Diploma University - Germany

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Lerner, Aug 22, 2018.

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  1. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    https://www.diploma.de/

    The DIPLOMA is a private, state-recognized university, which offers both a classical college degree (the so-called classroom or campus study), as well as an innovative distance learning, in addition to the profession or training can be completed.

    Is this a legit school?
     
  2. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    It's in the running for the dumbest name, for sure.

    Germany does not appear to be a kind of state that'll let a fraudulent entity use "Hochschule" name on its soil. However, I don't really know; let's wait for a comment from someone who does.
     
  3. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    I can't read German, so website is not much help. However, the school displays a logo for FIBAA, business accreditation agency that was discussed here and found legitimate. It appears that a couple of programs at DIPLOMA are indeed accredited by FIBAA. Which shows, at least, that this is a serious effort. I would guess their other offerings are recognized somehow, as well.
     
  4. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

  5. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    It's apparently operating legally in Germany and its German language Wikipedia page says that it's accredited by AHPGS, FIBAA and ACQUIN. These are all specialized accreditors that seem to have some kind of recognition with the German Accreditation Council and with organizations like ENQA.

    I'm most emphatically not an expert on European higher education, but it looks legit to my layman's eye, in the German context at least. I'm not sure how well it would translate here in the US.
     
  6. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    From Google Translate,

    (That last line is an interesting mistranslation.)

    From German Wikipedia (also Google Translated):

    As far as I can tell, though, it doesn't show up on the WES Credential Evaluator (absence obviously doesn't imply that it's not recognized, it just would have helped.)
     
  7. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    WES Credential Evaluator can be very misleading. I steered my friend towards Ashworth because the Canadian version of WES Credential Evaluator listed it; well, turns out they don't accept DEAC. Friend got the degree, and was only able to convince her regulator to accept it by threatening to sue (as in, serving them with a claim brief her lawyer submitted to court). OTOH some RA schools are not on the list.
     
  8. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    Slight diversion but I remember that thread, she was applying to the College of ECE (CECE) in Ontario. As a former member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW - quite the mouthful), we have a similar issue with people who graduate from Ontario Private Career Colleges (PCC). The PCC programs are in Community Service Work and despite being very similar in content to the Social Service Worker (SSW) program they do not qualify graduates for entrance to the OCSWSSW.

    Edit:

    Interestingly, Athabasca U where I just graduated is not on the list, and they are RA by Middle States.
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2018
  9. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    A similar issue is when a worker obtains a "Diploma in ECE" from the likes of Stratford Career Institute. It's not recognised, so applicant is SOL. She was applying with Associates in ECE from Ashworth. It is identical in content with RA Associate degrees - and identically recognized by the State of Georgia. My friend obtained a Category 7 recognition from Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning - same as the graduates of any Georgia community or state college, or a technical college. The rules at the time clearly stated "diploma recognized in it's province of jurisdiction", which Ashworth, quite unambiguously, is. I collected a myriad documents in support of her application, and then appeal - including a letter from Dr. John Bear. Turns out the only people who can read in that outfit are lawyers from a fancy law firm they retain, who read our brief and supporting documents. To this day, this is the only time an applicant challenged their appeal decision in court.

    They since changed the rules to explicitly demand WES recognition, tightened language requirements, and shipped off the director of registration to I believe the Ontario College of Social Workers - but my friend has her card and retained her job. CECE has the distinction of having fewer foreign-educated members then the doctors and the lawyers in the province - this is for $16-an-hour job in heavily-immigrant jurisdiction. Freaking hypocrites.
     
  10. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    I know I'm late here, but I know how the German system works. DIPLOMA is a legit school, but the word "legit" has a slightly different meaning in the German context.
    Absolutely, and it's the undisputed German champion in that discipline.
    You are right, the two terms "Hochschule" and "Universität" are legally protected in Germany. That means every use of these words as part of a schools name is illegal (fraud) if that school isn't a legit Hochschule or Universität. However, only the German versions of these words are protected. Depending on the circumstances, it may be legal to call a school "university", if that school doesn't grant degrees. If that school is a branch campus of a foreign school which is legit in its home country, then it's even possible for such a school to grant (foreign) degrees.

    But why has the word "legit" a slightly different meaning in the German context?
    Well, many Germans, including German authorities, may say something like: "Accreditation is mandatory in the German system."

    What they mean is this:
    In very most countries, there is one set of rules regulating the legitimacy of a school and a second one dealing with school accreditation. In Germany, that's not the case. Germany has one (quite complex) set of regulations for both, school legitimacy and accreditation. That means the term "unaccredited university" is a legal oxymoron within the German context. A German school is either unaccredited or it's an Universität. It's never both since it's literally the accreditation which makes a school a Hochschule or Universität. Or in other words: In Germany, legit means accredited.

    DIPLOMA has both types of mandatory German accreditation, institutional and program accreditation. It is as legit (and accredited) as it gets. It's also one of the very few for-profit schools in Germany, but that fact has no relevance within the German system. German for-profit schools act like very most German schools. Therefore, the for-profit status of a school has no effect on its reputation. DIPLOMAs reputation in Germany is not great, but it's OK and definitely better than the reputation of some for-profits in the US.
     
  11. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    I read that DIPLOMA University is popular among German State-certified Technicians.
    While their credential is level 6 DQF that is comparable to bachelor's degree still they prefer to earn an academic degree so DIPLOMA University allows transfer and provides classes to complete the degree.
     
  12. mintaru

    mintaru Active Member

    Comparable to a bachelor's degree doesn't mean fully equivalent, of course. The reason why quite a few State-certified Technicians still prefer to earn an academic degree is the way the German labor market works, which is quite different from the US. For instance, German job adverts virtually always list a specific qualification or degree as a requirement. Something like a 'checkbox degree' is virtually unknown in Germany.

    For State-certified Technicians, this has a side effect. Almost all of them will come to a point in their career where it's impossible for them to get a better paying job without a further education. A person who wants to change to management may get the "Technischer Betriebswirt" qualification, which is at level 7 DQF, but there is no level 7 qualification for State-certified Technicians who want to stay in technology. They only have the option to get a degree.

    DIPLOMA is not the only school which offers transfer credit for the State-certified Technician qualification. The school who basically started that is Wilhelm Büchner Hochschule (https://www.wb-fernstudium.de/), and now there is a number of schools who do this. However, that's a relatively recent development from the last 10 years. Traditionally, it was quite difficult to change from the vocational to the academic track, and someone who did that had to almost start from scratch.
     

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