Bircham International University
TypeUnaccredited distance learning
Established1992
PresidentDeric Bircham
Vice-presidentLaurence Cheng Wen
CEOWilliam Martin
Location
Madrid
,
Spain
Websitewww.bircham.edu
Bircham International University office in Madrid

Bircham International University is a private, unaccredited[1][2] institution of distance-learning higher education. It is registered in Spain and the United States (Delaware), and formerly operated from the Bahamas.[3]

History and location

BIU was founded by Deric Bircham, William Martin, and Bircham's adopted son, Laurence Cheng Wen.[4] According to its website,[5] Bircham was established in Europe in 1992[6] and is also registered in Delaware (United States), Spain, and the Bahamas. John Bear, authority on distance education, wrote in the 2003 edition of Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning that Bircham's listed "delegation addresses [are] in Spain, England, United States (a Mail Boxes Etc. in Miami, Florida), Bahamas, Taiwan, China, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, and New Zealand." Bear's Guide states that "the offices in England and the Bahamas were strictly administrative and did not serve students."[7]

Bircham acquired Oxford International College in 2000.[8][9][10]

Accreditation status

BIU's website presents a list of accreditations and memberships, but none of them are from an educational accreditation body recognized by the countries where it operates.[1]

Sources explicitly listing Bircham as "unaccredited" include the Maine Department of Education and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which state that Bircham has "No degree-granting authority from Spain (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers [AACRAO] evaluation)."[11][12] The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization considers BIU an unaccredited foreign degree supplier.[1]

BIU describes itself as a practitioner of non-formal education. While it operates legally under Spanish law, it is not formally recognized by the Ministry of Education of Spain.[8][13][14] Because BIU is unaccredited, its degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions. Use of its degree titles may be illegal in some jurisdictions.[12]

Reception

In 2003, South Florida's CityLink magazine reported that Oregon education officials said that Bircham was "totally bogus".[15]

In July 2007, the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) of Mexico issued a notice[16] stating that degrees lacking RVOE (Official Recognition from the Mexican Government) will not be validated by the SEP. Degrees via online or distance learning issued by foreign institutions like Bircham University will not be recognized by the SEP.

In April 2008, the Nairobi Business Daily reported that Bircham International University was operating in Kenya without authorization.[16] In March 2010, the same newspaper published a correction, stating that BIU "is a Spanish institution of distance learning and is in good standing with Spanish authorities that offer alternatives to formal adult higher education specifically aimed at adult working professionals" and that its programs "can be legalized and validated by the Embassy of Kenya in the USA or Spain despite the institution not being registered by the Commission for Higher Education in Kenya".[17] An official of Kenya's Commission for Higher Education was quoted as warning that BIU degree certificates would not be recognized.[18] In 2013, BIU directors state that BIU does not have any presence in Kenya nor any collaboration with other any college or educational institution in Kenya.[14]

In 2013, health fraud activist Stephen Barrett conducted a review concluding: "BIU offers what amounts to supervised textbook reading plus credentials that suggest bearers have considerably more formal education and expertise than they actually have. The requirements for its degrees are much less than those of universities accredited by CHEA-recognized agencies. Most of BIU's teachings are straightforward, but some promote pseudoscientific concepts and practices. None of its health-related programs—by themselves—provide an adequate basis for clinical practice."[19][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Unauthorized Schools and Invalid Degrees". Oregon State Office of Degree Authorization. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "List of Non-Accredited Post-Secondary Schools". Maine Department of Education. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "Delaware Company Search 3169257". Delaware.gov. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 Barrett, Stephen (7 January 2013). "A Skeptical Look at Bircham International University". Credential Watch. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "BIU Legal History". BIU Forum. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  6. ↑ Seneca, Kristofer (2009). Guide to Earning Law and Law-Related Degrees Nontraditionally. Lulu. ISBN 978-0-557-10593-9.
  7. ↑ Bear, John (2003). Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 1-58008-431-1.
  8. 1 2 Bear, John. "Bircham International University revisited". Degree Info. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Oxford International College in the UK". BIU Human Network. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Oxford College Dissolved". UK Companies House. 3656298. Retrieved 2 November 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  11. ↑ "List of Non-Accredited Post-Secondary Schools – B". Maine Department of Education. Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas". Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  13. ↑ Bear, John. "Bircham International University revisited". Degree Discussion. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  14. 1 2 "Bircham International University in Kenya". Zegabi East Africa News. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  15. ↑ Paola, Jim Di (15 October 2003). "Schoolhouse crock". City Link Magazine. Archived from the original on 2 April 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  16. 1 2 "Alerta de Publicidad". Subsecretaria de Educacion Superior. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  17. ↑ Nairobi, Mwaura Kimani (13 April 2008). "Kenya: Queries Over Quality of Degrees Awarded By Spanish College". Business Daily. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  18. ↑ "Bircham International University – Correction and Clarification". Business Daily. 8 March 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  19. ↑ Barrett, Stephen. "Questionable Organizations: An Overview". Quackwatch. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
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