unaccredited degrees... whats the point?

Did you get any credit for orientation? If so what did the orientation consist of and how many hours creited?

 

Rev

For the record, I went to accredited schools. In my school there were two options for orientation, one for credit or without. I chose the non-credit route but I think you got the credit by doing a one or two page paper.

Today, I think everyone has to go through orientation for credit.

 

My orientation was a non-credit orientation. We had a couple days before the term started during which we had to attend orientation sessions.

The university where I am on staff does non-credit orientations. We do have an introductory education course that all students must take, but it deals with education, study skills, etc. It meets like a standard class and has several papers and other projects to complete.

 

Mine was 2 hours for reading through the catalog and answering questions, received two course hours for the orientation.

 

I don't mean any disrespect with this question, but it does come up.

Are you stating that you don't want to devote the time necessary to getting the degree?

If that is the case, that is fine, but if an unaccredited degree can be obtained in the time in which an accredited one cannot be obtained, it is a clear indication that the unaccredited degree is not comparable to the accredited one.

That is the issue most have with unaccredited degrees.

 

Whitefield may be respected in some circles, but I do think that some of their credentials are a bit questionable. They have a "Doctor of Arts in Religion" degree that does not even require a dissertation. The PhD from there does require one, however.

The deal with R.C. Sproul is that his standing is not determined by the degree. I've heard it said before that Whitefield needed him more than he needed Whitefield. I agree with that statement.

 

That is why I wonder why he chose Whitefield. That credential didn't add one bit to his credibility. He already had enough.

 

I messed up the quotation markers. That was actually not from me; it was from revmwc.

There are some unaccredited schools that are legitimate. My pastor, for instance, has an unaccredited bachelors that he used for admission to a regionally-accredited seminary, where he earned his MDiv and PhD. I don't doubt his undergraduate preparation.

I do question, however, the utility of many unaccredited degrees. I also have a major problem with schools offering ridiculous credentials, like PhD degrees when no one on faculty has a doctorate except from the unaccredited school itself.

IMO, ministry training schools should take the form of a certificate or diploma program. You could learn a lot without the negatives of an unaccredited degree.

 

3 Years!

I worked on the degree: Doctor of Biblical Counseling with ATS for 3 years! I plan to finish my Th.D. with ATS alot sooner!:sleeping_2:

 

There is no justification for this practice, and it is rampant in unaccredited institutions in Christian-circles. I think it is mostly an idolatry-driven clamoring after titles and respect.

 

I agree. Bogus credentials are not about "training."

 

No I am saying I have devoted enough time to classes and time to obtain a degree, but I would have to do all the work a second time to get degree from a school accredited by the state to have a real degree as you describe. The same work same courses everything all over again and a degree in a field I might not have even trained in.

 

Yeah, leaves one to wonder.

 

Agreed, something is wrong with that picture. But recently I've heard Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern seminary, say that churches should be the primary trainers of people entering ministry and seminary should only come along side the local churches. This is his vision.

With that said, matters of government accreditation becomes rather interesting.

 

But government accredidation is required for many public school teachers, and public institutions you may want to work at. Of course MD's nad Lawyers have to go to accredited.

 

Doesn't the church have a say in all this?

 

Ha!

Al Mohler's vision is to spread the message of Calvinism til it completely takes over the SBC!!!!:thumbs: