New to the Forum... Finishing 1st Semester w/S.C.U.

Hello to all! I'm new to posting to this forum... but I've been reading the posts from you guys & gals for months while I debated where to continue my education.

During my last semester at my local community college (Central Piedmont Community College, in Charlotte, NC - offering more online courses than any other community college in the Southeast, I believe) I knew I'd have to do some distance learning for my Bachelor's degree. (I'm a stay-at-home mom with a husband who works 50+ hours a week.)

Although I did most of the research myself, I found your posts especially helpful... including the "frank" opinions.

So, as I'm working to finish up my first semester at Southern Christian University, I just wanted to add my two cents.

My experience with S.C.U. has been phenomenal! I'm working on the B.S. degree in Liberal Studies and have found the professors incredibly knowledgable, available, and flexible. The course work is challenging (which is good for me... I'm in this thing to actually LEARN, not just rack up credits & get a slip of paper) but completely manageable. Some people say that S.C.U.'s tuition is high, but if you take 3 classes (12 credits) tuition is automatically reduced by half... making it about the same as my local public university (UNC Charlotte). Lastly, S.C.U. is accredited, which was important for me because I intend to pursue a Master's degree (not sure whether traditional or distance, yet) and many colleges & university have requirements for B.A./B.S. degrees to come from a regionally accredited institution.

So, there's my input... just wanted to "pay it forward," so that anyone else looking into S.C.U. or any other DL college for that matter can consider one more opinion... I know the opinions of you guys have really helped me and are continuing to do so as I avidly monitor posts about DL graduate programs, now!

Thanks ya'll!

 

Congrats and Welcome

Congrats Skoolgurl,
welcome to the party. That's great that you're finishing your degree. I only wish that I found this forum earlier in my degree pursuit. I would have saved a ton of time. Better late than never. Your Bachelors will be here in no time. Good luck.

 

Congratulations!

So, what type of masters program are you considering?

 

As a probationary candidate for ordination with the United Methodist Church (ordination is of course contingent on the completion of my education) I am leaning towards the M. of Div. and I wouldn't even mind completing a short residency... It would be like a vacation for me!

But despite the ordination pursuit... I really want to teach. So, my main goal is to find a graduate program that will equip me to adequately teach... preferably at the college level.

 

[/B]

I wish that Southern Christian provided the same kind of discount for graduate students. I'm paying $440.00/sem hr with an additional $400.00 comprehensive fee each semester. My 36-hour Master's is going to cost me just about $18,000. A 90-hour M.Div at Southern Christian going full-time is over $43,000!

I'm looking into Lubbock Christian U. (SACS accredited) which has an online M.Div program that requires 6 classes to be taken on the campus. Even though I live in Mississippi, I can travel to Lubbock for 6 one-week classes and still complete the M.Div for much less than at Southern Christian.

According to an email from Lubbock Christian, the graduate tuition cost is $132.00 per hour; $100.00 technology/graduate fee per semester; $20.00 per class online fee.

In the information Lubbock Christian sent to me about their M.Div program, I found this strange statement:

"LCU’s master’s degree is highly regarded among other universities. We are the only highly regarded school affiliated with the Churches of Christ that provides a Master of Divinity primarily through an internet distance delivery format. Students are only required to take 18 of the 84 hours on campus. These classes are offered in one-week short courses and weekend formats."

It's strange because Southern Christian is a Churches of Christ affiliated school that offers a M.Div completely online. Are they trying to insinuate that Southern Christian is not highly regarded?

If anyone would like the Word documents completely describing the Lubbock Christian M.Div program let me know and I will forward them to you. You have to request the information. It is not posted on their web site.

 

In the information that I received, S.C.U. sent some info on several scholarships available. Are you eligible for any? It would at least be worth checking on.

VERY interesting... perhaps it's just an oversight.

Definitely forward them to me... [email protected]

Thanks!

 

Eddie,

I looked at the academic common market and your program was not listed, I recommend you contact your representative in Mississippi to discuss the ACM and if they can help with the tuition issue.

http://www.sreb.org/programs/acm/participating/states.asp

Regards,

 

skoolgurl

skoolgurl,

I am getting a $200 scholarship for the fall, spring, and summer semesters for a total of $600. Every little bit helps!

I have forwarded the Lubbock Christian info to you. Let me know what you think.


Fred,

Thanks for the tip. I will look into it.

 

Skoolgirl et al,

I've been reading this thread with interest because I'm looking into the possibility of transferring to SCU.

I'm about to finish my first term in the M.A., Counseling Psychology program at Argosy, which has been disappointing...I'm doing well grade-wise, but I don't think I'm learning as much in a 7.5-week course (the only format they use for their online offerings, which I didn't know when I applied; this program allows you to take up to 49% of the coursework online) as I would in a 15-week semester. I also have yet to receive ONE BIT of personal feedback from my professor, which makes this experience seem like a very expensive correspondence course. The 7.5-week compressed format also doesn't leave you much time for a life--I'm in my late 40s with sole custody of a 14-year-old involved with school activities, plus I work full-time, which is why I have to have something with the online component.

