Online College Reviews & Opinions about Online Schools

American Public University (APU)

ericsa — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:13:10 GMT

I just got off the phone with an Admissions Advisor from APU, and I was not pleased at all. I told her my situation about looking at other schools before committing going back to Kaplan University. I asked her if books were included in tuition; they are. I asked her how much a credit hour it was; $250 for Undergraduates. I asked her if they transfer credits; they do......but......you must become a student, start your first class/es, and put in a $50 fee for them to even look at your hours before they will transfer your hours. They will only transfer up to 90 hours for your Bachelor degree. I asked her why, and she said that includes 60 for the Associates Degree and 30 for anything after. I asked her why only 60 hours for an Associates Degree, and she said that 60 hours equals an Associates Degree. I asked her what a Bachelor Degree equaled and she said 120. I have between 140 and 150 total credit hours right now. I then said, it would be a waist going to your school then because I would have lost between 40 and 50 credit hours. I then preceeded to tell her than every college I have been to (4) has been set at 90 hours for Associates and 180 for Bachelor degrees. She then told me that I wasn't going to "Proper Universities". She said that "Proper Universities" have it set at 60 and 120. I then asked her if she knew of CTU and Kaplan, and she said "Yes, they are good schools." I then told her that those two schools were set at 90/180. I didn't get a response from her, nothing but silence. I could have had my Bachelor Degree by now if I had been attending APU. If anyone else out there has been to a school with 60 hours as the Associate degree set hour and 120 as the Bachelor degree set hour, please comment to this thread. Any of you that have not been involved with 60/120 schools, please let me know as well. I am not saying that I don't like APU, I am not saying that APU is not a good school, all I am saying is that it is a waist for someone with as much schooling as I have to apply and attend there. All comments to this thread would be greatly appreciated.

Online PhD in Organizational Studies or similar field

assia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:31:42 GMT

I am looking for an online PhD program in the US, Canada or Europe whose primary strength is the credentials of the faculty. I have a Master's in Sociology, but I work in IT so something like technology or engineering management may be interesting too, thanks!

How can I search for online masters programs from reputable schools?

bcola — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:31:25 GMT

How can I search for online masters programs from reputable schools? It seems impossible to search for online programs without encountering ads from the likes of Kaplan, Strayer, Phoenix, DeVRy, ITT, etc. They may be all right for some, but I am looking for programs from public universities and better known and regarded schools. Is there a way to search for online grad programs that doesn't include these usual suspects?

Ashworth

Princess78 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:06:23 GMT

Hi I posted here awhile ago thinking of studying at Penn Foster for Business Administration.Since then I've decided that no matter how hard I tried that I would probably go nuts stuck behind a desk.Anyway I think I've narrowed it down to a choice between Veterinary Technology & Criminal Justice.Penn Foster has recently raised their rates a lot so I was thinking about Ashworth instead if I decided to study CJ.They don't offer a Vet Tech program. I've never heard of them before & was wondering if anyone had any opinions on them.My plan is to get the Veterinary Assistant certificate at Ashworth while I'm deciding between CJ &VT.What do you guys think?

Online Law Schools, RE: Steve's Blog Post

donald11 — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:50:08 GMT

I found Steve's recent blog post about online law schools very interesting so I thought I would start a thread about it. I've always been interested in doing a law degree, but I know that a JD from Concord is essentially useless outside of California. But if I did a law degree online from the University of London, would I be eligible to sit for the Bar exam in New York? Does anyone know the bar passage rates for these British schools? And finally, assuming I went to one of these schools and passed the Bar, are U.S. law firms going to take my non-ABA accredited degree seriously, or are they going to view it as a joke?

Columbia Southern University

Jeff281 — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:39:42 GMT

I am interested in getting my Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice. I have been looking at Columbia Southern University located in Orange Beach, Alabama. Can anyone tell me anything about this on-line University? I want to know the good as well as the bad. Anyone please help!!!

student reviews of online schools

mariasuzette — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:16:50 GMT

Somewhere on this site I'm sure I've seen student reviews/comments on many online schools (good, bad and just plain interesting)......the elearners site has SO MUCH info that now I can't find that link. Help appreciated!

