Has anyone heard anything about Ames Christian University in Florida? They have residential and distance programs including a "blended" bachelors program in conjunction with RA schools. They also appear to have a very low priced DL MLA program. They are supposedly approved by Florida state authorities. Does anybody out there have any experience with their programs, good or bad? I would especially like to hear from Dr. Bear. Incidentally John, if you do read this thread, I am the fellow who sent you the catalog for Cambridge State U. a long time ago.
Hi CHGODAVE ! Welcome I too was checking out Ames. The way I'm seeing it they are not RA. If you must go to another college to get all your classes for credit and then take their non- RA classes then it may be better to just go to a fully RA college/Christian college to do everything. This way all classes are accepted all around. Why go to all the trouble to get your degree sprinkled with non RA recognized credits when you can get your cake and eat it too at a fully RA school? That said, I'm no expert and you should get more advice from John Bear as well as the other members who have more experience than me Have a nice day & God Bless you!!!
What are you looking for in terms of a degree. I would always stick to an accredited school. There are such a wide variety of accredited and affordable DL options. http://www.bakersguide.com Great site. Includes DL levels from certificate to doctorate. All accredited. http://www.tracs.org US DoE/CHEA recognized accrediting agency. Lists many schools a number of which offer DL. Your most versatile form of accreditation at least at the BA level is going to be RA. North
People, People . . . . . . Are y'all truly THAT naive? This school is a sham, period. By the way, they are NOT "supposedly approved by Florida state authorities." Religious schools in Florida operate under an exemption from licensure - alleged "schools" like Ames are merely allowed to operate, they are neither licensed nor approved in any manner. So tell me, when are some of you going to learn that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is . . . (Never mind, kiddies, that was a rhetorical question.) Another "by the way" - their concept of a "blended" program is bullshit, as is their mention of schools like Thomas Edison State College, which has a policy of accepting transfer credit only from regionally accredited schools. Any transfers that take place are strictly one way - Ames may recognize TESC, but TESC would laugh its collective ass off at Ames. Welcome to the board, CHGODAVE.
I do not see where any of the previous posters were in any way naive. The original poster put "blended" in quotes, and said "appear" and "supposedly". He asked for experience with the outfit and asked Bear's opinion. The other posters weighed in for other options and unmistakably against this school. If it does not pass muster to ask and answer straightforward questions, then what is the non-naive (sic) use of this board?
That is a shame. They are low cost even for a mill and they seem to offer real instruction. Probably, if somebody was looking for a low cost non-RA degree they might be better than something like St. Regis or Adam Smith. I thought Florida had toughened their school laws after they chased out the likes of the old "Florida State Christian College" back in the 70's. They, like CA and MO used to be havens for mills back in my college days in the early 70s. I am amazed at some of the mills which charge as much as $10K or more for degrees no better than those at instantdegrees.com which only charges $150. I did indulge in buying a Ph. D. from them since I always wanted to be able to call myself Dr., and I figured that if one is going to acquire a worthless degree just to have a title it would make sense to get the cheapest available. However I started an MS in Biology 30 years ago and never finished and I wanted a respectable Masters before I die. I was considering Greenwich but they seem to have gone down hill lately. Does anybody know of an RA or DETC external MS in any of the life sciences around, I have not found any?
When I did a search for what else was at Ames Christian's address, to my considerable surprise, I found that it is also the address of Acton University. When James Kirk pleaded guilty to fraud for running his fake La Salle University in Louisiana and went to federal prison, one of his first activities was starting Acton University, from his prison cell. I thought it had gone away, with Kirk's release and his involvement with La Crosse, but there it is, in Naples, Florida, with a website almost identical to that of Ames Christian. Ames: http://www.ameschristian.org Acton: http://www.canislearning.com/About_Us/about_us.html I have no way of knowing whether or not it is still Kirk; the "WhoIs" and "BetterWhoIs" sites did not provide ownership information for Acton. Ames is registered to Todd Wieland.
