Do Canadian Universities accept DETC Accreditation?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by gab0ne, Oct 7, 2013.

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  1. gab0ne

    gab0ne New Member

    I'm interested in pursuing an online degree at Ashworth College or perhaps Penn Foster College and then do a masters in Canada. Has anyone done this already? Thx.

    PS: Any other recommendations or ideas are welcomed.
     
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    At least these two:

    • Briercrest College (Caronport, SK)
    • Rocky Mountain College (Calgary, AB)

    Some Canadian higher institutions are accredited by DETC. Check out DETC's website.
     
  3. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    The schools mentioned by TEKMAN are both primarily religious schools, offering a limited range of degrees. The link above is wrong. It leads to R o c k y Mountain College of Art - a U.S. art-as-vocation school. Not the one TEKMAN was talking about. This is what he was talking about: Rocky Mountain College - RMC News As you can see, it's a "Centre for Biblical Studies."

    Briercrest, as I said, is also a religious school with a limited range of degrees. Universities in Canada can make up their individual minds as to what they accept -- and I don't believe most of the traditional full-range Universities will accept DETC degrees at full face value. It's a crapshoot at best.

    There were at least two notable DETC University failures in Canada: Lansbridge U. (BC and NB) and Meritus U, NB. While they were here, they operated (legally) side-by-side with the Provincial system, but their degrees did not have full acceptance at "mainstream" schools. Employers could make up their own minds, of course, when hiring.

    Avoid unpleasant surprises - or at least deal with them now. Check with the Canadian University you want to attend - before you spend a single penny at a DETC school.

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 8, 2013
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    As TEKMAN said, there are (a very few) other DETC Universities in Canada, like Yorkville U., again in New Brunswick, under the same legislation that brought now-defunct Meritus and Lansbridge into being. These NB schools operate under specific legislation - and on a slightly different playing field - that are not quite the same as those of the province's Mainstream schools, as I mentioned earlier.

    If you wanted to do a Grad degree at one of the DETC schools like Yorkville that is established here -- then I guess that would not be a problem, with a DETC undergrad degree.

    Johann
     
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  5. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    The online DETC Directory does not currently list any schools in Canada, except for ICS Canada. ICS Canada is part of the same company as Penn Foster. However, ICS Canada apparently only offers career diplomas/certificates, not degrees.

    Yorkville University does not list DETC on its current "Accreditation and Approvals" webpage.
     
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  6. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Yes. In particular, neither seems to offers any master's degrees, the OP's goal. Both are very small. Briercrest College has about 650 students, Rocky Mountain College (Alberta) about 200.

    Broadly, in the U.S., there's a buyer's market for master's degrees. In Canada there's much more of a seller's market, much less saturated and substantially more traditional. Occasionally someone will post here that almost any graduate with an accredited bachelor's can get into some master's program somewhere (at least on a probationary basis, or as a non-degree student earning graduate credit to to start) in the U.S. Don't expect this in Canada. Which leads to one other point –

    Also, please, check with the graduate department that runs the program you hope to attend. Passing university-wide minimum standards for admission is one hurdle; being accepted into program is another.
     
  7. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    It was my mistake, I was thinking about Deakin University; however, Deakin University is Australian University accredited by DETC. Wasn't that University of Phoenix used to have at least one Canadian campus?
     
  8. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Yes in two senses. The University of Phoenix had campus locations in British Columbia and Alberta, which went to teach-out in 2008 and closed in 2010. Separately the Apollo Group, the University of Phoenix's corporate parent, founded Meritus University as a DL institution in 2008, based in and approved by the province of New Brunswick. Meritus closed in 2011; its mailing list was referred to other Apollo Group schools.
     
  9. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Deakin University, in Australia, was formerly accredited by DETC. However, they let their DETC accreditation lapse earlier this year.

    The DETC Online Directory currently does not show any non-US schools -- except for ICS Canada, which apparently only offers career certificates/diplomas. So it appears that DETC currently does not accredit any degree-granting institutions outside of the US. This may not bode well for DETC degree acceptance in other countries.
     
