Will Saylor's MBA program be nationally or regionally accredited in the future?

[SteveFoerster]

Basically, you currently have an unaccredited degree (or at the very best, a state approved degree) from Saylor and it will remain that way unless otherwise noted by them.  Even if they do get NA or RA status, you can't use yours or reference it as an accredited degree until they update that within your records.  Some institutions will update the degree if the contents haven't changed when they get accredited, however, it depends on the institution, some will need you to go through newer regulations (extra class or two).  Congrats for now, wait for accreditation and resubmit request to get the diploma again...

On that note, how are the UoPeople NA degrees being treated currently? Are they automatically considered RA since they were accredited when issued?

It's pretty much either NA or RA, there's a fine line to that, there can't be a 'grey area', it's one or the other...  If the student graduates when the degree is NA, it remains NA until the institution can reissue a new degree indicating they meet the RA requirements.  If it's already transition to RA, and then they graduate the day after transition, they've got an RA degree, so when the diploma gets shipped, you've got the RA degree in hand.

That's what we always say, but no one has done an actual study on what employers and academic registrars actually do in this situation in like twenty years, so we really have no idea. Doubly so in that Uncle Sam no longer recognizes RA and NA as categories (rightfully, IMHO). 

That said, given that we know anecdotally that the vast majority of employers don't know the first thing about accreditation, I would be astonished if they treated any UoPeople any differently from those from any other institution, before or after they got WASC accreditation.

[ProReader]

How long does it roughly take to get NA?

I don’t think they’re candidates yet; the website says it’s be cause they do not yet have a graduating class - does this affect candidacy?

[Jonathan Whatley]

How long does it roughly take to get NA?

I don’t think they’re candidates yet; the website says it’s be cause they do not yet have a graduating class - does this affect candidacy?

Years, and how many years can vary widely. Typically a college cannot receive institutional accreditation until it has graduated at least one class. Some accreditors including DEAC do not have an official "candidacy" status.

[bjcheung77]

Instead of waiting, use your time wisely, do other cheap/freebies out there for undergrad/graduate credit, like the ASU one for the knowledge and filling learning gaps in subject area, you don't have to pay for the credits if you don't need it...

[SteveFoerster]

How long does it roughly take to get NA?

I don’t think they’re candidates yet; the website says it’s be cause they do not yet have a graduating class - does this affect candidacy?

There are no US-based accreditors who will consider an application from a school that's been running for less than two years and that doesn't yet have graduated alumni.

Have they said to which accreditor to which they're likely to apply? There seems to be an assumption they'd start with DEAC, but I don't see why they couldn't apply to SACS or Middle States.

[ProReader]

Instead of waiting, use your time wisely, do other cheap/freebies out there for undergrad/graduate credit, like the ASU one for the knowledge and filling learning gaps in subject area, you don't have to pay for the credits if you don't need it...

I agree.

I’m thinking of doing some of the Saylor direct credit courses. What does ASU offer? Is ASU similar to Saylor in terms of direct credit free courses?

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Also, are there any graduate credit free courses that would transfer majority to the UOPeople MBA?

[bjcheung77]

Graduate Certificate: ASU Global Management & Entrepreneurship - It's free to take the classes, but the credit is $500/3 credits, so 15 credits should be at least $2500 for that. I'd rather use them for the experience, filling in my knowledge gaps, and pay TESU or another institution for PLA credits at the graduate level, then transfer into their graduate programs instead. Easiest to get into would be the for-profits, as they want students but it's not a given, these classes need to hit requirements... I don't think there are any freebies at the graduate level, the cheapest would be doing ENEB and getting a foreign credit evaluation.