DBA program's that lead to a certificate rather than a degree-can Students sue their school??

Nowadays I know quite a few DBA program's from not-state-recognized schools that partner with state-recognised European schools and offer a DBA program that will not really lead to a state-recognised Doctoral degree but rather to a post-graduate certificate/ p-g diploma/whatever you want to call it.

This one for example
https://www.ssbm.ch/geneva-doctorate-programs/

I wonder what happens when the DBA graduates realize that they have not really achieved a doctoral degree. Can they sue the school and ask for their money back?
Or are the students expected to realize that they are working towards a certificate and not a degree?

 

In most countries, MBA/DBA is not an academic degree, but a professional degree. Most countries do not regulate MBA/DBA, that's why MBA/DBA is regulated by external non-state accreditors A professional degree (including MBA/DBA) can be issued by non-academic institutions. That's why they always issue it from Business School, not University. It's not just for naming sake.

 

SSBM calls its DBA programs are with "Doctoral degree."

 

https://ik.imagekit.io/upgrad1/marketing-platform-assets/new-images%2Fprogram-certificates-v2/dba_new_certificate__1622720639820.png

 

I am sure there is not a single correct answer to your question. It all depends on the individual case.

If, for example, the study contract was concluded under the law of a country where these degrees are common and customary, then the chances of a reimbursement are likely to be very poor. After all, we're talking about online degrees, and something like that wouldn't be unusual.

Incidentally, in my opinion, this is one of the real disadvantages of cross-border distance learning. Often the law of the country in which the university is located applies. When there are problems, it is not easy for a foreign student to get his right.

 

Maybe those enrolling should do their research, and they wouldn't be in those types of predicaments.

 

Research is often inconclusive with programs like these though. I found a really enticing deal for a DBA from an official Chinese university (state-run and everything), but not a single person in the university or the partner schools offering the program could confirm that it was an academic award of a Doctoral degree, rather than simply a certificate called "DBA"

I'm sure if I dropped the pretty penny that I could actually get a NACES member to call it a doctorate, but I'm not rich enough to drop that much money on a gamble.

 

Could you do it in the hypothetical? Or would you have to earn the degree to get it evaluated?

 

I'd have to earn the degree first, sadly.

After contacting every evaluator in the US, all who replied pointed to the Chinese authorities who evaluate and translate degrees first, both of which said it would be considered a degree "if the university states" that it is a degree and all other issues could only be handled once I paid for an evaluation. Contacting the university, the specific department everyone kept pointing me to never replied to any emails I sent them and the existence of the degree couldn't be verified without input from that department. I believe I was asking specifically if it was continuing education versus an academic award (the award was suspiciously named "Executive DBA" without elaborating on what "DBA" meant and the department issuing it had only two programs, an executive MBA and executive DBA, both of which were disconnected from the school's actual Business School).

I contacted 3 partner learning centers too. Two of three actually showed me the agreement documentation between their "academy" and the university but still couldn't confirm any details with the school.

Reminds me of the zombified schools with places like UNEM and San Juan de la Cruz, but I would never have thought that possible from a public institution.

 

This program will likely get a foreign evaluation of either a Doctor of Business administration from a non-accredited university or a Graduate Certificate/Diploma from an accredited university.

 

Would this program be something like a doctorate propio? The pricing seems like it. It looks to have some programmatic accreditations as well with AACSB and EPAS.