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  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    As usual, CalDog, you're right. I was absolutely wrong - yet again! :smile: Yorkville never was DETC. It was given its first degree-granting approval by the Province of New Brunswick around the time they enacted legislation enabling them to gear up for big business with private universities - the time when they attracted DETC schools like Meritus and Lansbridge. From Yorkville's wiki:

    "Located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, Yorkville University is an accredited,[1] private, non-denominational university, specializing in online university degree programs. Yorkville University was established in 2003 under the New Brunswick Degree Granting Act, and began accepting students in the fall of 2004"

    I never could understand the Yorkville name. Yorkville as I know it, is an upscale shopping district in Toronto -- over a thousand miles from Yorkville University!

    BTW - Deakin is not the only non-US University to let its DETC accreditation lapse. UNISA did the same, a while back. I'm guessing these schools decided that with their excellent reputations and ultra-solid degree-granting authority in their own countries, they didn't need the DETC seal of approval to attract US students. A couple of Australian Universities have become very popular for degree-completion among Canadian Community College grads. I'm at such a College right now - and I see posters about these Australian programs -- and ads in the alumni mag. as well.

    Johann
     
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  11. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    It is a bit risky, schools like the University of Toronto, McGill and Waterloo are picky when it comes to admission so I would expect problems for admission for top tier canadian schools.
    Schools like Athabasca, Thompson Rivers and Laurentian might be open to degrees with DETC accreditation as they are distance education friendly. However, I would still check with them before enrolling.

    You also might find that some faculties might be more open to DETC degrees, graduate faculties of economics, social sciences, humanities and arts have a hard time attracting graduate students so they might be more open to this type of degrees.
     
  12. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Don't be hard on yourself. You hardly ever make mistakes.

    According to Google Earth, it is 644 miles, as the crow flies, from Yorkville University in Fredericton to the Yorkville neighborhood in Toronto. For non-crows, it is 839 miles via the Trans-Canada Highway and the 401.
     
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  13. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    In Canada, there are not so many Universities so most employers would recognize most of them so a degree from an obscure school like Yorkville would be a hard sell. The other problem with Yorkville is that it is not a members of aucc, this would make the school unaccredited but provincial approved.

    I would also expect problems with this degree for CPA designation, professional license or a government job.

    If money is an issue, the OP should look at Thompson Rivers or Athabasca that have quite affordable programs.
     
  14. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Doggone, I shoulda known that, seeing as I live 50 miles from Toronto. OK, OK! It's actually 47! :smile: I once drove to New Brunswick and there were about 2,300 more miles on the car when I got back. So, it looks like I forgot about the driving about town(s) that I did.

    Anyway, I'd encourage Americans to think about it a few times, if they're contemplating a degree program with Yorkville University. As RFValve points out, they do not have the same standing as a mainstream Canadian University. They grant their degrees under legislation that was enacted by New Brunswick about 10 years ago, to encourage private universities to come to that pleasant but "have not" Province, and (hopefully) to help fill the Provincial coffers with desperately-needed revenue.

    What does this mean for US grads? One can, in the majority of cases count on a mainstream Canadian degree being evaluated as RA equivalent by a NACES-member evaluator or AACRAO. How do they rate off-brands like Yorkville? NA? RA? Other? I really have no idea.

    BTW - I found out why the "Yorkville" name. The school is located at a place known as Yorkville Landing.

    And if you're contemplating distance study at a Canadian University - I've heard University of Manitoba has the lowest distance tuition rates - - and no, I don't work for them. :smile:

    Johann

    BTW - when I said it would be no problem to "do" a grad degree at Yorkville - I meant that it would be no problem to get in, with a DETC undergrad degree. When I wrote it, I was still under the mistaken impression Yorkville was a DETC school. Sorry - J.
     
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  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

  16. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Lansbridge used to accept people to their MBA with no undergraduate degree, I assume that Yorkville will also be willing to accept anyone that has a valid credit card.

    By the way, British schools normally take people to graduate programs without undergraduate degrees as long as they have professional qualifications and experience (e.g. certifications). A detc degree with professional experience would be acceptable to many British schools.

    Athabasca also accepts a variety of certifications for admission, the OP can look at certifications that might be acceptable for admission instead of a DETC degree.

    Canadian schools are more conservative than British schools, the DETC degree might be accepted or not depending on the University so a risky option in my opinion.
     
  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I wouldn't doubt it for a moment. :smile:

    Well-said. Absolutely true, what you said about Canadian schools. Funny thing, that. Across the Atlantic, UK-NARIC will not recognize any DETC (or other NA) degree. Thankfully, the Universities there have the right to make up their own individual minds and in many cases DETC degrees are acceptable to them.

    Johann
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 10, 2013

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