ABMS (The Open University of Switzerland)

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Pugbelly2, Jun 28, 2015.

Loading...
  1. Pugbelly2

    Pugbelly2 Member

    Does anyone know anything about this institution? Their URL is https://www.abmswiss.com/ABMS/About-ABMS.

    Like the Swiss Management Center, they are claiming ACBSP accreditation which seems to validated on the ACBSP website. They are also claiming legitimate Canton approval. However, this website has to be one of the worst I have ever seen.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I sprinted through their site and didn't form any opinion as a result. The legitimacy of these Swiss schools always seems to be a tangle to me and unless it's a clear case like Basel I tend to leave it to those who have more time to work at that tangle and make a clear statement. One thing I read concerned me though.

    "We offer a range of online study programs starting from Associate Bachelor Degree up to Doctorate Degree, including Masters and Bachelors study programs, all our Studies can be done in ONE academic year part time (Friday to Sunday)"

    I don't know if any real doctoral degree can be earned in one year.
     
  3. aimymalik

    aimymalik member

    ABMS is not accredited by ACBP or AACSB. ABMS is member of these 2 organizations which doesn't mean accreditation in any way.
     
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    (1) Agree 100% on the website.

    (2) No they aren't accredited by ACBSP. They claim MEMBERSHIP, not accreditation. I checked the ACBSP site - yes, members only. Membership: you pay dues, you're a member. ACBSP Accreditation: serious business, typically takes a year or more. SMC did that. ABMS hasn't.

    A couple of years back, ABMS had an address in the Treuhand Business Centre, which rents individual offices. The building was a prominent feature of their website. No longer. I think they have moved now.

    Cantonal authorization means the school can legally award degrees. Period. No particular level of recognition required.
    I see ABMS is now ASIC-accredited. From ASIC's own website:

    "However, it should be noted that ASIC neither confers nor validates degree-awarding powers. Applicants for distance education programmes should always satisfy themselves that the level of recognition of a relevant award is sufficient to meet their needs."


    Good advice. :smile:

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 28, 2015
  5. mbwa shenzi

    mbwa shenzi Active Member

    ACBSP accredits business programs, not institutions, so if a school claims that it's accredited by ACBSP, it means the business program(s) of that school is accredited.

    ASIC accreditation, well, I and quite a few of my colleagues consider it meaningless.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 28, 2015
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Indeed so. I forgot that not everyone realizes that. My thanks for mentioning it. :smile:

    J.
     
  7. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member


    Swiss Management Center and ABMS are two quite different kinds of school, at least from my German point of view. ABMS is considered a diploma mill in Germany, but Swiss Management Center is often seen as a real school that offers a real education. That dosen't mean a degree from SMC University is recognised in Germany, but that's only because of legal reasons, not because of the education. If a school isn't fully recognised/accredited in its country of origin then it's also not recognised in Germany. However, some Germans also call SMC University a "Titelmühle", or diploma mill, because a degree from that school is useless on the German job market.
     
  8. Pugbelly2

    Pugbelly2 Member

    I think I read that course work could be completed in a year and that the dissertation would take another 2-6. Still, red flags everywhere.
     
  9. Pugbelly2

    Pugbelly2 Member

    Good catch on ABMS only being members of the ACBSP. I completely missed that. I'm not familiar with ASIC.
     
  10. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Assuming you're correct I'd say their statement (above), while technically correct, is misleading.
     
  11. deliar

    deliar New Member

    Hi all,
    I was thinking to applying to a doctorate...i have a full time job, so I could never get it from a "normal university". I am not a specialist of all the membership you claim, but if someone could give me an opinion I would be very happy. Does the doctorate recognize in US as a Doctorate? After the doctorate, which approximatly will last from 2 to 5 years can I use Dr. before my name? It is written on the website that the doctorate as EQF 8 as level and I have read that is the same of other doctorate.
    Do you know someone who as followed one of the program of ABMS?
    Many thanks to all
     
  12. Ezeji

    Ezeji New Member

    Looking for some answers

    Dear all, does anybody have any useful information regarding this university?

    I am considering a DBA programme and i find their flexibility and cost quite appealing.

    Thanks for any advice
     
  13. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    What information would you find useful?
     
  14. Phenyxe

    Phenyxe New Member

    Hi,

    Please hold on your registration for the moment. I am a MBA student and having many issues which still haven't been solved. I think you should do more research before getting into it. But for me, I seem have very bad experiences with it until now (9 months!!!)
     
  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Really? :shock: Please tell us all about your experience with ABMS.

    J.
     
  16. Phenyxe

    Phenyxe New Member

    Well, the communication is not great! I had to ask several times for the same question and not all of them have been answered. The link to the folder either is broken or nothing appear on the websites directed to; the recorded lectures are either completely missing or mess up the order. When we choose to study online, it means we don't have time to follow live class. Then you won't be able to follow the recorded lecture because it's not uploaded for some reason. There are only students who passed exam listed but the ones who failed weren't! You are not even been communicated the reason you have failed; you don't even know which part you did well and which you didn't in order to improve your study!!! Nobody replies about that despite many requests have been sent! I still can go on but feel depressed remind myself that I had made a bad choice! Things are still on the way, i will give more update later on... if I'm lucky to get any answer...
    Best.
     
