Easiest, Quickest, & Cheapest (LOL) Online & Regionally Accredited Business PhD/DBA

Discussion in 'Business and MBA degrees' started by BadTeacher1, Jul 10, 2017.

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  1. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    You know, this is a good question. What is clear is that foreign doctorate holders are hired with some regularity - for regular faculty jobs. As for "online schools" - I'm not familiar with the process. I didn't have to request official transcripts for my current adjunct gig - but that is n=1, and is a Canadian community college rather than an online for profit. I believe University of Phoenix has rather robust foreign degree recognition policies, but didn't have to test it. I did work for their sister school in Canada, but they accepted my American degree the usual way. Maybe even processed it in Phoenix, I'm not quite sure.
    WES evaluation can take relatively long time. After that, ordering duplicate reports should be relatively painless, but again - I didn't test it. My current job required evaluation but was OK with a copy of report I brought to the interview.

    My take is, yes, transcripts are easier with an American school - but this hardly justifies the price difference. So for my fantasy DBA degree, the top choice is still Heriot-Watt, with some other potential options to research. If I was regular faculty at a nonprestige school seeking to change departments, Vitez would also be a possibility due to cost. Or South African schools. Again, this is a fantasy scenario at this time.

    It transcript concerns make RA non-negotiable for you, and cost is the main factor, you are left with California Southern or Cumberlands. I think if there were cheaper options, this board would know about them. Keep in mind that CSU is likely to raise tuition at some point. This happened with all for-profits at some point after they gained RA (maybe except American College of Education, but they only have an EdD).
     
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Well, there's also the Wilmington University DBA, which is currently $33,318 in tuition.

    Business Administration, D.B.A. - Wilmington University

    We used to talk about Baker College's DBA as well, but it looks like their rates went way up.
     
  3. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

  4. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    As a former professional online adjunct, I know that it is important to have a reliable transcript service as most schools would require an original transcript before even being considered.

    Few good options, WES does have a transcript service that keeps a copy of your foreign transcripts and sends it to the receiving institution with a letter that states that the transcript has been validated by WES.

    Another option is to maintain a transcript with Excelsior with the transcript one service. They will have a transcript for all your foreign credits. The problem is that it will not come from the original school but from another accredited school and this can look odd.

    Some foreign schools do not supply transcripts so easily so having them send to American schools on a regular basis can be problematic so WES is perhaps the best option.

    If I were to look for a cheap doctorate for online adjunct positions, one of the most credible and cheap would be the University of South Africa. This is a school listed in most credible directories including UNESCO and association of common wealth universities.
    The problem with UNISA is that it is not easy so it might be faster to pay the 30K and get it from a local less known American school. Some American schools with online options are very friendly and consist in course work and a structured dissertation that does not require publications in journals.

    Many schools like UNISA are actually meant to train scholars to work in research universities so they put emphasis in publishing and this is time consuming and not needed if your intention is to be an adjunct or community college teacher.

    I haven't applied recently for adjunct positions but 10 years ago it was more about certifications and teaching experience, most for profit schools only require RA or foreign equivalent doctorate degrees. I remember people with degrees from SA and India working as adjuncts.

    There are some marginal schools out there like Azteca or University of Central Nicaragua that promise PhDs in little time and take previous experience and credits but I would be careful as they are being over sold over the internet, WES has started to refuse some of these schools recently. I checked and Empresarial University in Costa Rica is in the black list although it is in the UNESCO handbook but it is being over sold over the internet with many dual degree options with fake schools in Africa and other places.
     
  5. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    My experience is that most faculty in the US working with foreign degrees come from places such as Canada, UK, Australia and Western Europe. Yes, you see the odd ones here and there from Russia, India, SA and other Eastern European schools but this is not so common so my guess is that degrees from the first mentioned countries have the highest acceptability.
    Although technically you can get a job with a degree from Mexico, Nicaragua, etc, I haven't seen faculty with a PhD from Azteca or UCN. The few ones that I have detected seem to be working in places in Africa but not many in the US.
    There is competition in the market, my guess is that there is no shortage of doctorates in the US for most faculties so it might not be so easy to sell a PhD from an obscure school.
     
