distance learning!!

[kahochan2]

hello !!!
i have been issuesed a distance learning b.a. from university of hartford through
custom degrees .com does anyone know if this will pass for working in japan?i've asked 3 times and have been told it's an accredited university.even the hartford website doesn't mention diploma mill.any help is appreciated. also, will i know before i go to japan whether or not immigration will accept it of will i know before i leave my country?i'd like to know before i go rather than arrive and disaster time!!! it still is a b.a. afterall!!!

[Blues]

Talk with the Japanese Embassy in your country. On average you probably wasted any money you paid for it. Most those degrees are really not worth the paper they are printed on. There are about 2 on line universities that are worth the money an effort . check some of the other posts in this thread and you will see.



Post Edited (06-13-04 15:20)

[paulh]

I just checked out the hartford website

http://www.hartford.edu and it looks legitimate- thought I would be suspicious of something that came through an online.com website or a third party. Did you apply directly to hartford and how long did your degree take you?
As long as you have transcripts, it comes from an accreditted university you shouldnt have any problems, though the site above did not mention any online or distance learning programs.

PS there are about a dozen British and Australian accreditted universities that offer distance degrees for people in Japan but I only know 2 from the US: University of Indiana and Shenandoah.

[JBS3009]

PS there are about a dozen British and Australian accreditted universities that offer distance degrees for people in Japan but I only know 2 from the US: University of Indiana and Shenandoah.

Could you give me some names of those accredited Australian universities Paul?
Thanks!

[paulh]

Could you give me some names of those accredited Australian universities Paul?
Thanks!

look at my link


http://www.teachinginjapan.com/continuinged.html

Best ones I know of are Macquarie, University of New England and University of Southern Queensland.
Tasmania has a good program too, I hear.


Bottom of the page. Good luck

[paulh]

1. How does the program work?ﾊﾊﾊback to topﾊApply Now

Custom Degrees represents a small group of colleges and universities that are authorized to grant high school diplomas and college degrees. You will submit an application to our company, and we will match your experience to the appropriate degree granting institution; and send your application to that university or college for review. If you are accepted to the degree for which you applied, we will send you an approval AUTHENTICATION CODE to the email you have been provided. You can use this AUTHENTICATION CODE to order your degree through our secure website from our Online Store or Approved Degrees. At this time, the university or college that accepted your degree application will send you your degree and transcripts within 7-10 days. You may order additional transcripts though the college or university's website which awarded your degree or from our Online Store. When you need transcripts mailed to a third party (employer, etc., you simply request the transcripts through your university or college alumni page. The college or university that granted your degree will send your official transcripts to your employer, etc. upon request. All colleges and universities in our program do have an official website.You must be at least 18-years of age to qualify for our program.

This has FAKE DIPLOMA MILL degree written all over it

A bachelors degree in 30 days for $400?

get real.

[paulh]

Overseas Japanese diplomatic establishments may not issue a visa to an applicant who comes under the following categories or is suspected of coming under these categories:

- If the applicant does not possess a genuine and valid passport.
- If the contents of the application are false.
- If the applicant has a criminal record including more than one year's imprisonment.
- If the applicant has a criminal record involving narcotics, marijuana, stimulants, prostitution, etc.
- If the application is made within five years of the applicant having been deported from Japan for illegal residence.
- If the applicant's purpose for entering Japan does not fall within the activities that can be conducted in Japan as stipulated by the Immigration Control Act.
- If the applicant's purpose for entering Japan does not comply with the Ministerial Ordinance to Provide for Criteria for Landing Permission under the Immigration Control Act. (See Appendix 1.)
- If it is feared that the applicant will engage in activities that harm the interests of and disturb public order in Japan.

If a visa has been denied, it is possible for the same applicant to apply again. For further information, please inquire at the embassy or consulate where the application was made or at the Foreign Nationals' Affairs Division if the application was forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the embassy or consulate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Index


A person who has paid $400 for a diploma mill degree such as this onedoes not have a BA they have a fraudulent and worthless piece of paper they bought over the Internet and they have not worked for and will not pass muster with Japanese immigration authorities. Go to university and do the work that merits a real bachelors degree, squire.

[kahochan2]

i realize there are a lot of people that are not very thrilled about others working in japan on a distance learner's b.a.s so it's really hard to get a honest opinion on this site.apparently, when japanese officials fax for my transcripts or verification they will indeed have a record of me.how will they know know it's a diploma mill if it's not mentioned anywhere?i really wish i could aford the $30 grand for university,but no silver spoon here i'm afraid!!! this school says they're accredited!!!are they lying?

