Response from: Grant Gary Jacobsen

As an alumnus of the University of Illinois and a retired college professor, I am glad to see that the U of I is assuming a position of leadership in the area of online education. My recommendation, based on five years of experience in online instruction programs, is to avoid the path taken by one "accredited" for-profit university that has its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. This institution has approximately 27,000 students spread between its large online division (in Newington, Virginia) and 43 satellite campuses in 10 southeastern states. It brags about its MBA and MPA programs, but on closer examination cracks are revealed. The MBA degree is not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which means that AACSB-certified schools will not accept graduate business transfer credits from the non-accredited school, regardless of whether or not the school is "regionally" accredited. This particular institution also offers an MPA degree that is not accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). >>> Lesson for students: Insist on AACSB and NASPAA accreditation.
>>> Lesson for employers: Don't pay for courses from schools that lack AACSB and NASPAA accreditation. For information about MBA accreditation, click here: www.aacsb.edu
For information about MPA accreditation, click here: www.naspaa.org Update: Drexel University (Philadelphia) now has an AACSB-approved online MBA program.