  6. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Well, a big part of that is people with degrees from Russia, India et all are usually from these places. It'd be harder for them to get a job in US due to language barrier, visa restrictions, unfamiliarity with research norms, cultural barriers etc. So it is not all about degree acceptability. I would say a degree from IIT or (sigh) Moscow State would be quite acceptable; a degree holder may have other issues preventing the hire.
    Example: I have an undeniably RA degree from a large state University with famous sports program - obviously acceptable. I would be open to coming back to Florida and work for one of their community or state colleges - I love the state. However, the whole State College system changed the HR policies, and the question about "having the right to work in US without sponsorship" is incorporated into all online applications - I can't even submit my documents without answering "yes" to this question. Not to community colleges, or state colleges, or state universities. I would qualify for a Treaty National status had I been hired, but that's technically "sponsorship", and there are disagreements on whether that status could be applied to TT faculty.
    Yes, I agree that Azteca and UCN are harder to sell. These are purely "checking the box" credentials (I'm less certain with Azteca), and yes, oversold on the Internet. I do not believe Vitez is in the same category though, with its single online program running from the main campus and publication requirement. You do need other things going for you to get a job, but it is not impossible. One drawback is Bosnia being most famous for the bloody massacres (I love The Cranberries' song on the topic). But it IS a candidate for both NATO and EU memberships, so...
     
  7. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    It appears that Empressarial (and U. San Juan de la Cruz) are empty shells of universities ran by shady people essentially as degree mills. Neither Azteca not UCN are that; however, there's a certain similarity between the business models of folks who run Azteca/UCN "international programmes" and what Empressarial group does - at least in perception. So yeah, this is a real concern.
     
  8. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Azteca profits from a legal loophole in the Mexican education system. Unlike the US, the minister of education accredits particular programs and not institutions. Azteca has accreditation for only a handful of undergraduate programs offered in Spanish but yet grants PhDs in Business, Psychology, etc. These degrees are non accredited but in some countries they only check if the school is listed in the UNESCO handbook and do not go deep enough and check if the degree is accredited in its own country.
    Azteca does not advertise their PhDs in Mexico as they are useless but mainly advertise in Europe and other countries. Very shady operation.
     
  9. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    15 years ago was a different story, I taught for 5 different schools in the US from Canada. No questions asked, most schools would not ask for a VISA or immigration status and I was paid as an international consultant.

    I noticed that since 2010 most schools now ask for immigration status before submitting an application.
    Technically one can get a Visa under TN without sponsorship but this type of VISA is for one employer only, one would need to get multiple visas if one needed to work for several schools. The other hassle is taxes, if you live in Canada but work in the US (virtually), you will be withheld taxes in the US but need to credit them in Canada as you are not living in the US. A headache and nightmare not worth the 30 to 40K that you can make as an online adjunct. To make things even less desirable, the American dollar is falling again against the Canadian dollar most likely due to current political climate in the US, it seems that by the end of the year things might be even worst for the US dollar.

    The other issue is that the current US administration is determined to exterminate work permits for foreigners, although the TN visa is still available, it might not be there in the future or limited to quotas.

    In few words, the business of being an online adjunct in the US from Canada is not longer attractive.

    By the way, on campus teaching is way more attractive in Canada than the US, most on campus faculty positions are unionized and pay about 10K per course. Some people in the TO area make more than 100K as part time faculty, something than in the US is not very feasible. Not many schools hiring online adjuncts but the face to face seems to be a better deal here.
     
  10. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Right. That's why they offer dual degrees with UCN, for those who knows about the limits of Azteca's RVOE. UCN can legally award any degree; however, I doubt they publicize their PhDs in Nicaragua all that much. They are not zombie schools like Empressarial, but the contours of their international programmes are quite similar.
     
  11. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Right. So we have three options at around $30K. Of the three, CalSouthern appears to be most willing to accept transfer credit (purely from what's on the web site); I'd guess they're the best bet for online adjuncting purposes. I doubt CalSouthern DBA can be completed in anything less than 2 years though - they're built as a 3-year program. Two other schools are B&M nonprofits, which can make difference when searching for a permanent position (presumably - what do I know?).
     
  12. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Maybe, maybe not. I don't know about the Cumberlands DBA specifically, but their PhD program will accept up to 18 semester-hours in transfer. Typically that's from a second Master's or an EdS degree, but it can be any graduate credit that's not part of one's first Master's.
     
  13. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

  14. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Why would you care about a DBA if you hold a PhD in CS? Business degrees are very competitive in Canada, unless you have a graduate degree from a top business school (UoT, UWO), most employers will not care about it even if it is a DBA.

    A good business school cost more than 100K in Canada (MBA).

    If your goal is to adjunct, an MBA would do the trick as you have already a PhD. If money is an issue, a CFA, PMP, CPA or similar cheaper credential would do the trick for a business job.
     