[paulh]

kakochan

paying $400 and getting a diploma in the mail one month later is not distance learning and you dont have a BA. All you have is a piece of paper that says you have one. My argument is that you havent done the work to earn it, and you are not smarter than you were one month ago, you still would know zilch about learning, education and teaching. FWIW Im doing an authentic distance learning degree with a British university (Birmingham), it takes 5 years and costs 14,000 pounds. I can use it anywhere in the world. getting a worthless piece of paper from a diploma mill demeans and devalues the whole meaning of having a degree. Sure you can get a work visa probably if you submit it to immigration, but is it really the kind of thing you want to hang on your wall and say youve earned it?

To answer your question, no there is no way probably immigration can know if its a diploma mill degree (Im sure they are not stupid though), but if they do however learn your bought degree is a fake diploma mill degree you can still have your visa cancelled and be deported in handcuffs. Not a very nice thought is it?

[paulh]

Tuition fees for Hartford University (Connecticut?)

http://www.hartford.edu


Undergraduate Tuition: 9- 11.5 credits
Undergraduate students registering for 9-11.5 credits are charged the following rate of tution:

All Schools........................................... $8,360 (per semester)

Approved exceptions to the three-quarters tuition policy:

1. Students taking only two courses that total at least 9 and not more than 11.5 credits will be charged the above per-credit rates .

2. Students registering for 9 to 11.5 credits who will be completing their degree requirements during the term in question will be charged the above per-credit rates, provided they have written approval from the dean of their college.

Undergraduate Tuition: 12- 18 credits
Undergraduate students registering for 12 to 18 credits are charged the following rate of tuition:

All Schools........................................... $11,145 (per semester)

(Additional fees may include parking, registration technology and lab fees.)

Any place that has a website with .com in its website is not a school but a commercial business IMO. Schools have .edu in their address.










ﾊ

[kahochan2]

i'm not really too clear on this!!! the hartford university doesn't have".com" in their address.it's www. hartforduniversity-edu.org
i understand the teelings about teaching with a distance degree but it really is my only option at this point in my life.you could say a life of regret!!!nevertheless,i have been doing private tutoring for 10 years!!!i just hope this will be good enough to let me work in japan. will immigration let me know before i leave my country whether i've passed their inspection or after i arrive??? the is the big question!!!!!! i've alread y written to the "school" and asked them about this.i should be getting a reply soon!!!!

[trip_hop]

paulh is correct on this one - .org is similar to .com, -edu.org is not the same as .edu - there is (was) similar Oxford College in the UK, nothing to do with Oxford University. There are many "accreditation" schemes in the US.

Wait for a reply back from your potential employer, result may depend on how good their relationship is with Immigration.

[kahochan2]

ahhh!!!i see!!! thanks for the help about this.i really don't know what to do about this now.should i mention where this degree came from to my possible employer or just say nothing-don't ask don't tell so to speak?i hope i will know if i've pased the audition with the immigration/visa people before i leave my country.is this possible?i really know absolutely nothing about this kind of thing.very tricky business indeed.also what is "apostille"? i heard that i can get this done and it makes it legally challengable? is this all hooey as well? i saw in the uk. some companies that do this.would this be best suited for me?



Post Edited (06-14-04 10:45)

[paulh]

Just so you know,

There is a company called GABA in Tokyo, which had its right to sponsor visas taken away by immigration becuase it was producing fake online degrees for its foreign employees. Immigration in Japan knows about diploma mills and fake degrees, and I would not be surprised if they have a master list of overseas 'schools' that offer such certification.

hartford-edu.org is not a university as it doesnt have a proper university website. Org is an organisation or a private commercial business. Accreditted universities in the US have .edu as their final moniker.

There is nothing wrong with distance degrees if they are from accreditted universities (does this hartford even have a campus and actual live students and teachers?) but the transcripts have to be transferable and acceptable by other universities. Places such as University of Berkeley or Chicago etc will not accept transcripts of diploma mill (not distance) degrees if you want to do a Masters for example.

Distance degrees (like Im doing mean) you complete the coursework by email complete assignments, confer with a supervisor perhaps do a thesis or research project and do an on-campus residency. Getting a diploma in 1 month for what takes most people 3 or 4 years is not what i consider a degreed education.

[paulh]

I also just checked the hartforduniversity-edu.org website

It says that this organisation and the distance learning accreditting authority is not recognised by the US department of Education. If the US government does not recognise it why on earth should the Ministry of Justice in Japan recognise it either?

[kahochan2]

ahhh!! thanks for checking for me about this hartford place!!!it says they are not accredited ,then on their home page it's says"new's flash-we've been accepted as a world wide distance learning school by the international something or other.what do i make of this??? thanks for all your help again!!!!

[paulh]

If you are so keen to get a decent degree by distance, not a fake diploma mill degree have a look at my list on

http://www.teachinginjapan.com/continuinged.html

All of these are accreditted, internationally recognised programs from recognised universities in the US, Australia and the UK. Not cheap, but if you are working it should be possible to afford to do a degree part time over several years. I have a full time job, a family and am working on one of these right now. Do not expect to spend less than 3 years on getting a university degree if thats what you really want.

