Graduates from DETC programs- ?

Hi Rhonda!

I'm doing great. I'm having a rough time in my stats class, but it's almost over. My Daughter is doing very well, thanks. She is getting so big, so fast. She is 14.lbs, 6oz already (at almost 4 months of age).

Yeah, that's ashame about your company. Someone needs to educate them on the value of distance learning. Anyway, it sounds like you have a lot of activites that you would like to get involved in. Of course you could still fit in grad school, if it's something your really interested in. Perhaps you need to find (or design?) an Interdisciplinary Masters program that combines Business/Agriculture/Creative Writing and Psych! Now that would be an interesting syllabus!

Take care,

Tom

 

Tom,

I know...I have way too many interests and not enough time with a full-time job and an 18-month old My daughter is up to 25 lbs now and still likes to be carried around...My arms get exhausted! That's great that you are almost finished your Statistics course. I think that would also be a least favorite of mine since I am not very strong in math. But once you get though it, you will feel more confident. Talk to you later

Rhonda

 

Re: Wow this guy is impressive!

My dear lord! When did this guy find time to breathe?

Rhonda

 

Please be aware that Amberton will not accept a DETC undergrad degree. I tried and was refused admission.

 

You are correct. They will not.

 

Maybe I missed something. I don't think anyone was questioning whether they could tranfer from an NA school to Amberton, I think the thought was to go to either an NA school OR Amberton.

Right?

 

My Associates is RA as will be my Bachelors. I was interested in a DETC for my Master's or MBA.

Rhonda

 

That's what I thought.

Well, as far as price goes, it doesn't get any cheaper than a DETC-accredited school for a master's degree. There are some exceptions, of course, but $5,000 for an MBA from Ashworth College, for example, is a deal that just can't be beat.

The question is, will the degree carry any weight with a future employer? That's hard to know, unless you call some of the companies you are interested in working for and just ask them if what type of degrees they are looking for, and if a DETC-accredited degree will cut the mustard.

Some employers clearly will not accept a DETC-accredited degree. That is why I chose to get my AS from a DETC school, but transfer to an RA school to finish my bachelors. I will also go to an RA school to get my masters as well.

If you find that a DETC masters will suit your needs, then I say go for it. If you aren't sure what your future needs may be, or if you hear otherwise from potential employers, then go for an RA degree for the greatest utility.

 

Here's my question...would an employer check the accreditation or even know what they were checking on? If you ask someone "hey would you accept a degree with accreditation in _____?" and then point out it is valid but non-traditional, I'll bet most respondents would say "no" as a knee jerk reaction.

 

Outside of academia (and quite a few nitwits inside it) few really understand the distinction between NA and RA and especially DETC.

I would avoid the "NA" tag and emphasize DETC and CHEA - or better still, simply CHEA.

The bottom line: Are you willing to bet thousands of dollars and year(s) of time and effort only to be told "sorry"?

 

Why bother explaining the accreditation in the first place? Why not just call a potential employer or HR Department and say "hey, would you accept a Master's Degree from __________ College as a qualification for this job?" They will likely say "as long as it's accredited". You could say "do you mean recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Ed?" If they say yes, you're golden.

If RA is really all that important to an employer, they'll know about accreditation issues, and they will check. If not, why get into the whole "RA vs. NA" debate?

 

And the bottom line is: Are you willing to bet thousands of dollars and year(s) of time and effort only to be told "sorry"?

Raytheon, for example, has a list of schools (RA) that they recognize. HR may not know RA/NA/DETC but they have their list.

 

Good Point.

 

Which is why I said one should call a prospective employer and ask if they would accept a degree from a particular college.

 

Here is some interesting information I read regarding DETC accreditation verses regional accreditation. Hopefully this can clear up some confusion on people believing regional accreditation is somehow "superior" or "tougher."

It should also be noted that "national" accreditation came into being because "regional" agencies refused to accredit for-profit institutions.

* The national accreditors and regional accreditors must comply with exactly the same criteria to be listed by the US Secretary of Education as an authority on quality.

* DETC requires schools to be evaluated every five years, whereas regionals allow ten years between visits.

* DETC has a higher rate of removing accreditation than any regional agency.

* Schools with dual accreditation (regional and DETC) generally say that DETC examinations are tougher.

* DETC accreditation programs have been praised by commissioners with expereince on regional accrediting agencies.

This information is from the DETC Jaunary 2006 Washington Post Newsletter.

 

Very interesting...and it doesn't matter.

 

It just seems that if you are not going to pursue higher education beyond the Bachelor's degree, then go with the NA as you'll save money and get the job advancement. However, with the current environment, if you are looking at Grad school or a life in Academie, stick with the RAs.

 

I have an MBA from Aspen University (NA) and am finishing up a MSIM from Aspen also.

One item that rarely comes out in these threads is that there are two things you get from a degree program, first, you learn something; second, you receive a credential.

99% of the rhetoric on this board focuses on the degree as a credential, and then even more narrowly as a credential into intensely competitive regionally accredited academia.

If your sole focus is a regionally accredited credential, then get one. If your focus is a general business credential, you have more options.

If your goal is to learn something, then I can say first hand that I have leaned a lot from going through the MBA program, and the subsequent Information Management program, from a school with NA accreditation.

DEL

 

One question I have is whether you feel you have been limited in job opportunities or advancement as a result of having NA degrees. Has the issue of accreditation even come up during job interviews or with your employer?

 

Absolutely no. As a matter of fact, my employer had to verify my school’s proper accreditation before they allowed for my pay increase. It was even taken a step further, where it had to be authorized and approved by the State of California. This was due to law enforcement officials receiving advanced state certifications for having an undergraduate and/or graduate degree. I’ve also been offered many opportunities outside of law enforcement with having my NA degree(s).

I agree there maybe a few employers who may turn their nose to an NA degree. I believe it has nothing to do with the NA accreditation, but more to do with a lack of knowledge and understanding of accreditation.