Ultimate Utility of Nationally Accredited Degrees

Okay, so perhaps it's not the "ultimate", but I'd say it's pretty darn close.

You have a nationally accredited BS or BA in, say, Criminal Justice. While it may not be good enough to get you into regionally accredited "Joe Blow College", the FEDERAL BUREAU of INVESTGATION certainly finds it suitable for employment.

Take a look for yourself: https://www.fbijobs.com/Faq.htm

What are the qualifications for the Special Agent position?

"Applicants must possess a four-year degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional or national institutional associations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education."

I'd really like to hear some comments on this one.

 

I would have to say that the DETC probably " in my opinion " has MORE experience in working with Distance learning schools and of evaluating key criteria and standards. So.. YES. I think a nationally accredited school is more than fine in my eyes. Many of the RA die-hards will probably disagree though.

My opinion again.. national accreditation is A OK!

 

Actually, Southern Virginia University is a nationally accredited school (American Academy of Liberal Education). Graduates of SVU have been accepted into grad programs at University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Pittsburgh, Idaho State University, Rutgers University, Brigham Young University, Utah State University, Wake Forest University, Florida State University, George Washington University, Rutgers University, University of Illinois, University of Nevada Las Vegas and Old Dominion University.

Tony Pina
Northeastern Illinois University

 

Okay, here's one: It's great that this agency accepts degrees from nationally accredited schools. But it is important to know that such acceptance isn't always the case.

 

My research (not my opinion): National accreditatation is often not acceptable for employment purposes.

John Bear's research (which I analyzed statistically): National accreditation is, more often than not, not acceptable for transferring credits and degrees to RA schools.

I don't know what an "RA die-hard" is, but if it means acknowledging the limitations of national accreditation, fine. The truth doesn't have to hurt, unless you deny it.

 

Tony,

I decided to pick one of the named schools and check on their transfer student policy. I picked one far from the "Virginia realm". I chose UNLV. I can see the obvious transfer credit to BYU due to the fact they're both Latter Day Saint schools.

UNLV 's website specifically states student's transferring in must have attended a regionally accredited institution. Here's where my confusion exists:

1. Did UNLV simply fail to check on their accreditation simply because SVU has been around 1867 and has a residential campus?

2. Are RA schools more apt to accept credits from LIBERAL ARTS colleges and universities that have B&M campuses despite the fact that the institution is NA? (I'm ruling out career colleges here since tend to be "career specific".)

It seems, at least on the surface (and I've barely even scratched the surface), that some RA schools are showing preferential treatment to NA schools like SVU because of their long existence or whatever it may be even when their own policy states regional accreditation is required. There are some exceptions of course with Phoenix, Colorado Tech, AIU, NCU, but I'd like to know where institutions draw the line.

Here's a trend I'd like to see grow of the next few years: Columbia Southern's affiliations with the University of North Alabama and the University of West Alabama both long standing, state universities. Also, CSU has is affiliated with Northcentral, while not yet long standing, is RA.

http://www.colsouth.edu/una/
http://www.colsouth.edu/UWA/index.html
http://www.ncu.edu/niche_market/landing_page/default.asp?niche_id=1615

 

Rich,

I just don't understand why some RA schools won't accept NA credits. Their respective accrediting agences have approval from the US DOE, yet they cannot be transferred. I can understand "career colleges" like I stated in my previous post, but there are "liberal arts type" colleges that are NA, but offer seemingly the equivalent course or program, but it's "Oh, we're sorry, your school is NA. NOPE! No credits allowed in!" Why? I wish I could receive some REAL justification for that one. I'll probably never get it.

But, I suppose there are ways around that. For example, transferring your NA associate's degree into an accepting RA school and head off into a RA grad school. It's just like the mills do... leaping through the loopholes.

