Sobat Now has free "CPD" training

SOBAT now has free CPD training (continuous professional development) The Free CPD training if broken down in to 20 professions as Business careers ( marketing manager, project manager , risk manager etc. ) and 12 careers in Social and Human services. ( Social worker, Social Services Specialist etc.) The CPD credits are earned by passing a test at 100% to get the credits. The CPD credits do not list an accreditor other than offered through open course ware. No courses - are tests. It doesn't appears that you have to first get a degree to do the CPD.
I did one -was fairly easy (Social Worker) in contrast to their regular courses which required study and effort.

https://sobat.org/cpd-training/

 

"Fairly easy" is an understatement with the Social Worker test. This should not take more than a few minutes of your time. The right answer is located in the same place with this test. I would definitely prefer to get my CPD/CEU units from places like Universal Class (IACET-Accredited Provider). I had their 12-month membership at one point.

 

Just did the "Data Analyst" stuff. Correct answer was always the same letter. No coursework, just the test.

I was pro-SOBAT all the time, but that was LAME.

 

Thanks, @tadj and @Mac Juli . You've "saved" me from SOBAT.

 

Yes, this was SOBATering...

 

I feel SO BATtered...

 

Again? Who was it this time? Some S.O.B. AT work?

 

ENEB was followed with great interest on this site. It is a propio - legal, private but not recognized by it's countries Education ministry.(Spain)
SOBAT's Masters in Business degree is also a legal. private school not recognized by Switzerland's Education Dept. Both can be used in the private sector at the discretion of the employer. SOBAT"S is cheaper in cost , and includes 10 courses each with timed tests. ENEB was offering a MBA solely on one test or doing courses. ENEB's
program has been evaluated by NACES members as "an unaccredited Master's degree" per posters.. SOBAT , I suspect , would probably be given the same designation by some NACES member. Validential ,non- NACES, has stated SOBAT is equal to a regionally accredited Master's degree in the USA . I would think they'd do the same for ENEB. A non-accredited degree is not going to be very useful even if determined by a NACES member and some members feel Validential giving it RA equivalency won't help either.
My question is why is ENEB' s degree given more respect than SOBAT on this site.? They are similar. I'm not advocating for either.

 

Beg to differ. These ENEB-sourced degrees are awarded by legit, fully-authorized Spanish Universities, e.g. Universidad Isabel I. They ARE recognized by the Spanish Education Ministry. A propio is a degree for which the awarding University has not sought specific approval. The University is within its rights to teach and award such a degree, without seeking Ministry approval. That's what makes it a propio - "own title." Such degrees are legally awarded, AND recognized, but carry some limitations.

(1) They are not to be used for Government employment, in Spain. Other employment -OK to use, non-government employers can make up their own mind as to what they require.

(2) They are not to be used for entry into higher study, e.g. a master propio will not serve to admit the holder into a doctoral program in a Spanish university.

That's about the extent of it. Yes they are Ministry- recognized, with those limitations. The comparison with SOBAT is therefore flawed. The ENEB-sourced degree is Ministry recognized and awarded by a legitimately credentialed Spanish University. SOBAT is neither recognized nor awarded by a University of any kind.

 

It might be better to say that these degrees are ministry-allowed without being ministry-recognized, as these degrees are granted by autonomous and accredited universities. At this point (with the recent changes to Spanish law), a propio is basically a continuing education Master's degree.

In Italy, you have something similar (though not the same, so please do not refer to this as a propio!)

First-level Short Specialisation degrees (Master universitario di primo livello)
These courses lead to an out-of-mainstream university qualification; they can be accessed after a 1st cycle degree course or a comparable foreign degree. They last at least one year and involve the acquisition of at least 60 credits.
The corresponding qualification does not give access to 2nd or 3rd cycles. The latter degree course is also clearly different from the usual master degree, which – not only in English-speaking countries but also in the whole area of the Bologna Process – corresponds to the Italian laurea magistrale.

Second-level Short Specialisation degrees (Master universitario di secondo livello)
These courses lead to an out-of-mainstream university qualification and can be accessed after a 2nd cycle degree course, single cycle degree course or comparable foreign degree. They consist in quite advanced scientific courses or studies in life-long learning programmes, last at least one year, and involve the acquisition of at least 60 credits.
This degree-course is therefore clearly different from the usual master degree, which – not only in English-speaking countries but also in the whole area of the Bologna Process – corresponds to the Italian laurea magistrale.

