MBA schools, accreditation and ratings?

I've seen US news ratings and a couple others listing the top 30 schools and usually a few others. What's the best ratings guide? I was wondering if MBA programs are listed in a tier type ratings system? Ex: Tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 like for undergraduate programs.
Is it safe to say a national accreditation is better than a regional one?

 

In a word? No. National Accreitions ie DETC and such is a substandard accreditation. It is definately far above no accreditation but far below Regional Accreditation.

 

I completely disagree; DETC accreditation is in no way sub-standard. Tell me, who accredits the PA State School with a name similar to that of our Vice President? Do some research on that institution, and then try to tell me RA far is superior.

See my response to:
http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=50815#post50815

Kudos to schools such as Capella and Touro who openly recognize the accomplishments of DETC graduates.

MSP

MBA, (Candidate)
B.S., Roger Williams University
ASB, Center for Degree Studies

**Law school next fall**

 

Examples of schools that are (or are not) substandard do nothing to support that statement that, "DETC accreditation is in no way sub-standard." I don't recall ever seeing anyone in this forum state that there are not good DETC schools out there, but that really has nothing nothing to do with the rigor of the DETC accreditation process, or the utility of a degree from a DETC accredited school. A degree from a DETC school will suit the needs of many people, but that doesn't mean it won't provide an unacceptably limited set of options for others. I personally think that the whole RA model is antiquated and in serious need of revision, but that doesn't change the fact that, if you want a degree from a US school, an RA school will provide the most flexibility in transferrability of coursework and usability of the degree. The regional accreditors are pretty firmly entrenched, and they seem likely to remain that way until/unless the government steps in to reform things.

 

Regionally accredited degrees are a bit more flexible, but it should not be that way. I chose the above example for a reason; to show that regional accredition is no more rigorous than DETC accreditation. If it was, the aforementioned institution would not be in operation today. I have been enrolled in both RA and DETC schools, and DETC programs are definitely equivalent. Fortunately, my B.S. is from a RA school, and I will never have to deal with undeserved limitations that come with DETC degrees.

 

The problem is that the only way to tell if a regional accreditor is or is not more rigorous (than DETC) is to compare the bottom schools that achieved accreditation through each process. Using a school that may far exceed the minimal requirements for accreditation as an example really does nothing to show that the process is rigorous. All that shows is that good schools are also able to achieve regional accreditation, which would also be the case if DETC accreditation had no merit whatsoever. If you were to offer some examples of RA schools that are at least as bad as any (i.e. the worst) school accredited by DETC, then you would be supporting your argument.

 

I feel that I could easily support my argument using both facts and opinions. However, in doing so, I would have to actually name the RA school I believe is inferior to the worst DETC school. I do not feel that it would be in good taste for me to do so in forum such as this, but I am sure you already know who my "worst RA" candidate is.

In any event, the main reason I am even arguing this is because DETC graduates are being treated unfairly when they should not be. Students at DETC schools work just as hard as traditional students, and in some cases, they work even harder. DETC students have to be extremely dedicated and focused to complete their programs. Unlike traditional or even distance RA schools, DETC schools sacrifice structure in order to increase convenience. This lack of structure in itself speaks volumes about the individuals who are able to graduate from DETC programs.

Hopefully one day, the government will step in, end the madness, and eradicate all accrediting agencies. In their place should be only one agency that evaluates and approves post secondary institutions.

 

Oops, that "regional" should read "DETC" instead. It should say, "All that shows is that good schools are also able to achieve DETC accreditation, which would also be the case if DETC accreditation had no merit whatsoever." Sorry for not making much sense.

I agree, all of these different accreditors really make things confusing, and there's really no need for it. It's not fair to students who did real work, and reasonably expect recognition for their achievement. However, given the current state of things I would recommend to anyone considering a DETC school that they seriously consider whether it really is the best option for them. If someone already has a credential or coursework from a DETC school then they should definitely try to get as much recognition for it as they can, but they should expect to run into barriers that they would not encounter with an RA credential or coursework.

