Anyone ever done the Cal State Long Beach GLS program?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by CargoJon, Jun 22, 2007.

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  1. CargoJon

    CargoJon New Member

  2. Steve Levicoff

    Steve Levicoff Well-Known Member

    Before I begin, keep in mind the disclaimer that I think online education tends to be crap. That set off quite a few flames when I said it here a few months ago - what I didn't mention at the time is that one of the reasons I said it is based on my experience with the GLS program.

    Do I recommend the program? No, with the disclaimer that someone who knows absolutely nothing about logistics can learn something through it. For anyone with half a brain, however, are better ways of learning this kind of material.

    Specific critiques:

    • The GLS certification is awarded only by Cal State Long Beach. Any college or university can come up with a so-called professional certification, but unless it has universal recognition in a profession it generally amounts to bullshit. The GLS may or may not have a credible reputation in its local area (as there are several seaports, for example, in the SoCal area), but it has no national reputation.
    • The lessons are inane, as are the discussion questions. The question for the first week, for example, was something on the level of, "Discuss the best group experience you ever had and the worst group experience you ever had."
    • The chat sessions are about as useful as going into an AOL chat room. And not even as funny. The delays in responses are a waste of time, and the so-called experts they have hosting the chats were hardly what I would call experts.
    The curriculum (all modules) used two text books, included in the price of the first module: Intermodal Freight Transportation (Eno Transportation Foundation) and Dictionary of International Trade (World Trade Press). Frankly, I dumped the course itself after the first week - I found it to be crap - but getting these two books (especially the first) made the $450 price of the module well worth it since I wasn't familiar with them previously. (Obviously, you can save a lot by just ordering the books without the course.) The only other thing about the course that was useful was a "Reference Library" file that consisted of links to sites addressing various cargo, security, regulatory, and legislative issues - not worth the price of the course on its own, but useful. (Drop me a PM with your e-mail addy and I'll e-mail you a copy.)

    There were about 12 students in the course, ethnically and linguistically diverse, mostly from California, and mostly employed in low to mid-level logistics positions (traffic departments, for example).

    If I were to grade the course, I'd give it a C- at best. If you're into online education (which I consider to be dumbed down in general), you will learn something from it, and can end up with a credential that may (or may not) have some credibility - if anyone has ever heard of it where you work. (And they did send a neat t-shirt with the "GLS" logo.) But in terms of it being a viable academic experience, I'd call the entire thing crap.

    Side note: Before I enrolled in the GLS program for my whopping week, I had just taken the Maritime Security course offered online by the California Maritime Academy (a campus of the Cal State Univ. system). As poor as the GLS course was, the Cal Maritime security course is the best piece of online learning I have ever experienced. (You can get more information on the course at http://www.maritime-education.com/index.html.) So I'm not totally against online education - just most, well, almost all of it. :D
     
  3. CargoJon

    CargoJon New Member

    Thanks for your insight. Since I am a Licensed Customs Broker, it seems that this professional certification may or many not add to the certifications I already possess.

    I might take it if my company pays for it.

    Frankly I'm looking for something more relevant to what I do that the Supply Chain grad certificate I started earlier in the year....
     

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