Acadamia vs Acamania

[Margret]

What really interests me is not only accredited vs non-accredited schools, but getting "the degree" in the first place. There are many of us out here feeling the pressures of academia to feel credentialed. Many employers and policy makers choose the greenhorn, just out of school, over the more experienced employee for an advanced postion. Meanwhile, that more experienced person makes less $, trains in the new staff, etc. Furthermore, there are persons, who 20 years ago, earned a degree, that still stands as valid compared to someone who has the experience without a degree. I could go on and on. I really want to know what has been written and/or published on this subject and any comments you may have.

Thanks

[Bill Huffman]

Originally posted by Margret
What really interests me is not only accredited vs non-accredited schools, but getting "the degree" in the first place.

There's really no good reason for getting a Bachelor degree from a non-accredited school. The utility of the degree will be very minimal and the price won't even be that much cheaper unless you go with a degree mill that doesn't even bother teaching classes.

You can convert your knowledge into a head start on a degree three different ways.
1. portfolio
2. exam
3. ACE, i.e., http://www.acenet.edu/calec/corporate/

Note that the list doesn't contain a category called getting credits for life experience or work experience. If you run into these phrases then you're probably looking at an unaccredited degree mill.

[Gert Potgieter]

Macadamia vs. Macarena?

Originally posted by Margret
What really interests me is not only accredited vs non-accredited schools, but getting "the degree" in the first place. There are many of us out here feeling the pressures of academia to feel credentialed. Many employers and policy makers choose the greenhorn, just out of school, over the more experienced employee for an advanced postion. Meanwhile, that more experienced person makes less $, trains in the new staff, etc. Furthermore, there are persons, who 20 years ago, earned a degree, that still stands as valid compared to someone who has the experience without a degree. I could go on and on. I really want to know what has been written and/or published on this subject and any comments you may have.

Thanks

It is just a reality of modern life. They were talking about degree inflation in a Sociology undergraduate course I took in the late 80's. For better or worse a diploma (also called a union card) says you have the knowledge and it says that to *some* extent you have some analytical ability and persistence to have stayed the course for four years (not saying this is completely accurate).

In the area I work in the workers were able to get by at entry level with an AA and substitution of experience for the missing years of the B.A. so there are a couple of older workers in this siutation. This is changing and there will probably soon be no substitution of experience for education and the minimum requirement will be a degree.

What I suggest you do is pursue your degree options through one of the big three that will allow portfolio credit (etc). You may be closer to doing a B.A. than you think. The options today make it much easier than it was when and where I did my degree. Don't take anything for granted, stay motivated, and start working on your degree.

Good luck.

North

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[Ian Anderson]

Originally posted by Margret
What really interests me is not only accredited vs non-accredited schools, but getting "the degree" in the first place. There are many of us out here feeling the pressures of academia to feel credentialed. Many employers and policy makers choose the greenhorn, just out of school, over the more experienced employee for an advanced postion. Meanwhile, that more experienced person makes less $, trains in the new staff, etc. Furthermore, there are persons, who 20 years ago, earned a degree, that still stands as valid compared to someone who has the experience without a degree. I could go on and on. I really want to know what has been written and/or published on this subject and any comments you may have.

Thanks

For many jobs (engineering, manufacturing, business administration) a degree gives an employee a solid basis. Subjects such as math and English never become outdated (except in rare instances). Earning a degree, for most students, also teaches them how to think. This initial learning is reinforced by their work experience and continuing learning so that they can compete on the work place. I am sure someone must have researched this subject and you might visit your local college library and do a search (this would also make a great thesis topic).