Coleen: I have read several of your posts over the past months, noting that you obtained a doctorate from Century University. Could you tell us how this degree has been received/recognized among your peers, associates, employer, etc.? Thanks,
Hello Russell: I will absolutely share. I have received many congratulations and many folks curious about the details of the coursework. In saying that, I will also say that no one asked me details about accreditation, state license or approval. I wouldn't have a problem discussing this as I realize that it is not DOE accredited and is a state licensed/approved school. It has its limitations and is not for everyone. Information from my dissertation research was applied when developing a new product and it has saved clients money and improved patient access to care at the same time (this is good stuff in my field of work). I do not need a Ph.D for the work I do (my Masters degree is sufficient) but I hope to do consulting sometime in the distant future and a Ph.D. is a "nice to have". Andy kauffman- ok, not a sexist, but I didn't like the wrestling thing.
Thank you for the response. I was curious as to how the Century degree had been received and recognized among your peers.
Colleen, how did you decide on Century? What factors did you consider? Did you decide to study at a state-approved school then pick Century? Thanks for sharing.
Hi Dr. Coleen: I'm not at all surprised that your PhD from Century has been so well received in your workplace and has helped you in your work. Similar to your experience, I earned a DBA from California Pacific University (state approved) in 1996. When people ask me about the distance doctorate, I explain that it involved 12 courses, a proctored comprehensive exam, a proposal, and the doctoral project. I also quickly mention that it is state approved, not regionally accredited. My experience has been a very positive one too, in that my DBA seems to be well accepted and respected. I'm an executive on the administrative side of healthcare, and, like your situation, my regionally accredited MBA suffices for that position. Doing the DBA was simply part of my life-long learning strategy. A tenured faculty position has never been in my career plan. Being older and in late career, I found the California Pacific program a perfect fit. Because I am very upfront about what my doctorate is and what is isn't, there has been no "exploding timebomb", no paranoia, no unpleasant challenges or exchanges, and no, I haven't been arrested by the Oregonian educational enforcement police either--nor do I worry about it! Bottom line: for me it was the right degree, the right program at this stage of my life, it came at an affordable cost, and I'm proud of the achievement. There is a huge RA bias at this site, and many here are dismissive of any program that doesn't fit their worldview. That's OK. I have an RA BA and MBA. Like them, I also recommend that people not undertake unaccredited bachelor degrees. But the fact remains that for many of us unaccredited doctoral degrees work just fine for our own purposes. David A. April BA, University of Massachusetts at Amherst MBA, Boston College ACM, Boston College DBA, California Pacific University C.A.M., Institute of Certified Professional Managers CM, Institute of Certified Professional Managers CRM, Institute of Certified Records Managers
Dave, Thanks for your post. I have read your posts in the past and saw that your experience was similar to mine. I'm glad your experience was a good one and serves you well. I considered the Capella or Walden approaches but didn't want to spend my vacation time in MN. I also considered the University of Phoenix when I was doing my personal cost/benefit analysis. In my mind, it was not worth $30,000+ for an RA doctorate. I knew I wanted to complete a dissertation and moved forward to see which school would fit my needs. Century required the dissertation component and had a health care management program. The faculty advisor was impressive and I had a chance to learn about her before I applied to the program. She had her MPH and an MD. This was exactly what I was looking for as I am on the administrative side of health care as well and this gave me the opportunity to get the medical provider perspective. Will I be a new member forever?
There is a certain number at which it turns into senior member. So, keep posting. I am no fan of unaccredited degrees and in my work situation they are 100% useless. I also think that foreign options pretty much eliminate any need for unaccredited doctorates (foreign is often less expensive and far more useful). Nonetheless, I appreciate your willingness to post and explain your position even with the potential for eliciting less than polite responses. North
Hi Coleen, Hopefully you should be graduating soon from "new member" status. I don't know the exact criteria, but it seems to be based on a formula of longevity and frequency of postings. So hang in there! I'll share a little more on my deliberative process when I was searching for options. Back when I was evaluating doctoral programs in the early 90s, there were far fewer offerings than available today. Capella hadn't broken onto the scene (in fact, in 1992 the Internet was less of a factor than BBSs and on-line services!). Likewise, the now ubiquitous UoP On-line was probably just a concept then. Walden was well established, but I really wanted a DBA rather than the PhD. Union Institute was in the Liberal Arts venue only. I did look at Nova (Nova Southeastern's predecessor), but found their DBA program to be highly slanted toward operations research and quantitative analysis, which wasn't my prime interest. They also required some substantial travel. Making a "false start", I did actually enroll in the Fielding Institute's PhD in HOD for awhile and did extremely well in the first two KAs, but the learning contract system did not suit me, nor did the inordinate expense. That experience reaffirmed that I really wanted and needed a professional rather than an academic doctorate, preferrably a DBA aimed at the practitioner. The California Pacific DBA fit that bill. Also, unlike the California Coast and SCUPS DBAs, it required a research component (like Century). Doing a doctoral thesis adds much value and legtimacy to the whole effort. Cal Pacific (and I think you mentioned the same about Century above) is definately not for everyone. While it can work well for many mid- or late-career people in corporate life or consulting, it is certainly NOT intended as a teaching credential in higher education (being an unaccedited doctorate), and Cal Pacific's catalogue clearly points that out. The Cal Pacific DBA met my needs for lifelong learning, supported my career goals, provided a structure along with convenience and flexibility, was very affordable, and required the traditional components of a DBA program. If I had to do it all over again, I'd make the same decision.
Not forever, Coleen. As soon as you enroll in a RA doctoral program you should graduate to the senior level.
Um, no. UIU awards the Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, but that isn't the major. Your major (or emphasis, or specialization) is in whatever you did your degree in. I'm earning one in Higher Education. When I list my emphasis, that's what I'll put: Ph.D., Higher Education. If asked for a specialty, that will be Nontraditional Higher Education. UIU has for decades awarded the Ph.D. in a host of areas, including science, math, engineering, nursing, psychology, education, sociology, business, etc. It awards one degree, but the emphasis and/or specialty are what make the learner's impact on the academic world.
Thanks, Rich, for your clarification. At the time (early 90s), I readily confess that I initialy looked most closely at Nova, Walden, and Fielding (eventually enrolling in the last). I probably made hasty assumptions about Union based on the title of their degree without researching it in more depth. As it turned out, however, because I never really liked the learning contract system at Fielding, and where Union is also in that mode, Union probably would not have been the best option for me anyway. Learning contracts are appropriate for students seeking latitude and flexibility, but not others who instead prefer a highly structured curriculum. Neither approach is better than the other in my opinion. Rather, it simply comes down to a personal choice depending on the learning style and expectations of the particular student.
