Capella Changes Grad Requirements for Current Students

Hi all,

I am a current Capella phd student and am generally quite satisfied with the program. I'd like your input on the following:

This week Capella announced a change in their doctoral comps process, making it a 2 quarter process instead of 1 quarter. This changes their 120 unit phd in general psychology to a 125 unit program and adds an additional quarter of coursework (and charges).

This applies to students who enter the comps process from Jan 05 onward including current students.

In the 'Graduation Requirements' section of Capella's catalog and website it states that grad requirements will be those listed in the catalog that is current when a student first enters the program.

However, in an obscure part of the website and in literally the last paragraph of their printed catalog Capella has a clause that states that nothing they say can imply a contract and that they reserve the right to change program requirements without notice.

They are using this clause to justify applying these added requirements and charges to current students.

I am extremely troubled by this since in one prominent section they promise to abide by what I believe to be pretty much a universal educational policy and a then in an obscure corner they insert a clause that guts their promise.

My question is does anyone know of any other accredited school that reserves for itself the right to change program requirements for currently matriculating students?

Regards,
GE

 

I had a similar experience when I was getting my MA at the University of South Florida. As such, I had to delay my graduation by two semesters. I hated that.

Because Capella is very serious about APA accreditation, it is going through a lot of changes to meet APA's minimum requirements. I had several conversations with Bruce Weiss, and I got a lot of interesting feedback from him about the recent changes. I encourage you to do so as well. One thing I got from him is that APA didn't like Capella's initial COMPs process for their psychology programs and asked the school to make modifications on it. That is why the COMPS process has become more rigurous than before (not that it was ever easy to begin with). In sum, I think its all for the better. A degree from an APA accreditted school (even if your degree does not need it) is always going to be regarded as more prestigious than one from an RA school.

Hope this helps
-S

 

There many ways for Universities to hold students hostages. Certainly, this is one of them. You are about to finish and then they put you a situation of jeopardy. When I was a student at Upper Iowa University, they change from the MABL format to the MBA.

They gave us the choice to finish with the original program and not incurred the extra class and fees that the MBA will require. Simply this was very considered of them.

I believe you are half way or about to finish with your school, I will recommend to go with the flow! Any way you go at this time, the change will either be expensive or time consuming.

My two cheles!

 

I would be angry. Or maybe not.

It is normal practice for schools to retain the curricular requirements in place when the student entered the program, unless the new requirements create an advantage to the student. That's why I'd be angry.

But I might not be angry if, as noted above, the changes are leading to strengthening Capella's bid for APA accreditation. This can only be a good thing.

A question: will the changes lead to APA accreditation in time for you to graduate? If not, will future APA accreditation be a benefit to those who graduated earlier? (This is often the case for those earning degrees before accreditation--people tend to treat such degrees as coming from accredited schools.)

Learners at Union Institute and University experienced substantive changes during their programs--changes forced upon the university by various agencies who wouldn't wait to "grandfather" out current learners. Documenting changes, the addition of required research methods components, and many others soon to come, all put in place for current as well as future learners. Current learners were mad, but they didn't have a choice.

 

On Comps at Capella

The new comp process at Capella simply reflects the fact that it is "damn" hard to get your comp papers done in one quarter including the conference and approval. I tried to do it in one quarter but I think my family and dog would have left me <tongue in cheek>

It is more realistic to do the comps in two quarters. It give the student more time to come up quality work and not burnout.

Either way, it is not easy to go through the comp process. The reason of the change for money or not, it still makes sense to do it in two quarters. Maybe some very bright person who can manage a thousand projects simultaneously might have a legitimate retort. I don't have that giftedness... so I take longer.

 

Par for the course with Capella

I'm sorry to say that changing student degree programs is par for the course with Capella. In the two years I was a student there in the psychology department there was a significant change every other quarter. Admittedly, I am one of the nae sayers regarding Capella. My experience there was mixed. The coursework was not challenging and the curriculum was preprogrammed. Unless you had been on faculty for awhile you were not allowed to deviate from the Capella canned syllabus-- according to two of my most recent instructors there. I've had more severe problems with the business office after leaving the school which I'd rather not get into in this post. My thought is that since Capella's a for profit institution, profit is all they are concerned about. That is by far fair and their choice. It's also anyone's choice who goes there. As I understand it some individuals have a great experience at Capella. I've since become a student at another for profit institution, however, my current school, Walden, is a COMPLETE world of difference from the environment, curriculum, quality and integrity standards that lacked at Capella.

Just my 2 cents.

 

All schools have garbage and potholes!

I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. I am in my dissertation process and I have only had to date one pot hole that is minor in my opinion. I am impressed with Capella. I am buddy with a chair of a counseling dept. at a major university. He also sits on the CACREP accrediting board that accredited Capella and other insitutions for counseling. He is very impressed with Capella and feels they compare favorably with other institutions.

Most of my classmates generally feel the same as I do.

I wish you a better experience at Walden. I'm sure you'll have a good one. I spoke to the chair of the psychology dept. when I was checking out schools and found her abrasive and harsh. But maybe she is not there any longer.

Have a great day.

 

I'm new to this forum, guys, but I want to share my experiences with Capella. Overall I really enjoyed it! I think it is a very well run school and they were very responsive to my needs as a student. In fact, I found them to be more student-sensitive than many other well established brick and mortar universities.

Capella is an expensive school, but tuition from small specialized schools in psychology is never going to be cheap (i.e., Fielding, Walden, Forest Institute, Saybrook).

 

Again, I want to stress that I think Capella is pretty good. The top students are in fact very good.

I also agree that the new comps process is probably an improvement.

What I object to is their disregard of what I -think- is a well-nigh universal educational policy - that one is entitled to rely upon the catalog that you first enter under.

I'm very curious to know if any readers have had an experience of another school changing requirements and not giving current learners the option of following the catalog they entered under (particularly when it increases the unit requirements for a degree).

Regards,
GE