Wanting to start a small online Associate Degree College

It is aimed that dual accreditation be achieved eg. professional institute + government.

I must emphasis that I am not attempting to evade bench mark standards. I was only implying that I would be interested in jurisdictions whose authorities would be more open minded to distance education and not have to much red tape opposed to one that might be very costly, take a long time to process and not open to distance learning methodologies of instruction.

Thank you for all who have taken the time to post ideas and contribute. Yes even to those who have been trigger happy. I understand the issues you raise as you are passionate about education.

As I have said at this stage it looks like associating with an established school would be more cost effective and workable. Does anyone know of schools which have affiliated with other colleges in order to provide joint or combined qualifications for their students? i.e. my school provides tuition and assessment services while the partner school validates credits, standards etc and awards the qualification in affiliation with my school. I know that the Open University in the UK has such arrangement and publicly states that it is interested in forming such associations. If any knows of any other examples and suggestions I would be grateful to hear from you.

 

r u out of your mind?

I don't like being negative about someone's dream or vision. However, this teeters on being far-fetched.

1. Before you purchased the "curriculum" you should have done your research first. The demographics, etc. and research the colleges and universities already established in the USA.

2. I will help you with the research on the schools already here. There hundreds and hundreds of State funded regionally accredited two-year, associate degree awarding community colleges all over these here United States. In addition, there are about, just as many schools state approved, regionally accredited, nationally accredited offering the associate degrees and more.

3. Your curriculum will have to be something extraordinary to compete with what we have now. Anyone can follow curriculums out of any college catalog. So why is your's special?

4. You need a marketing man to do your home work for you and find out what kind of market is out there for whatever you have.

5. ??????

6. I wish you the best of luck with your vision. I regret that I have perceived your questions, such as easiest places to start up, etc. as being fishy, but umph. I do.

 

r u out of your mind?

I don't like being negative about someone's dream or vision. However, this teeters on being far-fetched.

1. Before you purchased the "curriculum" you should have done your research first. The demographics, etc. and research the colleges and universities already established in the USA.

2. I will help you with the research on the schools already here. There hundreds and hundreds of State funded regionally accredited two-year, associate degree awarding community colleges all over these here United States. In addition, there are about, just as many schools state approved, regionally accredited, nationally accredited offering the associate degrees and more.

3. Your curriculum will have to be something extraordinary to compete with what we have now. Anyone can follow curriculums out of any college catalog. So why is your's special?

4. You need a marketing man to do your home work for you and find out what kind of market is out there for whatever you have.

5. ??????

6. I wish you the best of luck with your vision. I regret that I have perceived your questions, such as easiest places to start up, etc. as being fishy, but umph. I do.

 

response

My primary market is not the US student market. My primary market is all English speaking countries excluding the UK, Canada and US as those markets are competative and full of associate degree providers. My secondary market is the three above mentioned countries. Research and consultation have already been made and this is very obvious. Thank you for Rob for pointing that out.

Most other countries do not have an associate degree level. It takes 1-2 years to complete an associate degree depending on our the course load etc...

What I am trying to achieve is a one year intensive associate degree for ppl who would normally spend 2-4 years doing a bachelors. A associate degree is a degree to most ppl and in a accelerated format a very viable and attractive option.

I have already partnered with HR agencies who will place students in several target countries. The whole aim of my project is to be unique and to include a whole streamlined package not just a degree. We want to take care of students post graduation and do all we can for them. Obviously the degree has to be legitimate and recognized. Without this it simply isnt marketable! Besides quality of education this is why it is so important to be able grant legitimate degrees.

Anyway back to the point I have said at this stage it looks like associating with an established school would be more cost effective and workable. Does anyone know of schools which have affiliated with other colleges in order to provide joint or combined qualifications for their students? i.e. my school provides tuition and assessment services while the partner school validates credits, standards etc and awards the qualification in affiliation with my school. I know that the Open University and the University of Wales in the UK has such arrangement and publicly states that it is interested in forming such associations. If any knows of any other examples and suggestions I would be grateful to hear from you.

 

Re: response

Don't other countries have something along the lines of a Diploma (RATE) or Advanced Diploma (AQF)? The creation of the Associate Degree (AQF) was accomplished by merely splitting the Advanced Diploma into two streams (vocational and academic/professional). Is it just going to be the name "Associate Degree" that sets it apart from local offerings? Which countries did you have in mind when mentioning most countries?

So will the associate degree be marketed as "the easy option"? "Want a degree but do not want to wait 3 years for a Bachelors? Get a degree from us in the same time that others take to get diplomas..."

Which curriculum style will be used? Lots of General Education (US System) or focused (British and many other countries,although usually not quite as extreme). If it is going to follow the US system and marketed in a country following the British system, the course content of the major in the degree will be very superficial in comparison to that of the local offerings if compared with the "a degree is a degree" mentality.

 

Yes other countries do have similar qualifications such as the AQF Associate Degree. Although such qualifications are bearly heard / known of in a country such as Australia.

The program would be open to any country but our business plan specificaly looks at Australia, New Zealand and a variety of African markets.

The associate degree would not be marketed as the easy option. It would be along the lines of "Want a degree but do not want to wait 3 years for a Bachelors? Get a degree from us in the same time that others take to get diplomas..."

The curriculum style will not be general as in the US and will be very specific to the major.

 

I would suspect the old UK HND (Higher National Diploma) would be the equivalent

 

Okay, kiddies, I'm done talking to James. But the rest of you can use this thread to be the first kid on your block to be able to spot what the French might call merde de boeuf. (Well, the French wouldn't call it that. But the Canadians might.)

So, has anyone noticd that while James refers to "the major," he never identifies the major? I mean, are we talking about general studies, business studies, or quantum physics?

As he correctly notes, most countries do not even have an associate's degree. Does he think he can actually create a market for a degree that the people in most countries have never heard of?

Methinks, re-reading this entire thread, that in order to deal with James Ludwig, one should be wearing hip-high boots . . .

(For the old-timers here, why does James' thread remind me of a certain former denizen of degreeinfo.com who lives down near Fort Lauderdale and has a preference for lloofahs and the macarena? I'm not suggesting that she and James are the same person, but they appear to wear the same fragrance, so to speak.)

 

When I read your post, it seem that a PhD really does not help to change someone that's not kind and fustrated with life. I think we should ask questions in a positive way, not base on paranoia.

 

Did he ever respond?

Did he ever respond to the question?

 

Re: response

Maybe you can consider setting up an Online School in Singapore. Online/ DL Schools are rather new here, and i see Singapore as a very good potential education market in the near future. If you are interested to set up in School in Singapore, i will be able to help you. Btw, Singapore is a English Speaking Country in South East Asia.