[paulh]

I might add that depending on the country you go to, some do not accept distance degrees, even if they are legitimate. Taiwan and Saudi Arabia are two of them. Fake degrees are worthless just about anywhere outside of the US, and some are not even accepted in other US states.

[fromsandiego]

These life experience degrees seem kind of shadey... keep us posted on what happens Kakochan! I applied to one of these with 7 years professional experience in my industry, got approved, but it doesn feel right. From the start is smelled wrong. My friend did some internet sniffing on them and there are many factors that dont fit...

good luck

[aprilmo]

It's one thing to be awarded a few credits based on your professional/life experiences, but a full degree? Gimme a break...

Paul's right about some countries not even accepting distance degrees regardless of whether they're fully accredited. A possible loop hole is to look for a degree that (1) offers both a distance and traditional format (2) does not indicate on the transcripts or diploma which mode of instruction was used.

[paulh]

It's one thing to be awarded a few credits based on your professional/life experiences, but a full degree? Gimme a break...

Paul's right about some countries not even accepting distance degrees regardless of whether they're fully accredited. A possible loop hole is to look for a degree that (1) offers both a distance and traditional format (2) does not indicate on the transcripts or diploma which mode of instruction was used.

Just for the record, I am doing my degree through Birmingham in the UK which has residencies for teachers in Japan doing Masters. For the PhD you have to go to the UK for 5 months out of four years of distance study. Plannning to quit job in Spring 2006.

[Hal Sidewinder]

Just for the record, I am doing my degree through Birmingham in the UK which has residencies for teachers in Japan doing Masters. For the PhD you have to go to the UK for 5 months out of four years of distance study. Plannning to quit job in Spring 2006.

Have you talked to your advisor about that? Please PM me or I will PM you.

[123teach]

I am a us citizen teaching at an international school in Tokyo. I am looking to pursue a Masters in Education but cant seem to find an english speaking school. (my japanese is okay but i dont think i can make it through a degree). I know about Temple and Columbia but I dont want a masters in teaching english. just a masters in education or child psychology.

Your replies here have been very helpful to look for schools online. But I have mainly seen British and Austrailian schools. I am just afraid that they wont be recognized in the US. Does anyone know of good online schools from the US.

Thanks in advance

[paulh]

I
Your replies here have been very helpful to look for schools online. But I have mainly seen British and Austrailian schools. I am just afraid that they wont be recognized in the US. Does anyone know of good online schools from the US.

Thanks in advance

The British and Australian degrees should be recognised around the world including the US if they are from accreditted institutions (the ones on my linked page are recognised universities in those countries)

I would be worried about US degrees being recognised outside the US with so many fake diploma mills out there.

[phokusnoize]

I am a us citizen teaching at an international school in Tokyo. I am looking to pursue a Masters in Education but cant seem to find an english speaking school. (my japanese is okay but i dont think i can make it through a degree). I know about Temple and Columbia but I dont want a masters in teaching english. just a masters in education or child psychology.

I am looking for the same thing, and am having a tough time. I will be sure to post my search results if I find anything.

One distance program I have found is the Phoenix online University course. there is an interesting thread on this school.

But can anyone advise on where to get a Masters in Education at a school here in Japan or is Online the only option?

Thanks a lot.

[paulh]

I am doing a distance degree with a British university, fully accreditted and it doesnt mention distance on the diploma. I am completing my who degree from 8000 miles away.

Many recognised distance degrees will ask that you complete a period of residency at the home campus at the university as part of your graduation requirements, so you can spend time with supervisors and other graduate students. My degree I will have to spend at least 8 months in the UK as well as take my family. A rather big and expensive undertaking but if you want the degree and the recognition it brings thats what you have to do.

A degree is about what you study from the time that you start the course till the time you graduate and you show you have the intellectual skills, the discipline and perserverance, the time and money management skills to achieve a particular goal. getting credit for things you did 5 or 10 years before you enter a program that has no relation to your course of study is simply a cop-out for people who can't or won't do the work required for a real degree.

[paulh]

I might also add that if you have a full time job somewhere, are supporting a family and doing your degree by distance, it may be hard to justify to an employer how you managed to get a degree by living at or near the home campus for 2 years or so, and living overseas at the same time, holding down a job. This will appear on your resume, as the dates of job/degree wont add up. I dont really know of any part distance or part traditional degree programs, but most will have some kind of residency requirement for overseas students. You cant really have both. and to my knowledge the fact you did by distance is not printed on the diploma. I got a degree from a branch campus of an American university in Japan and its identical to the one that the home campus students in the US get.