The Graduate Theological Foundation

Following the completion of my undergraduate (BMUs) and postgraduate (MMus) degrees from two brick and mortar UK universities, I am considering pursuing my doctoral work, specialising in Sacred Music, and gaining the Doctor of Sacred Music. My current, personal circumstances prevents me from enrolling n a full time course, and after looking at UK music departments, non of them offer the professional DSM degree. Looking towards North America, I came across The Graduate Theological Foundation (http://www.gtfeducation.org/index.html ) which offers this programme (http://www.gtfeducation.org/Academics/Degrees/DSM.html ), but I've got concerns about its accreditation. Fillers would be highly appreciated with regards to wht I should be looking at in terms of the accreditation of US schools. Thanks.

 

Accreditation and GTF

I notice that no one has responded to this, and it needs to be addressed. Though I didn't sign-up here just to answer this question, I'm proud to make this my very first posting here. GTF is as good a subject on which to dive into the pool as any.

First, your last question... about US accreditation: The first thing you need to know that the US doesn't have (but which you in the UK have), is the whole business of "listed" bodies... schools which are not accredited, but which are (and/or whose programs are) "validated" by an accredited (or a "recognised") school. In the US, we simply don't have that whole business of one accredited school effectively vouching for another which isn't accredited.

Rather, in the US, accreditation is actually a fairly simple-to-understand thing, to wit: The US Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) approves the agencies which do the accrediting. If any school and/or its program(s) is(are) accredited by a USDE- and/or CHEA-approved agency, then said school and/or its program(s) is(are) considered "accredited" as you and I both probably understand that term. Simple as that.

If a given school isn't listed in either this database, or this one, then it isn't accredited. Period. Never believe a word of what any school's web site claims. Always look-up the school and/or its program(s) in either or both of those databases (either if it's in at least one, and both if it's not in the first one you check).

Some may chime-in and point out that all accreditors are not equal; and that "regional" accreditation by one of the six big US regional accreditors is superior to all others. That, however, is simply no longer true... though it is true that many regionally-accredited schools will look down their noses at schools with many other kinds of accreditation. So, to my chagrin, it's a fact that a degree with anything other than "regional" accreditation may or may not be as univerally acceptable throughout the US and the rest of the world as would be preferable. CHEA's Higher Education Transfer Alliance (HETA) is trying to make that situation better, but it takes time. As someone from the UK who's interested in a non-UK degree, you should also know that your country's big foreign credential evaluator (NARIC) is reputed to be unwilling to evaluate certain US credentials which are not "regionally" accredited... so you might want to check on that with NARIC before deciding on a US institution from which to obtain a degree.


Now, as for the Graduate Theological Foundation (GTF): It is unaccredited; and some around here say it's also disreputable... if not an actual diploma mill. In fact, GTF was once "accredited" by the completely fake and truly disreputable Accrediting Commission International (ACI). That, for me, speaks volumes; though I've tried, over the years, to give GTF as much of a chance as possible because I guess I've always wanted it to be good in spite of its past. But, in the end, GTF has nearly always fallen short whenever I've dug deeply into it.

Among its impediments is that it uses slick and superficially misleading language to describe its credibility and accreditation (or lack thereof) status; and I'm aware of the attempts of others to get GTF to be more unapologetically clear about that subject, which were met with diploma-mill-like resistence.

It also operates a completely ridiculous undergraduate "college" which will accept as coursework that which would never in a million years be worthy of legitimate accreditation.

GTF doesn't actually offer coursework. Rather, it advises and agrees with the student what coursework will be acceptable, and then the student goes out and takes those courses. And, interestingly, only coursework which is accredited by a USDE- and/or CHEA-approved agency is typically accepted. So GTF is not completely without credibility and reasonably high standards.

And, also interestingly, as this thread clearly shows, there are many people holding important and impressive positions out in the world who claim GTF degrees. What isn't clear, though, is whether they have their important and impressive positions because of the GTF credential. My gut feeling is that most of them do not; that their lower-level degrees from accredited institutions largely qualified them, and their GTF credential is just gravy.

GTF dances on the very edge of credibility, in my opinion; and falls, generally, on the not-credible side. It's absolutely not a diploma mill or a degree mill; however, it's got a little bit of a millish past, and its owner/operator sometimes still behaves a little millishly if he's backed into a corner. But GTF does require meaningful and accredited coursework (though I would argue probably not enough) for its degrees. And it does, by and large, behave like a real school attempting to be legitimate and respectable.

Still, GTF is just creepy enough for my tastes that I will likely always stay away from it... that is, unless it decides to go ahead and get legitimately accredited. If you were paying for my advice, I'm afraid I'd recommend that you do the same.

 

Of course you didn't. And that's why we'll all be looking forward to your many posts on a great variety of DL topics.

 

Au contraire: http://chea.org/search/actionProg.asp?seq=59617

Granted, it's not in the USDE database, though, because ABET's not a USDE-approved accreditor. But right there it is in the CHEA database... big as life... no?

