SMC University...Recent changes

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Elbulk, May 11, 2018.

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  1. Elbulk

    Elbulk Active Member

    I was looking through the SMC website and noticed they had made changes to their operations. Find below excerpts from the "ACCREDITATION AND ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS" tab;

    ACCREDITATION AND ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS


    NEOS Business School

    Students admitted to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Doctorate of Business Administration programs will receive their degree from the NEOS Business School Malta.

    Established in 2017, NEOS is the first accredited European online-only business school to award both graduate and doctorate degrees.

    Neos Business School is accredited by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education Malta and is licensed to operate as a Higher Education Institution (NCFHE License: 2017-009) at MQF Levels 5-8. All programs offered at NEOS are accredited by the NCFHE and therefore recognized internationally.

    Universidad Central de Nicaragua

    Students admitted to a PhD program will receive their degree from the Universidad Central de Nicaragua.

    UCN Universidad Central de Nicaragua was founded in 1997 as a private Nicaraguan university in Managua, Nicaragua. It was accredited by the CNU Consejo Nacional de Universidades and received the status of a fully autonomous university with unrestricted degree awarding authority by Act of Parliament and by the award of the fully autonomous university status by Decree of the President of Nicaragua.

    ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs)

    All graduate and doctorate programs of SMC University adhere to the quality standards of the US ACBSP accrediting body (http://www.acbsp.org) by which they had been recognized and approved until 31.3.2018. As of April 2018, SMC University has decided to not renew its programmatic ACBSP accreditation due to lack of alignment of recognition within the Swiss education system being effected in the coming years.

    ACBSP confirms that any students enrolled on or before March 31, 2018 will receive an ACBSP-accredited degree upon graduation, since the program had been approved and accredited upon the time of their initial enrollment.

    Compliance with the Bologna Declaration


    Recognizing the importance of the European and International dimensions in education, SMC underwent the process of adapting to the criteria of the Bologna Declaration, which regulates the standards and transferability of credits and degrees in Europe. SMC fully complies with the criteria set forth in this international convention.

    ACBSP accredited degrees are recognized within learning institutions, colleges, and universities on an international scale. An accredited degree is however not a guarantee for enrollment and acceptance at other universities or businesses. Students are also advised to check with their local authorities on the recognition of the program and degree.



    I checked the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) Malta website and Neos Business School is a newly accredited business school in Malta as an online college.
    What are your thoughts on this.
     
  2. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Apparently they lost eligibility for ACBSP and responded by using relationships with these other institutions as a way to cover their own programs with the institutional accreditation of those institutions.

    It will be interesting to see whether that's the sum of their approach or whether this is merely an interim measure until they can cover themselves with institutional accreditation of their own somehow.
     
  3. Elbulk

    Elbulk Active Member

    By your judgement do you think this measure makes any sense?
     
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Just got a message on DI "Elbulk is now following you." Sounds a little ominous. Does Elbulk work at SMC in some capacity? Is he the owner, perhaps? Full disclosure, here.
     
  5. Elbulk

    Elbulk Active Member

    Hahahaha My name is Moses Gabriel Omolaiye (you can check me up on LinkedIn). I have no affiliations to SMC. Considered them in the past though. I'm a Technology Manager/Business Process Manager.
     
  6. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    Welcome Moses, save your money with SMC. There are many superior options with accreditation within their home countries.
     
  7. Elbulk

    Elbulk Active Member

    Thanks. Sad how a promising School is going down. By the way I've followed degree info for a very long time just never registered
     
  8. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    It seems like a bit of a nose dive but maybe they'll pullout of it. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
     
    Elbulk likes this.
  9. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Sorry, Moses. I'm a little paranoid because of... well, paranoia, I guess.

    I'm not sure how a degree from SMC would be viewed where you live. In fact, if I remember correctly, Nigeria took the drastic step of banning all foreign distance degrees a while ago. I'm not sure if that still applies. Whether or not you're still considering SMC - before you send money to ANY school abroad, check if its degrees are acceptable to your local authorities (or those where you intend to live, if you plan to move to another country.) I can't stress that too highly.

    On the subject of using relationships with other schools as a way of awarding accredited degrees - well, there are other schools which have done that successfully. Robert Kennedy College, another Swiss school, has partnered for years with a couple of British Universities in a similar move.

