US Degrees : Please help !!

Hi,

I'm new to USA. I did my bachelors in India( I wish to do my Masters here) so I don't have clear views for some terms broadly used in USA.

What is "Transfering Credit" ? and how it works?

How does the online Masters program works? Is there is only assessment after each class( or course) ? Or is there any online exam after the course?

 

Since you have completed an undergraduate degree (bachelor) you will not be transferring credits to an graduate degree (masters) in most cases.

A masters degree offered via distance learning, such as on-line, requires as much work as on-campus courses. Only choose a school that is accredited nationally (NA) or regionally (RA); nation accreditation includes DETC.

Assessment is an institution specific issue and as such it is advisable to contact the school(s) from which you are contemplating earning a degree.

Read the many postings on this board and you will discover the road has been well traveled with many willing to answer your questions.

 

MALearner,
You might have a slight problem. Since you recieved your BA in India, I am going to assume its a 3 year bachelor's degree. If it is a three year bachelor's degree it will not be found to be equivelant to a US bachelors degree. Some US colleges have a bridge programs where they allow you to go on to you Master's degree and take some extra course work for the Bachelor's equivelancy.

You should check with the schools you are interested in to find out what their requirements are. Most likely they will require a course by course evaluation. I suggest you use a naces (www.naces.org) evaluation company. But again I suggest you find out what university you are interested in and find out their requirements.

 

Re: Re: US Degrees : Please help !!

Some universities will give credit for "A" levels and other qualifications.

 

True schools will give credit for A levels, but I have yet to see someone with a degree from India that has A-Levels.

 

Hi


Thanks for ur replies. I have 4 year Bachelors. Does this helps?

 

Probably, however a lot of graduate level work will require research and writing. I'm not trying to be offensive, but how do you think your English speaking/writing ability is?

I admire you for learning two languages, but getting an MS or MA in the States would require an above average ability to write in English.

 

I know for sure Degrees in India are in English.
I have seen Indian Students doing exceptionally well in their Masters and Doctorate courses.

 

If its a four year Bachelor's degree then there shouldn't be a problem with equivelancy.

Good luck with your studies.

 

accreditation

Before you choose a program, spend some time learning about accreditation. Search this board and google around a bit.

There are several layers of accreditation.

• specialized or professional: These are the most prestigious schools. Their degrees open all doors. It might be possible to get a promotion from your employer with an MBA that is from a school that is not AACSB accredited, but AACSB accreditation is necessary, if you want to teach at an AACSB accredited school. Likewise, if your law school is not ABA accredited, you generally cannot enter the Bar to practice law.
• regional: Regionally accredited schools accept each others' credits in transfer. If you decide that you do not like your program, and move on, your new school will accept any credit earned at your first school that is part of your new program, within the constraints of school policy.
• national: In general, regionally accredited schools will not accept credit in transfer from nationally accredited schools. However, students at nationally accredited schools that are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) should have access to US federal financial aid.
• non-: Some schools are not accredited. At the graduate level, this is to be avoided. Granted there are some certificate programs that are not accredited, but still potentially worthwhile. These will be in hands-on areas, where the portfolio developed is more important than the academic credential.
• dubious: These are schools that are 'accredited' by an orgranization that is not recognized by CHEA, AACRAO, or any NACES member. Theoretically, it is possible that an unrecognized 'accreditation' might have some value in some highly specialized area, but it is more likely that it falls into the next category.
• fraudulent: These are scams that claim accreditation that does not exist. Often, their marketing stresses that accreditation is voluntary and that a school in the USA is not required to be accredited, or it will claim accreditation from a body that is comprised of degree mill operators or their shills. Learn the correct names of the professional, regional, and national accrediting bodies that CHEA recognizes. Scammers often claim accreditation from organizations with similar names.

CHEA has some nice material on degree mills.

Above all, do not rush into this. If you miss this year's application deadlines, next year's will be here before you know it. I have a colleague who earned his Masters degree from a very good university, and was taken in by Kennedy-Western for his 'doctoral' 'work'. He put in about four years of work for nothing.

What are you planning to study?