Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

Just wanted to write to say thanks for your fedback to all that replied and also for having such a informative site with so much information. I am not sure still as to what I will pursue, if anything at this point, but, I did choose to drop out and not continue to pursue classes that could have little to no utility.
Even though it is mroe for my personal achievments, I still would liek to have a degree I could be proud of and not ashamed due to its reputation.

Again, thank you for all of your support and information here.

 

Fortunately, there are currently hundreds of legitimate colleges and universities offering degrees via DL. Congratulations on your decision.

 

Did they let you go that easily? Were you enrolled? Get your money back?

 

Congratulations, back2cali, on having come to your senses. You've made the right move. I hope you find another DBA program -- an accredited one... or, if not accredited, then at least one that's objectively and unambiguously legitimate, respectable and rigorous -- that you can proudly put into your DegreeInfo signature area.

Until then -- and this is merely a suggestion, mind you -- you should probably update your signature area. At this writing, it still says that you're still a DBA student there... which you've just told us is no longer true. As I suspect you now realize, your signature area, as it is at this writing, just gives a good-for-nothing diploma mill undue credibility and advertising here; and there's a danger that newbies will see your signature and mistakenly think that Breyer State is legit.

If you agree and would like to change it, please click on this link to get to the part of your user control panel where you may update your signature. Scroll down to the "Signature:" field and modify it accordingly, then click on the "Submit Modifications" button at the bottom of the page.

It's pretty much up to you what, if anything, you put there instead of what's there at this writing, but until you enroll in another program, you might consider (and, again, this is just a suggestion) using your signature to help others to benefit from your experience. If you agree with the notion of that (and you're certainly free not to), then you might consider putting in your signature area something like this:

• Former DBA student at Breyer State University... that is, until
  I came to DegreeInfo and learned it was a diploma mill!

or something at least similar. If you'd feel embarrassed by something like that, then please don't do it... I mean... I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything like that. It's just that you've been so open and candid about it around here that I just assumed you wouldn't mind using your signature in that highly educational way... at least 'til you get into another program and can put that into your signature area instead.

Of course you could just put your name, or a famous saying or whatever in your signature, too. I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything like that. I'm just makin' a suggestion that I think could be helpful to other readers who stumble onto your posts and could benefit from seeing that you learned your lesson and got out before it was too late. Adding that it was because of what you learned here, at DegreeInfo, would be nice, too... but as shameless plugs go, that may be too much to ask.



Anyway... just a thought. Please feel free to ignore it.

 

Congratulations on bailing out of the Breyer State mess. BSU is a complete waste of time/money (although I'd really like to know the mechanics of their DL degree(s) in equine studies) and a ticking time-bomb on a resume.

Why did you consider BSU in the first place? Did you consider Knightsbridge or any of the other unaccredited schools? I'm wondering about the appeal of these schools to prospective students despite all the negatives associated with lack of accreditation.

 

Good for you! Good luck!

 

Just out of curiosity, what are your other degrees and where are they from?

Best to you!

 

Tom H said: I'm wondering about the appeal of these schools to prospective students despite all the negatives associated with lack of accreditation.


Well, I can tell you about my own experience. I took a long, hard look at Breyer State once upon a time, but that was before I knew anything about proper accreditation. At the time, I was looking for an online undergraduate program in Journalism, which believe it or not, is not very easy to find. To this day, I think the options are limite to TESC, some foreign schools and St. Mary of the Woods College, which until recently only admitted women. There may be a couple I'm not aware of, but there aren't many.

But I digress. For those who have little to no knowledge about accredition, Breyer State and others of its ilk might seem temping because of all of the concentrations and majors they seem to offer. They promise you a degree for low fees and they seem so friendly and accomodating, which can't always be said for a legit school. Of course, I did my homework and a Google search led me to information that a Breyer State degree isn't worth the paper on which it's printed.

In short...they just MAKE IT SOUND SO GOOD. But you know the saying: if it sounds too good to be true...

 

Re: Re: Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

As suggested in a recent post, I updated my signature. Love it or hate it.

My BS and MS are from Auburn, which I found is under regional accreditation.

Another question in above was why I chose Breyer State. To make it simple, it was inexpensive adn advertised as State Licensed in Alabama, which is where I reside, so I thought it could bring me some utility and a feeling of accomplishment which is what I am seeking in a doctoral program at my age etc.

What other programs did I consider: We'll, SCUps was a possibility, but found discussions on it back then on this site and decided based on price, it was too expensive for a State approved school. I also jsut received a catalog from CPU ( California Pacific University).
I am finding CPU to be a consideration due to cost, length of time they have offered program, I believe 1973, and State approved.

I know that there is probably much negative discussion on CPU as it is not accredited, but the cost, being out of pocket for me and for personal reasons I am seeking to pursue, could be a fit.

I also have looked into the Heriot Watt DBA at www.ebsdba.com
and find it a slow progressive program that would meet my needs . 1 course at a time, but the cost is a factor.

I may apply to NCU at www.ncu.edu as well. Regional accreditation, but m,uch more than I care to spend.

For any help or suggestions, I really do not want to spend more than 10K US and less if their was a decent program that could give me what I am seeking, a business type DBA program.

thanks again for all of the great info.

 

Nooooooooo! Forget about CPU. You won't find much more respect for it than a Breyer State degree.

I must ask, what do you have against obtaining a regionally (or nationally) accredited degree? They are not difficult to find, especially a DBA.

