Accreditation of programs in Singapore - advice please

Dear all,

Is anybody familiar with the accreditation requirements of new programs in Singapore? I have been advised that:

* Singapore does not have an accreditation body
* There is no requirements for colleges to accredit their programs

Apparently, if the program is accredited in the country of origin, then there is a simple registration process. I find this hard to beleive.

I would appreciate any insight/ leads etc.

Cheers,

George

 

Hi,

There is no such thing as accreditation over here. All higher institutes of learning referring to colleges and universities are run by the Singapore government.

There is statutory requirement for certain field of studies such as law, engineering, medicine etc.

There are commercial schools over here that are privately run but need the approval from the Ministry of Education. And, examinations are from UK bodies such as LCCI, Oxford or Cambridge etc.

It is not easy to operate a "bogus" university here neither a college due to the high costs and overheads. Of course there are representatives of overseas universities over here that have classroom facilities.

Though there is no accreditation body overhere, the other requirements needed to set up a school with facilities "kills" the idea. It is against the law to operate a business such as school from home! and neither can one find a garage in Singapore to use as an office It is worth to note that Singapore is a "fine" country.

Singapore is a very small and tiny country and there is no need for an accreditation body! The accreditation body will starve to death as there will be no clients.


Well, one can try to bring in "accredited" colleges from overseas but not vice versa. So, you will not find the word accredited from Singapore. Only commercial schools claiming approved by Singapore Ministry of Education.

Lastly, private employers in Singapore are very practical and realistic. Generally, the smaller private employers chose performance over paper qualifications. Given an Ivy League and a Century graduate, the private employer will take on the one that can perform.

On the other hand, larger private companies HR here will not consider highly or prestigously educated graduates unless the candidate is reporting to an expariate or foreign superior. Not forgetting that these graduates are a threat to their local supervisors/ superiors

 

Singapore govt. DO NOT have something like the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization that determine the validity of degree Issue by foreign universities

According to the singapore govt. website on foreign qualification http://www.gov.sg/career/entry2.htm
“
Does the Civil Service accept overseas qualifications for graduate appointments?
Generally, the Civil Service will consider any candidate with a degree from a University accredited by the home government of the country where the university is situated. For professional qualification e.g. accountancy, engineering and law, the degrees must, in addition be registrable with the respective professional bodies in Singapore, to be considered for Civil Service graduate appointments.

How do I know if my degree from overseas is acceptable for employment in Singapore?
There is no government authority in Singapore that assesses or grants recognition to degrees awarded by overseas universities for employment purposes. Each individual employer (in the private or public sector) decides on the criteria for recruitment based on its organisational strategies. This includes the type of qualification acceptable for employment in each organisation.

For candidates with degrees from US universities, they can be considered for appointment in the Civil Service as long as the University is accredited by one of the following 6 US accrediting Associations in USA:

1. Middle State Assosiation of colleges and Schools
2. New England Association of Schools and Colleges
3. North Central Association of Schools and Colleges
4. Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
5. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
6. Western Association of Schools and Colleges

"

Thus USA university that is RA is recognized, DETC degree may not be recognize as it was not stated

Universities that are approved and recognize by its own government is also recognize
i.e. degree from a Liberian university that is recognize by the Liberian govt. is also valid

However please note that the key points here is " considered for appointment in the Civil Service “ thus Companies are free to make their own judgement.

Or in another word THE GOVT DON’T CARE about foreign degree validity unless you are working for them.

Another link that may be useful will be : http://www1.moe.edu.sg/tertedfaq.htm#top

BTW
Recently there seem to be quite a number of unaccredited "universities" running courses in Singapore
- Preston university
- Vancouver university worldwide
- Warnborough university
- Commonwealth Open University
- Trident university of technology

Kennedy western have also issue a few doctorate degree to some prominent
Businessman before.

Currently the most active being Vancouver University worldwide that has link up with a local insurance association to conduct an MBA and a doctorate degree in business administration. They seem to be quite successful judging from a prominent MBA graduation ceremony advertise on a local Paper months ago.

I have written to the local papers about this current trend on unaccredited degree providers in Singapore but the editor don't seem to give a damn.

If situation is out of hand may be the govt will do something.

hope the above is useful

ong

 

Many thanks!!!!!!

Cheers guys - many thanks for your information - invaluable.

Cheers,

George