The truth about Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh's PhD

Compared to the time it takes to get a PhD in the US (4-7 years of research and thesis writing), the time it took Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh less than 2 years to get his PhD is truly "super fast"!

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh. Photo: Huu Kha

On the official website of the US Embassy in Hanoi, there is a notice for Vietnamese citizens that: before applying to study in the US, prospective students must carefully review the school they intend to attend, or the educational programs they wish to pursue.

Accordingly, the first and most important step to determine the quality and legitimacy of a school is to see if it has been accredited.

This is done very simply, by looking up information from the accreditation tool of the US Department of Education (USDE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Degrees awarded when schools are not accredited

Southern California University for Professional Studies (renamed California Southern University in 2007) - where Da Nang City Party Secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh obtained his master's and doctorate degrees in business administration - is accredited by two centers: the Distance Education Accreditation Council (DEAC) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WASC Senior College and University Commission).

Accordingly, DEAC accredited California Southern University on January 16, 2010, and then voluntarily withdrew its accreditation on November 1, 2015, announcing the next accreditation review date as December 31, 2019.

Meanwhile, the WASC Senior College and University Commission accredited California Southern University on June 19, 2015.

Image of California Southern University's main campus on the school's website

California Southern University is an online university, offering online courses and online courses combined with on-campus learning. Meanwhile, according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, diplomas granted by foreign educational institutions to learners through distance learning will only be recognized when two conditions are met at the same time: the distance education programs to grant diplomas have been recognized by the educational quality accreditation agency and the Ministry of Education and Training has permitted training or joint training in Vietnam.

In fact, it was not until January 2010 that California Southern University was first accredited by DEAC.

In the case where a university has received a quality certificate, but the degrees and credits awarded by that school before the time of receiving the certificate are considered unaccredited degrees/credits.

Similarly, according to the general regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training on diploma recognition, diplomas issued before 2010 - when California Southern University was not yet accredited - will also not be recognized in Vietnam.

The Ministry of Education and Training also clearly states: diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions, once recognized, will be the basis for confirming the training level of the diploma holder, to continue studying at educational institutions in the national education system of Vietnam.

A document recognizing a diploma has legal value for the diploma holder to use the diploma in accordance with the provisions of Vietnamese law.

What is the value of Mr. Xuan Anh's degree?

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh received his doctorate from Southern California University for Professional Studies (SCUPS) - a school that specializes in training and granting degrees for online training programs - in December 2006.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh’s doctorate in business administration was one of three majors the school offered at the doctoral level. At that time, the school had not received any quality accreditation, although it had been licensed since 1978.

Meanwhile, quality accreditation certificates evaluated and recognized by independent accreditation organizations are the first important criteria to determine the quality of degrees and training programs of a university in the United States.

Therefore, according to the assessment of two experts on higher education in the US when talking to Tuoi Tre, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh's doctorate from SCUPS, although not an illegal degree, has very low quality value, if compared according to the US evaluation and ranking criteria.

Even in the US, the above mentioned doctorate degree is almost worthless, no business or organization will accept this degree in recruitment. Simply because a degree from a university without an accreditation certificate is often considered worthless.

The seal on the left bears the name of Southern California University for Professional Studies (SCUPS) while the school is being deregistered (trademark). The seal on the right is currently in use as California Southern University. Photo: TL

Talk toYouthMr. Le Viet Khuyen, former Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education and Training, also said that although the United States does not prohibit the training of unaccredited programs, the value of the diploma of this type of program will not be recognized by the social community.

Learners must consciously research the academic reputation of the training institution as well as the value of the diploma, otherwise they will waste money and time on meaningless training courses.

On the other hand, another factor that makes Mr. Nguyen Xuan Anh's doctorate degree not be evaluated in terms of quality is that his doctoral training period was only 21 months, if counting the holidays according to the regulations of universities in the United States.

Mr. Le Viet Khuyen said that according to UNESCO's international standard classification of education, doctoral training must last at least 3 years full-time. This minimum training period is to ensure the work intensity for doctoral students.

California Southern University: Study online, get your degree fast

California Southern University (CalSouthern) was founded in 1978, originally named Southern California University for Professional Studies (SCUPS), before changing its name in June 2017.

CalSouthern is unfortunately one of the private schools in California that has to hide under the shadow of the famous university here: The University of Southern California. Quite a few universities have taken similar names and have been denounced by academics as universities that grant "fake" degrees, typically "California South University" (not CalSouthern).

CalSouthern is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Based in Costa Mesa (Orange County, California), CalSouthern is a 100% online university that offers programs in business, psychology, justice, nursing, and law.

Dr. Donald Hecht has written that he founded CSU as a fast, affordable, online education platform to help students escape the burden of debt that comes with pursuing an education.

Therefore, CalSouthern students do not have to go through an entrance exam, just register online with their degrees, certificates and ID verification.

Most of CalSouthern's undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs have flexible schedules, depending on the student's schedule to "ensure that it does not interfere with the student's work or family," the school's website says.

In addition, the average study time for bachelor's and doctoral degrees is 4 years, but it can also be shortened depending on whether students accept to study multiple courses at the same time.

Remaining true to its original purpose, CalSouthern's doctorate is a professional doctorate, providing specific training in a student's field of study, rather than an academic doctorate (PhD.).

With a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), students must study for 4 years (which can be shortened as mentioned), must have a master's degree and complete 60 credits. During the course of study, up to 25% of the program will focus on a doctoral project of the student's choice.

CalSouthern's tuition is also advertised on its website as "very affordable."

Students studying for a PhD in Business Administration will pay 495 USD for each credit, which translates to 60 credits, which is about 30,000 USD, not including the cost of buying e-books, extending the course, etc.

According to Tuoi Tre