Choosing a graduate program at Rushmore over a UNISA

Rushmore a non traditional and non accredited school, offer what appears to be a nice simple approach (not unlike UNISA) to a means of getting the graduate degree amongst other things.

The claims of offferings at Rushmore look legitimate, to the outsider, possibly the HR person or some University across the pond, and you would think it's a wonderful institution..diploma, transcripts and all.

UNISA, which is not one of the favorites on this site at times, could for all intent and purposes be looked down upon, simply because a UNISA graduate degree can be had by the mere submission of a dissertation (old news).

Cost of getting a degree from either place, well UNISA is cheaper and probably faster, and likely for positions in the USA to be favored?

Question..would you trust that graduate from Rushmore, in entering a Doctoral program if they managed to at U o P or anywhere else for that matter.

And would you (in the USA) steer likely candidates to Rushmore (knowing the story) so that they could likely fool the Brits or SA into accepting them to a higher degree?

And having a Rushmore degree with the trimings lwould likely fool most HR people. (in Canada it could be done easily)

J.R (ic)

 

John, are you referring to UNISA - South Africa? Or Australia?
Please let me know as I am considering the MBA program in Australia. thanks

 

Maybe. Maybe not. This hasn't been measured. Yet.

 

What fun it will be to go to the graduation ceremony, perhaps on the lower slopes of Mt. Rushmore, soaring 3.2 m above the Caymanian landscape. I forget whose likenesses are carved into it. Kurt Tibbets, of course, and perhaps Peter Smith.

Alternatively, perhaps the ceremony will be held in founder Michael Cox' basement in suburban Atlanta. At least that's where the campus was when I had a very cordial visit with him a few years ago.

 

What does "trust that graduate... in entering a doctoral program" mean?

If it means 'do you think that the graduate will have a reasonable chance of succeeding', then I think that the answer depends on how well prepared he or she is.

Rushmore probably is a lot less credible in certifying a graduate's preparation than are better recognized schools. But that doesn't mean that the preparation is necessarily absent, only that we have less reason to assume that it's present.

I find that suggestion insulting.

 

Intent??

I am not sure what the intent of the post is. Rushmore, may, or may not be acceptable - depending on the utilization of the degree. However, if what Rich is decribing is correct, Rushmore does not even appear to be registered/approved school within a US state, and thus averts at least even minimally, being governed by one of the 50 state's laws/or meeting a state's mandatory statues.

Therefore, out if the two, the SA option would be better. If an inexpensive RA Degree is not an option, perhaps a CA state approved school.

I am not sure why you mention the desire to "fool" people, and then focus on describing how the South African degree is useful.

RJT

PS - I've read a great deal on the web about Rushmore, and they appear to have a uniqe approach, and seem to require actual work; I would not classify the school as mill. However, are they a good option???

 

I'm not a big fan of UNISA, but if UNISA is an elephant, Rushmore is what a well-fed elephant produces. Odds are, John Spies, that this thread is about University of South Africa (UNISA) and not about University of South Australia (UniSA). BTW, how are your deliberations progressing?

 

I'd say that this statement indicates that you know little about the doctoral dissertation process and less about UNISA.
Jack

 

Re: Intent??

Welcome back RJT, we missed you.

 

Re: Re: Intent??

We did??? <insert smiley here if they worked>


Bruce

 

How bad is Rushmore if RJT and I are on the same side of the issue? (Insert another smiley if it was available.)

 

There is no point of comparison between Rushmore and UNISA. The first one is illegal to use in the Oregon state and it is mainly used to deceive people.

http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.html

A UNISA degree would never be questioned since it could be validated by any goverment institution of any country. It is a good credential that can be used for many purposes, however, we have argued that it can be difficult to use for "prestigious" positions as university professor for top universities like U of T. But so the other pure online universities as Touro, Walden or Capella. If you want proof, just check the catalog of U of T or Waterloo and count how many professors hold terminal credentials from pure online universities. I have seen one PhD from Nova teaching full time at a Canadian university and few from the Union Institute. Note that Nova and Union are really brick and mortar universities and don't fit the category of "virtual" university.

 

Re: Re: Choosing a graduate program at Rushmore over a UNISA

Ummm....no. NSU is certainly "B&M," but Union isn't. UIU operated for many years from a set of rented offices. Even now it operates from a rather modest location on MacMillen St. in Cincinnati. It's community of scholars is spread around the world. My committee is located in California, Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. I am a peer on the committee of one learner in North Carolina (different learner) and another living in Moscow, Russia. Hardly brick-and-mortar.

 

All world-class universities began small, didn't they John? One never knows what that basement in Atlanta could produce.

 

I'm pretty sure you meant this as sarcasm, Russell, but I'm never sure. (I've reacted seriously to more than one tongue-in-cheek post you've made.) Rushmore began in the 1980's as MBA University. Having moved several times in the U.S. and off-shore, it has never seriously sniffed at accreditation in all that time.

 

Why in the world would you want to get a degree from a non-accredited, more expensive school, when a perfectly acceptable, less expensive option is available?
Why have this less than wonderful degree hiding in the closet, when you could have an acceptable degree that you wouldn't be ashamed to hang on the wall of your office (or in your filing cabinet, as is the custom of many on this forum... mine happens to be laying under a book on the top of my computer desk).
Anyway, I would think that anytime you get a degree to "fool" someone, then you are on the wrong track.
If these two schools were my only options, I would go for UNISA in a heartbeat...
clint

 

What possible case could exist for doing otherwise? It's absolutely no contest between UNISA and Flushmore--even if you're a member of the McCaps Motimele Fan Club ("to you, it's sexual harassment; to me, it's a learning experience"). UNISA is real, GAAP, etc., etc. Rushmore ain't.

 

Rushmore vs UNISA

John,

If you choose Rushmore over UNISA, then you need your head read, especially if you think it is going to help you 'across the pond'.

Cheers,

George

 

Question

Rushmore may or may not be a valid institution of learning, and without a full understanding of their study policies, I am reluctant to categorize them immediately as a "bad" choice.

However, what is notable is that they have chosen to locate the school in the Caribbean, as an option, rather than locate, as a legal (albeit) unaccredited registered/licensed/approved school in one of the 50 US states. Even at the minimal level, if the school was located in the states, they would be held to a department of consumer protection's jurisdiction, and have to abide by the state’s legislated statues.

I guess the question this brings up is "Does an unaccredited school which has located itself in an Island Territory/Country, have to meet some regulatory guidelines?"

RJT

 

The phrase "legal (albeit) unaccredited" might appear to some to suggest that "legal" bears the same weight of legitimacy as "accredited," or even more. Get a grip--and consider the source. Whoever heard of an illegal accredited school--unless GU on Norfolk Island fits the bill--and that's highly questionable.

Rushmore--not real. UNISA--real.

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