SMC University accreditation Status for PhD Programs

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by erhijakpor, Apr 20, 2010.

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  1. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    No, engineering licensing boards only ask about ABET accreditation, they don't ask about institutional accreditation. For example, the California board says:
    *****
    The vast majority of ABET degrees are RA. But yes, exceptions exist, as noted above. ABET has been known to accredit degree programs at state-licensed schools that lack USDoE-recognized regional or national accreditation.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 23, 2010
  2. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    In Utah, there are four options for fulfilling the education requirement for CPA licensure.

    The first three all involve AACSB-accredited or ACBSP-accredited degrees. There is no apparent requirement that such degrees must also be RA or NA. In fact, there is a separate track (the fourth option) for RA degrees that lack AACSB or ACBSP accreditation.

    Based on this document, it appears to me that an ACBSP-accredited MBA degree from SMC would, in fact, meet the educational requirement for CPA licensure in Utah (assuming that the appropriate coursework was taken). However, I have no particular expertise with CPA licenses or the State of Utah; I just found this particular document while checking up on the claims posted above. So others might want to verify this.

    I would also note that even if an SMC MBA does meet CPA licensure requirements in Utah, it does not ensure that it will meet the licensure requirements in any other state or country.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 23, 2010
  3. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    With the fierceness people are defending this form of accreditation; I guess they have some amount of wonderful utility I do not know of. Steve in a former post about this school you recommend anyone in academia not to go with a acbsp school and to go with a aacsb school. That post of yours popped up in a Google search of SMC. What changed your mind?
    I can see the band wagon effect has taken effect on this one. I have never said this school is a mill, but you have to ask why they have not gone with any real accreditation. Everyone can say oh this school is fine, acbsp is good, which I’m sure it is, but at the end of the day what good is a undergrad degree from this school? an MBA? You will not be qualified for government work, it is not legal to use in some states, and it’s an online program. I am not some pro government guy who thinks every school should be accredited, but we should not fail to mention the accreditation problems of this school when people ask questions about it.
     
  4. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    http://www.dopl.utah.gov/laws/R156-26a.pdf


    I sent them an email to see what they say but I have a feeling they won't take a degree from SMC.

     
  5. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    I do not know much more about SMC other than what is discussed on DegreeInfo or displayed on the SMC website (although I note that one SMC faculty member has a questionable doctorate).

    However accreditation is not something traditionally used by schools in Europe since approval to operate is granted by the national or local government (or churches in some countries). Ask someone with a foreign degree who accredited their degree and they probably have no idea what that is.
    This situation is changing to some extent due the every increasing mix of international students attending universities.
     
  6. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    The "stand-alone" accreditation from ACBSP held by certain SMC programs is not ideal, and it would be erroneous to claim otherwise. However, it would also be erroneous to dismiss it as worthless.

    In general, ACBSP accreditation does have clear value, as a form of professional accreditation, in the US. This is not necessarily negated by the absence of RA, NA, or the foreign equivalent. In professional situations (e.g. with employers or licensing boards), professional accreditation may be perceived as more important than institutional accreditation.
     
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Nothing. I've never said that SMC's programs are all useful for all people in all situations. For example, I do not think that SMC's programs are likely to help people interested in faculty position at American universities, and, as I've said a number of times, if I were interested in such a position I wouldn't have enrolled.

    There's a relationship between whether a school is institutionally accredited or a program is programmatically accredited and various specific use cases like that, but it's not the case that accredited = useful for everyone in all cases, and it's not supposed to be.

    -=Steve=-
     
  8. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    OK talked to Utah today. Its a no go on SMC for the CPA.
     
  9. caddy

    caddy New Member

    It appears SMC meets part of their criteria. Did Utah tell you what part SMC failed on? What exactly did you tell them?
     
  10. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    She told me the issue had come up before, the school needs to be accredited by an RA as well.

    If anyone else want to try...... (801) 530-6628 ask for Sara.
     
  11. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

  12. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    So almost any foreign school wouldn't qualify?

    -=Steve=-
     
  13. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    Good point Steve I never got into the whole Foreign thing. I just asked if a school with ACSBP only could sit and she said "no, what’s the name of the school?" I told her and she said," I think this has ll come up before and they were not acceptable"

    I might be wrong about her name being Sara it might have been Ann.
     
  14. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I'd be surprised if they or any other state took any foreign school. I'm no accountant, but surely accounting practices differ from country to country? At least the way to approach taxes must differ?

    Don't worry about it man, I'm totally not going to call them. :)

    -=Steve=-
     
  15. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    I want everyone to understand that I think this probably a great school. They just need to get this taken care of. There is no reason they cannot go for American Accreditation RA or NA.
     
  16. BobbyJim

    BobbyJim New Member

    b4, are you now suggesting that all foreign schools have American accreditation? Why? Do you demand they accommodate some person in Texas, or are there some other reasons? Excuse me but doesn’t this seem a wee bit arrogant to suggest the world should bend to the needs of a Texas (or other state) government employee?

    I would think that a European school would be more interested in European Union acceptance than USA recognition. If an American wants a RA or NA school, fine – go pick one that is already RA or NA accredited.

    BobbyJim [in Texas]
     
  17. BobbyJim

    BobbyJim New Member

    Maybe your time would be better spent campaigning for better acceptance of foreign degrees.
     
  18. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    OK, let me get you up to speed on this one....I will talk real slow for you. SMC can't get accreditation in their home country. So that leaves them needing accreditation in another country. As it appears they have already obtained US programmatic accreditation, it would seem logical they would go after another form of US accreditation.

    I wrote about the bandwagon effect above. Booby Jim is what I was talking about. When people are discussing something there will always be some people who try to join in with whatever side is in the majority. But Booby Jim what do I know? I’m just another arrogant American.

    Shakes Fist!!!!!
     
  19. BobbyJim

    BobbyJim New Member

    I think I may be up to speed on the subject, and it still sounds like you have a vendetta about SMC and UoL (others?) needing to have USA recognition.

    My bandwagon is working fine without foreign schools having USA recognition, thank you.
     
  20. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    If ACBSP, why not RA? That's a reasonable question. And I don't know the answer, but I can speculate:

    1. They'd probably have to drop their Bachelor's degree program. For a standalone business school to offer all the liberal arts courses that are required for an American-style general education plan would be a pretty big change, one that it may not interest them to make.

    2. They may be concerned about being perceived as too Americanized. Their programs are accredited not only by ACBSP but also by ECBE, and I think they get a decent amount of mileage from their connection to Europe.

    Remember that you're not their target market. Most of my classmates are mid to high level businesspeople, technocrats, and academics in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. That's a great set of markets that are not as well served by existing schools as rich countries are. Given that they can clearly demonstrate that they're legitimate, it's not surprising they get a good amount of interest from those areas.

    -=Steve=-
     
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