Hi everyone, I'm new here and I'd like to get your advice on my situation. Sorry if it's a little long, but everyone here seems to be quite knowledgeable and I would definitely appreciate some advice So a bit of background: I studied at a 'traditional' university here in Canada for almost 2 years, when I had a health problem that prevented me from going. Over the next 2 years I was very ill, BUT I decided to pursue an online degree. I was tricked, or was stupid enough to believe that Barrington University was a good program. I registered, paid, took courses, completed exams (which were way too easy), and got some credits for 'life experience'. It's been 3 years that I've been in the workforce, and I haven't had a problem with the fact that they're not accredited. However, I face a big problem now: I want a real MBA (online or traditional). Barrington university was bought by someone new, and they changed its name of University of Atlanta (I guess Barrington had a horrible reputation). When I contacted them to ask them if THEY were accredited, they responded that they were going through the accredation process, which will be probably be completed sometime in 2007. They also said that they would 'convert' my degree into a University of Atlanta degree if I took some courses that I was missing. Now my question is: 1) Would ANY graduate program (online or offline) accept me with my Barrington degree? 2) If UofA does get its accredation and I 'convert' my degree, would I be okay? Do you think that it is likely, or are they just BS'ing again? 3) Am I completely out of look? Will I have to go back and do a Bachelors program all over again? Or are there any other choices that I have which I might have missed? Thank you so much in advance; I appreciate the help.
There's a saying that I think applies to your situation: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. If the "University" of Atlanta were for real, they wouldn't have started by buying a degree mill. You'd be much better off finishing a real Bachelor's degree from a real school with online programs, such as Athabasca University, or Thompson Rivers University. Otherwise, you're stuck finding a Master's program that will admit you without having a Bachelor's degree. There aren't many. One is the MBA at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. Another might be Athabasca, actually. I was speaking with an administrator there and I think he said they have some Master's program that's open admission. Consider contacting their admissions department to ask. Good luck, -=Steve=-
I believe Steve gives good advice, but you MIGHT want to consider the University of Atlanta under the following circumstances: 1. IF the U of A completes the DETC accreditation process AND 2. You only need to complete a couple of courses for the DETC degree AND 3. The MBA program you are applying to accepts a DETC degree. Personally, I think that Steve is correct, that you ought to finish at another institution, but if you don't want to commit to 2 years and the additional money, going back to U of A might be an option. If you decide to return to U of A, MAKE SURE they actually are DETC accredited.
Steve has great advice, no surprise there. Since you are in Canada, I'd consider trying to get in to an MBA program without an accredited B.A. and any of the options he gave you are a good choice. Heriot-Watt is a great program. Good luck!
I would cut my losses and start over. Why throw good money (and time) after bad. I would look at Aspen's MBA program - http://www.aspen.edu. They will accpet students without a bachelors as long as you have ten years professional progressive experience. I would contact them then look at a PhD from an RA school to top it off or a RA graduate certificate if you can get admitted. Did you learn anything to earn the BS? I earned a CCU BS in Business before they got the DETC. I used some of that knowledge to earn 51 credits via CLEP DANTES in six weeks to earn an RA BS - just a thought.
Thanks for your responses. I have a couple of questions: 1) If I obtain an accelerated, but accredited bachelors (let’s say from Excelsior) would I be able to get into a ‘real’ MBA program in Canada (McGill or Concordia, for example) afterwards? 2) If I obtain an MBA from Heriot-Watt, would I be able to use that as my base degree to later pursue graduate studies (let’s say an MSc) at a local university? Thanks again for your help, Sam
Randell1234, I do not have the 10 years experience required by Aspen U. As for studying for my BS: 1) I did complete some Barrington course work, but I don’t know how worthy it was. Actually knowledge is a different story, because I have taken it upon myself to read plenty of business textbooks during and after my Barrington study; I'm also quite successful and knowledgeable in my field of work. 2) I also have 1.5 to 2 years worth of courses that I took at a top-notch accredited Canadian university. 3) I have completed 3 AP (advanced placement) courses 6 or so years ago. Could you please explain your experience getting an RA BS (I don’t know what CLEP DANTES means )? Do you think it would take me long to get one? How well will it be accepted if I decide to apply to a good local university?
Something to read - http://www.aspen.edu/no_ba.htm Also DETC does list UofA as being in the process for what it is worth - http://www.detc.org/new_applicants.html If they do convert, it would be worth it because you could get into an RA grad program with a DETC degree. It just depending on you taking a chance. Ultimately, I apply to Aspen and wait to see if UofA gets approval before making any moves.
Thanks for your responses. I have a couple of questions: 1) If I obtain an accelerated, but accredited bachelors (let’s say from Excelsior) would I be able to get into a ‘real’ MBA program in Canada (McGill or Concordia, for example) afterwards? Yes, since Excelsior is regionally accredited. With a bachelor's from a DETC accredited school, however, you would probably not be able to enter a postgraduate program at a university like Concordia or McGill. 2) If I obtain an MBA from Heriot-Watt, would I be able to use that as my base degree to later pursue graduate studies (let’s say an MSc) at a local university? I'd expect so, but bear in mind also that their MBA is known for being really challenging. If the main reason you'd pursue it would be to check the box, you might have an easier time doing that by getting a Bachelor's degree. -=Steve=-
I have degrees from the University of Washington and a MBA from Heriot-Watt. Over on the Heriot-Watt MBA student website, there are many students from Canada. In fact, at least at one time, I believe that Canada had more HW MBA students than any other single country. I have read postings from Canadian students who have used their HW MBA degrees to enter other graduate and doctoral programs. It seems that being a Commonwealth country, Canada is well-versed in evaluating and accepting degrees from the UK.
Have you considered using your existing brick-and-mortar accredited Canadian university credits to earn a Bachelor of General Studies (3-year)? All credits can be earned at institutions other than Athabasca University or taken at Athabasca University; ie. their is no residency requirement. You coud then pursue a graduate degree at any number of schools.
The Athabasca guy I met suggested their three year BGS isn't acceptable for entry into most Canadian postgraduate programs. That's definitely one to ask questions ahead of time. -=Steve=-
That would be very tricky. It depends on the university, and the degree. I used my Heriot-Watt MBA to get into a PhD program at UF, but they also looked heavily at my undergrad coursework. Graduate degrees have prereqs that are just not covered in an MBA, such as calculus, chemistry, physics, ect. A classmate of mine with a master's from Harvard was told he had to take a semester of undergrad courses before he could be admitted to the PhD program. What you would be most likely allowed to do, is transfer some credits from the Heriot-MBA into the MSc. UF evaluated my Heriot-Watt MBA and allowed me to transfer 30 credits (the max allowed by university regulations) into my PhD program. I highly doubt they would have admitted me without having an undergraduate degree. If you see yourself wanting to get another MSc in the future, I think your best bet would be to get your bachelor's first.
CLEPS and DANTES are the same idea as AP's. I was able to get accpeted to a well know university wiht my degree.