Link: https://www.unipd.it/en/short-specialisation-programmes

 

The value of Universidad Isabel endorsing it doesn't seem to impress NACEs evaluators who still evaluate it as it as an Unaccredited Masters degree. There is some issue among readers on this post whether this connection makes ENEB "accredited" SOBAT degrees are legal in Switzerland just as ENEB is in Spain. They like ENEB cannot be used for public employment but can for the private sector in Switzerland just like ENEB can in Spain. If the Propio ENEB is recognized by the Spanish Education Ministry and awarded by legit, fully-authorized Spanish Universities, e.g. Universidad Isabel I.- why can't they be used in Spain for government employment?
Both require courses and tests to pass. The one test for a MBA a program by ENEB really hurts it's credibility however. Again both would seen by NACES as unaccredited and equal to a USA R/A Masters by Validential. SOBAT is cheaper.
"Such degrees are legally awarded, AND recognized, but carry some limitations." The same can be said for SOBAT. No one or given any evidence that either program is a degree mill. They require work. Being given massive discounts on Groupon doesn't aid ENEB's credibility. You don't pay anything to SOBAT until you complete it and only if you want the credential. (degree) You do get a certificate for each course passed free to document your learning. SOBAT issues a transcript with the degree as I suppose ENEB does. So I can't see any difference or advantage to getting a degree from ENEB over SOBAT.

 

NACES isn’t an authority over any country’s degree-granting system. It is a US-based non-governmental trade association. Some of their members have treated the Universidad Isabel I propio in the way that you’ve outlined. Other NACES member evaluation agencies have reached a different conclusion.

Here’s my challenge to you, if you believe that Universidad Isabel I/ENEB and SOBAT are the same:

Send your SOBAT degree to one of the following agencies: https://www.naces.org/members. See if you can find a member that sees SOBAT as an accredited institution. It won't happen!

I have sent my Universidad Isabel I - ENEB degree to one of the members on the list (www.myiee.org). It says that I’ve obtained a Graduate Certificate from an accredited university! Show me a NACES member agency that will come to the conclusion that SOBAT is an accredited university.

 

I'll be glad to send it if you pay for it! Your degree was evaluated as a certificate. A graduate certificate when you did the work for a MBA degree.. I don't claim SOBAT would be seen as a accredited university by a NACES member. The majority of ENEB MBA holders have received an evaluation stating it is equal to a non accredited Master degree.
" NACES isn’t an authority over any country’s degree-granting system. It is a US-based non-governmental trade association. Some of their members have treated the Universidad Isabel I propio in the way that you’ve outlined. Other NACES member evaluation agencies have reached a different conclusion." Right, so what would be the point- It would have to be submitted to all NACES organizations. I think someone could make the case to an employer in the USA that the learning received in the SOBAT business degrees are just as helpful as from ENEB. Foreign degree evaluations are mostly used to either gain admittance in the USA or in regulated professions as education. I don't know that jobs in the private business sector would require this.
I hope your ENEB credential aids tour career goals. Since NACES members cannot agree or don't use the same set of standards to ascertain a degrees equivalency are they any better than Validential , a non-NACES agency who would say your ENEB coursework is equal to a RA MBA in the USA and not a graduate certificate?

 

Interesting information about Italian education options. Worth starting another thread to explore such offerings?

 

Qualifications that you obtain in one country may not be fully recognized in another country, especially in terms of the level of study. Graduate Certificate vs. Master's. That's okay. But WHERE you obtain them is quite important. You have a received a qualification from an unaccredited school which does not even list its faculty members. Is it a one-man operation? Have you checked? Both ENEB and Universidad Isabel I have lists of their faculty members and tutors. That's also an important difference. An atypical Master's degree from a typical Spanish university is a different qualification than a Master's degree issued by some unknown person. I know which I'd rather show to employers. But you can do your own thing.

 

If we can get more information on such offerings and if they will be relevant to our non-Italian bunch, sure.

 

I'm not invested in either program. I agree we do our own thing-what's good for me might not be good for you and vice-versa. As John Bear said make sure the program you do can meet your needs. I 'm just offering my opinion after reviewing other posts and my own research. I wish all posters the best in any educational endeavors they do.

 

With degrees not known by most US employers, there's a good chance you'll have to prove it's real and worth something in the US. How do you prove that? A foreign credential evaluation. ...hopefully.

IIRC, didn't you get a foreign credential evaluation, Dr. Mike, maybe a decade or more ago, when you became the first DI member to successfully navigate the Doctoral path at Universidad Central de Nicaragua? As I remember, you got a favorable evaluation. I don't believe you ever relied on that degree for employment purposes, though. But I'm sure you had your reasons. to obtain the evaluation.

 

@laferney As I see it, peace of mind and certain knowledge are reasons a-plenty. There are WAY more than one good reasons to obtain an official evaluation, for a foreign degree.

 

Tutti i membri della nostra "non-Italian bunch" dovrebbero imparare l’italiano. Il Padrino ha parlato. (All members of our "non-Italian bunch" should learn Italian. The Godfather has spoken.)