 

From the British perspective, I find it hard to comment about the American discussion about accreditation. In the United Kingdom (and many parts of the Commonwealth) an institution cannot call itself a university nor award degrees without a Royal Charter from the Queen. As such, although there is clearly variety amongst universities, a British university degree is, by definition, a proper degree. Other institutions which wish to present students for degrees do so with an arrangement with a (often their local) university. As to the Graduate Theological Foundation, whilst I understand the comments made about 'accreditation' in the American context, as someone who has taught on the University of Oxford's Summer Programme in Theology, I can only comment that the GTF students I have taught (and, yes, Oxford's Department for Continuing Education does have a formal relationship with the GTF) have come with good academic credentials and seem to be studying on programmes requiring proper teaching and research. It is also the case that a number of Oxford academics have been involved in the GTF, have visited, and accepted academic honours. 'Accredited' or otherwise, I think it unfair to speak of the institution as a 'degree mill'.

 

GTF seems to exist in the 'odd, but true' category.

It definitely does not have sound accreditation. Yet, there are a lot of quality people holding degrees from the school.

In religious circles it's not always what you know, or where you went to school, but who you know [as the old axiom goes..]

 

I tend to agree. The ACI accreditation was a brief and stupid mistake. They do seem to have some credibility. However, to me they seem rather expensive. If I recall, they want you to take approved accredited classes from other schools (which you pay for) and then pay them to accept the credit and then pay for doing your dissertation through them. They then role all of that up into an unaccredited degree with some credibility. Surely, there are better options.

 

I am consistently surprised by what there are doctorates out there to quantify. Until now, if someone had opened up a conversation with 'I'm going for my doctorate in sacred music.." I'd have lined that up on par with "I'm a Pisces".

Live and Learn.

 

Again, the British perspective is different. Here a doctorate is, by definition, the highest degree awarded by a university, originally for one's life's work (Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Music), then, from the late 19th century (borrowing an American tradition), for original research - Doctor of Philosophy and, more recently still, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Theology, etc - EdD and ThD often being for 'academic professionals' rather than 'professional academics'.

We have recently seen the advent of 'professional doctorates' [sic] - Doctor of Ministry being an obvious example - which seem to be in a different camp from the professionally related academic doctorates in that I am not sure how much original research is required ('suitable for publication in a learned journal' is the usual test by examiners).

We are saved (if that's the right term), however, by a more thorough system of what Americans term 'accreditation' (I mentioned this in an earlier message). It is illegal for an institution to award a degree, or describe itself as a university (or 'university college'), without a licence from the State (usually what's termed a Royal Charter). I believe the same system applies in Canada.

 

GTF and the Roman Catholic Church

Accredited or not, the Graduate Theological Foundation runs master's and doctoral level programs for the RCC, and they are administered by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. This is stated both on the Archdiocese website and on GTF's.

Methink that is just as good, if not better, than having a regional accreditation.

 

I don't know a lot about how the RCC works in terms of its schools and/or the schools it administers or gives it's blessing to or whatever ... but in terms of utility, even if that's true, outside the RCC this school's degrees are considered totally unaccredited. So a person with a degree from this school would not be qualified to teach at any secular school. The value of the degree (unless a person needs the degree explicitly for and ONLY for teaching/whatever within the RCC) is far, far, far below that of a regionally accredited degree.

 

I agree with emmzee. It is NOT as good or better than Regional Accreditation. It may be somewhat useful but it is not better than RA. GTF has managed some credibility (other than the brief accreditation by ACI) but in my opinion it is over priced for an unaccredited program. You basically pay to take accredited credit classes at other schools and then pay GTF as well. They act like a credit bank but unlike schools like Excelsior and so on GTF is not accredited.

If you want a doctorate in their Tribunal Studies, etc and can utilize it in the RCC then that is an option but utility is limited.

For a while they overdid an Oxford connection and are not part of Oxford. Did have some Oxford staff work with them. I have seen other unaccredited programs try to use an Oxford connection (continuing ed, etc).

 

I'm a graduate of GTF. At the time I enrolled in the 1980s I was trying to find academic direction. I found a community of learners with many reasons for being at GTF. GTF was a "moving pause" in my progress. I was introduced to all sorts of personalities with many interest representing a variety of social and political contexts. I am not sure that such a collection of people exist anywhere. I met life long friends at GTF who I talk to often. I can't remember most of my classmates from the varied academic institutions I have attended, both large and small, but I remember my colleagues from GTF. GTF introduced me to a number of counseling theories and practices which proved useful to me as a parish pastor. I completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at GTF. For the record, the GTF experience was a rich part, but only a part of my preparation.

BS in Education from Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska 1972
M.Div. Christ Seminary-Seminex, St. Louis, Mo. 1976
MS Personnel/Administration, City College of New York 1980
STM Church History, Union Theological Seminary, NYC 1982
Doctor of Ministry, GTF, Notre Dame, Ind. 1985
Ph.D. Ed Policy/Admin University of Minnesota, Twin Cities 1998
MS Special Education, Bank Street Graduate School, NYC 2003

James R. Thomas