Hi. I've graduated with regionally accredited degrees, and also am a graduate of a nationally accredited degree, and an unaccredited degree. All of the schools that I've graduated from are reputable and legitimate work had to be completed to get my degrees. My question is that when I've talked with professionals they've mentioned that only regionally accredited degrees are allowed to be listed and not to list nationally accredited or unaccredited degrees because most likely they'll not be recognized by an employer. When I discussed this with some other people they said that as long as the degrees were earned legitimately that you should be proud to list your degrees and this is being completely honest with others. What should I do? I worked hard for all of them, but I don't want to make a mistake -- but I want to do what is right. Anyone else in the same situation?
you might get better/more useful answers if you tell us what degrees, from where, and what your career field is... Example: a degree from Bob Jones University is generally acceptable by most but is not accredited... (at least I don't think it is -- it used to not be) If your field is post-secondary education at a B&M university then your NA and Unacredited degree may be a disadvantage. Just a thought....
If it were me, I'd have no hesitation at all in listing the NA degree. Most employers accept them and even on the off-chance that it doesn't meet some job specs, the employer is unlikely to hold the degree against you. The unaccredited degee is tougher. I think that I would list an unaccredited degree if I believed that it was a sound credible program and if I felt that I could make a convincing case for it if it was questioned. But if I believed that it was in any way iffy or flaky, and if I didn't really have any impressive facts to cite in its behalf, then I'd probably leave it off.
Interesting points, but just as unaccredited degrees might be legit and something of which to be proud, or maybe not, it's really impossible to address the thread starter's questions in a meaningful way unless we know what the degrees -- all three of them, in this case -- are... as Coach Turner suggested. With a username like "potpourri" you're obviously anonymous, so there should be no danger in specifying the three degrees. Would you mind?
Thanks I've been instructed that if you're going for professional kinds of jobs that you should list only your regionally accredited degrees. If I choose to apply for jobs that are more geared toward vocational/career that it would probably be perfectly fine to list the nationally accredited degree and unaccredited degree as additional training. Otherwise, it would be more wise to just list the regionally accredited degrees. The nationally and unaccredited degrees were more for personal enrichment, and also demonstrate that I've been instructed in different schools -- and that is something to be proud of.
Re: Thanks Since you decided to just ignore my urging, here, to specify for us the degrees in question; and, by so ignoring, to deprive me of the opportunity to make the suggestion to you that I felt I was pretty much going to end-up making to you eventually, I'll just cut to the chase and make it now, whether you want to read/know it or not... Don't do everything you're "instructed" to do... including even what I'm about to instruct you to do, I suppose. I've never particularly liked the methodology of only listing accredited degrees under "Degrees" on one's resume, and then listing unaccredited degrees under a heading like "Additional Training," or, effectively, "Other." If the work required to complete it was sufficiently rigorous that it's appropriate to even call it a degree, then its wrong to relegate it to anything less on the resume... even for teaching positions, I dare say. An unaccredited degree is still a degree... that is, assuming it's really a bona fide degree that actually required real, voluminous, rigorous and verifiable work and isn't, instead, just a worthless diploma mill piece-o-crap "credential." If the degree's issuer has its state's official okie-dokie to grant degrees; and if said state's regulations have not allowed it to become a known haven for diploma mills; and as long as it really is a degree and not just a diploma mill piece of paper, then it's wrong, in my opinion, not to call it a "degree," and to so list it under that heading on a resume, even if it's unaccredited. The far better way to do it, in my opinion, is precisely that way... and then, simply, to specify (very succinctly and dispassionately) in small letters, just beneath it, precisely who accredited it or by what governmental authority it was issued. I provide an example of what I'm talking about in this posting from another thread in which similar questions were asked. Just tryin' to help... ...even if I have to wrestle you to the ground and sit on your chest to make you let me do it.
Re: Re: Thanks Just tryin' to help... ...even if I have to wrestle you to the ground and sit on your chest to make you let me do it. [/B][/QUOTE] How about a full nelson? Abner
I think DesElms is right on this one. Concealing an unaccredited but not outright fraudulent degree could actually bite you worse than being up front about it especially if you are working in an area where there is any possibility of press scrutiny. Say you have a Psy.D. from SCUPS and you want to get a job as a school psychologist using your University of Chicago M.Ed. in Educational Diagnostics (or whatever). Someone accuses you of sexual harrassment. The papers, smelling blood in the water, unearth your Psy.D. and trumpet to the heavens that you hold a job with an UNACCREDITED DEGREE! I promise you that they WON'T mention that a doctorate isn't required for the job. Believe me, they WILL do this. No. Better to have been upfront all along with everyone.
Re: Thanks Listing non-RA degrees works for graduates of Rockefeller University. Again, I'd have no hesitation in listing degrees from schools accredited by recognized but not-RA accreditors. It's valid education, so be proud of it. Let the employers decide for themselves whether it meets their needs. At worst they won't consider it, and if you leave it off you just guarantee that it wouldn't be considered. The non-accredited degrees are tougher, more of a judgement call. If I thought that the non-accredited program was good, and very importantly, if I was confident that I could justify it convincingly to other people, then I'd probably list it along with the other degrees. If I thought that it was useful education and valuable in some sense, but if I didn't believe that it equated to a conventional degree, then I wouldn't list it along side them. I'd probably list it under 'other education' or something, perhaps along with a few words of explanation. And if I thought that it was kind of ridiculous and didn't have much value, then I simply wouldn't list it. But it's hard for me to imagine enrolling in something like that.
Re: Re: Thanks Well, that's really it, isn't it... I mean, maybe the trick is to exercise care with regard to that in which one enrolls. It seems to me that a person should never enroll in anything of which s/he would not be later proud under any circumstances. But that's just me.
Do you want a job? Either you want a job or you want to do your best to be politically correct and "look good". You do everything possible without lying of course to put your credentials in the best light. Stating who accredits your degree is a waste of time and downright ridiculous in my view. If an employer really cares he asks or looks up the information himself. 99% of the time it's just a checkbox for the employer and he really doesn't give a rats rear end where your degree came from or what it is as long as you can do the job. What I see from your query is a splitting hairs mentality that implies a lack of self-confidence whether this is true of you or not. Put your degrees down on paper and leave it at that!
As has been mentioned, listing accredited degrees be they RA or NA is perfectly acceptable. Many employers recognize NA (ours does on par with RA). You will always encounter someone with an axe to grind. Do not know how many times I have heard very credible, professional people run down the RA University of Pheonix as a substandard & bought degree Is it still an accredited degree....sure. The unaccredited degree is another matter. I might well list it but be very clear about its nature (up front). If it is legit and you learned from it fine. Nosborne mentions the problems with doctorates. Those can be a little more hazy. By possessing and using the possession of one you are communicating a certain expertise and status....in fact you are claiming the status. As Nosborne indicates, you can be indeed made vulnerable if it is not accredited. This is certainly not always the case. A legit but unaccredited Masters or extra Bachelors might be a little more explainable if surrounded by other accredited degrees. If I ever finish the Nations U MRS degree I will likely list it but put in brackets that it is not an accredited school. I too am interested in what these degrees you have are and where they are from. U are anonymous. North
