Distant-learning
Red alert
Watch out for US distant learning "universities" advertised in Singapore whose degrees are not recognised, warns alert local website.
Oct 20, 2003

The following was put out by HardwareZone.com forum moderator Jayan on Oct 19, 2003 as public service to ensure interested Singaporeans get the proper information.
PRESTON UNIVERSITY
Dear Fellow Forumers,
The above-mentioned "university" is offering Bachelor, Master and Doctoral-level degrees in Singapore via distance-learning through its local agency - Centre for Professional Studies.
The advertisement appears in the 21/10/2002 issue of the Straits Times, Home section, page H10.
Update: The same ad appears in the Straits Times again (11/11/2002).
Update: Once again, the ad appears in the Straits Times, this time in page H6 (17/2/2003).
Please be notified that for the degrees of an USA-based university to be recognised by the Singapore Government for the purpose of employment in the Civil Service, or for further studies in NUS, NTU and SMU, the university MUST gain accreditation in any of these 6 regional accreditation associations:

1) Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools
2) New England Association of Schools and Colleges
3) North Central Association of Schools and Colleges
4) Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
5) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
6) Western Association of Schools and Colleges

"Licensed by Wyoming State Department of Education (USA)" as stated in the advertisement is NOT considered regional accreditation, or any other accrediting agencies as advertised in Preston's website.
The following is a link to the website of Preston University. The university did not claim to have any form of regional accreditation, see this link for details: http://www.prestonuni.org/accredit.htm
For clarification, on the part whereby Preston University claimed to be a member of ACBSP, please note that it is an "organisational member" i.e. it can be any company or organisation, but it's not an government-recognised university or college i.e. "institutional member". Being a member of ACBSP is NOT equivalent to receiving accreditation by ACBSP.
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TRIDENT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (USA)
Dear Fellow Forumers,
The above-mentioned "university" is offering Bachelor, Advanced Diploma and Diploma-level qualifications in Singapore via distance-learning through its local agency - Tyndale Business Schools.
The advertisement appears in the 21/10/2002 issue of the Straits Times, Home section, page H4.
Read This Please:
Oregon State Government's Office of Degree Authorisation (ODA) has a comprehensive list of bogus or illegal "universities".
The degrees awarded by these "universities" are outlawed in the State of Oregon, USA.
Preston University and Trident University of Technology are in this list.
See http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.html
Please understand that I have nothing against you, but the purpose of this thread is not to serve to discredit distance-learning courses, but rather to warn the prospective students who wish to have an undergard or postgrad education against unscrupulous scams posing as universities.
There are many reputable private institutions in S'pore e.g. MDIS, SIM and PSB Academy to name a few, that offer undergrad and postgrad courses with degrees awarded by reputable and well-accredited universities like:
1) U.Nottingham
2) U.Bradford
3) U.Adelaide
4) Monash U
5) Loughborough U
6) Oklahoma City U
7) Curtin U of Technology
8) RMIT
9) and many others.........
We shouldn't forget that even the highly regarded U. Chicago MBA course offered in SG is also another form of distance-learning, though I have to admit that without a central authority overseeing these courses, the quality varies greatly.
There are more and more of our own S'poreans that get their degrees from distance-learning courses, this is a fact that we cannot ignore and they, like full-time students, have put in a lot of efforts in their studies too, and often more in view of their dual role as a student and a worker.
Sincerely
Jayan
Oct 20, 2003