An Update on My Pursuit of an Accounting Degree

donald11 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:35:26 GMT

As you may already know, I graduated last summer from Kaplan with a BS in paralegal studies and recently applied to Southern New Hamshire University's BS in accounting program. However, after thinking about it, I have decided to apply to Washington State University's online accounting program. Now, don't get me wrong, SNHU is a good school. It's just that I began leaning toward WSU because they are AACSB accredited and SNHU is not. So once I find out how many of my transfer credits WSU will accept I will make my final decision. Now I'm sure some will say that I don't need an AACSB accredited school, but if you have a choice between 2 schools and one is AACSB accredited and the other is not, you can never go wrong with the AACSB school.

I will keep everyone posted once I hear back from WSU.

Ashford vs CTU

RayT — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:34:05 GMT

Hello all. Thanks for taking the time to read and perhaps answer an important question for me. I'm seeking my MBA, specializing in Operational Management or Organizational Leadership (not really sure which one will best suit my career path, so either will do)... I've narrowed the choices to Ashford and CTU, mainly because they seem to be two of the most military-friendly schools, as I'd like to use my GI Bill to pay for the degree. (Both schools pay for all the required books).

They are both regionally accredited, but beyond that I can't figure out which school's degree would be more valuable in the real world. CTU's tuition is significantly higher, which would incur a sizable out-of-pocket expense, but does that mean CTU is more prestigious and therefore recognized? I suppose it would be worth the out-of-pocket expense if this is the case.

I work for an EMS helicopter company, but I don't think the upper management (regional) can help much - I don't think that many at that level have an MBA (which is one major reason why my having the degree would give me an advantage).

Because of the... proactive... admissions advisors, I'm pretty far along in the admissions process, so I feel I have to decide soon (plus, my GI Bill benefits run out in Sep of 2011). Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

My Review of University of Maryland University College

eljae — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:48:20 GMT

I am still in the process of getting my degree online in Communications. I started off at UMUC and then transferred to City University of Seattle. I am hoping to transfer to CUNY online soon. Not because I didn't like CityU, but because it is much cheaper. Plus I live close to NYC so if I can find the time, I could take some classes in person that may not be available online. My employer provides tuition reimbursement, which is great. However, with CityU I would max out the pre-tax amount after the first quarter. Anyway, on to my review.

Round 1: I cannot remember what the exact catalyst was, but in 2001 I decided I wanted to finish my degree. When I was 18 I attended Cleveland State University. At the time, I was just not into school. After 3 semesters, I moved to New York City and attended a trade school for television production. I used their job placement program and got a job soon after the program ended. But as the years went on, I regretted not finishing my degree. I do not remember how I found UMUC. Most likely an internet search looking for an online communications program. I believe I looked at UoP as well, but went with UMUC because I liked the courses that they had over UoP's.

I had very little guidance from an adviser. I jumped in head first and took a history class and a journalism class. I never had a classroom orientation so I was pretty clueless. If we were required to participate in discussions, I didn't know it. I do not remember seeing a syllabus or any sort of class schedule for either class. And when everyone talked about the library, I thought they meant on campus, since many of the students in my classes did both online and in person classes. In the history class we had to write a 20 page paper. We had to pick one of five subjects. I could not find enough information on any of these subjects to complete a 20 page paper. I dropped the class. I was getting a solid A in my journalism class, but around Christmas time, we had an assignment to go to a local city council meeting and write a story about it. Between work and traveling home for the holidays, I could not attend a meeting. And then we had another assignment where we had to write an obituary about Madeline Albright, even though she was alive. I could not find the information I needed to complete the assignment. I did tons of internet searching and nothing. Instead of reaching out to my professor like I should have, I reached out to a fellow student. She clued me in to the online school library. I felt like such an idiot. At this point it was two late. I had missed two assignments and we were told we could only miss one. My biggest mistake was not contacting my professor. I probably could have worked something out with her. I really was enjoying the class but thought it was over me since I missed two assignments and we were told we could only miss one. Since I liked the class, I stuck around and observed it until the drop out date. Well, that is what I intended to do, but I forgot. I ended up with a D in the class, all because I took everything so literal and did not reach out to my teacher or an adviser. So, I was not so sure at the time if getting a degree online was for me, and I gave up.

