University of Phoenix also ACBSP?

It's interesting how a credible private university sector is almost unique to the United States. (A few other places like Japan also have them.) Not only are the majority of American higher education institutions private, private universities are among this country's (and the world's) most prestigious schools.

From the Shanghai world university rankings

1. Harvard U. US Private
2. U. Cambridge UK Public
3. Stanford U. US Private
4. UC Berkeley US Public
5. MIT US Private
6. Cal Tech US Private
7. Columbia U. US Private
8. Princeton U. US Private
9. U. Chicago US Private
10. U. Oxford UK Public

Isn't there a contradiction in purporting to teach business administration while simultaneously sneering at profit?

 

I don't know much about Bellevue, it seems to have been around since 1966 and it states that it's not-for-profit. It seems to have a campus. Again, I don't know much about it.

The University of Warwick, however, is a fine B&M UK university. It's AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA-accredited and has an excellent international reputation. You'll find many academics in Canada that have Warwick degrees.

As far as these degrees having utility.... I am of the opinion that it's important to look at the total package (person, degree, experience, etc...) However, before you meet the person you will see his CV. I would hazard a guess that a UofP or Bellevue MBA or PhD would not be looked upon well here in Canada; Warwick is another story.

 

I apologize, I should have provided some detail about Bellevue.

I'm inclined to agree with you insofar as the utility of the degrees is concerned. My feeling is that, as a Canadian resident, if I were to choose a distance learning MBA I would go for a "name recognition" school: Texas A & M (note, no one in Canada cares if it's the Commerce TX version), University of Florida, Florida State, U Mass, Auburn etc. I would tend to avoid the unknown schools. Not that these schools don't provide a good education, but I'm not convinced they would be well accepted.

On the other hand, if you attended Bellevue or a similar school in person, I think it would have much better credibility.

But the most important question: How do you think my LLM from Northumbria University will be viewed in Canada? Not that an LLM is useful degree in the first place, but for what it's worth.

 

I don't think there is discrimination against DL MBAs in general as we have many local schools offering DL degree options. University of Laval has been offering an AACSB accredited DL degree for a while and I don't think that the market would have any doubts about Laval.
The issue is that most Canadian schools have high admission requirements as GMAT and GPAs and many are not able to satisfy them so they turn into options like the one offered by the UoP. UoP offers students an accredited degree without GPA or GMAT requirements but then graduates find out that their degree are recognized in the market. Don't take me wrong, it is possible that an MBA of the UoP would be evaluated as equivalent to a Canadian degree by an equivalence foreign credential evaluator but the market wouldn't recognize it as equivalent merely because the market is saturated already with local MBAs.
American degrees coming from top tiers are highly respected in Canada so a DL degree from Duke would be highly respected. The problem with UoP is that most people know it around here because of their cheese tv commercials so when people hear about UoP they know that is not a credible place.

 

Bingo. It's the difference between actually applying the knowledge that one learns in a business school vs. the non-practical world of the lifetime academic with no real-world business experience.

Personally, I'd rather learn from a CEO that chooses to share his/her knowledge via part-time teaching than an academic who has spent 25 years in a classroom with his/her nose buried in a book.

 

Straw man. The best programs employ faculty capable of teaching from both perspectives:

http://www.hbs.edu/units/tom/faculty.html

 

I dont' think anyone here is comparing Phoenix or any other mainstream DL program to Harvard. If we want to use extreme examples to form our arguments, I can always cite this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Churchill

 

Harvard isn't the only example, just the most obvious. Elite b-schools recognize the importance of providing two perspectives - a detached, analytical perspective and the real-world view from "in the trenches".

In my experience, the programs aimed at working adults that employ exclusively un-tenured faculty give short shrift to the former. Students in these programs are at a disadvantage in competing for certain types of positions outside the commercial sector - academia, etc.

 

I think an LL.M. from Northumbria would be viewed quite well in Canada. I don't know how it meets the requirements to practise law, so I would contact your provincial law society to find out.

Northumbria is a well respected university that would have no issues within Canada or any other Commonwealth country.

 

This is one opinion, however, not necessarily one I share completely. Of course "real world" practice is good, but within an academic environment there has to be something deeper. I have no references to back this up (haha!) but I think that most of the articles written in the business and management journals are written by academics. These business and management journals are then read by CEO's, that attempt to put the theory into practice. So it's all part of a cycle.

