Signum Magnum College

Hello!


Passed the fist course successfully! - You can take them in any order, but I chose to start with the "Finance for Managers" -course from IESE Business school. The course itself was very good. The acting and the background story was, well, "debatable" would be an appropriate word. The background story is about a bank manager team who discusses if they should lend a small business 1/2 million Euro to finance his business. They don't come to a conclusion, and the bank manager runs into his former prof (the host of the course) to discuss the problem with him. Yeah, bank secret is overrated anyway... But if you can forget that and the bad acting, a VERY good course!!

Onwards to "IBM AI Foundations for Business". Which is a good course but a good example why education should be independently funded - it's a sales pitch for IBM products as well!!

Anyhoo, paid nothing until now. Suspicions were not confirmed!!


Best regards,
Mac Juli

 

I'm still suspicious of anything SMC. Yes, it's accredited in Malta. As a Higher Education Institution. Not a University. That would be at least one grade higher. Does anyone have ANY clue if a degree from a Maltese school deemed an HEI, would actually have any standing? Could it pass a legit credential evaluator's sniff-test in Europe or UK - or (gasp) the US? If so -- pass as what? A full degree? Accredited? Unaccredited? Grad Cert? Nothing?

 

At the first look I thought this was a clear thing.
Triagon Academy or SMC offer PhD's that are accredited on EQF8. So a full doctorate.
However it is a little supspicious that so many new schools and PhD's come up in Malta so quickly, e.g. woolf with their many programs.

However I just looked into german language DL boards and it turns out that nothing is really clear, at least not from a German state point of view. It seems the German authorities are not yet sure if they should fully accept these Higher Education Institutions.

https://www.fernstudium-infos.de/topic/17975-doktor-an-der-triagon-akademie-auf-malta/page/8/#comment-196250


I'm translating a part of the text from this topic into english with Google translate:


"There is a relevant differentiation between the recognition of study programs or education providers (higher education institutions) by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) and the recognition of academic degrees from Malta, especially in Germany. Although the MFHEA is authorized under Maltese law (Further and Higher Education Act, Chapter 607) to accredit and monitor education providers and programs, this accreditation relates only to conformity with qualifications frameworks and not to the awarding of academic degrees. Correspondence with the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) and the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) shows that the recognition of study programs in Malta as “accreditation” simply means the approval of a study plan that may be offered. For “licensees” to carry out these studies, a separate permit is required in the country in which the study is being carried out, which in this case is not available for Germany. In Malta, currently only three institutions - the University of Malta, the Institute of Tourism Studies and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology - are legally authorized to award academic degrees under the Education Act (Chapter 327) and in the Further and Higher Education Act, Chapter 607) legally legitimized as “self-accrediting providers”. As a consequence, this means that qualifications from private Maltese education providers, in this case a higher education institution, even if they are obtained at the highest qualification level (MQF/EQF Level 8), will not be recognized as equivalent to academic degrees awarded by universities . Those higher education institutions are not universities in Malta. This can be particularly misleading if private education providers give the impression that they award academic degrees such as “Doctor of Philosophy”, but ultimately only, if you look at the wording on some degree documents, a “course” or a “study program” on MQR/EQR -Certify level 8 and are not (allowed to) award an academic degree!"


However in other german Boards I read about another student who received full recognition for his PhD from a Malta Higher Education Institution in Germany.

So it's not really clear at this point.

 

Nevertheless the free MBA that Mac July found is surely a very nice thing

 

I thought not. Thanks Johann766.

 

*first, dammit! No martial arts or boxing course!

 

Well, as far as Transknowlogy tells yes.

Well, even if the SMC stuff has a bad standing, you still get the coursera certificates and that's not bad either!

 

Or maybe they just know something others (including me) fail to realize.
So, Steve - can you tell me the unvarnished truth? Do these Maltese SMC degrees work in America?

 

Hello!

Was not really relevant for me; and they don't claim that "Transknowlogy MBA" is accredited anyway.

Best regards,
Mac Juli

 

Hello!

I got a "Course Certificate". I think it is the same as in Courseras Plus. See below!

Best regards,
Mac Juli

 

The whole point of EHEA was supposed to keep these things clear:if the degree has standing at home in Malta, it also should have it in Germany. Then again, I know of them rejecting a regionally accredited BSBA, so... not the most reasonable bunch.

 

Sigh.... Ain't that the truth. The Information Autobahn is littered with examples that prove your point.

Ich weiss nicht was soll es bedeuten,
Dass ich so traurig bin... (Die Lorelei)

(Tr. I don't know what it means, that I am so sad.)

 

If the following statement from Woolf's homepage is true there should really be no problem at all regarding the recognition within the EU. Same would apply form Sigma Magnum.


https://woolf.university/legal/accreditation-malta

In Europe, Woolf is a Higher Education Institution and is not licensed as a “university,” which is a specially reserved term. As a licensed Higher Education Institution, Woolf is able to offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees with the same status as issued by a “university.”

 

Hello!

This could, likely, be done. From the description of the course: "If you wish to gain access to additional free (elective) courses, professional certificates, or specializations, please check the Coursera catalog and let us know your preferences. You may indicate a specific course, or topic, and we will assign it to you.".

Best regards,
Mac Juli