Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

Phoenix University is not well respected in education... but it is cheaper than the brick and mortar places. It is constantly embroiled in law suits and seems to be a pretty sleazy organization. It is big business masquerading as a university.

VS

[adorabilly]

It is not phoenix university, but rather the University of Phoenix.

And like many locations of "higher education," yuo get out of it what you put into it.

The ministry of education in the UAE does not recognize most online degrees, so if you want to work in the primary or secondary level it wouldn't work.

And while the Ministry of Higher Education does accept online degrees, many of (if not most) the top admins at the tertiary level do know of the university of phoenix and actively shun it.

There are several other online PhD programs. It all depends on how much online you want, the length of residency that is required and what degree you want to get.

look up Fielding or Northcentral university for online phd's (both of which have decent reputations).

[Sheikh N Bake]

No, I agree with VS. UPhoenix is not well-respected overall. The US government keeps investigating it for shoddy admission practices...a Columbia business professor examined the MBA program and declared it "MBA Lite." ... the list goes on.

[veiledsentiments]

Not to mention that Phoenix University and University of Phoenix are pretty much used interchangeably by most people who just know it in passing ... ...in the same way as Sharjah University and University of Sharjah.

VS

[Green Acres]

North Central will soon find itself in the same boat at U of Phoenix. They have been admitting anyone with a pulse in many Asian branches, the majority of whom attain their marks through....nefarious means. These graduates will soon be in the labor force and it won't be long until the word is out. They were selling credits in Asian schools for a tenth of the costs to American students in the USA. Troy University is following the same model. Before the economic downturn, there were several congress people who were investigating these schools and others, since it is becoming quite obvious that they are providing sub-standard education. I think the driving force behind the investigations comes from alumni and watchdog organizations that are mostly upset at the high cost of services paid for in the USA (and not necessarily the substandard product).

[teechar]

Yup, U of Phoenix is laughable. I teach at a community college here, and I know U. of P. is not respectable around these parts. I've had students who were previously enrolled there making good grades but left due to cost. These same students, having passed composition, could not write a single compete sentence.

I have done both in person and distance graduate work. I am actually finding the online courses I am in right now to be much more work than any in-person ones. They are at accredited U.S. universities.

The TESOL Ed.D. in Dubai from Exeter intrigues me. I would really like to have an in-person component and that, at least, offers that. Ideally, I'd like a traditional student experience during which I am not working full time trying to juggle everything. I'll keep dreaming. I didn't even have that during my BA. Why wasn't I born with a silver spoon?

[veiledsentiments]

Yes... one really should plan one's parents more carefully.

Another option for those with limited funds, but some flexibility, is to look around for teaching fellowships. That is how I got my MA at AUC, tuition free with a small stipend. There are many of them available in the US. I believe that ShakeNBake did the same thing in the US.

VS

[teechar]

I know. I'll plan better in my next life.

I would go the assistantship route, but I am leaving the US fairly soon, so that's not an option for me. It is a great option for others, however. I encourage it highly. My bf has earned his PhD while fully funded.

[Stanislav_u]

Disclaimer: I teach part-time for a sister school of U. of Phoenix.

IMHO at a closer look, one would be surprised how substantial Phoenix programs are, especially at School of Advanced Studies.

Having said that, I don't think Phoenix is the best choice for a PhD in UAE. Reasons: rock-bottom reputation in academia, relatively high price, limited degree options and the fact that these degrees are not 100% online: one would need to fly to US for "residencies".

There are exactly 2 regionally accredited universities in USA offering 100% distance doctorates: Northcentral University in Arizona and TUI University (fka Touro University International) in California. They are both "private for profit", just like Phoenix, so there's no reason to think their quality is any higher. Nevertheless, I feel they are a little better choice than UOP: they are both somewhat cheaper and fully online. They are also far less known than Phoenix (a good thing when reputation is mostly negative).

A better idea would be to look at Australian and British degrees. Another option is South African schools: English language and dirt cheap. UNISA is the main distance school. And if someone asks, you can always say "Nelson Mandela graduated from there".

[Sheikh N Bake]

Yes, I did two master's for free, with adequate stipend as well, on assistantships. Certainly, if you're between jobs and with limited funds, the best choice is a teaching assistantship (MA level) or assistantship/fellowship (doctoral level). Getting your PhD online from some for-profit school with very low prestige is to me somewhat analogous to buying a 32-inch HDTV. Consumer surveys clearly show that people soon regret having bought such a small set when HDTV is better suited to larger screens to impart a cinema-like experience in their living rooms. I think most recipients of Phoenix-like PhDs will soon wish they'd gotten the degree some place that throughout their lives (not just short-term) will impart a sense of pride in their accomplishments and the respect of others.

[Stanislav_u]

I did a PhD for free, on assistantship. Nevertheless, I recognize that not everyone can spend 5 or more years full time getting a degree. Life happens, you know.

I think this distance learner commands respect:
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Andrew_%28Vujisi%C4%87%29_of_Tralles
"He completed his undergraduate studies at Thomas Edison State College, and earned his Licentiate of Orthodox Sacred Theology at the St Sophia Ukrainian Orthodox Seminary. He also completed a M.A. Ed. degree, with Honors, at the University of Phoenix; a D. Min. in Marriage and Family Therapy (Summa *beep* laude) at Southern Christian University; and a Ph.D. in English and Applied Linguistics at Rhodes University. Recently he has further earned a Th.D. in Practical Theology from the University of South Africa with his doctoral dissertation on The Impact of Neptic-Psychotherapeutic Treatment on Self-Reported Depressive Symptomatology and Comorbid Anxiety.""
All his degrees, except an unaccredited (but legitimate) seminary, are through distance learning. Note that he's a professional EFL teacher. Rhodec University and UNISA are both public South African universities with good reputation.