European International University

[SteveFoerster]

Authorized, accredited, legitimate, and useful are four different words that mean four different things in this context.

I get it that unwonderful institutions exploit the lack of general understanding of this by implying that the first of these things necessarily leads to the last two, but that's a different matter.

The US system of higher education is a triad, and in that triad it is the state, through licensure or exemption, that authorizes institutions to grant degrees—period. It is not merely "technically correct" and it is certainly not "false": it is a fact. If you want to say that something else is the case "in reality" or "de facto", that's certainly your prerogative, but at that point you have left the descriptive behind and moved on to the prescriptive.

Although to close the loop here, most of this doesn't even apply to EIU, since it's part of the 95% of the world that is not the US. I will say that their recognition from ACBSP and IEE are, in my opinion, much stronger signals that they're legitimate than merely operating legal under French law. Deciding whether they're useful, however, I leave to those it would actually affect.

[eLearner]

Correct me if I'm wrong or missing something, but regarding the United States, it's been my understanding forever that individual states determine degree-granting authority at the base level. This allows unaccredited schools the right to issue degrees from the state where they are authorized to operate.

Once an accreditor comes into the picture, the school submits to their authority to allow them to offer degrees. They allow that authority to maintain because if they waver from it the accreditor can sanction them or terminate their accreditation. But if the school lost its accreditation and had to revert to operating based on state authority again, their ability to issue degrees from that state would still be in place.

This is why I think it's important to not try to place the American education framework on other countries. We don't have a centralized education ministry that determines all of these things like France and Spain and many other places have. The systems are very different.

[PearsonOTHMQualifi7654]

Accreditors do not create degree-granting authority; the laws of the relevant jurisdiction (states, territories, countries, etc.) do.

Thus, when an institution is lawfully permitted to confer degrees, any accreditation it subsequently obtains from an accrediting agency primarily serves as an additional layer of external quality assurance rather than as the source of its legal degree-granting authority.

Accordingly, ASIC, ACBSP, AACSB, IACBE, ABET, ACEND, DEAC, HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, SACSCOC, WSCUC, NWCCU, ACCJC, ABA, LCME, COCA, CCNE, ACEN, ACPE, CEPH, APPA, CSWE, CACREP, ACOTE, CAPTE, ARC-PA, CCE, CODA, AVMA COE, CAEP, or ABFSE - do not legally authorize an institution to award degrees.

The legal authority to confer degrees in the United States comes from the individual states (or other applicable governmental jurisdictions, such as U.S. territories). That authority does not transfer to an accrediting agency. Accrediting agencies are private, non-governmental organizations that evaluate educational quality; they do not possess the legal authority to authorize institutions to award degrees.

When an accrediting agency is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), institutions accredited by that agency are commonly referred to as "recognized" or "institutionally accredited" in the United States. 

However, neither the USDE nor CHEA accredits institutions directly or grants them the legal authority to confer degrees. 

The USDE recognizes accrediting agencies for certain federal purposes,.

CHEA independently recognizes accrediting organizations as part of the nongovernmental quality assurance system.

In some states, state law requires institutions to obtain accreditation from a U.S. Department of Education (USDE)-recognized accrediting agency as a condition of operating or continuing to award degrees. 

Thus, where accreditation is legally required, it is the state or territorial law, not the accrediting agency itself, that creates that requirement

Other jurisdictions provide alternative pathways, including statutory exemptions or religious exemptions. 

For example, Indiana provides exemptions for certain faith-based institutions under specified conditions
Guam exempts certain nonprofit religious institutions offering religious education or training adherents in the care of the sick according to their religious tenets. 

Accreditation in the United States is a voluntary system of private quality assurance. 

An institution that loses accreditation has failed to meet the standards of its accrediting agency. 

Whether that institution may continue to operate or lawfully confer degrees thereafter depends on the laws and regulations of the state or territorial jurisdiction in which it is authorized.

[Sagan]

Authorized, accredited, legitimate, and useful are four different words that mean four different things in this context.

I get it that unwonderful institutions exploit the lack of general understanding of this by implying that the first of these things necessarily leads to the last two, but that's a different matter.

The US system of higher education is a triad, and in that triad it is the state, through licensure or exemption, that authorizes institutions to grant degrees—period. It is not merely "technically correct" and it is certainly not "false": it is a fact. If you want to say that something else is the case "in reality" or "de facto", that's certainly your prerogative, but at that point you have left the descriptive behind and moved on to the prescriptive.