Round 2: Six years later, I was once again motivated to finish my degree. I decided to give UMUC another chance. This time I did the right thing by taking the classes they now recommend you to start with, one of them being a class on how to use the library and research. The other class helped out with learning styles and getting used to the virtual classroom. Now I was ready! Well, sort of, I got married so I took off a couple of semesters. Then I went back and took another history class and intro to computers. These classes were laid out much better than they were in 2001. I knew what to expect in the classes and was able to plan the workload better. The only issue I had was my history teacher liked to bring his politics into class a bit too much. Instead of discussing what would have been on our final, we had to discuss how awesome Ronald Reagan was and how much Jimmy Carter sucked (his opinion, not mine). One of the things I really liked about UMUC is their clubs. I was in the communications club, where other communications majors discussed their experiences with classes. Although, knowing as much as I did about the classes I was required to take made me reconsider the school. The classes that were related to my field were not available online anymore. So I started searching for another program...

UMUC Pros:
1. I think the clubs for the different majors are a great idea. It helps students to figure out how much of a workload they can take on each semester.
2. I liked the length of the classes. I did not feel overloaded with work.
3. Nice progress chart that was helpful in planning out courses.

UMUC Cons:
1. The advisers were not that helpful. Got better later on.
2. Long essays for finals.
3. Pricey if you do not live in Maryland.

Is "Swiss Management Center" DBA worth the investment?

abhaya — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:00:44 GMT

I would like to get a doctoral degree in Finance. SMC(Swiss Management Center) has a dual DBA program with the Universidad Mayor, Chile. My question is... Is SMC is at par with aregionally accredited schools? Are the credits (SMC's) transferrable to regionally accredited institutions?

PLEASE HELP.

Online vs. Traditional Education

ElizabethG — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:51:35 GMT

Hello All,

Is anyone out there feeling a stigma toward an online degree? I'm happy with my decision to pursue my degree online but I'm getting some mixed response from people.

I would love to hear what other experiences people are having.

Best,

Elizabeth

MBA in Finance

kemposun — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:28:13 GMT

I'm looking for a good school that offers an MBA in Finance.

I have looked at Bellevue University, NorthCentral, Grand Canyon, and Morehead State University. What I like about NorthCenral University is that they have 12 week semesters and I have the option of studying at pace or completing it earier depending on my work schedule. I would like to get some feedback from members here.

advantages of online study

mikuhra — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:52:09 GMT

Im just wondering if what are the advantages of online study and how does it differ to the usual type of schooling?

Financial aid

GermanDawg — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:45:40 GMT

Does anyone have any idea what it takes for a school or program to qualify for financial aid for students? I know that 20 years ago I saw a piece on 60 Minutes about a school somewhere in South Florida who was going out and recruiting winos and homeless people for vocational training and applying for and receiving federal financial aid on their behalf without their ever attending any classes. If I remember correctly the "school" was nothing more than about 300 Square feet of leased office space with a phone line. Are the requirements more stringent today are is there still a lot of abuse in the system? The reason I ask is because I have often thought of starting a vocational training program for various building trades and marketing it as an alternative to traditional trade schools. Delivering this type of education online seems like an ideal fit and from what research I have conducted it isn't readily available. If it is possible to develop a curriculum that would be eligible for student loans and GI Bill benefits this could be lucrative business and could provide people who simply do not like classrooms but are otherwise interested in learning a trade or skill an alternative to existing modes of learning.

non-profit vs corporate

majortomthecat — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:32:40 GMT

Hi, I'm new to these forums!

I've been taking classes at Ashford for about a year (and should be working on a paper right now). The classes have been ok, but not nearly as stimulating or memorable as the brick and mortar classes I enjoyed before I became housebound. I'm taking classes mostly out of personal interest and I don't really anticipate putting the degree to use.

I like the text books at Ashford, and I like doing the research papers. The school is great if you just want to breeze through, get some easy 'A's, and have your degree. But I'm a little disappointed in some of the teachers who seem either overburdened or uninterested in the subject matter. A lot of times, the focus is more on getting the grade and completing the class than on learning. It is a little too reminiscent of high school.

