Thomson Education Direct - Help Please

I'm new to this whole DL thing, but was thinking about Thomson Education Direct and their Physical Therapy Aide Degree Program. Anyone have a word of advice on this school? Or better yet - anyone else here currently doing the PTA Program with them that could give me some info? I really need all the help I can get.

 

My wife is taking the Teachers aide program with them.

If PT aids need no advanced education to get hired, then it may give you a leg up on other job applicants - that is out thinking for my wife, who has only a DL high school diploma (her other credentails are foreign and not recognized).

A DL "career diploma" may help you get hired amongst others with no advanced training/schooling, but it probably wouldn't hold up if the career entry usually requires a certificate or AA from a tecnical college.

Combined with volunteer work in a related area (retirement homes, schools, church, etc.) the certificate from Thompson may get you in the door. A first rate employer should then send you for some additonal training/education.

Unless PT aids need a AA or something to get in the door, that is...

 

My wife was thinking about doing the ASB in hospitality management degree with them. What's cool about their programs is a lot (I don't know if all of it is you will have to contact either education direct or ACE) of the courses are evaluated by ACE which makes them worthy for transfer to a regionally accredited college, even though the school you did the course at is nationally accredited (of course, it depends on if the course is applicable to the program you go into at another school).

As far as quality, I don't know how good the courses are (I know it's accredited by DETC). I know the courses are correspondence (atleast the one my wife was considering was. I also know if you decide NOT to do a course/program w/ them they will hound FOREVER (borderline harrassment). I told them once she wanted to wait a little bit before she considered going back to school (work and all) and they called back in week asking me how I would like to pay for the first semester (trying to get things started). I had to tell them she wasn't interest and to not call again. I am sure other (for profit) schools do the same thing so I wouldn't hold it against them (just giving you a heads up).

Hope this helps,
Bill