Penn State World Campus recognition

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by gz390, May 3, 2012.

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  1. gz390

    gz390 New Member

    Does a degree from PSU World Campus hold the same recognition and regard as one from the flagship campus of Penn State? The University Park campus is the one that is ranked 45 in the country by US news and not the others. They say that there is no distinction on the diploma than if you graduated from World Campus or UP and the quality at one campus is no less than at another. However then I don't see why they need to offer those degrees from a separate online campus, they should just offer them from the campuses that have the on-campus programs.. that is my concern... other universities have their online degrees integrated into the main campus, college, department, etc. allowing you to label it that you received from the actual brand name institution...not so with PSU because of that annoying "World Campus" label attached to it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 3, 2012
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    I assume they label that way to divide into different division for operational purposes. Take a look at Colorado State University (Global Campus), Troy University's eCampus (aka University College), University of Denver - University College, Harvard University's Extension School, Boston University - Metropolitan College, NYU - School of Continuing Studies, Northwestern University 's Continuing Study School.
     
  3. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    If you get a degree from Penn State "World Campus", it won't say "World Campus" on it. However, I believe that it will have the name of a particular PSU "College" on it. Some PSU colleges are associated with the University Park campus, while others are not.

    Different "World Campus" degrees are sponsored by different colleges in the PSU system. Some are sponsored by University Park colleges, and others are not.

    For example, I understand that a Penn State "iMBA" distance diploma has the name of "Behrend College" on it. Behrend College is associated with the Penn State Erie campus. The iMBA is no different from the B&M MBA from Penn State Erie, because they both have the name of Behrend College.

    On the other hand, neither degree is the same as a B&M MBA from University Park, which would have the name of "Smeal College of Business".
     
  4. gz390

    gz390 New Member

    thanks that was helpful for my understanding..

    so my recommendation is if you are going to get a degree from World Campus make sure it is from a college within University Park otherwise it will not carry the same weight... only UP is ranked in the best colleges rankings, not the other branch campuses.
     
  5. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    To put it another way, the "World Campus" is just a delivery system, it doesn't issue degrees. As state above, a "World Campus" degree will actually be issued by a sponsoring Penn State College, and it will be no different from a B&M degree issued by that PSU College.

    However, the PSU College that issues the degree may or may not be one that is associated with the University Park campus. It depends on the program.
     
  6. gz390

    gz390 New Member

    thanks for the replies. they are helpful.

    that is the issue for me. They have the Penn State reputation but without the University Park name the degree isn't the same. Also according to wikipedia the World campus students are counted separately as if it were a separate college...this might be the same in their system as well. They also don't really make it clear on their website exactly which campus you are getting the degree from so its tricky
     
  7. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    You don't get a Penn State degree from a "campus". You get it from a "college". In the Penn State system, colleges and campuses can be different. For example, the University Park campus has multiple degree-granting colleges.

    So you can't get a degree from "World Campus", because it's not a college. The degree has to come from a "College", so you have to figure out which one. It's true that World Campus doesn't make this particularly clear, but there is info there if you look carefully.

    For example, if you look at the Contact Info for the World Campus Criminal Justice BS, it says "offered in partnership with the Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs". So that degree will be issued by "Capital College", which means Penn State Harrisburg.

    On the other hand, if you look at the Contact Info for the BS in Turfgrass Science, it says "offered in partnership with the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences". So that degree will be issued by the College of Agricultural Sciences, which is one of the University Park campuses.

    If you can't figure it out, just contact the program and ask them which PSU College will actually issue the degree.

    I hate to break it to you, but I don't think any Penn State degrees -- whether DL or B&M -- have the "University Park" name on them. As stated above, the degree comes from a "college", not a "campus". So the degrees only have the name of the College. That College may or may not be in University Park, but it's up to the reader to figure it out.

    So for example, the Turfgrass Science BS degree discussed above will be issued by "Pennsylvania State University, College of Agricultural Sciences". But it won't say "University Park". You would have to figure out for yourself that the College of Agricultural Sciences is one of the Colleges located at the University Park campus.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 3, 2012
  8. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    You can see a picture of a recent Penn State diploma here. It says "Pennsylvania State University" and "College of the Liberal Arts". But it doesn't have the name of any campus.

    In fact, the "College of the Liberal Arts" is one of the University Park colleges, so this is a University Park degree. But you have to know that. The diploma doesn't say "University Park" anywhere.
     
  9. gz390

    gz390 New Member

    Interesting...I have just been browsing google for penn state diplomas as well and noticed some that say behrend college, etc. which is from one of the satellite campuses I would suspect. still even though they don't show the campus, that means the person on their applications that ask for City of the school the degree was earned, still would not be able to put down University Park which is regarded as the best campus.