The discussions are not very stimulating. In a few cases, I've seen students copy and paste the same reply into multiple threads just to meet the posting requirements. A lot of times the reply has nothing to do with the OP. This is particularly disappointing for me, since one of the main reasons I decided to take the classes was for the opportunity to participate in academic discussions. I can find more intellectual conversations on livejournal.

I figured that all of this came with the territory of online education. And then I read this article about for-profit schools in the Atlantic Monthly. And it made me wonder...

Has anyone here noticed a difference between the quality of education in profit vs. non-profit online schools? Does anyone have any non-profit schools they'd like to recommend? Southern New Hampshire University has an online program similar to the one I'm doing at Ashford and I'm thinking of switching to that or another non-profit school.

Thanks!

Online MBA

GermanDawg — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:03:26 GMT

SO what is the consensus for the most affordable online MBA or similar masters program deleivered 100% online? I will finish a BS degree at Colorado Technical University in February 2010 and have the time (not necessarily the money) to do a MBA degree. CTU is waaaayyyyy too expensive as I have discovered much too late. I am interested in a program that is completely delivered online. I have the time to take any entrance exams required so State schools are a possibilty. I know this is a popular subject on this site, what is the consensus?

It's Official: I'm an Online Student Again!

donald11 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:47:56 GMT

As you may already know, last July I graduated from Kaplan with a BS in paralegal studies. Well, I am back in school. I submitted my application over the weekend to Souhern New Hampshire University's online BS in acounting. I'm going through the transfer credit evaluation process right now, and it looks like I will be able to transfer in 29 credits. Right now they only accepted 26 credits, but once they verify that my history class was focused on Amerian history, they should transfer that too.

My first choice was Northeastern University, but they have this silly rule where if you have already used credits to earn a degree, you cannot transfer them to earn a second degree. If I went to Northeastern, I would have to start from scratch! Has anyone ever heard of such a policy, or is this unique to Northeastern? Accredidation cannot be an issue since Kaplan and Northeastern are both regionally accredited. Well, since there is no way I'm going to start from scratch, I went with SNHU.

My ultimate goal is to get into the online MS in Accounting program at the University of Connecticut. I'm not sure if I will just take the required foundation courses at SNHU to be admitted to UoC, or if I will do the whole degree and then go to UoC. I'll decide that next year once I have the required 24 accounting credits.

Online trade schools

GermanDawg — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:00:15 GMT

I see that there are quite a few people interested in online universities and online high school but I don't see a lot of online Vocational education. Does anyone know of any such thing? It seems like a natural fit.

Online Schools are not as good as going to school personally

rafaelescobar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:13:21 GMT

Through the technological advancements that our world had undergone, we have been focused too much on getting the edge on learning these advancements. True that computers, cellular phones and satellites are effective and efficient as means of communication. But the question in education still remains, Is learning more effective online? I can say that enrolling on online school has numerous advantage but the fact that being physically present in the classroom is more effective for learning.

BS in Accounting? Best school?

engs15 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:45:54 GMT

Any opinions on the best online Accounting degree( free of any accredidation issues and 150 credit hour issues)?

Marketing & Sales

lbloom — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:11:46 GMT

What would be a good online school that is not to expensive, that offers a certificate in Sales and marketing?

Online Microsoft

JamesT55363 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:13:43 GMT

I am looking to gain more knowledge regarding how to effectively manage a server using microsoft software. I also am responsible for 5 work stations and all the associated hardware. Does any one know of a good source for online learning?

Business Degrees

tscott — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:25:21 GMT

I have almost completed my search, but I am looking for feedback on anyone that is currently attending or has graduated from the following on-line institutions. Thanks.

1. Southern New Hampshire University

2.Ivy Bridge College of Tiffin University

3.Franklin University

4. Charter Oak State College

5.Liberty University

6.Ohio Christian University

NAU & Ashford

tscott — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:59:57 GMT

Does anyone have positive or negative, currrent or past experience with National American University and Ashfod University?