Azteca University - International - Foreign Credential Evaluation

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Garp, Jul 27, 2022.

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  1. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I know. We see it here. And a significant number of the people who take the chances are NOT liking the outcomes. Their money's gone. Often, it's money they could ill afford to lose.

    How to get rich: Watch closely what poor people do -- then don't do that. I've found some good lessons in that half-joking remark.

    There are GOOD foreign degrees. Including UK. They cost more than the chancy ones, though. But in some cases, considerably less than here. Quality and reputation. Can't beat that. Ask Rich Douglas.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2023
  2. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    There's also Australia and South Africa. All in English. Good degrees - South Africa cheaper by far. But not $5K doctorates. A proper one for that? Nowadays, that's Fantasy land, as is becoming painfully apparent to some unfortunate people.

    ...But $5K WILL get you about 2 years of Doctoral study fees at UNISA. Plenty of good Malaysian universities - Distance ed. with English instruction, also. More expensive than they used to be, though - but still quite reasonable by US standards.
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2023
  3. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    That's a mistake. As you know, it's best to only spend what you can afford. At least in the context of most of the Spanish degrees we discuss, price isn't really an issue since the costs are so low.

    Rich unfortunately went through an issue of having a degree from a well-regarded foreign school in the UK (University of Leicester) unfavorably evaluated. He's not alone. There's a risk any time a person chooses a foreign school. It's just something a person has to consider before going in.
     
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    And many, not the Frugalistas and Grouponeros, :) of course, part with a relatively large sum without considering much of anything - e.g. recognition of the Uni. and the degree.

    "Investigate before you invest." I don't know who said that first - it definitely wasn't one of the "usual suspects," Benjamin Graham or Warren Buffett. The SEC seems to have almost a lock on it, nowadays. Definitely some degree-seekers who fail to do this. Or turn a blind eye to what they find.
     
  5. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Okay. I will.

    I did a Doctor of Social Science at the University of Leicester.
    • Leicester is always ranked in the top 20 in the UK and the top 200 in the world.
    • The degree is considered by Leicester to be equal to (not "equivalent to") the PhD. They say that in their literature.
    • It is a scholarly doctorate, not a professional one. The candidate must contribute new and significant knowledge to theory, not practice.
    • The credit points awarded for the degree are the same as for the PhD.
    With all of that, WES "evaluated" the degree (they didn't) and determined it was a post-master's but less-than-a-doctorate degree. Why? Because their policy is to treat European (it isn't) professional doctorates (it isn't) that way. In other words, they "evaluated" nothing. This was infuriating and stupid. NACES refused to step in and take a look.

    Thankfully, I don't need the degree as a minimum qualification for anything I do in my life. (Thank you, Roy Fairfield!) But if I can get rolled with that degree by these charlatans, I can only imagine how vulnerable people might be with some of the degrees talked about here.
     
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  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Thanks, Rich. I'd forgotten, somewhere along the line, about your experience with WES. When I wrote "Ask Rich Douglas," I was talking about high-quality degrees from UK - and I was sure you could attest to that, from your Leicester experience.

    I apologize for bringing up a pretty sour memory. Not intended. But you taught a good lesson for us. I, for one, appreciate that.
     
    RoscoeB likes this.
  7. cacoleman1983

    cacoleman1983 Well-Known Member

    See the evaluation snippet below for Azteca from IEE

    upload_2023-3-3_12-37-59.png

    The AES evaluation came from degreeforum.net and while I don't have that evaluation on hand, the link to how it was worded is at this link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-ENEB-Master-Thread?pid=386543#pid386543
    There was no degree equivalency from AES whatsoever and the way it was broken down was even more confusing.

    The fact that these FCE evaluations have time limits is more of a money grab than anything else. It gives the evaluators a reason to force their clients to use their services again provided they need it and their company is still around. It's really no different than entrance and certification exams we take for school and jobs that usually have an expiration date as well.
     
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  8. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Happy to talk about it. Those guys--WES and NACES--are clowns.
     
  9. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    I get the connection in a way, but it takes a lot more time and effort to complete a Doctorate, or any other degree for that matter. Then serious career implications can come into play. Just seems like creating timebombs sounds like a crafty business move at first, but is also certain to create some bad will and public explosion on the other end of that time limit. I can just see scenarios where a new evaluation is unfavorable and ends someone's career when they try to move on to a new company that wants an updated evaluation. I find it dirty because it's not like the work you did retroactively changes.
     