I don't think (again, no references, haha!) that CEO's came up with the theories of business process reengineering, knowledge management, total quality management, etc..., but they sure tried to use those theories and put them into practice.

I have found that being taught by a manager or CEO with little academic background can be quite superficial. A lot of talk about "the bottom line", "people management", "leveraging", "market position", etc.... but nothing I could actually use on a deeper level. I'm not saying these managers don't know what they're doing, but it sometimes seems like it.

 

Do CEO's actually teach at UoP? Why would they bother with 1000 bucks when a CEO at a fortune 500 makes 300K+?

Normally executive programs pay more than average in order to attract top executives as teachers. It is common to get pay 10K or more for teaching at a executive MBA program, I don't see why a CEO would waste time with UoP but you might have some exemptions.

Some MBA courses are better taught by professionals as leadership and strategy but they also make bad teachers for more theoretical courses as portfolio management, statistics, quantitative models just to mention a few. Most MBA programs have a mixture of professionals and academics in order to offer a good program.

 

Let me clarify my position; I have no intent whatsoever, nor would I encourage anyone, to pursue a master's degree at UoP. I feel like an MBA or Master's degree should be obtained in the best program that a student can qualify for/afford.

I don't have nearly as much problem with the bachelor's degrees from UoP, given that especially in my case, it will be overshadowed by the graduate work from the more prestigious school.

By the way, I personally had teachers in my UoP experience that were CEO's. Not of Fortune 500 companies mind you...but CEO's of mid-sized software companies, mid-sized consulting firm, etc. They taught because they wanted to, not for the cash.

Also, I don't necessarily agree with the notion that business theories and practices are created by academics. I think that new business theories and practices are developed and implemented by savvy business professionals - they're the ones that have the motivations to try new things and create innovation. Academics merely study what has been done and talk about it ad infinitum / ad nauseum. Just my opinion though.

 

Hi,
In general, new theories normally come out of the Universities but nothing prevents business professionals to do this but they are just too busy to publish anything. Academics have the time to publish something but it doesn't mean that professionals cannot do it.

A question out of the topic, I noticed that you are doing grad. certificate in supply chain management at university of penn. Any opinions on this program? I'm interested in a similar program and was wondering about your opinion on this.

 

Good program. I just finished up my first class. Got an A-. They just changed the program, rather than 4 x 3 credit classes, the made it 3 x 4 credit classes so that it can be completed in a year. The only thing I had to adjust to was the "slower" pace vs. the UoP program I completed a year ago.

 

I've come across some division and deparmental managers who teach at UOP. Also, there are some very experienced directors of nursing and nurse practitioners as well. UOP instructors are required to have other careers and most are very accomplished in them. Does this make them better teachers? Probably yes and no. Students require lots of attention, so another career makes you a little less accessible. Moreover, there is theory and there is practice; sometimes what we do to get things done in business practice is not what students should learn as business theory, and at other times it perfectly illustrates the theory.

Dave

 

My UoP students are usually thrilled that I'm a police officer, as I bring a "real world" element to the classroom that is lacking with tenured Ph.D. professors, especially in the CJ field.

Believe me, I could make more money (much more money) by working OT or details, but I really enjoy the interaction I have with students. I invariably end-up learning something from every class I teach.....ummm....facilitate.

 

Thanks for the input.

The LLM will not allow me to practice law in Canada, but I knew that going in and it was not my motivation for obtaining the degree.

I have been to Newcastle (for the purpose of attending Northumbria study weeks) twice and the university is great, I'm overall very impressed.

 

Good to hear. May I ask why your decided on pursuing an LL.M.?

 

I decided to pursue the LL.M. for two reasons: 1- It was and is relevant to my career and 2- I was and am very interested in the material (international commercial law in general and maritime law in particular. Also, I am very interested in law in general.

Given my interests the structure and content of the degree worked well for me. The lecturers that I dealt with (all of whom teach at the university in a physical setting) were all really helpful and professional.

The downside about the LL.M. is that it is not a particularly useful degree. I suspect that the LL.M. that I have earned would be of limited utility in obtaining a job (not useless, but not all that useful either).

 

An LL.M. combined with an MBA could be an extremely powerful combination, especially if you're into international business and management or consulting.

Good luck!