If cost is a consideration for you, might I suggest UNISA? It is respected, you won't find a lower price for a legitimate degree and there is plenty of info available about it on this board.

At the very least, I hear California Coast University, which is nationally-accredited, may soon offer the DBA.

 

Re: Re: Re: Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

Your decision to drop Breyer State is a smart one.

If you are interested in NCU and you are in one of the many organizations that currently has a partnership with NCU, you may be eligible for a tuition scholarship.

Some government categories include firefighters, police, federal employees, military, etc…

Some corporate listings include Boeing, Lockheed Martin, etc…

Look at the links on the left hand side of the NCU homepage under partnerships and click on each category to see if you find an organization or company in which you may belong. If all else fails, call each of the NCU Articulation Specialists listed under each link to see if your organization or company has a partnership but is not listed for some reason.

TCord1964’s suggestion of looking into UNISA is another good option. If you are interested in UNISA, visit their Web site and IACI’s Web site.

Another African university worth mentioning is the University of Pretoria.

 

back2cali - It's often hard to admit when we've made a mistake. It says good things about you that you've taken new information and put it to good use, even if it means admitting a mistake. Some people would have just faded away and continued to pursue the bad degree (with their fingers crossed). There are other alternatives and I'm sure the other degreeinfo members will come through with suggestions (I think that some have already done so). Thanks for your honesty.
Jack

 

Congratulations on a very wise, but I'm certain difficult, decision.

 

Re: Re: Re: Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

Oy. CPU is not a step up... er... well... maybe it is, but not by much. Heck... SCUPS would probably have been better... and that's really saying something.

So, then... money is just a huge part of it, right? Understood. I think most of us feel the same. But you simply cannot let yourself be sucked-in by just any ol' unaccredited-but-at-least-not-a-mill program out there.

The South African universities are going to be just about the only place where you're going to find the kind of pricing you seek. We're talking about a doctorate for under $5,000(US)... and even if not, we're still talking less than the $10K(US) max you've specified.

At this writing, 1,000 South African Rand (SAR) = about $158(US). It is not unusual for an entire South African graduate degree to cost from 22,000(SAR) to 25,000(SAR), which is roughly in the neighborhood of $3,500(US).

Do not be afraid of South African (or most any foreign) degrees just because they're non-US. The two mentioned in this thread -- UNISA and University of Pretoria -- are accredited by their governments; and such accreditation is generally recognized in the US as being equivalent to US regional accreditation.

And if you want to make certain your doctoral degree from South Africa (or from any non-US country, for that matter) is viewed as truly equivalent to US regionally-accredited, just use one or both of the two types of foreign credential evaluation services that are available out there to get your South African degree evaluated and declared US-regionally-accredited-equivalent. Just use the links found in my signature, below, in the bulleted item, "Get foreign degrees evaluated..."

The cost is usually well under $500 to get a good and thorough foriegn credential evaluation; and it's a once-in-a-lifetime cost. Such evaluations are generally accepted on their face by most US colleges/universities, and by most both public and private employers. As Jack Tracey once wisely stated in a thread around here sometime back:

• The cost of a foreign credential evaluation -- two of them, actually... one from AACRAO and one from one of the bigger and better-known of the NACES member agencies -- should be factored right in to the cost of a non-US degree for any US resident contemplating obtaining a foreign credential and the intent of using it in the US.

A doctoral credential in the price range you seek is, for the moment, available out there by hook or by crook. For the moment, South Africa presents the best (in terms of quality) and most economical alternatives to a US degree. How long that will last (what with the chronically declining US dollar and all) is another matter.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

If I understood this correctly when looking at the UNISA site, it appears a doctorate would cost about $1000-$2000, right?

 

California Pacific is legitimate, and its programs have been approved for a long time. They've always had a very narrow curriculum, a plus in their favor. If I absolutely was determined to get a degree from an unaccredited school, they'd be one to consider.

H-W's DBA isn't cheaper than NCU. But Charles Sturt's is.

That said, you have to be willing to pay for a legitimately accredited program if you want the degree. There's a fundamental reason for accredited programs costing more: it costs more to run them. It's not just market forces and the value of an accredited degree; standing up and running a legitmate doctoral program is expensive.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

Jimmy - I haven't looked at the numbers recently but UNISA has instituted a fee for international students. If you're in the USA it effectively doubles the cost. It's still a good deal but not as inexpensive as at times in the past and not as inexpensive as some other ZA universities might be. As you know, total cost depends on how long it takes you to complete the program.
Jack

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

Hi Jack,

Wasn't aware of the international student fee. Still a bargain, as you say, however.

If all goes well next year--wife's surgery finances, etc.--I plan to enroll in the SATS doctoral program. Have to pay off some other educational bills first.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Dropped out of Breyer State. Thanks for your help.

At this writing, 1,000 South African Rand (SAR) is equal to $158 and change.

So, for example, a South African graduate degree that costs 40,000(SAR) would convert to around $6,300(US).

A South African graduate degree that costs 25,000(SAR) would convert to roughly $3,950(US).

A South African graduate degree that cost 14,000(SAR) would convert to roughly $2,200(US).

The SATS MTh is 11,600(SAR), which is $1,829(US). The SATS MTh is 120 South African credits, which is equivalent to 30 to 32 US semester hours. At $1,829(US) for the whole shebang, that works out to $57(US) to $68(US) per semester hour.

All of the above is, of course, "at this writing."

 

Dr. you are absulrtely correct Sir! In fact I have considered their MBA/DBA combined program for myself.