    SMC or anybody else in "partnership" with another school - make sure when you're asking authorities, that you ask about the school that's awarding the degree - the school name on the diploma. And also, look to see if there's any benefit to studying through the Swiss school. Is your degree going to cost more or less than would be charged by the British, Nicaraguan, or other foreign school that's awarding the degree. Perhaps you can get it for less if you "go direct."

    Always - ask lots of questions.
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2018
  10. Elbulk

    Elbulk Active Member

    You couldn't have said it better. The terrain here has become dynamic.The private sector is more flexible than the public sector. Ironically a lot of people (especially in the medical space) in Nigeria now have MPH and PHD degrees in Public Health from UCN through texila.
    I have a friend who has the undergraduate degree from SMC and works in the finance industry. He is doing well for himself.
    Thing is people are more daring here than they used to be.
    I started off from a government University in Nigeria but wasn't satisfied studying the course I was given, after 4 years put together between 2 departments I left.
    I got Cisco certifications.While I worked got a diploma, graduate diploma and a top up degree from a school in Benin Republic(which wasn't a popular option).
    Today I work and supervise people that have the "government" degrees.
    Most people just want to get ahead in their fields.
     
  11. Michigan68

    Michigan68 Active Member

    Doesnt make sense to me.

    I would have a hard time explaining that I attended SMC and have transcripts from a Univ in Nicaragua.

    What confused me is that the MBA and DBA is through one school and the PhD is through another.


    Michael
     
  12. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    If you are looking for a Western education at the doctorate level then there are a few options but they are pricey, most likely for profit, or closely held not for profit. If you are looking for an International quality education there are a few inexpensive options, mostly from Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. If a western based university does not have accreditation in its home country, the best option is to avoid it.
     
  13. Elbulk

    Elbulk Active Member

    Here on Nigeria accreditation is a big deal.
     
    SteveFoerster likes this.
  14. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Makes sense to me. SMC, in its characteristic fashion, tries to make sure their degrees are covered by some sort of recognition. PhD is through another school simply because this NEOS entity does not offer PhDs and likely is not approved to offer them. Notably, a DBA through SMC appears to be substantially cheaper than the same degree from NEOS Business School directly.

    SMC is not a degree mill. It is among the most affordable programs out there. There is a clear downside, in that its complicated recognition situation may be an obstacle for some. This is in contrast to the pretty unambiguous recognition a school like UNISA enjoys. Every student must decide whether the tradeoff is worth it. It is definitely not a highly ranked program (neither are UCN or NEOS thing). As for recognition in Nigeria, one should consult with Nigerian authorities.
     
  15. Elbulk

    Elbulk Active Member

    I totally agree with you. As for the utility in Nigeria. It should fly in the private sector mostly. A lot of people in the private space especially NGOs in Nigeria have UCN Masters and Doctorates mostly in Public Health through Texila. It has had utility for them from what I see.
     
  16. Michigan68

    Michigan68 Active Member


    Then what is the point of going through SMC, if you can apply and get the degree through UCN or NEOS or a University in the particular country you want?
     
  17. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    My first thought was that SMC is offering something, some type of degree, that the others are not. But that's not the case. SMC offers a generic selection of Business degrees. These degrees can be found at many schools. We have many thread filled with the names of those schools. So, what then? As M68 asked, what's the point? Maybe some people would rather have a Swiss degree than a Nicaraguan degree. Dunno.
     
  18. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    At least at one point, they were offering economics programs with a focus on the Austrian school of thought, which as far as I know is not otherwise found online.
     
  19. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    Also, things like the "Doctorate in Finance", with specific majors. These seem to be replaced with a single DBA offering, perhaps because that's what this new NEOS school is authorized to confer.

    Also, yeah, many people, especially in developing world, would rather have a degree from a Swiss school tan one from Nicaraguan one. This is how ABMS survives, too.

    Also, their undergraduate degree is remarkably cheap. However, now that they lost ACBSP accreditation, it is mostly useful for entering SMC's MBA program. Not nearly as cool.
     
  20. Michigan68

    Michigan68 Active Member

    That is what I thought too, but ELBULK stated in his original post that the degrees would be received through the other schools, making it sound like SMC wouldn’t appear on transcripts or diplomas.

    If SMC doesn’t appear on transcripts or diploma, then SMC is just a broker.
     

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