I read that Capella is a privately owned University, which is regionally accredited. I like their offering and I am considering doing a Masters degree in Organizational/Industrial Psychology there. However, I am somewhat concerned about the possibility of them a) changing their name again and b)at some point in time going out of business for financial or any other reasons\ Does anyone know what the likelihood of this is and what would happen to the degrees and diplomas awarded by the University? Furthermore, is anyone out there who has graduated from Capella and has some experience about the acceptance of the University? Thanks.
I don't think Capella will be changing their name. The reason they changed the first time was that their first name (Graduate School of America) would be obsolete when they started offering undergraduate degrees. John Bear has reported that Capella is a very well-funded school, and from literature I've gotten from the school, they seem to have plenty of students. If for some reason they did go under, their records would be kept at either another nearby accredited school, or with the state department of education. My brother's alma mater, Boston State College, went under in the 80's, their records are now kept by the University of Massachusetts-Boston, and my brother goes through them when he needs transcripts. His degree is still "good". Bruce
Capella won't be changing their name. It takes time and money to develop brand name recognition, which they have. They're not going to toss it away unless they're bought out by someone else who believes their brand name recognition is superior. Capella was a well-thought-out, well-funded effort. As the story goes, the founder, former CEO of Tonka Steve Shenk, wanted to buy a school. A certain prominent player in the DL field suggested Shenk start one instead. So Shenk gathered a good amount of VC and some very smart people experienced in DL. Capella (then The Graduate School of America) blitzed its way to candidacy and to full accreditation. I would expect it to remain in its current form for some time, and certainly not to go out of business. Rich Douglas
I have done much research on Capella and have the same conclusions. They also charge alot for their programs and in a very limited fashion. Anyone considering registering here should be aware of the payment plan.
