Recognition of UMPI YourPace in Egypt and Other Countries

[worldly face]

Hello everyone,

I’m an international student from Egypt considering the UMPI YourPace online program. I’ve researched the program and accreditation process in Egypt and wanted to hear from other international students about their experiences.

My main concerns are:

1. The program is fully online. Could this raise questions about its legitimacy with degree equivalency committees?
   
2. A significant portion of credits comes from alternative sources (e.g., Sophia, Study.com). Does this appear on the transcript, and should I proactively address it with the committee?
   
   

I’ve read on the Egyptian Supreme Council of Universities' website that degree recognition is determined case by case after completion, as long as the granting institution is accredited. However, my mother, a college professor, believes that fully online degrees may not be taken seriously by the equivalency committee. I don’t want to invest time and effort into earning a degree only to find out it isn’t accredited in my country, as I don’t plan on relocating.

If you’ve gone through this process in Egypt or elsewhere, I’d appreciate your insights on how your degree was evaluated 
Thank you!

[Jonathan Whatley]

I changed the thread title to specify "in Egypt and Other Countries," because "International" recognition is such a broad concept. The more specific title is more likely to reach a reader who knows about Egypt or a similarly-minded country.

[ss20ts]

UMPI is a state university and is RA. Neither your transcripts nor your diploma will say anything about online. UMPI has a large international student body both on campus and in YourPace. We've had many international students complete their degree on this forum.

[worldly face]

I changed the thread title to specify "in Egypt and Other Countries," because "International" recognition is such a broad concept. The more specific title is more likely to reach a reader who knows about Egypt or a similarly-minded country.

Thank you for updating the thread title—I really appreciate it! Your point about specificity makes sense.

Do you happen to know if alternative credits (e.g., Sophia, Study.com) appear on the final degree or transcripts? That’s one of my main concerns, and I’d value any insight you might have.

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UMPI is a state university and is RA. Neither your transcripts nor your diploma will say anything about online. UMPI has a large international student body both on campus and in YourPace. We've had many international students complete their degree on this forum.

Thank you for the information! Just to clarify, are you saying that neither the diploma nor the transcripts will mention that the degree was earned online, that it’s part of the YourPace program, or that alternative credits (e.g., Sophia, Study.com) were used?

Also, does the timeframe for completing the degree appear on either document? For example, if the degree is completed in less than a year, could that raise questions?

[Jonathan Whatley]

Do you happen to know if alternative credits (e.g., Sophia, Study.com) appear on the final degree or transcripts? That’s one of my main concerns, and I’d value any insight you might have.

They appear on the transcripts – universally, every US transcript will identify which credits are transferred in. The degree does not mention them, nor does the degree mention online learning. UMPI is of course a bricks-and-mortar institution with a traditional campus.

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Also, does the timeframe for completing the degree appear on either document? For example, if the degree is completed in less than a year, could that raise questions?

Universally, every US transcript will identify the academic year and often academic term in which courses from that school itself were completed. Schools vary as to whether and how they list when transfer credit was completed.

[Pikachu]

You'll have to do your own research. Every country is different. I know for a fact that in India online foreign degrees are not officially recognized - it doesn't matter if they're from UMPI or UPenn. However, that only affects you if you want to go for a government job or further studies in India (master's, PhD etc). Corporations don't care as long as it's not one of those online-only colleges.