Accis and more

Hi. I am an American lady living in Oman -far away from the states. I have a Master's of Science in Nursing Education from a regionally accredited university with a great reputation- I even taught there. I am wanting to add to my education a Computer Science degree..... since this is my first love (no work experience with it though) and I want to use it with the nursing degree to get into health sciences software development and programming... My problem is that I have done a lot of research on the net to get a school that will work for me while living over here - maybe indefinitely but probably not.. ACCIS does not have the best reputation for it's past conduct according to what I hear from most experts here and elsewhere. But, despite all of that I finding it to be one of my choices that would work - UNISA might work but I would have to go to another country to take the exams - very expensive and timely since I have small children. So are there any other options that you can see? I have been through the 100 mail and Internet universities that John Bear recommends but there is always a glitch with me living over here. Do you think that in 3-4 years that ACCIS will have a better reputation? I can't find a thing wrong with their website or information they have sent me... everything SEEMS on the up and up. I've checked them out as best I can (about.com lists them) but I still know what has happened in the past. Finances are another consideration since they are limited... each course at the other places that might work run at least 1000 dollars - most 1200 or 1400. So I am looking for any and all opinions and/or ideas that might help me.

Thanks!
Dee

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www.eldardiri.com

 

At Athabasca University, undergraduate courses cost about $111 (Canadian) per credit. Excelsior and TESC program will even cost less. If you are interested in CIS, I think that Athabasca, Exelsior, and TESC are good options.

Ike Okonkwo

 

Thanks Ike for the help.... I will check it out and may get back to you. I have decided to reconsider the schools that I all ready looked into as well as reconsidering UNISA. As far as UNISA is concerned, do you or anyone else reading this message think that for the Computer Science degree that UNISA would be better perceived by an employer than a DETA school from the US? Living over here - people have this idea of American schools being so good and when I mention UNISA to people they don't have clue to what I am talking about and seemed to think that the American School would be better. But I am not sure how UNISA is perceived in the states regarding a Computer Science degree. Does anyone know that is that field?
Thanks
Dee

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www.eldardiri.com

 

Dee,

Welcome to distance education. One of the rites of initiation is explaining to your family, friends, prospective employers, coworkers, and passers-by what distance education is, what accreditation is, and why you're studying via distance instead of at University of XXX. For good form you might throw in a couple guffaws at the 'when will your class reunion be' or 'how is your football team doing' comments.

It's not surprising that noone has heard of Unisa; typically the only people outside South Africa who have heard of it are those who are aware of distance education and institutions offering courses for remote study. Speaking as a student, Unisa has a good curriculum and rigor; a credential earned from it is respected and accepted in academia and industry. I'm documenting my experiences with Unisa and you're welcome to take a look at http://marksykes.netfirms.com/unisa/unisa.html . Incidentally, I understand Unisa can at its discretion arrange for the comprehensive exams to be taken at an 'official location' (university, library) if the student has trouble making it to one of the published exam centers.

If you would rather pursue the American degree, another DETC-accredited school to consider is Grantham, http://www.grantham.edu . They are better known as an electronics technology school, but they have a fairly complete and current computer science program, and none of the reputational baggage that plagues ACCIS.

Good luck,
Mark A. Sykes

 

You are so right I think. I keep thinking that more people will catch on to the idea of DE - I am sure in 10 years that half of the courses out there will be offered online... it is the way the world is going. But it still won't replace the traditional route. I guess I have a good excuse for all those who ask about me seeking DE- no universities here open to me.......

Mark, your page I checked out yesterday. I am waiting to see how it is going.... When are your exams....

This is great news. I will contact them to see if it is possible... the exam center is at least 6 hours away and involves getting a visa for another country - my whole family would have to come with me... especially if the exams are spaced out. Are your exams spaced out? I know the Comp. Science courses are year long modules which is better if I have to travel long distances.

Thanks Mark. I did check them out and I have them on my list to reconsider. I have emailed them but they haven't written me back....

I appreciate your help and comments.......

Dee

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www.eldardiri.com

 

The answer is yes, UNISA degree may be considered more prestigious than a degree awarded by a DETC accredited school. Dr. Bear and Rich Douglas have conducted a research on the acceptability of degrees awarded by schools accredited by Regional/DETC/ACICS/State Approved agencies.

Thanks.

Ike Okonkwo

 

This is what I needed to know. I did just buy two books from Dr. Bear that should help me understand things better. They should arrive in the next 5 days. About 4 years ago I bought his book and it was so helpful in understanding everything! I trust his research.
Thanks Ike again.

Dee

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www.eldardiri.com

 

The strange footnote to this is Unisa has applied for (and will likely receive) DETC accreditation.

Mark A. Sykes

 

Will this LOWER their acceptance and group them into THAT category of not so great DETC accredited schools... ?

Dee

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www.eldardiri.com

 

Presuming Unisa's bid for accreditation is successful, I would expect it to lower their reputation. As registrars at RA schools learn that Unisa is DETC-accredited, I anticipate seeing more rejection (or at the very least, remediation) of Unisa-credentialed students seeking higher RA degrees.

This hasn't anything to do with Unisa's academic rigor; it is a business decision made in the registrar's office. But, the accreditation hasn't happened yet, and this is strictly unsubstantiated conjecture, perhaps hyperbole, on my part.


