RA/NA: Old issue, different angle

[Icanstudy]

From my experience, outside these discussion boards and the Academia world, people just don’t know the difference between RA and NA. In fact, my wife and two sisters in-law have earned MBAs. Despite holding significant positions in the corporate world for decades they couldn't tell you the difference. Consequentially, RA/NA doesn’t factor when they hire low- to mid-level managers.

I’ve read countless threads on the debate but haven’t found what I really want to know... Does NA really matter when applying for a job? I would greatly appreciate if the Graduates of "NA" Schools (especially California Coast University) would share their actual experiences with the following:

1) Has NA ever factored negatively (even been brought up) during a job interview, etc?

2) How did you apply your NA Degree?

Thank you for your assistance in advance.

Happy Holidays,
Icanstudy

[ShotoJuku]

[COLOR="Navy"]I think it's important to discern that the difference between RA & NA is simply an issue that comes up in academia and really should not come up in an employment situation - both are accredited and recognized by the USDoEd and CHEA.

Apply for a position, list your degrees on the application and your CV and then sit the interview. If your asked about your degree talk about what strengths it has given you and how it (and you of course) can be a better asset to their company. Should the "Is your degree from and accredited school" question be asked the answer is a simply "yes." If you need to expand....."Yes, my school is recognized and approved by the USDoEd and CHEA."

Here's something else to dwell on to:[/COLOR]

Precious Metal (Semantics)

IL (Ivy League) = Platinum

RA (Any of the Eight) = 24k Gold

NA (DETC, TRACS, ABHE, or ACE Reviewed) = 14k Gold

NA (ACCCT, ACCET, ACICS) = 10k Gold

SA (State Approved and Legal) = Silver

RE (Religious Exempt) = Sterling Silver

DM (Diploma Mills and/or Illegal) = Lead…….or Kryptonite!

[B][COLOR="Navy"]I like the DETC and firmly believe that they fill a void for those of us that either cannot or choose not to attend a B&M school which is yet another important distinction for people to consider.

Remember the whole IL vs RA vs NA vs SA vs RE vs DM has everything to do with accepting credits from one school to another whereas getting a job has everthing to do with being qualified.[/COLOR][/B]

[HawkGuy]

I am currently trying to land a government job, and one of the things I've noticed is that you really need a Master's degree to be competitive. But all the gov't cares about is that you have a degree that is accredited. The phrase that comes up a lot is:

"Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications, particularly positions with a positive education requirement. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: College Accreditation in the United States -- TOC. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly."

So when they go to verify your degree, it will just show up as accredited. It won't matter if it's RA, NA, or whatever.

[cookderosa]

From my experience, outside these discussion boards and the Academia world, people just don’t know the difference between RA and NA. In fact, my wife and two sisters in-law have earned MBAs. Despite holding significant positions in the corporate world for decades they couldn't tell you the difference. Consequentially, RA/NA doesn’t factor when they hire low- to mid-level managers.

I’ve read countless threads on the debate but haven’t found what I really want to know... Does NA really matter when applying for a job? I would greatly appreciate if the Graduates of "NA" Schools (especially California Coast University) would share their actual experiences with the following:

1) Has NA ever factored negatively (even been brought up) during a job interview, etc?

2) How did you apply your NA Degree?

Thank you for your assistance in advance.

Happy Holidays,
Icanstudy

>>


I'll throw out a different perspective. My culinary degree is NA (although the college is now RA, when I graduated it was NA) and the school I graduated from was always considered the best of the best. I got jobs because of attending that school no doubt about it. I also didn't know it was NA until I came here My husband (also a chef and CIA grad) is getting his BA from a NA school. He doesn't care, and neither do any restaurants/hotels/etc. The fact is, that NA colleges are "accredited" colleges.

All that said, I decided to start over with an AA/BA having regional accreditation anyway. For me, I didn't have any trouble zipping through CLEP exams (my husband hated them- he is taking only courses) and so, I didn't see any reason NOT to go for the RA degree. My masters will also be RA. Beyond teaching, if you think you want to go into a field with any kind of state or professional license requirement (nursing, teaching, architect, CPA, doctor, dentist, and others) be sure to check- because sometimes regionally accredited is the only option.

[cookderosa]

Just for newbies- all of the big 3 (TESC, CO, EC) are regionally accredited.

[Katterina]

So when they go to verify your degree, it will just show up as accredited. It won't matter if it's RA, NA, or whatever.

This has been my experience in both Federal employment and in a Fortune 100 Company. I know that CCU is in both of those databases and is eligible for tuition reimbursement with those employers.

I've never known anyone in person that even knew about the differences in accreditation. Most people think accreditation is a yes or no question-- as it should be. I've only ever found the NA/RA debate online on academic forums where the majority of posters either worked in academia or had teaching aspirations, so many will perpetuate the view that NA degrees should never be pursued if an RA option exists. Thus, anyone new to the forum adopts that belief because they've never heard differently, and NA degrees are further stigmatized even though employer surveys show overwhelming acceptance in government and private industry.

/rant off, sorry. :o

In short, I am very happy to be pursuing a CCU degree as it fits my needs perfectly, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others with similar goals.

[PeteDude]

Only rarely do you see a job posting REQUIRING a degree from a regionally accredited institution. I have seen a few, though.

Also, the issue of accreditation is not likely to arise in an interview unless the school does not have a recognizable name. But then, you might be surprised how few times the degree itself even comes up-- it gets you in the door and that's the last you hear of it.