  15. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Well, currently I work on passing ACCA exams, aiming at being eligible for OBU BSc in Applied Accounting later this year and going for University of London Master's next year. In a fantasy world I see myself trying to get a full-time faculty job, targeting the much bigger US market. I focus on Accounting both because I was always curious about what things look like in Business disciplines, and because Accounting is on demand. A Doctorate idea is speculative, but the thinking is this: I would need to enhance my CV with research in the field. I could try tackling it independently (and probably will do so), but I'm a little conscious because I don't have any background in quantitative research of the kind they do in Business fields (despite all my background in Math). In fact one of my regrets is not diving deeper into applied Statistics as an undergrad, something I hope to remediate. So I could use some structure and a mentor. Thing is, you're probably right that a low-ranked degree like CalSouthern would do little to enhance my credentials, and Azteca/Nicaragua would be net negatives. This only leaves HWU and potentially some yet-undiscovered European program; there are a few very nice DBA programs at AACSB-accredited schools stateside but they all are far out of my price range. And yes, going after CPA at some point remains a possibility as well.

    I know that good business schools are all around $100K in Canada. I find it ridiculous. Borrowing this much to attend night school at UoT pretty much makes sense if you're up for the management rat race in top companies, OR independently wealthy. For each their own I guess.
     
  16. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Good plan. As you have a PhD in CS, a good choice would be IT Auditing, Risk Managment and assurance. For this, a CISA certification and a good MSc in accounting would do. A BSc in Accounting from Oxford brookes is not a bad option but a faster router would be a MSc in Accounting that can be done through the Association of International Accountants(AIA) and also ACCA.
    AIA is a lot faster than ACCA but less recognized, you can branch from ACCA to AIA and complete AIA and then complete a MSc.
    I was completing the ACCA program but opted for AIA to complete the MSc. In Canada, ACCA had agreements with CGA but now it has merged with CPA, the new association honors the ACCA qualification but would only allow a CPA designation if you can probe that your worked in the UK. That MSc helped me to teach risk management and IT audit, I am not CISA or CPA certified but have IT background like you. The other area of opportunity is Accounting Systems, I teach SAP and other similar accounting systems.

    The US market is way larger than the Canadian one but salaries are not that great at small universities. A professor of business at a business school in Canada would make at least 100K to start and can go up to 200K or some even make 300K with a teaching load of 4 courses per year.

    In my job hunting in the US, all I got was few interviews at small universities for starting salaries around 60K with teaching load requirements of 6 or more courses per year, however, I must clarify that my doctorate is not AACSB accredited as this is a big limitation as good paying schools require an AACSB accredited terminal degree.

    The other issue is immigration, although schools are willing to help you with letters the issue is that going on a work permit can be stressful and there is no guarantee of a renewal, going there for few years as experience is good for your resume but a permanent career in the US would require a green card that might take years to happen and even more now with the new administration that wants to cut by half this type of permits.

    If you like adventure, there are good possibilities in Australia with easier immigration access. Salaries are normally higher than the US for academics.

    A limitation that you might face is that your PhD is not AACSB accredited as it is a CS degree but some schools only look at the granting University (Florida state business school is AACSB accredited) so you might still have a chance to land a job at a AACSB accredited school. Technically, AACSB does not require faculty with PhDs from AACSB accredited schools but some schools require this.
     
  17. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    I actually have a CISA certificate for years now. I did not, however, work as an IT auditor, so have zero experience. I merely read the book and passed the test.
    AIA may be faster, but I'm some ways along with ACCA. I could be eligible for admission into London degree after the September sitting. Too late to switch now.

    I'm not bothered by the teaching load, necessarily.


    Sigh. Yes. I've been through this already.

    Australia is terrific. but I do not think I can uproot my family quite as much. We have much better connection with the US.
     
  18. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member


    Most Universities would look at either teaching or research experience. Getting IT Audit experience in a professional setting would not be so easy as you are already working an a different area. The research route might be easier, just publish few papers in Accounting journals in IT Audit. You can focus in CS subject such AI for IT Audit and publish it. This would make you qualified according to AACSB.
    As you already have a PhD, the BSc in Accounting and ACCA qualification would be more than enough. Most professors in Accounting do not have a MSc in Accounting but just CPA, CFE or CMA certification. CISA would do as well.

    As you are set for an academic career, the key point here would be publications. I stopped working in the private sector for some time now but I still get offers to teach as adjunct, the main selling point are publications in the teaching areas.

    It would be hard for me to compete with CPAs with tons of experience in the private sector but I can compete easily for those accounting teaching jobs are related to IT.
     
  19. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Hope so. I plan to try doing that, anyway. The key will be finding time and energy. Since graduating, I did manage to produce a couple of conference papers (IT-related). However, they were theoretical-speculative pieces closely tied to my dissertation research. And that was some years ago (last is 2012). I would need something original, now.

    Not sure I meet the experience requirement for the ACCA designation, since my position explicitly does not require accounting. Then again, it is technically tax-related...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 20, 2017
  20. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    You have accomplished so much and is still doing so much. I think what you need now is that lucky break.
     

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