Although to close the loop here, most of this doesn't even apply to EIU, since it's part of the 95% of the world that is not the US. I will say that their recognition from ACBSP and IEE are, in my opinion, much stronger signals that they're legitimate than merely operating legal under French law. Deciding whether they're useful, however, I leave to those it would actually affect.

I'm not saying they operate inferior programs. I'm saying they issue inferior degrees.

---

Accreditors do not create degree-granting authority; the laws of the relevant jurisdiction (states, territories, countries, etc.) do.

Thus, when an institution is lawfully permitted to confer degrees, any accreditation it subsequently obtains from an accrediting agency primarily serves as an additional layer of external quality assurance rather than as the source of its legal degree-granting authority.

Accordingly, ASIC, ACBSP, AACSB, IACBE, ABET, ACEND, DEAC, HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, SACSCOC, WSCUC, NWCCU, ACCJC, ABA, LCME, COCA, CCNE, ACEN, ACPE, CEPH, APPA, CSWE, CACREP, ACOTE, CAPTE, ARC-PA, CCE, CODA, AVMA COE, CAEP, or ABFSE - do not legally authorize an institution to award degrees.

The legal authority to confer degrees in the United States comes from the individual states (or other applicable governmental jurisdictions, such as U.S. territories). That authority does not transfer to an accrediting agency. Accrediting agencies are private, non-governmental organizations that evaluate educational quality; they do not possess the legal authority to authorize institutions to award degrees.

When an accrediting agency is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), institutions accredited by that agency are commonly referred to as "recognized" or "institutionally accredited" in the United States. 

However, neither the USDE nor CHEA accredits institutions directly or grants them the legal authority to confer degrees. 

The USDE recognizes accrediting agencies for certain federal purposes,.

CHEA independently recognizes accrediting organizations as part of the nongovernmental quality assurance system.

In some states, state law requires institutions to obtain accreditation from a U.S. Department of Education (USDE)-recognized accrediting agency as a condition of operating or continuing to award degrees. 

Thus, where accreditation is legally required, it is the state or territorial law, not the accrediting agency itself, that creates that requirement

Other jurisdictions provide alternative pathways, including statutory exemptions or religious exemptions. 

For example, Indiana provides exemptions for certain faith-based institutions under specified conditions
Guam exempts certain nonprofit religious institutions offering religious education or training adherents in the care of the sick according to their religious tenets. 

Accreditation in the United States is a voluntary system of private quality assurance. 

An institution that loses accreditation has failed to meet the standards of its accrediting agency. 

Whether that institution may continue to operate or lawfully confer degrees thereafter depends on the laws and regulations of the state or territorial jurisdiction in which it is authorized.

These arguments are 50 years old. They didn't wash then and they do not now.

[PearsonOTHMQualifi7654]

These arguments are 50 years old. They didn't wash then and they do not now.

It's not an argument  - those are the facts and the laws of the land

[ReyMysterioso]

Sagan, if you dislike the school so much, don't enroll. It's that simple.

[Sagan]

Sagan, if you dislike the school so much, don't enroll. It's that simple.

It's not, but thank you.

Everyone should take your advice.

[soba]

I don't really see the appeal of this school. Maybe worth checking out if the fees were lower... Is it the VAE option that appeals to people?

[PearsonOTHMQualifi7654]

I don't really see the appeal of this school. Maybe worth checking out if the fees were lower... Is it the VAE option that appeals to people?

The non-ACBSP BBA Top up is only EUR 1,000 and IEE evaluates them as US BBA Equivalent. But you have to have done Level 4 and/or 5 from a Regulated UK Qualification for entry into it. That is one of their "Institutional Degrees" with ASIC UK, without the additional accreditation from ACBSP

Maybe the appeal is the 56 New Economy Degrees which are "institutional" like the IEE Evaluated BBA Top up above. 

One can do the micro-credentials at 10 ECTS each and not do any degrees, and just pick some of the topics of interest. They are stackable towards degrees if a person wants to. I look at those more like something similar to Udemy, a training certification that involves skills assessement via AI using case studies and actual application of concepts. But if a person wants, they can earn a degree in the process. They are not official degrees from France, they are not national diplomas. They are institutional diplomas issued by the academic authority of EIU as a registered Distance Learning Centre under the French Ministry of Education rules, and carry ASIC UK accrediation. Students can just try out 1 microcredential at $14.99 before doing any more.