  10. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I agree, I got 5 copies for this reason. Thanks for sharing this Doctor of Science evaluation of University Azteca. Interesting that Azteca is granting post doctoral qualifications. Is this the new trend now? PhDs are not longer enough so let's now get a Post Doctoral qualification.
    It is getting ridiculous, I would just give up the whole teaching career. Salaries for professors are not that high unless you are a professor at a business AACSB accredited school. Azteca credentials at the very best might lead to adjunct or community college careers, adjunct careers are getting hard to get for the 2 to 3K they pay per course. My last gig at University of the people was 600 bucks for one gig.

    I noticed that Open International University for Complementary medicines now claims to be accredited by Azteca. Does this make this school now RA equivalent?
    https://oiucm.net/
     
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  11. cacoleman1983

    cacoleman1983 Well-Known Member

    This school would likely get the same regional accredited institution / unaccredited program evaluation since Azteca's validation of the degree with their own diploma would be propio. The evaluation would also likely state that the coursework was completed at the above school through a partnership with Azteca. What's interesting is that the accredited institution / unaccredited program status is open to interpretation. It sounds more or less like a state-authorized, pre-accredited, or nationally accredited degree here in the US. I'm thinking a majority of employers and schools would accept this evaluation because most observers don't care about program accreditation from a university that is accredited unless it is a field that requires it. Also, one could use another evaluator that will give Azteca's non-RVOE degrees full recognition. Many other evaluators nationally (outside of NACES) and internationally have already done so.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2023
  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Not in the least. Two considerations here.

    (1) Since when is Azteca an accreditor? It's just a school. Schools can't go around accrediting other schools. That's foolish talk. Some of them can, and do, validate degrees. "You validate my degrees and I'll validate yours.Then we'll all get rich." What a game! But schools accrediting others? Bah!

    (2) Since when is OIUCM a real University? It's in a backward position - its past precedes it - everywhere. It has no standing with its Government, i.e. it is not (and I believe never has been) registered with the University Grants Commission in Sri Lanka. In the past, it has admitted that it sold degrees for money - including PhDs with canned dissertations, for those who were unwilling or unable to write their own. It said years ago that the practice had stopped - but as journalists reveal, it has not. It has also sold "Knighthoods" and "Albert Schweitzer Prizes" with its degrees. Quackery, quackery and more quackery.

    Here's a recent story on this place of fakes. Somebody call the Colombo Constabulary.
    https://www.dailymirror.lk/51028/sri-lankan-doctorates-for-sale-in-bangalore

    Finally - No - the claim is not valid. It's meaningless BS. It doesn't alter anything. As for me, I prefer to talk about real schools. I have been forced to comment on OIUCM many times, since about 2006. I'm tired of that place. Me go nap now.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2023
  13. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Maybe in Florida. Not in teh real world. Sounds like the "Ethereal Schools" there might try it.

    Maybe Madonna should record a new song about those schools. "Ethereal Girl." Might take off - you never know. :)
     
  14. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

  15. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Another long-running sore - IBAM (Indian Board of Alternative Medicine) finally got shut down in 2020. Here:
    https://www.issuewire.com/the-sad-demise-of-indian-board-of-alternative-medicines-1661937228912264
    Apparently, somebody went beyond the bounds of alternative medicine - an issued degrees in mainstream allopathic medicine - and surgery!

    But take heart, would-be practitioners of Weird. The former head of IBAM has established another University elsewhere, called Pragyan International University. Oh... I just can't wait to see how that turns out. :(
     
  16. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I looked at Azteca's Doctor of Literature and Doctor of Science degree. I'm sorry, but they're just giving them away. Well, not "giving."

    To get the degree, you have to have a PhD and at least 10 published articles in recognized journals. And if you don't have that, you have to get three attestations stating that you've contributed significantly to your field.

    There's a term for a school that awards degrees for no work for a fee. A couple of them, in fact. Can't seem to remember what they are....
     
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  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Another long-running sore - IBAM (Indian Board of Alternative Medicine) finally got shut down in 2020. Here:
    https://www.issuewire.com/the-sad-demise-of-indian-board-of-alternative-medicines-1661937228912264
    Apparently, somebody went beyond the bounds of alternative medicine - and issued degrees in mainstream allopathic medicine - and surgery!

    But take heart, would-be practitioners of Weird. The former head of IBAM has established another University elsewhere, called Pragyan International University. Oh... I just can't wait to see how that turns out. :(
     
  18. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Ha! :) I think I can help, here... let me know if they don't come back to you.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2023
  19. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    I'm curious. How does getting 5 copies combat the time limit situation?
     
  20. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    My take: Get a rubber stamp that says "Renewed (Date) - and date-stamp the evaluation every 5 years.

    You DO need 5 copies, or even more, if you figure you might be submitting an evaluation to a few places, over time. They don't always get returned to you.

    Best deal - get 5 or more copies AND a rubber stamp to keep them (appearing) up-to-date. :) Your evaluation can last forever.
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2023

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