Does anyone understand BSN?

BSN (Business School Netherlands) is advertising a lot in ZA (!) right now. I emailed them asking if they had a DBA programme, and got a prompt (affirmative) response. After spending some time on this site I realised the importance ofaccredition, and nivestigated BSN. On thier (bsn.co.za) local site, they say

"In addition to BSN’s European Union accreditation, via the Dutch Validation Council (DVC), the Department of Education in South Africa registered BSN in January 2000. Therefore, the school is now the only private provider of accredited Action Learning MBA® Programmes in South Africa, allowed to register new students. "

and also

"BSN is totally in line with the new South African educational policy of outcomes-based education as required by the National Qualifications Framework and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)."

There also some references to IMC.

I emailed BSN Capte Town asking which institution actually grants their degrees, but didn't get a response.

I gather there is quite a long "story" to IMC, but could anyone tell me if BSN South Africa is accredited, whether is it therefore credible for doctoral studies and what educational institution (if any) it is associated with? Thank you.

 

Sorry!

By "IMC" in the previous post I meant IMCA, as per...

"BSN International is a member of ICMA Multinational, whose programmes are accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC) and the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)."

 

They are a typical Dutch quagmire, they have a great MBA program, the DBA has been interesting in the terms of outcomes, some program chairs from TU/e or Tilburg believe that standards are the same for all doctoral students (forget a professional pathway) so the actual success rate was dismal at best so like (just a few) not the case in China but again the Dutch are traders (but when it comes to a DBA doctor degree in EU, the philosophy has been a total disaster and dysfunction euphoria) They have broken up with the United Kingdom and the Germans because of their egos and the old program is pretty much dead. You can get a DBA in collaboration with the holistic university that is a Dutch colony it’s not from them anymore - here is the old program https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/33475527/dba-international-programme-business-school-netherlands

 

Suggest check its accreditation with CHE. (Council on Higher Education) in South Africa. www.che.ac.za

Also, I saw the "old program" referred to by @Dr. Mayes which was in conjunction with Sheffield Hallam U. That's a decent UK school. Too bad the program is gone. And I don't care for the idea of a Business Doctorate from a "Holistic University." Doesn't sound too promising. Like those "Ethereal degrees" issued by unaccredited religious-exempt schools in Florida US. They think somehow that the word "Ethereal" lets them award a (secular) business degree, when all they're licensed to confer is religious degrees - nothing else.

 

Action Learning MBA? That would have to be ICMA itself, or ICMA-established Revans University, Vanuatu. (They hold the rights to the term Action Learning, pioneered by Reg. Revans.) The DETC accreditation was yanked in 2005. DETC is now DEAC - www.deac.org I don't believe the school is still in operation.
Page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revans_University

This is MURKY. Don't like murky.... try a well-established school. South Africa has some real bargains, due to the university subsidy policies and a depressed currency. Lots of distance learning.

 

"Business School Netherlands" is not listed in the SAQA.

 

https://www.bsn.eu/about-us/recognised-quality/accreditations-and-rankings/

Here is a list


South Africa
Cape Town
BSN South Africa
Suite 2, Royale du Cap
8 Essenhout Crescent
7500 Plattekloof 3, Kaapstad
+27 (0)21-9390025
[email protected]

 

https://www.bsn.eu/programmes/executive-education/global-executive-dba-programme/
The new DBA program at BSN


Accredited by ACBSP and AAC
The Global Executive DBA has double accreditation from both the American Council for Business Schools and Programmes (ACBSP) and the Accreditation Agency of Curacao (AAC) which is recognised by the Curacao government through the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports. The Global Humanistic University is also officially recognised by the Curacao government.

The DBA’s state accreditation in Curacao results in the degree falling under the jurisdiction of the Bologna Process.

The Bologna Process is a series of ministerial meetings and agreements between European countries, as well as several non-European countries, to ensure comparability in the standards and quality of higher-education qualifications.

• Business School Netherlands also has full accreditation status with the ACBSP
• The Global Executive DBA carries 180 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System) which are equivalent to 90 credits on the United States system

 

ACBSP is programmatic accreditation - not institutional. This award is in conjunction with Global Humanistic University, which is licensed, not accredited by the Ministry on Anguilla. They get a license - they can legally award degrees, which do not have to have any standing. There seems to be a spate of rather doubtful Curacao schools. Ballsbridge University was once accredited by Curacao -and that's VERY problematic. And this one here: https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/university-of-america-curacao-legit.61294/#post-572076

This whole thing is not very inspiring. Tell us, Dr. Mayes - what is your connection, if any, with BSN? Other than as an alumnus, I mean. I see you graduated from the "old" BSN-Sheffield Hallam joint DBA program.

 

I was working in the Netherlands and got my employer to pay for a program at SDA Bocconi and I saw an another one I really liked at TiasNimbas in MS, Operational Excellence and my employer paid again. In 2014, I saw the joint DBA program and I decided I was interested. Tons of program changes, politics, pain and suffering, I finally finished. (I’m now back in the states) My only positive note is that I do hold a Dutch Doctorate degree. My advice, don’t do what I did.

Positive note: My employer paid for all my shenanigans

 

ACBSP will accredit an ice cream truck. Also, it has zero meaning when it comes to whether or not a school is properly recognized to award degrees. If BSN is operating in South Africa, it is not recognized to do so. I'm not convinced that being recognized by the "Accrediting Agency of Curacao" has any meaning, either.

A university's recognition to award its degrees should be pretty straight forward. So, what is BSN's?

 

Thanks for the good advice, Dr. May. I'll take it! @angela - I think we're just about done here.

@Rich Douglas It's uncanny. We don't hear of Revans, Canadian School of Management, and their owner ICMA for 10 years -- and now two threads in one day!

 

A certain necromancer of threads is causing that.

 

Aren't we responding to a twenty- year old question? @angela asked a question in 2003 and was last seen in 2004

 

Yes. I did not read the post dates. A certain person has had his fun - for a day.

 

Yes - I have to admit that, Steve. I guess it just feels a bit embarrassing to get "pulled in," a couple of times on the same day. I'll get over it, eventually.

 

Yes, unless it's used to shill for something, which is also a bit of a tradition here.

 

Interesting, this school still exists after 20 years I had a look, they claim that their DBA is state accredited in Curacao. The only institution that I'm aware of that could provide such a DBA from Curacao is Global Humanistic University. I guess they are partners even though it's not mentioned. 25k for the DBA from Curacao -way too expensive for me.