Calcampus.com college courses are accredited

Hey everyone, Jay in Los Angeles here. I need to take a couple courses and have been trying so hard to find more info on calcampus.

I've read some of the things people on this board have said about calcampus and it seems to contradict what I've found doing research on this school.

1. Keep hearing it's not accredited, but check these links out:

http://oracle.advanc-ed.org/reporting/Reports/LocatorReportCITA.aspx?AssociationID=CITA&CoAccredAssoc=NCA&IsInternational=false&SchoolName=calcampus&City=&GovernanceID=&SchoolTypeID=&State=&CharterTypeID=


NCA is the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. NCA has two divisions: HLC (higher learning commision) for degree granting institutions and CASI for non degree granting schools like calcampus. Look at any school like USC, UCLA, any community college and you'll find that they all accept courses from schools accredited by the NCA. But still, the "through the CITA protocol" stumped me. Didn't know what that meant. Until I found this link, check it out:

http://www.icsac.org/about/about_cita


So guys and gals, help me out here. Am I wrong, or is calcampus really accredited. I've been desperately searching for a definitive answer, and unfortunately most school counselors are still out on vacation. I'd love to hear your 2 cents.

Thanks,

Jay

 

Which classes do you need?

 

sowak,

I need General physics with a lab. I work full time making it too difficult to attend a physics class on campus. Calcampus offers the exact class I need, but I'm still very hesistant about this school.

 

It appears they're accredited at the high school level, but not college.

Why not contact the Higher Learning Commission of the NCA and get a definitive answer?

The Higher Learning Commission
30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
Chicago, Illinois 60602-2504

Phone: (800) 621-7440 / (312) 263-0456
Fax: (312) 263-7462

 

Have you checked online community colleges in California? They are VERY affordable, and I have seen physics with lab as an online course before.

 

Thx Bruce,

Could you tell me where you drew that conclusion from?

Calcampus wouldn't be accredited by the Higher learning commission. As I laid out in the original post, the HLC only speaks for DEGREE GRANTING institutions. Calcampus is not a degree granting institution. Its college courses are not intended to work toward a degree granted by calcampus. They are intended to be taken, and then transferred to a degree granting school, such as, I don't know, UCLA.

So thats HLC (higher learning commission). Then theres CASI (also part of NCA), which accredits high schools and NON-DEGREE GRANTING schools like calcampus. Which in my opinion, doesn't mean they are not accredited at the college level. Simply means they can't grant a degree.

I don't know, that's just what I was able to deduce from research I've gathered. But I will definately call the NCA check either way.

 

Sowak,

Yes I have checked out community colleges in california. Believe me, I'd rather take that route than go to an obscure school like calcampus. But unfortunately I've come up empty. I did find a couple schools that offered physics without the lab, but I absolutely need that lab component. Thx

 

The listing from the link you provided;


CALCampus High School & Postsecondary, Rindge, Maragaret Morabito‎P.O. Box 132

Rindge, United States, 03461

603-899-2388

 

On their website they state:

So, I believe Bruce is correct about high school credits but it looks as though they are accredited at the college level too. At least according to their website, that is.

 

cklapa,

That's what it looks like to me, but I was still not entirely assured which is why I wanted some input from the people here.

But with the holidays behind us, maybe I'll be able to finally confirm this directly with the NCA.

I'll keep ya'll posted.

 

What about other schools outside of CA?

Rio Salado has a PHY101- Intro to physics course Online with Lab that might satisfy your requirement.

http://www2.riosalado.edu/sites/schedule/Pages/schedule.aspx?subject=Physics&semester=4092&location=INTERNET

 

Was this ever fully cleared up? I have the same questions as the OP. In searching for ways to complete the PT school prereqs, Calcampus came up on a search hit. I talked to the PT school and they said as long as there are actual credits listed on an official transcript with a grade, they would accept it. However, I want to be sure this is true and there seems to be some confusion as to their accrediation.

Unless my reading is off it looks like their post secondary courses and high school courses are regionally accredited, but again I'm not certain.

 

This is correct. CALCampus is regionally accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA-CASI). You can see their accreditation certificate here.

However, there may be some confusion here about the term "post-secondary". NCA-CASI primarily accredits K-12 programs at local public school districts. However, many public school districts also offer non-degree (often vocational) courses to adult learners, through "adult schools" (sometimes such schools offer certificates, but not "degrees"). That's what NCA-CASI means by "post-secondary". Obviously it is convenient for school districts to get accreditation for their "adult schools" from the same agency that handles their K-12 operations.

As stated by CALCampus: "NCA CASI accredits our non-degree granting Postsecondary Division and High School Division through their adult and vocational category." The "adult and vocational" category is technically "postsecondary", but it is not the same as the "college and university" category.

The "degree-granting college or university" category is handled by a different branch of NCA, the Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC). CALCampus doesn't have NCA-HLC accreditation. My guess is that classes taken through CALCampus would not be accepted for credit towards a degree at a regionally accredited college or university.

 

Regionally Accredited, great rep and affordable:

Introduction to Physics with Lab from APUS

 

CALCampus does claim that their courses have been accepted for credit at some universities in the past. However, they add the following qualifier, in bold font:

CALCampus is regionally accredited, but it is accredited in the adult school/vocational school category with NCA-CASI (which primarily handles K-12 schools). CALCampus is not regionally accredited in the college/university category with NCA-HLC. This is an unusual arrangement for a school that claims to offer college-level coursework.

Based on this point, my guess is that CALCampus coursework would not be acceptable at many (probably most) RA colleges and universities. It's possible that exceptions could exist, but it would be entirely your responsibility to make sure that CALCampus coursework would transfer -- as CALCampus itself acknowledges. I wouldn't count on it.

 

CALCampus "college" courses are pretty darn expensive, considering they don't have much in the way of transfer prospects. The "college" ones are about $250 a credit, the High School ones about $150 per credit.

I wonder what market they're aiming at. One can go to many Community Colleges and get solid RA for less. Or, go someplace like Penn Foster, pay a lot less than CAL-C and get DETC accred. plus ACE-review; that has better transferability than CALCampus. Even though tuition there has increased quite a bit, one can still get a 3-credit distance course (RA) from LSU for almost exactly the same price as CALCampus charges for a High School course -- and 'way less than they charge for their "college" ones!

Considering the low transfer-prospects, why would anyone take CALCampus "college" courses at these prices?

Johann

 

After seeing how expensive it is, I regret bumping the thread. To answer your question though, I was intrigued by this one line "Start At Any Time", and since I'm trying to complete the prereqs as quickly as possible, it caught my eye. I think Google played a small part too because when I was searching for the science prereqs that can be started at anytime and are self paced, this thread was on page one.

 

Yes - I can easily understand why someone would look. Most of us would do that. Just can't figure who would enrol, considering the high price and low transferability. There's certainly no shortage of viable, less-expensive alternatives - including some with the "start whenever" advantage.

BTW - I'm not sure the CALCampus courses are self-paced. The site says most are designed to be completed in 12 weeks - one assignment per week. I don't know if a longer period is allowed. Even if it is, that doesn't change my objections on cost & transferability.

Johann

 

Have you considered taking a physics course on campus? Several CCs in the LA area offer physics courses including El Camino College.

 

Holy thread resurrection, Batman! A four year old thread!