Most colleges and universities in the United States seek regional accreditation but there are also those that have not been able to receive recognition by a regional accrediting body. These colleges and universities have chosen, for some reason or another, to forego regional accreditation or have not been considered worthy of accreditation by one of the regional bodies.
University of Atlanta (U of A) is one such distance learning university. The university is accredited by the Distance Education Training Council (DETC) and thus is also recognized by the US Department of Education, which makes the students attending U of A eligible for federal loans and veteran’s educational benefits. The college offers several undergraduate, graduate and even a doctoral degree. This review covers the University of Atlanta MBA program offered via distance learning via the internet.
Requirements for Online MBA Degree
University of Atlanta’s online MBA program is somewhat similar to many other traditional and online MBA programs but it does not have well defined specializations. U of A’s online MBA requires 36 semester hours in order to complete the degree. Each course is 3 semester hours in length and 12 semester hours consist of the core studies of the MBA.
There is another 3 courses or 9 semester hours that is part of the research and projects components part of the degree. The core consists of courses entitled: Human Capital Management in Organizations, Analytical Methods for Business, Dynamics of Corporate Strategy and Organizational Management and Change while the research/projects component has the following three courses: Research Proposal and Project, Field Work Experience – Applied Analysis and the Master’s Thesis.
The remaining 5 courses are drawn from the 7 courses listed as being part of the specialization part of the MBA. Given the nature of the courses, with course titles of: Managerial Technology in Business, Managerial Negotiations, Economics for Business Decision Making, Marketing Research and Analysis, Applied Corporate Finance, Manufacturing and Service Operations and Project Management in Enterprise. With the student being required to take 5 of these 7 courses it gives the appearance of a 1 course specialization which when compared to virtually all other online MBA programs that have much more in-depth specializations seems woefully inadequate.
For a more in-depth specialization the student should consider other online programs such as those offered by TUI University or Northcentral University. Even Columbia Southern University offers more in-depth specializations that include: Finance, Health Care, Human Resource Management, International Management, Marketing, Project Management, Public Administration, Sports Management and Hospitality and Tourism.
Tuition and a Checkered Past
The tuition rates at U of A, listed at $350 per semester hour are reasonably close to many other online colleges. What is confusing is that U of A’s web site lists the cost as “rounded to $1000 per course.” It is unclear if U of A actually rounds down the cost of tuition or if they merely round down to show that the cost is less than actually listed. In either case it can be confusing to the student and all other online colleges offering MBA programs make this point much clearer.
Something that should give any prospective student pause is University of Atlanta’s past. Based on news reports from the Birmingham News, the college used to be named Barrington University and was identified by a U.S. Government Accountability Office report as awarding degrees based solely on life experience. Such colleges are generally referred to as degree mills and any degree earned at such an institution is considered worthless, and it is also illegal to list it on a job application in some states. In 2008, Barrington University changed its name to University of Atlanta and then obtained recognition and accreditation with DETC. Shortly after that, the university moved to the Atlanta, Georgia area. At the time of the move, the State of Alabama was requiring all colleges and universities to obtain accreditation or close. The owners of University of Atlanta are the same owners of the former Barrington University.
Beyond being accredited by DETC, the university also lists recognition by or membership in a number of other organizations. The web site offers the following: The University of Atlanta been qualified and listed by DANTES, the official organization which oversees Military Funding for higher education (applicable to eligible US servicemen in conformity with the regulations established by each branch of the US Military). It is worth noting that DANTES considers any college accredited by DETC to be qualified and listed. Presenting this information in such a manner is generally considered to be “padding” the institutional resume with meaningless information in order to gain the trust of potential students.
Overall Assessment of University of Atlanta Online MBA Degree
This MBA program covers the standard topics but only in a very limited way. The specializations are limited and shallow. The history and track record of the college is best described as questionable at best. The school in not regionally accredited and seems to be less versatile than other DETC accredited institutions. In all likelihood most students would be better served elsewhere unless U of A is the only MBA program to which the student can obtain admission.
Any student considering the University of Atlanta should consider the problems that may be encountered with earning a degree that is not from a regionally accredited university as not all employers view them as favorably as those from regionally accredited institutions. Additionally, the school’s reputation, given its history, may also inhibit employer respect.
Mark Butler - Mark Butler is a Navy veteran and the author of The Coffee Break Guide for Veterans Seeking Federal Employment.
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