SCU was my first choice when I started narrowing down schools last year, but since I would only be taking one course per semester to start with I would not qualify for Federal financial aid like I do at Argosy (I currently have a Stafford loan). I have since learned that there are other educational lenders who will provide funds for students like me who are enrolled less than half-time. And SCU seems to have a really good program, and since the eArmyU folks are involved I figured that it's probably monitored pretty strictly.

Has anyone here had any experience with the M.A./Counseling program at this school? Is there interaction with the classmates and professor? Is the course load manageable if you want to have a life? And has anybody had any experience with the kind of financial aid I described above? Any responses to this would be greatly welcomed--my Argosy term ends next week, and I need to make a decision on whether to cancel my next 7.5-week class, put in for a leave of absence (which would affect my current financial aid), and apply to SCU for the spring term.

Thanks!

 

I attended SCU in the M.S. in Ministerial Leadership program (I completed 15 sem hrs.) I have transferred to Beacon University simply because SCU is too expensive at $465.00 per semester hour. I did not have experience with the counseling program, but I believe that SCU is a good school.

The professors and administration are very responsive. I liked the fact that my professors graded papers and responded to emails seven days a week. If you cannot find a lower cost, high quality option, then SCU is a good choice.

 

Just to put in my 2 cents about the LCU claim that they were the only "highly regarded" Church of Christ school offering a MDiv via dl, since I am affiliated with COC myself...

I think few people (except those in the area) even know about SCU. Growing up I heard about Abilene Christian, Lubbock Christian, Oklahoma Christian, Harding, Lipscomb, Freed-Hardeman and Pepperdine. But other schools never made a blip on the radar, such as Faulkner, York, Ohio Valley, etc. Southern Christian would fall into the latter category.

So I doubt if they were intentionally casting dispersion upon SCU, but rather were simply stating a reality that SCU isn't regarded much at all.

Then again, who knows...

clint

 

I sent an email to Lubbock Christian asking them about their opinion of SCU. The person who responded to my email was unwilling to comment.

I think that LCU does not want to recognize SCU simply because SCU has a completely online M.Div program that is regionally accredited. LCU has a 6 class residency requirement for its M.Div.

You're right, I don't think that many people know about SCU. I just wish that SCU wasn't so expensive.

 

Eddie,

Thanks for your reply. I got SCU's information packet in the mail yesterday, and the $465 per credit hour you mentioned is comparable to what I'm paying at Argosy. From what I've seen, this is pretty much the going rate for this kind of program at a private institution, whether the school is for-profit or otherwise. At least they're on a semester schedule...two of the for-profit schools I looked into last year charged similar per-credit rates but were on the quarter system, meaning that you'd pay half again as much before it was all over.

I've got to go into debt for my degree anyway, if I can find a reputable lender who will consider a less than half-time student at least for the first couple of years. I can manage the books and "comprehensive fee" for three classes a year from my tax refund if I budget carefully. I just want to get what I think I'm paying for...quality distance education that isn't a correspondence course, where I'll learn what I need to know to eventually pass my state's LPC exam and be able to help someone as a therapist. Other than the fact that I have to get at least a B in each class, the grades are of secondary concern.

When you were at SCU, how many classes did you take per term? Were you able to work and have a family life, or did your schedule make you feel like a hamster on a treadmill?

Thanks again for your post, and best wishes at your new school.

anne

 

Anne,

I took two classes the first term and three classes the second term. I work full time, have a family, and I am an associate minister at my church. The key is to avoid procrastinating. Taking three classes wasn't too much of problem. I am not very disciplined and I procrastinate a lot.

It is a good idea financially to take as many classes per semester as you can. This will reduce the number of semesters required to complete your degree. You don't want to pay that $400/semester comprehensive fee any more than you have to!

 

A list of approved UMC graduate seminaries can be found here.

 

Eddie,

I'm pretty disciplined when I need to be (I've been a single parent for the past 5 years and that's enough to teach anyone how to prioritize), and if you could carry three classes with the family/professional responsibilities you described I might have a fighting chance with two. Carrying one 7.5-week compressed class just about did me in and left me no time for a life...and as I mentioned previously, I don't think I learned as much as I could have over a longer period of time.

I know what you mean about not paying the comprehensive fee any more than you have to. Problem is, at this point in time I have to worry about time. If I apply/get accepted to SCU, I'm going to start with one class per term, see how much it takes out of me, and take it from there as to whether I can handle two classes.

On a slight tangent...I e-mailed Dr. Wayne Perry, who is in charge of the program I'm interested in at SCU, yesterday afternoon with a question about requirement for outside counseling supervisors. He e-mailed me back a very well-thought-out reply THIS AFTERNOON. What a contrast to the professor at my current school who hasn't communicated with me personally throughout the entire 7 weeks (so far) of my class!

Take care,
anne