Where's Empresarial?

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Rich Douglas, Feb 12, 2003.

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  1. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    They're not in the Schools Index of BG 15, nor is there a listing in any of the schools chapters (that I can find). I did see them listed under their Spanish name, telling the reader to "see Empresarial University." I just got my copy; am I just not finding it?

    Also, what of it? There was some discussion about the Costa Rican government's accreditation of Empresarial, and whether or not that recognition extended to the doctoral programs. Any news and/or resolution?
     
  2. roysavia

    roysavia New Member

    Rich,
    I took a look at their website but found no additional information on accreditation or listing. Is this school legitimate or is it another Berne University?

    http://www.unem.edu/

    :confused: :confused:
     
  3. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    Empresarial = Entrepreneural

    "Our programs, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, are also offered off-campus (by distance learning) with a short residency requirement. All off-campus programs are conducted in English or Spanish according to the studentÕs language preference." http://www.gradschools.com/listings/distance/biomed_sci_distance.html

    This is about another school, with Empresarial but mentioned, but it's cautionary. http://www.amcostarica.com/102502.htm

    "Empresarial was approved by the Costa Rican government in 1997 and has a small campus. The school prefers students to have some accredited doctoral course work from elsewhere plus three years of professional experience. This school has a contact center in the United States.

    Empresarial encourages overseas students to nominate someone locally to serve as dissertation advisor. Once the student is admitted, the first three chapters of the dissertation, in English or Spanish, make up the proposal for the research degree. This school also uses local, university, and external readers to determine the student’s progress. The student travels to campus for one week to defend the dissertation and, if successful, stays on to graduate. Cost is around $16,500, not including travel to and from San Jose." http://www.prsa.org/_Publications/magazines/Tactics/0901spot1.html
     
  4. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    It is difficult to tell. Empresarial is approved by the government of Costa Rica. (I confirmed that myself a few years ago with the Costa Rican embassy.) But there is some question as to whether or not that approval extends to the operation we see described on the website, particularly the doctoral programs. It has a "MIGS-ey" feel to it. I wouldn't be surprised to find that the English-language operation described is quite separate from the actual university in Costa Rica; that there is some sort of arrangement where the U.S. representatives conduct these programs and the home campus issues the degrees. (This was supposed to be the way MIGS was set up.) But who can tell?

    There are also several other "millish" aspects to it: One-price tuition, no listed faculty, work done in English and in the U.S. for a Costa Rican degree, almost completely non-residential (although the dissertation defense takes place on campus in San Jose), no minimum time frames, very little information about the process on the website, and almost no information about the home campus.

    On the other hand, it all might result in a degree from a legitimate Costa Rican university. How useful that is is hard to tell.

    Our guiding light on these matters in Latin America has always been Gus Sainz. Perhaps he'll wade in.
     
  5. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    It sometimes pays to go back and look....

    I see they now offer an MBA and a DBA. The DBA program is "course" based, meaning that one follows a curriculum of courses. One satisfies the course requirements by writing 30-page term papers a la Rushmore. The program is headed up by a Michael Ewald (who also teaches at Columbia Southern University) and who has his Ph.D. from.....(drum roll, please)....Empresarial University! Not impressive.

    No other faculty are listed. No tuition information is provided. It is not clear how/if the courses are actually taught, or how the material is learned.
     
  6. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    Well, I e-mailed them twice (about 6 months apart) and never received a reply.
     
  7. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Try sending them a check. ;)
     
  8. Guest

    Guest Guest

    In this thread GuyverII says that he graduated with a PhD from Empresarial University only to discover that the PhD programs are not approved.

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5455&highlight=Costa+Rica

    North
     
  9. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    Ah, but I am not Rich, and this poor Carpathian declines to send money to Costa Rica.
     
  10. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I asked for more information about Empresarial's DBA program, and got an email from the director, Michael Ewald (whose own doctorate is from Empresarial). It was essentially a re-hash of what's on the website. Still no information about how the "courses" are conducted. Also, no faculty information was included. All correspondence is directed to Ewald in Tupulo, Mississippi. Finally, they retain their claim that Empresarial is properly recognized in Costa Rica.

    Still sounds like MIGS to me. At least, the MIGS model. I don't know if this process would result in a properly recognized degree from a properly recognized Costa Rican university, whatever that would be worth.

    The DBA is $US 16,000, or $US13,000 if paid up front. I'm not sure what you get for yor money.

    Rich Douglas
     

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