    I emailed the PSU World Campus staff and they said you cannot put down University Park as the place you earned your degree if you did World Campus, and should simply state "Penn State University" which is what everyone would put no matter the campus...then I ask why is only University Park the campus that is ranked and not the university as a whole...They really need to make it more clear exactly the college and campus the degree is coming from, not just mashing all of them into one "world campus" because a degree from a UP college is definitely superior than the other colleges.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 3, 2012
  10. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member


    I can't really add anything to what you've posted in this thread. Perfect way to describe it. My degree is issued by the college of medicine. Also, where is the OPs last post? It shows he posted yesterday, but I don't see it anywhere.
     
  11. gz390

    gz390 New Member

    don't know... my post disappeared or something

    basically I was gonna say how some places still require to you put the city you earned it at, so people who didn't go to a college from University Park would not be able to put that there...World Campus is misleading though, they make it seem like it is a totally different campus and not integrated into the on campus programs

    I emailed one of their staff and they suggested all graduates should put World Campus on their resumes and are not allowed to put University Park.
     
  12. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    It's very simple. Whatever they put on the diploma is what you put on your resume. For example:

    If the diploma says "The Pennsylvania State University, College of Liberal Arts", then that goes on your resume.
    If the diploma says "The Pennsylvania State University, Behrend College", then that goes on your resume.
    If the diploma says "The Pennsylvania State University, Capital College", then that goes on your resume.

    You don't have to say "World Campus", because that won't be on the diploma.
    But you wouldn't say "University Park Campus", because that won't be on the diploma either.

    If you were required to specify a "campus" -- as opposed to a "college" -- then the correct answer would be "World Campus", as stated by the staff.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2012
  13. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    Precisely. Interviewers can easily tell if you attended a distance program, especially when you are employed in a completely different state while attending school. It's not as if you can hide it (who would want to anyway?). There have been many discussions about this on this board about how to list your degree. I believe many have agreed with CalDog's suggestion.
     
  14. gz390

    gz390 New Member

    The issue I have is with Penn state's since it is a multi campus university, and they put all their degrees onto a special place called world campus, makes it feel like it is not up to par with main campus thats all I was saying, espically like the Internet MBA that is from one of the satellite campuses and not the main campus, people would know right off the bat

    I am not trying to hide anything but how is it so easy to tell it was online if you had already graduated though?
    A lot of traditional schools have online versions of their on campus degrees offered by the same program, and there is no distinction on their diplomas or transcripts. You can also take the same classes with the traditional on campus students as long as it is online. at least in the one I am about to do.

    Plus if it was from a single campus university you would definitely be able to list the city the school is actually in.... so no one would know it was online unless they asked
     
  15. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    This simply isn't true. The Hershey College of Medicine is located over 100 miles (2 hours) away from the University Park campus, and I believe the med school students might take issue with your statement. In other words, University Park is not the end all be all of PSU degrees.
     
  16. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    I just heard an advertisement on the radio saying "At PSU World Campus, we ARE the real Penn State University." It both answers the question to those who may wonder while also acknowledging that there is even a question to begin with to people who may not have wondered.
     
  17. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    It has an obvious connection to advertising, but they really do go out of their way to make sure none of the colleges are portrayed as being anything other than simply Penn State. It's one of the many things I love about the school. Just like HES is Harvard, World Campus is Penn State. I think CalDog did a fine job of explaining World Campus and the other colleges.
     
  18. gz390

    gz390 New Member

    well I was just stating what the US News rankings said, as they specifically list the UP campus 45 on the best colleges rankings (overall) and it is also considered the flagship...that is my concern with the world campus thing, they should offer the degrees directly from the larger programs like other traditional schools do, not from a separate branch especially for online study..., or at least make it very clear on that website exactly what campus they are getting a degree from as not all of the campuses are equal in a multi campus university
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2012
  19. ITJD

    ITJD Active Member

    Must we rehash this conversation in every thread that's about a well-respected school that has a distance college?

    Moreover, must we have multiple threads about the same school in the same time period?

    I swear it looks like the board goes through an influx of two or three threads about the same school (doesn't matter which school) kicked off by relatively new posting accounts every month or so.

    Penn State World Campus. Degree is from Penn State. No one in general business cares about which one you got a degree from. Next, unless you're going into big finance, law or tenured academia; no one else cares either. It's Penn State.

    Just don't build up a big impression that the program is going to get you reviewed like you went to Penn State ground or an Ivy for the big finance, law or academic slots and you'll be fine.
     
  20. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    Almost every multi-campus university I've ever researched distance degrees from has a "World Campus" like Harvard with the HES. World Campus is simply the delivery method of that particular program. Like it's been posted, you receive your degree from the college that houses that program, not the World Campus. The World Campus is the designation that the degree was completed via distance learning, regardless of whether or not you can also complete it via one of the B&M colleges.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 5, 2012

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