Detc

Hi,
I am planning to pursue Masters in IT.I understand there are two major ACC. i.e DETC and RA.Since I am paying for my education I am looking at colleges that offer degrees with quality and also for at a affrodable rate.Also I am a international student so most colleges are wanting for GRE/TOFEL,i want to pursue my degree immediately due to some constraints and i do not have time for preparing for these exams...having all these in mind,I have narrowed down the search to school which is satisfactory to me.The only thing is that it is only DETC accredited.Can anyone tell me what are pros and cons of DETC accredition and Is it wise to go with a School that DETC accredited only.Anyways I am going to pay for degree so I am not worried about my employer reemb.
PLease reply ASAP.

 

Within the USA, RA is the norm. DETC in a number of respects is second teier.

DETC degrees enjoy a slightly lower acceptance with this lower utility being significantly more pronounced within academia as compared with requirements for employment in the private sector. So it will be easier to transfer units or to get into grad school with an RA degree rather than a DETC degree. It will also be much easier getting a teaching position with an RA degree rather than a DETC degree. There have also been some reports that some foreign school systems have a policy saying that USA degrees need to be RA for them to be accepted.

Within the USA, the disparity of acceptance and utility between RA and DETC degrees seems to be narrowing over the years.

 

Go With DETC Accredited Degree!

There is nothing a matter with earning a DETC accredited degree. If you want to pay more for a RA degree, go ahead. I am enrolled in California Coast University which is DETC accredited. Take a look at the thread I just posted. Look at these former CCU graduates. Do you think their degree wasn't worth it? And at the time, CCU was not accredited. I know CCU does not have a Information Systems degree, so look at the other universities.

http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18280

Please don't let anyone fool you here. Unless you plan on going into academia, it really doesn't matter. Good Luck!

Sincerely,

 

Re: Go With DETC Accredited Degree!

This is irresponsible. While there is no shame in taking a degree from a DETC-accredited school, there are distinct limitations. There are employers who won't hire such graduates, employers who won't pay for tuition at such schools, and hundreds of colleges and universities who won't accept such degrees and credits for transfer, admission, and employment.

My own research suggests there is a significant proportion of employers who either think less of DETC-accredited degrees or won't hire such graduates at all.

The situation is compounded when we're talking about non-U.S. students taking degrees from DETC-accredited schools. It is even more imperative that they check very carefully to ensure that their degrees will be useful in the countries where they live.

A degree from a DETC-accredited school might be the right choice for you. But don't accept a "blank check" regarding its utility. Check it out.

 

Hey Rich,

I encourage anyone to read the thread I posted above. Here it is again just in case someone misses it. The names of many respectable people and their positions are here for review.

http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18280

People could say that about RA schools. Look at the post on the Cincinnati Enquirer website about the Union Graduate Institute and University. Didn't you get your accredited PhD there?

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/03/27/loc_union27.html

 

Re: Go With DETC Accredited Degree!

While I don't especially agree with Ray in regards to the general utility of RA v. DETC degrees, he has raised an important point. How you plan to use the degree is an important consideration. You said you are an international student. I could interpret that in several ways but my assumption at this point is that you are from a non-US country but are currently living in the US. Will you be taking this degree back to your homeland? or some other non-US country once you've completed it? If so, then Ray may be correct, it might make no difference as I suspect that people in other countries would neither understand nor care about the distinctions embedded in the various forms of the US accreditation system. Otherwise, will you be using the degree to seek a raise or promotion within your company? If so then they may be able to advise you as to their attitude towards these two forms of accreditation. In short, while it may turn out that in your case Ray is correct, I wouldn't just take his word for it. Do your own research before making a decision. It could be well worth your time and effort.
Jack

 

Oh, I encourage people to read as much of this board's threads as they can. Good advice, that.

Yes, I earned a Ph.D. from Union. Can't you read my signature line? Is there a question you might have about it?

 

Dear Rich,

How long will it be before the Union is being criticized like Kennedy Western? You have said in other threads the Union has been having problems. And for the moment, aren't they accredited? And aren't they RA?

There is nothing substandard or inferior about a DETC accredited degree!

 

Cyberspace,

As someone with a nationally accredited degree let me put my 2.5 cents in.

First, stop the childish attacks on Rich. I cannot fathom why the poor guy is such a magnet for people to try and slam. Like it or not, Rich has a Regionally Accredited PhD.......period. Steve Levicoff has a Regionally accredited PhD.....period. I do not agree with either of them on every issue, do not always support their arguments (Steve's out and out hyperbole annoys me). Nonetheless, I get annoyed by the repeated and often absolutely unacademic attempts to attack their PhD's and their alma mater which is and was when they graduated..........Regionally Accredited. No one can take the fact away from Rich that he earned a .......Regionally Accredited PhD. Even if Union loses accreditation he will have earned a........Regionally Accredited PhD........period.