Because there are two sets of fees, including $14.99 per Micro-credential + (Enrollment and Credential fee), the website has the totals displayed:

https://eiu.ac/56-new-economy-degrees

Bachelor consists of 18 micro credentials = 180 ECTS (aligned with EQF credit counts) are 690 EUR total
Master consists of 24 micro credentials = 240 ECTS (aligned with EQF credit counts) are 1,070 to 1,225 EUR total
DProf consist of 36 to 48 micro credentials  = 360 to 480 ECTS (aligned with EQF credit counts) are 1,725 to 1,885 EUR total  
 
Maybe for someone who wants to go back and complete a bachelor's, this could be something. I know some people do an ENEB master's without having completed a bachelor's before. Maybe some would like to do a bachelor's after in a different specialization. Or maybe a Master's from EIU will continue to get evaluated as a US Master's degree.
A person could also do a Dprof? 

Personally, I would consider these bachelor's programs temporary or stepping-stone qualifications, or better yet, if someone could get transfer credits towards other programs of interest, that would be appealing.

If I actually did a Dprof, it would be for the 36 microcredentials, the training, and I would think of it more like an AI certification, not so much as a degree.
It is tempting because they have installment plans. 

The ACBSP ones do cost more

ACBSP BBA 6,000 EUR
ACBSP MBA 4,000 EUR
ACBSP DBA 10,000 EUR

If a person understands that even the ACBSP-accredited EIU degrees are not national diplomas from France, and one is still confident it will work for their present and future needs, then this could be appealing for that individual. Not saying everyone should do EIU programs, some have argued that nobody should do them. As long as a person is cognizant of the facts before pursuing, that's probably very important.

And their Institutional doctorates, I think, cost around 5,500 EUR to 20,000 EUR. VAE routes for each program make the cost go up significantly, so that's not such an appealing thing.

[Sagan]

I was pondering this issue as it relates to A.I. use. So I decided to pose this question to Google's AI since it is free and readily available to anyone who can access Google:

"Are degrees issued by European Interntional University considered equivalent to accredited degrees in the U.S.?" This seems a reasonable way to ask about a degree appearing on a resume or application.

It said:

No, degrees issued by the European International University (EIU-Paris) are generally not considered equivalent to regionally or nationally accredited degrees in the U.S.

While the institution claims its programs have received positive evaluations from specific private credential agencies, major U.S. universities, employers, and premier academic evaluation bodies typically reject its degrees due to a lack of formal government-recognized accreditation.

The critical details regarding how U.S. institutions view EIU-Paris degrees break down as follows:

1. Lack of Government Recognition in France. In most international education systems, U.S. evaluators look for degrees recognized by the home country's Ministry of Education. EIU-Paris is registered in France as a private professional training provider, not as a state-recognized, public, or licensed university.It issues institutional diplomas (diplômes d'établissement) rather than French national diplomas (diplômes nationaux).Because it lacks official higher education status from the French government, its academic baseline fails to meet standard U.S. equivalency metrics.

2. Rejection by Mainstream U.S. Evaluators (NACES). To use a foreign degree for graduate admissions or public-sector employment in the U.S., you usually must obtain a credential evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).Major NACES members—such as Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) and World Education Services (WES)—traditionally refuse to evaluate EIU degrees or mark them as unaccredited.While EIU's website states that an agency called International Education Evaluations (IEE) has provided positive reviews, standard student experiences show that most U.S. universities reject these letters for formal academic placement.

3. Misunderstood "International" Accreditations. EIU frequently highlights external quality assurances to imply U.S. alignment, but these do not substitute for formal regional or national accreditation:ASIC (Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities): EIU holds a "Premier" status with this UK-based group. However, ASIC is an independent body and its approval does not grant a university formal degree-recognizing power in either the UK or the U.S..ACBSP Candidacy: EIU notes it has pursued candidacy status with the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) in the U.S.. While ACBSP is a respected programmatic accreditor recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), programmatic accreditation covers specific business courses; it cannot override the school's lack of primary institutional accreditation as a recognized university.

___

(N.B.: EIU has successfully achieved ACBSP accreditation. The LLM has it wrong here. But that's part of the point.)

Simple question. Not the answer I'd like an HR department or hiring manager to get. And note: they will get this answer well before they decide which job applicants to interview. The applicant will not be there to provide some long-winded, arcane defense.