Tuition Fee: Per Semester Hour or One Flat Rate?

Several have stated that to offer a degree program for one flat fee, as opposed to hourly/course/semester tuition, is the sign of a degree mill. While it is true that some degree mills use a flat rate method of payment, this, in and of itself, does not necessarily imply degree mill. There are some degree mills which charge tuition per hour, course, semester as well. To follow this logic would also imply that because some degree mills advertise in publications, then any advertisement in a publication is from a degree mill. However, the Chronicle of Higher Education has scores of legitimate advertisements.

If one pays, e.g., $200 per hour for a 60 hour Ph.D. program, one has paid $12,000 for the degree. While it may not be advertised as a $12,000 degree is irrelevant--one has indeed paid that full amount, whether in payments or at once. In the US, most RA schools do charge tuition per hour/course/semester, but many GAAP non-US programs do not. Unisa for example charges both per year and per program. Potch does the same. And both of these schools are viewed (according to AACRAO) as equivalent to a US RA school.

So, flat rate tuition, in and of itself does not designate a school as a degree mill! Although the degree programs (PU) are charged tuition per degree, I have not paid for my full tuition at once, but am doing so in increments--much like a semester plan.

Russell

 

It is but one indicator, and a very good one, especially in the U.S. Name one accredited U.S. school that charges a flat rate for the entire degree program? (I can think of several, but they would be the answer to a trick question. )

Rich Douglas

 

I don't know of any DL, but with the plethora of degree completion programs (i.e. 18 months, one night per week) using that pricing model, I wouldn't be suprised to see it in the near future.

 

What about the US military academies?

 

Heh, heh, heh. That's where I was heading. Along with them, you have the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Naval Post-Graduate School, and the Community College of the Air Force. Also, the Naval War College awards degrees, but those are military-related. Nice shot!

Rich Douglas

 

Some of the most prestigious MBA programs in the United States charge a flat fee, such as the Warrington College of Business (University of Florida), and The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Both, however, require a limited residency. Warrington’s Internet MBA requires one weekend (Saturday – Sunday) per term (in addition to an initial one-week orientation) and Duke requires a total of 11 weeks in residential classes at various sites around the world.

Costs for Warrington are between $26,500 (16 month program) and $30,900 (27 month program) both of which include a laptop computer, but not travel, meals or lodging for the residencies.
http://www.floridamba.ufl.edu/prosp_stu/costs/imba.asp#i1mba


Tuition for Fuqua’s Global Executive MBA is a whopping $95,500 (plus a technology fee of $3,500) and does not include travel expenses (but does include meals and lodging at the different program sites).
http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/gemba.html


Gus Sainz

 

I stand humbly corrected and updated.

Rich Douglas

 

I'll throw one more into the pot: The DL Master's program in international relations at Tufts University / Fletcher School of Diplomacy. Around $30K for the program.

Fantastic program. Legendary faculty. And I couldn't afford it with an affording machine, even if I could get in. <G>

 

I'll just echo the comments of Gus and Dennis. Executive MBA's and typically, any Master's degree given the term "executive", charge a flat fee. Yet another example is Purdue's executive MBA in food and agribusiness for $37,500.

Mark

 

Hmmmm! That's right at $99,000. I wonder if Duke offers a discount if one pays the full amount in advance?

Russell