I have read postings on this forum about Preston University being categorized as a degree/diploma mill. Is this simply due to their lack of regional or national accreditation? Do their programmes of study not measure up to normal academic standards of rigor? This is a serious question by the way.
I will begin my reply by saying I had never heard of Preston University before this post. A few minutes of Google research turns up this recent article: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2006/02/02/news/wyoming/147274e7f778f1628725710900058d07.txt in which they go through great pains to state they are not a diploma mill. A couple of things about this school bother me. First, their state licensure in Wyoming sets off a red flag. Wyoming is known as a haven for mills because of their lax standards for licensing such institutions. That is something that the state legislature is trying to address. The other thing that bothers me is the school's past "accreditation" by the WAUC, which has a shady reputation of its own. To its credit, Preston seems to have broken off ties with the organization. Although they are located in the U.S., Preston seems to cater to overseas students. In 2001, Preston Univerity listed faculty members who, when contacted, said they had nothing to do with the school: http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i28/28a03402.htm They may not want to be called a mill, but it appears they have a tarnished image, to say the least.
There is no universally accepted definition of the terms "degree mill" or "diploma mill." People use these terms in different ways, so they are not really very useful. Some people define a "degree mill" as a school that operates without any legal authorization. Preston is legally licensed by the State of Wyoming, so it is not a degree mill under this definition. For example, it is not classified as a degree mill by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization. Other people define a "degree mill" as a school that operates without meaningful accreditation or any form of independent oversight. Preston would qualify as a degree mill under this definition. Some people define a "degree mill" as a school that provides degrees for grossly substandard academic effort. Does Preston qualify under this definition? Who knows? Since Preston doesn't cooperate with accreditors, how can you get an independent evaluation of their academic standards? The only way to find out more about Preston's academic standards would be to enroll there. But the opinions of Preston students and graduates may not be totally objective; such people have invested money in Preston's degree programs, and so they have an obvious incentive to claim that these programs are valuable. Preston also operates a number of campuses in Pakistan. There is some independent data on the Pakistan campuses. According to a recent story in the Billings Gazette, Pakistan's Higher Education Commission classified all of these campuses as "seriously deficient" or "illegally operating" in 2005.
Here's more information on Preston University: http://under9.blogspot.com/2005/03/preston-university-usa-mba.html I heard about Preston University from a friend of mine at work a few years ago. He was questioning how his brother in Malaysia was able to get an MBA from Preston University in less than 6 months. His job required an MBA and his employer paid for it. Additionally his brother only had a high school diploma and a few years of business experience.
Preston... Preston University Pakistan is fully accrediated in Pakistan and recognized by Ministry of Education. Please visit www.hec.gov.pk or www.preston.edu.pk.
Re: Preston... As suggested, I visited www.hec.gov.pk, and punched "Preston" into the "Search" function. The first results that came up were a series of press releases similar to the following: Preston campuses in Kohat and Karachi are also included on the "Public Alert on Substandard Private Universities", more specifically on the "List of local chartered universities operating unlawfully through their campuses/affiliated institutions beyond their territorial jurisdiction". Clearly Preston is recognized by the Pakistan Ministry of Education. But perhaps not in a very desirable way.
Re: Re: Preston... Yes previously It was like that. But now Preston University Karachi is fully recognized by the HEC. http://www.hec.gov.pk/htmls/hei/collunilist.htm HEC has not updated the list n the front of Preston Karachi campus address is Hyderabad city campus. Karachi campus is leading Hyderabad campus and HEC required more standards in Hyderabad campus. Preston University Karachi is fully accrediated by HEC. I am sure about it
Thank you for the informative responses to my question about Preston University. I have been looking for a relatively inexpensive doctorate degree once I complete a graduate degree probably in 2008/2009.
Here's more information on Preston University (Wyoming) in Malaysia, Pakistan and USA. Malaysia http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2005/08/bogus-universities-i.html "Datuk Abdul Azeez has an apparently fairly impressive resume. While he education did not extend beyond his SPM initially - he became a self-made millionaire when he was 21, within 3 years after starting his second-hand car sales business. He did however obtain his Masters degree in Business Management and Administration from a Preston University in Wyoming. I would be very impressed if not for the fact that there is clearly controversy as to the manner in which his Masters degree was obtained." Pakistan http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2005/08/bogus-universities-i.html "In fact, even Pakistan has classified Preston University as a diploma mill and “classified all 15 Preston campuses in that country as ‘illegally operating'". Read blog article by an English professor, Margaret Soltan dated May this year. Read also an article in Chowk (a South Asian socio-political commentary forum) entitled "Fake degrees for the big boys in Pakistan"." In Michigan, USA - htp://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2005/08/bogus-universities-i.html "Preston University is similarly listed as unaccredited in the state of Michigan's list of unacceptable degree suppliers." Article from MSNBC - "Alleged 'diploma mills' flock to Wyoming" http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6935318/
Yes It was! They have improved and got accrediatation from HEC Pakistan. Hyderabad city campus is still not accrediated.
Since you are in Canada, you might want to review Canadian policies (Federal and provincial) that pertain to the recognition of foreign degrees. For example, the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) has posted "General Guiding Principles for Good Practice in the Assessment of Foreign Credentials": It seems possible that Preston might not be considered a "recognized institution" by the CICIC standards. First, Preston has not been recognized by US regional or national accreditors, which might be regarded as the most "competent authorities". Second, Preston degrees may not be perceived as "widely accepted" in the US. It is unlikely that any accredited US university would accept a Preston degree; furthermore, some US states legally restrict (e.g. Oregon) or prohibit (e.g. North Dakota) the use of unaccredited degrees. Since Preston degrees are not universally accepted as valid in the US, it seems possible that they could have acceptability issues in Canada as well.
I am no fan of Preston (both the US and Pakistan). Nonetheless, Preston Pakistan should be consider as an accredited instution according to the guidelines issued by the CICIC for the following reasons: 1. Preston Pakistan is formally recognized by a competent authority in Pakistan-the HEC. 2. Since Preston Pakistan is an independent entity, therefore, whether Preston USA is accredit by regional/national accreditors or not is irrelevant.
