Private grads must go for accredited degrees

I welcome the writers giving their perspectives, in the letters “Part-time grads want to prove they are just as good” (Nov 27) and “Don’t judge quality of education on superficial factors” (Nov 26), on this subject.

We must understand, however, that there are six public universities here and thousands of foreign universities in the world. Identifying the good foreign universities has hence become a challenge in the job market.

Many young adults have signed up for private degree courses based on the marketing materials, without checking the university’s accreditation status. It is unwise to assume that all university degrees are equally recognised here.

Singapore does not have an independent body to accredit degrees. Young adults could go the extra step to check with the relevant professional institution, or if there is none here for that degree, seek advice from, say, the Public Service Commission (PSC).

Young adults must also understand that neither the relevant professional institutions nor the PSC are obliged to provide such answers, but I have managed to get good verbal replies when I asked them politely.

The issue is not so much about how well a graduate has done in his part-time studies but about the accreditation obtained by the course provider.

A recognised degree is a prerequisite in a job application. Undoubtedly, our local universities have gained that recognition here. Due to the large supply of graduates, many human resource managers do not have the time to scrutinise an applicant’s resume and what he studied in his or her part-time course.