 

Degrees from DETC-accredited schools are significantly less acceptable to admissions officials of RA schools than degrees from RA schools. That has been established.

No one knows (yet) whether or not this gap exists in the employment market. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it does, but it has not been measured.

 

My personal experiences suggest otherwise. In fact, I believe DETC acceptance among admissions officials at RA schools is much higher than currently estimated.

In order understand my complete argument; see my response to the following: http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=50815#post50815

I do agree that DETC acceptance levels in the employment market are almost impossible to measure. However, due to the explosion of DL, I have a feeling that DETC degrees are just as accepted within most employment fields. They are probably considered on par with lower level (tier 3 and 4) RA degrees; and why shouldn't they be?

Again, it is a shame that some snobbish individuals, especially those within academia, are failing to recognize the accomplishments of DETC students. It is unbelievable that some schools and employers are willing to dismiss qualified degree holding applicants simply because their degrees are accredited by nationally recognized agencies. As long as the coursework is quality, and the accreditor is recognized, why does it even matter?

There are so many horrible RA accredited schools out there, so it is obvious to me that RA is by no means the gold standard. The curriculum, not the accrediting body, should be taken into consideration when reviewing applications for employment or admissions.

 

When I see the words "national accreditation" I typically think of AACSB or ACBSP accreditation, not DETC. To obtain AACSB or ACBSP accreditation you must have regional accreditation to start.

The best MBA progrrams in the U.S. have both regional accreditation (as in NCA, SA, WASC, etc.) and national accreditation (e.g. AACSB).

Regards - Andy

 

Cheyney University. The oldest black university in the United States, founded in 1837 as the Institute for Colored Youth.

Cheyney has had its ups and downs, including financial and accreditation problems. It labors under the burden of trying to educate a student body drawn largely from poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia, who are often poorly prepared for university work and who have a low retention rate. US News classifies it as a fourth tier Northern regional masters-level institution, with an academic reputation score of 2.0. Only 11 of 562 masters level schools have lower academic rep scores. That puts it in the bottom 2%.

Nevertheless, a Google search indicates that there are positives for Cheyney.

Their library, as one would expect in America's first black college, has significant manuscript collections relating to African-American history.

The school has turned out a number of prominent alumni, including '60 Minutes' editor and CBS News correspondent Ed Bradley.

A new masters program was recently approved for Cheyney to train middle school science teachers, and Cheyney was the recipient of a recent National Science Foundation science teacher project grant.

Imogene Chang, a Cheyney faculty member, serves on the National Academy of Science's Committee on Prudent Practices for Handling, Storage and Disposal of Chemicals in Laboratories.

NASA scientist Willie Mackey has a NASA scientist in residence grant for him to spend a year at Cheyney teaching in the school's new nanotechnology certification program.

Kwo-Sun Chu, a Cheyney professor, and Bernard Richards of Kent State have collaborated in presenting several papers at recent meetings of the American Physical Society.

I tired of looking at Google hits at that point, but there's lots more where that came from.

So I'm going to argue that even at the low end of the RA spectrum, there's some there there, as Gertrude Stein might say. Despite the fact that it isn't even a doctoral level school, Cheyney shows more intellectual life than most non-accredited schools churning out Ph.D.s.

So what about DETC? I have no problem accepting that they best DETC schools are probably better than Cheyney. American Military University, for example. But how much better? And what about the bottom 2% of DETC schools? That's where the relevant comparison needs to be made.

 

I've worked at two companies that would only allow tuition reimbursement if the employee went to a Regionally Accredited school. One company was a large hardware/software company, the other a small software company.

One of the companies would not accept a DETC degree except in the area of electronic technician positions. To have a degree accepted to meet a job requirement for a 'professional' (non-union) position, it had to come from a RA school. The company kept this position even during the hiring frnzy of the '90's.