Touro or NCU for BA PhD?

Hi everyone,
I want to start a PhD program in business administration. From my research and from many posts on this board (thank you!) I have narrowed my search to two schools: Touro and NorthCentral.
Can anyone tell me more about the pros and cons of each?
I searched the program web sites and talked to admission counselors at both schools. My impression is that at NorthCentral the classes are more geared towards the dissertation, while at Touro you more or less start the dissertation when you finish the classes (except for the last, capstone, class). The time it takes at Touro depends very much on you, while at NorthCentral the classes lead you to the dissertation.
Also, at Touro, they expect you to find your own committee, while at NorthCentral the committee is made of professors from the school.
On the other hand, my impression was that the classes at Touro are more interactive. Perhaps I am wrong on this.

Another issue is the accreditation. This issue is new to me so I am not fully aware of the differences. From the web site I learn this:

Touro is accredited by WASC, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Their web site also claims that "All Business Administration degree programs are accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)."

North Central University is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Can someone enlighten me on this? Is one of the two a "better" accreditation?

Any comments will be appreciated.
Thanks and happy holiday.

 

I have no hard facts on it but I have always heard that Western is the less stringent of the regionals.

Suffice it to say that you would do well with any of the RA schools, in my opinion. Choosing your own committee sounds a bit Unionish, though.

 

Classes and dissertation

I'm now in the dissertation phase at TUI. Actually, almost all of my classwork eventually contributed to my phd. As long as you have a general idea of what you're going to study, you can start on various aspects of your phd through the classes. Your lit review, methods and research all can be started while taking your classwork.

When you eventually get to the 'dissertation' classes, you should have already done a good deal of research and planning.

As far as the committee, you have to find one of three. TUI provides the two others.

-Reggie

 

On the other hand, my impression was that the classes at Touro are more interactive. Perhaps I am wrong on this.

They are about the same level of interaction. I completed my MS-ITM at TUI and I am in the PhD program at NCU. Comparing the two, I prefer NCU. I like the admin people and I like the use of books. TUI is a lot of internet links and stories. NCU uses text books and best selling business books (Dance of Change).

TUI is more paper writing and NCU is paper writing and problem solving. Almost everything else is equal.

 

Re: Classes and dissertation

So, Touro provides two people on the committee and the learner has to find the third. How do you go about finding the third? Is it from the ranks of the Touro faculty or are you on your own out there? What is the criteria for that third person?

After hearing many discuss the Touro and NCU programs it appears to me the following are true:

1) NCU allows you to specialize and they offer classes for those specializations. With Touro you have to rely on the dissertation alone to differentiate your study.

2) Touro seems more free form and does not require books. Mostly written papers in classes whereas NCU has papers and problem solving components. This could make the Touro program more economical from my estimation. Books are extremely expensive.

3) NCU now offers the DBA and PhD. Touro offers the PhD.

4) NCU provides the committee members for the dissertation. Touro provides all but one of the committee members.

5) Touro has a brick and mortar presence via Touro College. NCU is an on-line school only.

6) NCU and Touro have programs that cost about the same.

7) NCU does not participate in federally backed student loans whereas Touro does. A forum member estimated that this can cost one an extra $9K in interest over the life of the loan.

8) The NCU program has courses for the disseration where you might get a good head start on the disseration...chapter by chapter as you go through the courses. Touro does not seem to have this aid(although rryan says that you can get a jump start on your dissertation through coursework). Some learners might like the more structured approach and others might not. Maybe there is essentially no difference here. For me, I would like a structured approach to writing a dissertation.