world, with schools appearing and dissappearing almost daily.

Among those that I could locate, the religious schools were the worst. I attribute that situation to the fact that California has a religious exemption. As long as they offer degrees in religious subjects, schools can do pretty much whatever they want.

This means a whole lot of weird little places offering M.Divs out of church basements and people's homes.

One of the more substantial of them is:

Friends International Christian University
( http://www.ficu.edu )

They offer Ph.D.s in religious studies by DL, which originally drew my attention to them. Unfortunately, the spell was broken by FICU's "accreditation" by ACI, and by their liberal use of "life experience" credit. Lots of interest in producing "Christian counselors" here. Scary.

Supersonic jet interceptors are way cooler.

 

While there is indeed a slick element which operates under the umbrella of religion, most who desire legitimate credentials have enough integrity to avoid such places. It is truly sad that this is a problem within the religious sector.

 

Theology Schools

While looking at the CA-approved schools, I was surprised to see some familiar theological seminaries listed. Here are three of them. Each one is a member of Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union consortium, and while none of the three are regionally accredited by WASC, each of them *is* accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

1. American Baptist Seminary of the West
http://www.absw.edu

2. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
http://www.plts.edu

3. Starr King School of Ministry
http://www.sksm.edu

I didn't know that non-RA ATS schools even existed. These seem to pre-professional in nature, with their more scholarly degrees being offered in conjunction with the WASC-accredited GTU. Of course, this is all completely legitimate, since the US Dept of Education recognizes that specialized accreditors can act as institutional accreditors when the institution itself is specialized.

But what should our "RA-or-nothing" champions say about this? When it happens in other fields (like studio art where NASAD takes the role of ATS), the specialized accredited schools are often seen as a step below the RA plus specialized acccredited schools.

And more importantly, what about the Institute of Buddhist Studies?
http://www.shin-ibs.edu

This institution is associated with the GTU, and offers both its own CA-approved Masters in Buddhist Studies (MBS), as well as courses towards a cooperative MA in Buddhist Studies awarded by the WASC-accredited GTU.

The IBS, unlike the ABSW, PLTS and SKSM, is ineligible for ATS accreditation, which leaves it simply CA-approved.

 

From the KGI Website:

"Keck Graduate Institute is accredited through affiliation with Claremont Graduate University, as approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. For the next several years until KGI achieves independent accreditation, the MBS degree will be awarded jointly by the two institutions."

As for the IASHS, don't you want to be able to put "Master of Human Sexuality" on your resume? Or maybe it's better used as a pickup line-- "hey, baby, I'm a Master of Human Sexuality."

 

IMHO, one of the worst in terms of sleaziness would be City University Los Angeles (CULA), of which I am sure that many DegreeInfo readers are aware. On their website, they speak against accreditation--and then claim an unrecognized accreditation. They also have a ridiculously wide breadth of degree majors at all levels including all arts/sciences, various health professions, etc-- and state that majors listed at the website aren't the only ones they offer. Yet they have (lost &) regained approval from the state of California (and are in the "state-approved" category at the CPEC website).

They are at: http://www.cula.edu

But the new CPEC website is great looking.

DM

 

Astounding. CULA really is in the list of state-approved institutions -- http://www.cpec.ca.gov/CollegeGuide/SearchInstitution.ASP?StateAppr

 

Founder/owner Henry Anderson must be extremely well connected politically. When I visited, there were an amazing number of proclamations and awards on his walls -- dozens and dozens -- including 'bigtime' stuff -- Los Angeles City Council, testimonials from 3 or 4 governors (of the "My friend, Henry" sort), state and national agencies, and so on.

And let's not forget, they claim recognition from the "Ancient and Sovereign Empire Washitaw de Dugdehmoundyah, earliest inhabitants of what is, today, Corporate United State of America..."

Columbia Pacific's accreditation by the Shoshones pales in comparison.

 

Is the information on the CPEC website current?

I've been using the BPPVE website at:

http://app1.dca.ca.gov/bppve/school-search/

According to this, the only 'City University' currently approved in LA county is a branch of the RA one in Washington state.

 

I've emailed both, asking which list is more up to date. I'll let you know what response I get.

(Hope I don't start a bureaucratic catfight.)

 

Funny thing, I had alerted CPEC last year when they
listed two formerly approved schools as approved,
namely Bernadean University and Kensington University.
The California authorities should get their act together.

DM

 

Some of the California authorities are paying attention. I just received this response to my query about CULA's listing:

 

I do believe the BPPVE is trying to provide substantive oversight of the institutions within its jurisdiction, and wish them well.

 

The continued operation of City University Los Angeles in Inglewood is nothing short of brazen!

Accredited.
Unaccredited.
Less-than-wonderful.
Now.....Brazen!

(Pamela Martin's cool, BTW.)

 

Brazen .... I love it!