 

I've always understood the FBI to require a RESIDENT 4-year accredited degree, and this seems to confirm it:

 

Hi JN

Do you realize this statlement is factually incorrect? The DETC is formerly the Home Study Council. It has only been accrediting college level schools since the 70s. Until recently it only accredited a few college level schools. The Regional Accreditors have been accrediting DL college level schools since before the 1930s and accredit 100s of DL schools. Opinion is great, but understanding the difference between facts and opinions is an important part of being factual.

 

It is very very simple when an RA school will not accept credits from a NA school. They are attempting to bar market entry, one of the characteristics of RA collusion.

Additionally, by not accepting the credits they can charge you money for taking the classes again.

Bubba

 

And when a RA school doesn't accept credits from another RA school? Or a trade/business school? Are those also collusion?

 

The whole thing is a mess. Basically, every school has the right to accept or reject whatever credits or degrees it wants to. No one can force the issue.

The flip side, though, is that American higher education is remarkably flexible and innovative. Sometimes good DOES come from chaos.

I really wish CCWU was accredited. But it's not and not likely to become so. Therefore, their Ph.D. in international business law would likely not be a useful credential to me, however interesting I think their program is, however otherwise legitimate CCWU may be.

That's just how it is.

 

Gee.. I'm sorry for being mislead or providing factual info that is not correct. I do understand that DETC was formerly the Home Study Council.. That is like saying Excelsior has only been around a few years because tehy were Regents. Anyway. Here is the info. from the DETC website that I will paste below. This, I thought, was factual.

The Association ( From their website ) about us www.DETC.org

The Distance Education and Training Council has been the standard-setting agency for correspondence study and distance education institutions since it was established in 1926. Its purpose was, and still is today, "to foster and preserve high quality, educationally sound and widely accepted distance education and independent learning institutions."

 

That seems to preceed the 1930's as you stated.. Just trying to be more factual.

 

Or, perhaps, they've decided that the scope of schools covered by national accreditation is too broad, that the national accreditors accredit some schools that don't operate at a sufficient level of quality.

 

But they didn't accredit academic, degree-granting programs until quite recently. That's the point. Ensuring some correspondence art school doesn't rip off students isn't the same as evaluating a university.

In 1980, the NHSC accredited exactly two bachelor's-granting schools, one of which has since gone out of business. It accredited no graduate schools.

In 1980, the following schools were regionally accredited (or candidates) and offering DL programs:

Regents
COSC
TESC
Upper Iowa University
Beacon College
UECU (with a slew of schools participating in the UWW)
Fielding
Goddard
Burlington
U. of Oklahoma
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
...and a whole lot more

The fact remains, there many situations where degrees or credits from DETC-accredited schools are of no use. Whether or not it is fair, it is true. Perhaps it is incumbent upon DETC to change this.

 

Hi JN

As Rich pointed out the DETC has only been accrediting college level schools very recently. They traditionally accredited trade or craft schools.

The University of Wisconsin and University of Chicago have both had DL classes since the 30's. Both are Regional accredited. Currently, hundreds perhaps thousands of RA schools are offering DL programs. Clearly RA is the leader in the field.

At the same time, DETC offers value to the field, and many of their schools offer valuable programs. It is just important to see things as they are and not how we want them to be.

 

SVU entered into an articulation agreemnt with BYU early on for the obvious reason that you stated. Although SVU has no official ties to the LDS Church (e.g. it receives no church funding for its operations), it obviously caters to the same crowd as BYU.

Now, as far as the transfer issues go, UNLV and the other schools were aware of SVU's accreditation status. Although SVU has been around (as a private women's college) since 1867, they have only existed in their reorganized state since 1996.

It is not uncommon for colleges and universities to make a "case-by-case" assessment of applications from students who have applied from non-RA schools. This is what has happened in the case of the SVU grads. In some instances, Southern Virginia has entered into articulation agreements with colleges and universities. In other instances, their graduates are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

I'm certain that SVU might have had a easier time than a brand new start-up institution with no history. AALE accreditation has also been very helpful. It is their intention to seek regional accreditation with Southern Association.

Tony Pina
Northeastern Illinois University