  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the update. Let's assume for a moment (and hope) that you are eventually able to surmount these various difficulties and complete your ABMS degree. Have you done any research to determine the acceptability of a degree from this particular school, in the job market where you live? Anything to share?

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 21, 2017
  18. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    ABMS offers now joint degrees together with two other European universities. I am not sure what to think about these new programs. The two partner schools are the University of Dąbrowa Górnicza, a private university in Poland, and Taras Shevchenko National University, a public University in Ukraine. (These degrees are in fact "triple degrees''.) Both schools hold the equivalent of RA in their respective home countries.

    Here is the page about these programs on ABMS' website: Joint Diploma with WSB and Taras | ABMS - The Open University of Switzerland | Online/Distance Business & Management Studies
    There is also a page about that agreement on the website of Taras Shevchenko National University, but it is Ukrainian and Google's translation isn't that helpful. see here

    Graduates of these new joint programs get two diplomas, one ABMS diploma and one joint diploma with the logos of all three schools. ABMS even has a sample diploma on its site, which is unusual: http://www.abmswiss.com/images/partners/Diploma-sample-WSB-OUS-Taras.png

    As I said, I do not know what to think about these degrees. What do you think?
     
  19. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    ABMS has changed its name to "OUS Royal Academy of Economics and Technology in Switzerland". I don't know why and I have no idea why it's called Royal Academy - Switzerland is, of course, a republic.

    However, ABMS/OUS now offers even more joint degree programs. (http://www.ous.ch/Diplomas/Dual-Award-Diploma-Possibility) Besides the joint degrees with the University of Dąbrowa Górnicza and Taras Shevchenko National University, there are now also double degree programs with Taurida National V.I.Vernadsky University in Ukraine, Universidad Azteca in Mexico, the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics, and Universidad Central de Nicaragua. There is also an "African Ph.D." which seems to be from Zambia, but that page doesn't even mention the school which grants the degree.

    It almost seems ABMS/OUS is "collecting" joint degree programs. I'm not sure what's the point in having all these different programs. The only joint degree I do understand is the joint Master's degree with the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics, but such a degree is of course only of interest for people from an Arab League country. I am sure no one here knows that institute/school so here is the (too short) Wikipedia article about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Institute_for_Training_and_Research_in_Statistics. It is "an intergovernmental statistical institute serving the National Statistical Offices in all Arab League countries". I assume therefore it has the right to grant that degree, but I could be wrong. I do not know enough about accreditation in the Arab world to verify that.



     
  20. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I'm always suspicious of dual degrees - and at least doubly suspicious of triple degrees! I think it's mostly just a money and marketing thing. "BOGO" (buy one, get one) as stores in North America call it. OK for shoes, maybe, but .... degrees?

    Some of these ABMS dual thingies and its co-operating schools have been debunked in other threads, e.g. Taras Shevchenko National U. That is a great school and we have one of their illustrious alumni on the board - Stanislav. IIRC, it was he who alerted us to the fact that the Distance arm of that school seems to operate without the same top-tier State degree-granting authority that the parent institution enjoys. It seems it's legal and can grant degrees, but the standing thereof is not like those of the Mother Ship. Universidad Azteca in Mexico appears to be a mixed bag also. It seems to have quite a few validation and dual-program partners, some in Europe and some in Latin America. Some degree programs have proper Mexican RVOE (Reconocido de Validez) and some don't. The University may legally offer degrees it does not have RVOE for, as "own title" but again, the standing of those degrees - especially how they will be received in other countries - can be fraught with difficulties.

    ABMS itself has the approval of its Swiss Canton. That is not mainstream Swiss Federation degree-granting authority. It is pretty near impossible for a distance school in Switzerland to attain Swiss Federation authority. That requires at least 100 full-time, highly qualified professors, buildings, library holdings etc. As an obstruction, those requirements are pretty-near impenetrable. Donald Trump probably wishes he could build a wall like that! As a result, distance schools seek Cantonal licensing, which allows them to award degrees, but the standing of those degrees, especially abroad can often be problematic. The quality of these Cantonally-approved schools ranges from extremely good (IMD has "triple crown" program accreditation - AACSB EQUIS and AMBA) to pretty fair, to degree-mill or thereabouts; I name no names. We have other threads on ABMS and I suggest you check them. Lots to read.

    Mintaru, I can pretty well guarantee that a degree from ABMS itself will not get proper recognition in Germany. For proof, check with Anabin and see. I know of Swiss Cantonally-approved schools that I think are quite good (e.g. SMC University) and they are rated H- with Anabin. You can check for yourself how they rate the other partner schools of ABMS.

    J.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2018

Share This Page