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Weird accreditation claim on this TESOL degree? - Printable Version

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Weird accreditation claim on this TESOL degree? - EliEverIsAHero - 01-03-2026

I have never heard of TECCA, and the ".com" extension seems to be a red flag for accreditation.

I know the world of ESL teaching is known for being unscrupulous about credentials hiring/human-resources wise, but this still seems flimsy even by that industry's infamously loose standards:

https://www.thetesoluniversity.com/phd-degree-course.html

Has anyone else heard of either this program or its accreditor?


RE: Weird accreditation claim on this TESOL degree? - Messdiener - 01-03-2026

'Unscrupulous' is the perfect word to describe everything I saw on that site.

Run like the wind! Stay far, far away from this sort of 'credential'.


RE: Weird accreditation claim on this TESOL degree? - Sagan - 01-03-2026

The website offers no indication of where the school is located, from where it draws its recognition as a degree-granting institution, etc. This is highly unusual for recognized degree-granting institutions.

The website also offers a link to view examples of their degree certificates. This is also highly unusual for recognized degree-granting institutions.

There is a link to something called "Gateways University" for the business programs. All of the above applies there, too.

There is no indication of where the accrediting agency operates, nor from where it gets its recognition. The question in such cases should be, "Who accredits the accreditor"? We do not know if such an approval exists.

No faculty, administrators, or other personnel are listed. This is highly unusual for recognized degree-granting institutions.

The school's website says it was founded in the UK, but became a "cloud" institution like (it says) Open University. That's not a comparison I would propose.

According to Whois, the site is registered to an address in Florida. It is certain they do not have a license to operate a university in Florida. The phone number has a Utah area code. Ditto for their ability to operate in that state. Again, highly unusual for a recognized degree-granting institution. The website appears to have been registered through a 3rd-party, which may be operating from the address and phone number listed, as opppsed to the actual owners.

I'm not interested in offering an assessment of all this, except to say that one conclusion seems both obvious and accessible to anyone.


RE: Weird accreditation claim on this TESOL degree? - Mint Berry Crunch - 01-03-2026

(01-03-2026, 12:52 AM)EliEverIsAHero Wrote: I have never heard of TECCA, and the ".com" extension seems to be a red flag for accreditation.

I know the world of ESL teaching is known for being unscrupulous about credentials hiring/human-resources wise, but this still seems flimsy even by that industry's infamously loose standards:

https://www.thetesoluniversity.com/phd-degree-course.html

Has anyone else heard of either this program or its accreditor?

I am skeptical of a lot of institutions that don't end in .edu, at least over here in the U.S. That is why I am usually hesitant in doing foreign degree programs, or at least scouting out those that aren't at the forefront of discussion. Diploma mills are a real thing and a real problem. As I mentioned in another post before, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck.


RE: Weird accreditation claim on this TESOL degree? - bjcheung77 - 01-05-2026

That's too expensive for this! Hmm, I can create an Abide U Doctorate with the same name, FREE!


RE: Weird accreditation claim on this TESOL degree? - bjcheung77 - 01-12-2026

(01-05-2026, 05:02 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: That's too expensive for this! Hmm, I can create an Abide U Doctorate with the same name, FREE!

This is what I meant, Abide U Doctorate: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Abide-University-Honorary-Doctors-Degree