Mark A. Sykes, who still doesn't understand how one DoE-approved accredited institution can as a policy summarily reject credit for say, a calculus class from another DoE-approved accredited institution without any consideration of course content or thoroughness, and then seriously consider themselves in the battle for academic freedom.

 

Speaking as a potential Unisa master's student myself, I think the DETC accreditation will definitely make them less desirable. Without it, they are a respectable GAAP school in the South African tradition. With it, they would enter a second-class American grouping. (Not necessarily second-class in terms of academic quality, but second-class in terms of acceptance in the academic community.) I hope Unisa does not go through with the DETC plan.

Alex

 

Alex, would you think the same of a regionally accredited University that was also DETC accredited?

 

I was thinking along the lines of what Alex wrote. But Paul, you do have a good point there... no, I wouldn't think less of them. But, it still might have some effect on the people who don't know anything else about UNISA except that they are (would be) DETC accredited...

Dee

 

Remember, if and when you ever need to reference UNISA, you will far more likely be using "The University of South Africa" and not UNISA. I think it is a significant stretch that the first thing people will think of when they see "The University of South Africa" is little ol' DETC. I would wager that most registrars, and all employers, would have very little clue about any DETC accreditation.

I find the mere thought that a very well established, internationally recognized, huge state run university could see its acceptance diminished by DETC accreditation as bizarre. UNISA is a long-standing, internationally respected institution of higher education. That all of a sudden, UNISA would lose some favor because of adding DETC accreditation makes litle sense.

Do we imagine that the regionally accredited College for Financial Planning is blackballed by other universities for also carrying DETC accreditation? My conjecture is that anyone in a position to care, won't.

 

If a school has both regional and DETC accreditation, they will be on the regionally accredited list, for those who check such things to verify. Unisa will be on the DETC list and not the regionally accredited list. Whether we like it or not, DETC does carry less weight in the academic community than regional accreditation. Non-US schools are generally evaluated separately, but with DETC accreditation they would be classified along with other schools that (deserved or not) enjoy less of a reputation than RA schools. I think Unisa has little or nothing to gain by adding DETC accreditation and potentially something to lose.

Many people need to consider the future market value of a degree when deciding where to study. I believe that DETC accreditation could diminish the market value of a Unisa degree, even though the academic quality would still be as high as before. I do not think it is a good thing that DETC accreditation could have this effect, but I do think that some employers will continue to have a negative view of DETC accreditation. I am still considering Unisa, but with this risk in mind.

Alex

 

Why would DETC accreditation lower UNISA's reputation? The University of Leicester in the UK is DETC accredited, I believe, and its reputation doesn't seem to have suffered.

I can't imagine why. If UNISA graduates are already accepted into American higher degree programs, then why would the additional DETC accredition change anything?

Besides, if somebody has a BSCS, would university registrars even be making the important decisions? Admissions to graduate programs in the US are usually made by departmental committee, aren't they? And job hiring is something else again.

I can even imagine a poorly informed American employer not having a clue about South Africa, but being reassured about UNISA because it has accreditation by an American DoE recognized accreditor.

Personally, I consider UNISA's pursuit of DETC accreditation to be a good thing. In the past UNISA seemed to have little interest in serving students outside South Africa. Apparently that is now gradually changing. While I don't think that DETC accreditation will add anything to UNISA's academic reputation, it is an indication that UNISA is trying to appeal to an international student body who may be more familiar with American DETC than with South African approvals.

 

I'm with you on that one, Paul.

DETC or no DETC, UNISA remains a foreign university. Universities and employers would treat it as such and look it up in whatever references they presently use. They probably wouldn't even know about the DETC accreditation until they had found the same listing that they would have accepted anyway, had DETC not been there. So I don't see the problem.

 

Yeah, DETC accreditation shouldn't harm UNISA. And it will only enhance DETC. Two dynamics are likely afoot. First, DETC accreditation can be of great assistance for employees to receive tuition assistance for UNISA degree programs. A review of the literature shows that when a company's tuition reimbursement policy requires a school be accredited (and many of them don't even say that much), they seldom describe what kind of accreditation is acceptable. It may be less of a "sell" for an employee to get a DETC-accredited school pushed through the process than a foreign school, even one already meeting GAAP (as Bill noted above).

Also, there is a push by DETC to accredit foreign schools, especially those offering doctorates. Their goal was (is?) to demonstrate their ability to accredit these programs in order to get the USDOE's approval to do so. Accrediting some of UNISA's doctoral programs may help in that regard.

 

Are you saying that you think there are employers who would otherwise have accepted a degree from the University of South Africa, but would decide not to if, in addition to their internationally accepted status as a sate run university, they accepted DETC accreditation?

 

I agree that this is a win-win for both of them. Though perhaps more so for DETC, since for UNISA it is more of a symbolic gesture to the world.

Getting some well known international research universities on board certainly adds to DETC's profile.

As Rich suggested, it helps move them upwards from the trade-and-vocational accreditor level to the full university accreditor level. That can only help them in their pursuit of DoE approval to accredit doctorates.

It also adds to DETC's perceived overall credibility. An accreditor is only as credible as the schools it accredits. Unfortunately for DETC, it has admitted some rather questionable applicants recently. So they badly needed some new members with unimpeachable world reputations. Landing UNISA certainly helps meet that need.

I also wonder if DETC might be looking at a longer term strategy of breaking out from the United States and becoming a full-scale international distance education accreditor. There is a need for such a thing, and the only other entrant in the field, GATE, seems to be going nowhere.