Now to DETC. Rich is also correct based on his study and some of my experience. Yes someone with a DETC accredited degree has a degree that is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency (one that is recognized by both US DoE/CHEA). They can be justly proud of their accomplishments and their degree. Nonetheless, there is somewhat less utility in general from a DETC degree. My employer will recognize a DETC degree (a degree accredited by an agency recognized by the US Dept of Ed/CHEA), this is not always the case. I believe the school district only recognizes RA. I believe that our LPC Board recognizes only RA (some states do recognize NA as well). Many RA schools will now accept NA (eg many seminaries TRACS). A number of grad schools accept DETC. However, just the fact that we are talking about it lets you know that there is some more limited utility. That is just a fact. It is not Rich's fault and attacking the bearer of bad (?) news' RA PhD alma mater is well.........not real solid.

I have a nationally accredited doctorate. Worked hard for it, 3 years of full time study (60 credit hours), a dissertation and oral defense. I am proud of the work I did. Respect the national accreditor. But if all things had been equal in terms of convenience, subject matter, and cost.....of course I would have chosen a Regionally Accredited PhD. More utility and prestige.

North

 

I was just pointing out that there are problems with both RA and DETC. The fact he graduated from the Union was perfect, because they have had their fair chare of problems in recent years. I see so much criticism in this forum about nonaccredited degrees, and recently before CCU became accredited, they were accused of being a diploma mill. We should respect each other, what ever decision they make or where they want to earn their degree. I would hope we can agree to disagree and leave it alone. Not continue trying to perpetuate that RA is superior to DETC.

There is nothing a matter with a DETC accredited degree. And in many cases. it is transferable to an RA university. So what is the big deal?

 

I really don’t have a problem with people pointing out possible limitations that may accompany certain degrees. However, it seems to me that DETC schools are selectively targeted. How come no one here points out the possible limitations of questionable RA degrees? I am guessing that this is because the finger pointers are either employed by, or have graduated from, the questionable RA institutions.

I worked with two major consumer protection organizations over the last decade. What I found is that University of Phoenix (RA) has more complaints than all DETC schools combined. In fact, they almost have more complaints than all accredited schools combined. Chances are, you won't be warned about this.

Degrees with massive amounts of test-out units can also come with baggage. But, again, you won’t be warned about this. You won’t be told how the lack of convertible credit hours on a TESC transcript could make graduate admissions (especially law school) a difficult task.

Again, I really do think it is good for us to openly discuss the pros and cons associated with different types of schools and accreditations. However, it would be nice we also spoke out against these limitations if they are unfair.

Rich often points to DETC utility issues. He often says that just because you think DETC is equal, doesn’t make it true. Why not speak out against it for a change, Rich? The people here could use their voices to correct, or at least try to correct, unfair practices within higher education.

 

Right On, Mr. Bush

Way To Go, Mr. Bush

It's RA or No Way or RA or the Highway in Most Cases!!!!!!!!!!

 

I completely agree with you on this. This doesn't make Rich's PhD any less valuable. It just shows that RA isn't perfect.

I was banned from another discussion board for, among other things, expressing my unhappiness with the bashing of Rich. So, I am not out to get Rich at all. However, since Union is having problems, they should be able to be used as an example.

 

In the following thread the person in question "c_plager" cheated his way through and apparently earned his degree from an RA school.

http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17549&highlight=NorthCentral

 

You are sometimes misleading and other times incorrect in the statements that you make.

RA degrees have greater utility in academia as well as outside. That doesn't mean that everyone with a DETC degree is going to miss at least one opportunity but being misleading is doing a disservice.

Also, I don't get you guys that like to attack Union just to try and get under Rich's skin. It's irrelevant and very lame. You are pursuing a DETC degree and you're trying to belittle an RA institution?

 

It seems to me that this statement is just an attempt to belittle DETC institutions.

 

I have done so many times on this board. In fact, I've never attempted to establish that there's a real difference in quality between DETC accreditation and RA, just in the utility of them. Oh, and that no school accredited first by DETC has gone on to RA status, which could either be an indication of inferior quality. It could also be an indication that the RA's don't want to accept a DETC-accredited school as one of their own. (Yes, a couple of schools are both DETC-accredited and regionally accredited, but they applied for both simultaneously. No long-standing DETC-accredited school has made the leap, but the APUS is about to.)

I'm all for DETC and the schools it accredits. But I'm also all against reckless hyperbole put out by those who have a vested interest in the outcomes.

 

That's in the eye of the beholder. In many situations, you are dead wrong.

 

And in many other cases, it is not. That is the problem. The causes of the problems are complicated, but don't shoot the messenger.

Please show me a situation where a master's degree from a DETC-accredited school would be acceptable, but a master's from Union awarded in the same area would not.

 

All the time, all the time. But what you ask is to have someone else take up your desired advocacy. That isn't fair. Is anything I post incorrect? If not, you really don't have a complaint; you have a disappointment. Sorry about that, but you made your choice. Don't expect others to rally to your side to support it.