Degree's From Mexico?

Translation:


"The person who doesn't speak Spanish is at fault. (joking) I don't speak Spanish very well even though I teach beginning Spanish."

 

OK, estropee toda la diversión!

Lo siento, no hablo French!

(OK, spoil all the fun. Sorry, I don't speak French)

 

Yeah, I was just thinking of MIGS; I hope that Rich Douglas has been following MX DL and will comment...

 

No, but I do eat at that french restaurant Jaque en la Box

 

roflmao.....

 

Exactly. It's almost as if language of instruction defines virtual DL "nations" out there on the internet. DL programs are conducted in many different languages, originating in countries that we rarely mention, offering programs that we never discuss, because it's all incomprehensible to most of us.

For example, Thailand runs two huge open universities and offers lots of DL, but the language of instruction naturally is Thai, so that takes care of that.

 

Here's an interesting summary of how the Mexican higher education system works.

http://www.wes.org/ewenr/06jun/practical.htm

It's important for Americans and other Anglophones to recognize that university accreditation in Mexico (and in much of Latin America) is quite unlike what we are used to here in the United States. That's expecially important if we are considering private Mexican universities.

"In Mexico, the basic stamp of official approval for higher education studies is known as validez oficial de estudios (Official Validity of Studies). This classification serves as the basic indicator of governmental and professional approval of higher education programs, and in this sense represents the closest equivalent to regional accreditation in the United States...

Most programs at private educational institutions obtain the status of official validity in one of two ways, "incorporación" (incorporation) or "reconocimiento" (recognition)...

A private institution may have all or some of its academic programs of study "incorporated" under a public autonomous university. Incorporated programs are under the auspices and direction of the public autonomous university..."

This might be analogous to British 'validation', I guess, except that the 'incorporated' universities apparently award their own degrees, under the close supervision of the public university, using that university's syllabus etc.

In addition, there's...

The federal or state ministries of education or other agencies may bestow official validity upon all or a portion of a private institution's programs through "reconocimiento" (recognition). Private academic institutions must submit to the federal SEP or a state ministry of education an application detailing study plans and teaching personnel in order to have their degree programs considered for official approval. Programs that are granted approval receive the legal classification reconocimiento de validez oficial de estudios/RVOE (recognition of official validity of studies)..."

But here's what might be the most important difference between RVOE and American accreditation:

"It should be noted that some programs at a private institution may have official validity, whereas other programs at the same institution may lack it."

In other words, in Mexico as in other Latin American countries like Costa Rica, it's individual degree programs that are being accredited, not entire higher education institutions. It's entirely possible for a school to award both accredited degrees in some subjects and unaccredited degrees in others.

This illustrates a fundamental weakness in the whole 'GAAP' concept when it's applied to significantly different accreditation models. If a school can get RVOE status for just one of its degree programs, then the school presumably qualifies for inclusion in UNESCO's International Handbook of Universities, even if all the rest of its programs are unaccredited and undergo no external quality control at all. The school's marketing would doubtless emphasize the school's recognition, it's inclusion in the UNESCO Handbook and its 'GAAP' status, with the clear implication that all of its degrees are therefore 'GAAP' degrees and must therefore be accepted as RA equivalent.

We've already seen that particular slight-of-hand trick a number of times right here on Degreeinfo, dating back years to MIGS and the old U. of San Jose in Costa Rica's English-language doctoral programs. There are still schools out there doing it today.

 

Bill, that's fascinating that the same school in Mexico could offer both accredited and unaccredited degrees. Like you said, this is due to the fact that each discipline has it's own accreditation apart from the school in general. That seems like an awfully inconsistent way to do things. It also seems like it would be possible for a careless student to think they had an accredited degree when they actually didn't.

 

Some schools in Mexico have RA status in the US but they are not cheap. UNAM has good reputation but don't know if they have English DL courses. If you can write spanish, you will be able to find many DL opportunities. I have a friend following a DL doctorate from UPAEP (Universidad Popular Autnoma del Estado de Puebla). He teaches latin american studies so he is fine with the language requirements, the tuition fees are very low if I recall.

 

The same from SA, both countries have high levels of corruption so both places might raise questions. It might be easier to justify the Mexican degree if one's field is in History, Latin american studies, Spanish or similar field but hard to justify it from fields like business or education.

 

Yes, that could possibly be the ultimate degree if you were a professor of Latin studies. It is interesting that that school in RA in the US.

 

Sorry, the translation for:

"Usted es elegante aunque usted no habla español"

is really,

"You are elegant even though you do not speak Spanish".

The real translation for:

"You are smart even though you don't speak Spanish!"

is:

"Eres inteligente aunque no hablas español ."

Unfortunately, the online translation tools are not really 100% accurate.

 

Gracias. Hablo español no bueno. (Thanks. My Spanish is not good.)

 

But that's the correct grammar in Spanish, isn't it? I actually use a network version of Rosetta Stone in that class (that they dumped on me) and it does everything including evaluation. Far from perfect, I only know a bunch of words and as you can see, very little about grammar! Those kids would be in trouble if they were depending on my knowledge of Spanish! It appears that you actually speak Spanish. Muy impresionante. Wish I had the time to improve my skills but there is too much else to do.