$99.00 monthly MBA

There are several possibilities (in no particular order

1. They need the money.

2. They believe in DETC and/or a particular DETC institution and want to help them succeed.

3. They don't fully understand accreditation issues.

4. They really don't care about accreditation issues.

5. They feel that they could learn something by working for an institution that specializes in DL.

6. They don't think they will get tenure and are exploring their options.

7. They want to relocate.

8. They want to move into adminstration and figure they might have a better shot with a DETC school.

9. They have a physical disability that makes classroom teaching difficult.

10. They like DL, and may not have the opportunity to conduct DL classes at their "home" school.


The list goes on and on...

 

PCDI/Ed Direct The Wal-Marts of Higher Ed

Most of us who "monitor" degree programs as a hobby or even as part of our job know PCDI (like its twin Ed direct/ICU) is not quite Harvard. Well, it's not quite Excelsior or COSC either. It is definitely not as well thought of as AMU, which currently is DETC also.

My wife is working through ICS/ED Direct currently; she went through their high school program and is now doing a school aide program. She's thinking about an ASB with them later.

But I have to say I appreciate the business initiative to go after the discount market. ICS and PCDI run an efficient program that relies upon workbooks and texts that they publish (all inclusive tuition), multiple choice standard tests, and shotgun advertising. I'd guess the masters programs would require essays and papers, though probably less than a "typical" MBA/MCJ degree. So they may be the Wal-Mart of higher education, where Harvard is Tiffany’s or Saks 5th Ave. But hey, everyone shops at Wal-Mart once and a while, and you can pick up decent stuff there sometimes at great prices right? (Would that make KWU a pawn shop?)

You have to admire the aggressiveness, when so many programs are charging nearly $4K a class. I wish them luck, maybe I'll consider a second (less important or necessary) masters degree.

 

Am I mad, or do the course fees include a textbook? Wow, in traditional program you pay half of that for books alone!

I still can't stop wondering about the use for such a degree, though.

 

Two totally different topics, and not being a psychologist or psychiatrist I cannot answer the first part, but I do have an opinion if you are interested.

 

I have had a look at their Criminal Justice Masters program. I have had thirty years plus in this business at the senior management level.

I also hold a Masters in Public Policy and Administration from an Australian University.

Admittedly, I do not know the American market but I would consider the content of the degree to meet most industry requirements and the faculty to competent to teach it.

I would think that the degree would be suitable for the industry. I do not know about whether you would make a CEO of some department or be able to teach. It has been my experience that the CEO position is largely a product of marketing and networking.The formal quals are secondary. It may be that they are connected to the networking (old school tie). Few of us want to teach and if you have the experience in the field then the offers seem to come your way without application.

If you want to be a competent administrator in the field then the degree looks alright, but it will need to be backed up with the operational experience. Very few of us reach the CEO status and probably very few of us actually want to.

The important thing is that it is not a diploma mill. It should teach you how to do it. The criminal justice area is still less impressed with academic credentials than other areas. It is more concerned that you can do the job.

I would imagine that other businesses are much the same and the MBA would be useful in that sense as well. The issue is what you are trying to achieve.

 

I must be the skeptic of the group. I find their offering wanting. I think it is unlikely an organization goes straight from teaching only low level AAs to Masters degrees. I would lump them with other low level for profits ie Education Direct, ICS, CCU, ACCIS, etc. To each their own.