How fast can you complete NCU courses?

I know Northcentral University www.ncu.edu allows up to 12 weeks to complete a course towards a BS. Can anyone tell me how much work is involved per course and if their courses can realistically be completed say within 4 weeks?

 

IMHO, it depends on whether or not you want an A and your other time commitments. If your assignment consists of essay questions, expect to spend several hours (2-3 hrs) on each one, since you are expected to provide substantiated responses in APA format. Stat problems are seemingly easy, but the excel templates can be tricky. ( I spent a week second guessing one problem) I have earned an A in every class taken so far, (I am on my fourth doctoral class) but it is not a cakewalk, by any means. You could do a class in 60-70 hours, by my estimation, not counting reading the material. I am using my current class as an example, which has 16 essay questions and a 10-15 page paper. (16*2.5 hrs=40 hrs, plus 20 hours for the paper).

 

You could complete the course in 4 weeks but you will work your ass off. Some classes are harder than others. On one course I used 15 of the 16 weeks allowed (before they went to 12 week semesters).

Is is possible: YES
Would it be fun: DOUBT IT

 

Yes, a hard and fast rule can't be applied because different classes are -- different!!! Each class has a different syllabus with various expectations and requirements. Some classes are easier to blow through than others, but you will still have to do the legwork, but since it's self-paced you can speed it up by working more than you normally would. If you have off all day Saturday and Sunday and if you wnat to spend the bulk of each day doing coursework, then you will accelerate your progress. The key: You determine when you will work (reference coursework) -- and how much work you will do. You might work for three hours straight and then take two hours off and then come back and do three or four more hours of work. The fact that you can work when you have the available time -- and when you are in the appropriate mood -- is what makes this type of program appealing. I realize that once I hit the dissertation stage, my theory might get thrown out.

I'm in a class now where the syllabus requires six one page papers with a 10 page paper at the end of the class, but the instructor is requiring 18 papers that are three pages in lengh (by the time select information is put into each paper, it's a minimum of three pages long, usually four, not including the title page and the reference page), plus the 10 page paper at the end of the class. I don't mind the work, but I just wish that it matched up with the syllabus. I usually read a syllabus first and get geared up for the expectations that are required, but when the instructor substantially deviates from the syllabus, it forces me to change gears which, frankly, is unpleasant. Yep, I'm whining (the gears are whining). Usually the courses match the syllabus.

 

I don't think it is whining. I have had an unpleasent experience with the syllabus also. I actually ask for the syllabus of a few courses, read them, and determine which class I want to take next based on case load and interest. I have even started the course work a month before the actual start date. If they asked for something different from what the syllabus states, I would freak out on them!!!

 

Yeaa, I thought about freaking out because the mentor has totally deviated from the requirements in the syllabus. Handing in six one page papers (which the syllabus requires) is vastly different than handing in 18 four page papers (which is not in the syllabus, but is required by this particular mentor - after inserting everything that the mentor wants in a paper, it will invariably be four pages long - if the cover page and references are included, then it will be 6 to 8 pages long)!!! That's six pages of writing verses 72 pages of writing -- big difference!!!! 72 pages is only counting the actual writing -- not the cover page and reference pages, which would make it an extra 108 to 144 pages extra.

If it were originally in the syllabus, then I would not be angry, but it's not in the syllabus and that's what pisses me off. It also raises my stress level that I can't complain about it because I don't want to burn my bridges, so I'm not going to b*tch and am just going to internalize the anger. I'll just begrudgingly (angrily) do the !@#$%^&* coursework and will be done with the course. Whatever.

If you write a freaking syllabus, then stick to it. If it's not difficult enough for your taste as a mentor, then freaking change it and make it more difficult, but put it in writing in a new syllabus instead of adding requirements that aren't in the syllabus!!!

 

Overall, I am still pleased with the NCU program. I just have a little bit of heartburn at the moment. But it will pass -- and then I can suffer through the rigor of a dissertation. Whatever.

 

I have had this happen to me as well. I had one NCU course with (12) 2-3 page essays and a 10 page final paper. My mentor changed it to (12) 5-7 page essays and a 15-20 page final paper. UGH!!!

 

Now that is whining at a professional level!!

 

I have run into the same thing at the masters level. But overall I am pleased with the program.

 

Hummmmmmm.... I wonder why the changes???

 

The mentor wanted graduate level work. At least that's what she stated.

She was very tough, but it was well worth it in the end.

 

I noticed that NCU uses the same course numbering for many of the MBA and PHD courses. Is it possible that the syllabus was for an MBA course but because you are a PHD student the requirements were different.

 

It is possible that I made a mistake.