University of London

It's often graduate schools that want the evaluations.

The reasons are typically --

A) to determine if the content of the foreign degree corresponds to a domestic degree. In the case of a UK DL degree, there might be issues regarding general education, preprequisites, laboratories, 'honours' vs. three-year degrees, A-levels and all kinds of things. This will be a more pressing problem when the degree comes from one of the countries out there whose universities don't use our familiar bachelors-masters-doctorate degree terminology. Suppose somebody from Kazakhstan submits a 'Diploma of Specialist' degree? Is that bachelors equivalent? What if you have a teaching position that requires a doctorate and your Kazakhstan applicant proudly presents you with a 'Kandidat Nauk' degree? Is that a doctorate?

B) to determine how many American-style course credits to give different parts of the foreign program. British universities typically divide their programs up into classes that they call 'modules', but it isn't clear whether they should be 3-units, 4-units, 6-units or whatever, until somebody looks at them. This could be important if somebody wants to enroll in an American degree program and wants to get credit for already having taken calculus in the UK. Ok, but how much calculus? How many units? Credit for the whole American calculus requirment or just for a portion of it?

Only from unsophisticated people. Around here, the U. of California doesn't make people wet their pants, so I don't know why the University of London would. On the other hand, nobody would be likely to have concerns about its accreditation either.

With some employers and graduate schools, it boils down to this --

C) They will need evaluations in some cases, for the reasons given up above. So rather than making endless exceptions on a country-by-country or university-by-university basis, they just put in a flat requirement that all foreign degrees will need evaluations. That's the rule and that's that.

 

I doubt that the AALE accreditation would make any difference whatsoever, in terms of UoL degree evaluation in the US. My guess is that accreditation by a small, little-known, and non-prestigious US agency that specializes in liberal arts bachelor's degrees would be perceived as irrelevant in most situations.

In other words, if an employer or grad school or licensing board normally requires evaluation of UK degrees, then they would probably still require evaluation of the UoL degrees. The AALE accreditation wouldn't make any difference.

Alternatively, it is possible that other employers or grad schools or licensing boards might normally accept UK degrees without evaluation. In this case, they might not require evaluation for the UoL degrees. But again, the AALE accreditation wouldn't make any difference.

I can't say with certainty that the AALE accreditation is worthless in every possible situation. But I doubt that it has much, if any, real-world value. UoL itself doesn't seem to think so, since they don't even bother to tell their American students about it.

 

OK, thanks, I get it now. Maybe it's like the situation that developed between UNISA and DETC. They went to the trouble of earning the accreditation and then just let it lapse. I've always just assumed that they decided it just wasn't worth it.

 

Anyone working for a Texas Police Department who plans on using a degree must meet the standards set forth by the State. Which does not allow you to use a foreign degree to advance your license and so on. So in this case their additional accreditation would be what counts. Heck I'm not sure Texas even recognizes AALE though.....ok never mind, could not use them on that; they are not recognized in Texas.

 

At Houston Community College, you can use a foreign degree ( as long as it is evaluated and checked). I was told that yes, I can use my UNISA PhD for advancement. ( after it is evaluated)

 

I was talking about a police department, unless your talking about HCCPD. More info please!

 

I am talking about Houston Community College. I am talking the whole school. I would assume that would mean the police department too.

 

The PD is a whole different beast regulated by Tcleose.
http://www.tcleose.state.tx.us/forms/academic_recognition_award.doc
Taken from a state meeting.
“Agenda Item # 10 - Discuss Request for Waiver of TCLEOSE Rule 211.1(a)(3) by Kaplan College
Mark Evans, Executive Director, and Michael Price, head of the Criminal Justice program, spoke on behalf of Kaplan College noting that it is a nationally accredited school and that the Department of Education recognizes both nationally and regionally accredited colleges. Kaplan College is accredited through the Council of Occupational Education. Commissioner Griffith expressed his concern for making one exception to the rule that TCLEOSE only recognizes regionally accredited schools and asked that staff return to the June meeting with additional information on accreditation. Presiding Officer Hall asked if the college has applied for regional accreditation and, if not, why not. Mr. Evans was unsure why the school had not applied. He stated that national accreditation is a quicker process than regional accreditation. He stated he would like for the commission to consider the definition of accreditation to more closely match what is accepted by the Texas Higher Education Board, the Texas Board or Education and the Texas Workforce Commission. He also indicated that with their accreditation, they are held to a higher standard to have students complete their degree and be placed in jobs. Commissioner Lovejoy stated that regionally accredited schools focus on academics and nationally accredited schools focus on technical training.
Assistant Chief Rick Smith with the DFW Airport Police Department expressed his concern about granting a waiver. Human Resources departments may have accreditation policies that do not agree with any charges by TCLEOSE.”

 

Ok, then you have more information on that than I do. I will, and can, speak for the academic side of HCC. If you want a contact person, please IM me. I will be more than happy to supply the name, email address and number to you.

 

No I don't want to talk to anyone, I thing we are on some strange road and I am getting confused about what the heck you're talking about...lol

I'm a Lone Star College guy always....

 

That is ok. Lone Star College, Houston Community College, San Jacinto College...we all are doing it for the students. So we are all together.

 

That's great news and confirms what others have said.

 

University of London is viewed as top DL education provider.
Many give it highest ranks among DL universities.

 

But the thing is why would you need to have it on hand if it already has US accreditation?

 

I think your right, its weird though, why the AALE? Why don't they just go RA?

 

RA is more prestigious and widely accepted than NA. However, it is also quite difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to earn accreditation from a regional agency. It's generally much easier, faster, and cheaper to get accreditation from an national agency, such as DETC or AALE.

Many of the DL schools accredited by DETC are small operations that could never afford RA. Similarly, AALE accredits B&M schools like Magdalen College in NH, which has a total enrollment of 68.

UoL probably figured they could get AALE accreditation with relatively little trouble and expense, and they were probably right. However, they may have since realized that AALE accreditation doesn't count for a great deal in the US, despite its USDoE recogition. In fact, USDoE came close to withdrawing AALE's recognition a few years ago. AALE's authority to accredit new schools was temporarily suspended in 2006, then restored in 2007.

The AALE accreditation may demonstrate that UoL degrees are NA-equivalent -- but it doesn't demonstrate RA-equivalence, and that's what most UoL students in the USA probably want.

 

1. AALE is a national accreditation agency. So AALE accreditation arguably demonstrates NA-equivalence -- but not RA-equivalence.

2. The USDoE only authorizes AALE to accredit undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts. So AALE accreditation is pretty much meaningless, if you happen to have have a UoL professional degree (e.g. the LLB) or graduate degree (e.g. MSc). In the US, AALE has no recognition as an authority on such degrees.