Affordable PhD Online Program

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by lightspeed, Oct 29, 2008.

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  1. lightspeed

    lightspeed New Member

    I've just completed by MBA via Regis University. :) I am considering moving onto a PhD. I've looked at the usual online universities like Walden, Capella and also North Central. Of this, North Central seems affordable. But I am not certain if I want to do my PhD in Business or Organizational Behavior. I have also looked at Fielding for their Org Behavior program and they are not cheap.

    Can you guys help me by suggesting online RA colleges that offer either a PhD business or org behavior program that is affordable and do-able.

    Thanks so much for your help!
     
  2. ChrisH

    ChrisH New Member

    Hi-
    My supervisor is currently working on his PhD in business from Northcentral...he seems a little overwhelmed at times, but is making it through. He is in the dissertation phase now.

    C
     
  3. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Hi lightspeed - I'm afraid that I don't have an answer to your question (at least not right this second) but I've got a couple of tips. The first is that I don't think that you mean to say North Central University. I think that you mean to say Northcentral University. I recently learned that these are actually two separate schools. The second is that when you say "affordable" it's best if you put a dollar value on it. What's affordable to one is not affordable to another. It will help people to give you good suggestions if they know roughly how much you can afford. There are lots of people into PhD/DBA programs on this board and I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions. Welcome to degreeinfo!

    BTW - how did you like Regis?
     
  4. lightspeed

    lightspeed New Member

    Yes, I mean Northcentral Univ. I didn't know there's another North Central Univ. How very confusing! :-(

    I would like to about $7-10k a year if possible for the PhD program. Obviously, the less the better if possible. I'm not trying to be 'cheap' but that I am trying to not have to take out a student loan if I can. If that budget it outrageously low and unrealistic, please let me know and I'll see how I can adjust my budget.

    I am only interested in a US-based RA school.

    Re: Regis Univ. The MBA program was very intense in the last portion of it. i majored in marketing. I had 3 consecutive classes that were team based. I spent an obscene amount of hours doing those classes with the different teams. The curriculum for the team based classes was very intense and demanding. I would not say that the program is cake-walk. I did very well for every class but I did work hard for it. There were a small handful of "easy" classes but in general, most were quite demanding. There were some good professors and some not so good but this is very normal for most schools. Likewise, there were also some good students and some that were very mediocre and probably shouldn't be in the program. Let me know if there's anything you guys want to know about Regis Univ. I'd be happy to share.

    Hope you won't mind guilding me by giving suggestions of PhD programs. I have done some searches and see the same schools (TUI, Northcentral, Walden, Capella) being discussed.

    Thank you again! :)



     
  5. ChrisH

    ChrisH New Member

    Hi-
    I am familiar with TUI, it's where I received my BS...I know that TUI uses the horizon live model for their PhD program...this platform allows face-to-face interaction with the instructor during the dissertation portion of the PhD program...whereas, NCU does not...NCU's PhD is more asynchronously driven...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 30, 2008
  6. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Lightspeed....fellow Regis MBA grad here. Welcome to degreeinfo. You're right about the Regis MBA program. It's no cake walk. I was naive while going through the program. I thought grad school was supposed to be THAT HARD. If I had known that there were much easier programs, I might have bailed early. Thankfully, I stuck with it and graduated.
     
  7. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  8. lightspeed

    lightspeed New Member

    Hi AV8R:
    Before I did the Regis program, I talked to a guy who had undergone the Regis MBA program and he said it was "easy." I found out that it wasn't "easy." It was very demanding and I think my assessment is shared by many school mates. The last 3 classes for the marketing major were very intense. One class required for us to work a simulation and make believe we were a computer tech start up. We had to do weekly presentations to the professor via Web conferencing. Had to draw up a biz plan, and seek VC funding, compete with the other teams in the class to emerge as the most profitable 'company,' etc. Another class required for us to simulate a shoe company a la Nike or Reebok. I spent many, many hours with my team on the phone in meetings every week. There were so many conference calls, Web conferencing, team papers, etc. The teams were formatted into specific executive manager roles - CEO, CFO, CMO, etc. You'd be lucky if you got some really good students on your team for it sure helps to have everyone firing on every piston they have. I had some dead weights and we ended up having to do their share just so that we wouldn't drown.

    You mean there were "easier" programs out there??? OMG, you should have told me!!! :p :)

    I'm glad you and I managed to make it through intact. :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 30, 2008
  9. lightspeed

    lightspeed New Member

    I talked to an acquaintance who has been doing some courses at Northcentral University (NCU). I asked him what he thought of the program, cost, and ease of completion. He said that while tuition costs are in NCU's favor, NCU's format/structure isn't that smooth and hence has made it quite difficult/challenging to complete the program. He said the difficulties came from that at NFC, they are still figuring everything out per the dissertation format. He felt that the work is not hard, but that the majority of the dissertation is APA based and not content based. He recommended Walden Univ or Capella Univ instead.

    Can anyone else who has been through NCU's Ph.D or DBA program please chime in and give me your thoughts. Is what this guy has said true?

    Thanks.
     
  10. Vinipink

    Vinipink Accounting Monster

    Most Colleges and Universities are adhering to APA standards, so you won't scape that much of that. A good dissertation is a done dissertation that follows APA standards as requested by the University, no matter where you do it. A doctorate degree is not a walk in the park, it does not matter where you go. But if your are looking for affordability and RA accredited degree, NCU is the most economical (for now). I am getting ready to enter the research phase and the process does not scare me a bit, due to I have gone through it before, there are more resources than before, and because I like to write. NCU is not for everyone, especially if you like to be micromanagement in your assignments and your participation. You are on your own and it takes lots of motivation to go on.

    Best of luck.
     
  11. Woho

    Woho New Member

    Just a little noob question: What's so special about APA? Read it recently at another topic as well, so I just thought I'm gonna ask.
    Afaik it's "just" a formatting thing, isn't it? Working with a dynamic citation tool like Zotero might take half of the trouble away. I guess most people let their dissertation double check for it's writing (grammar,...) and formatting anyway...
     
  12. mbaonline

    mbaonline New Member

    Mee Three!

    I (not so) fondly remember the Reebok/Nike clone shoe company group project! It was my last class and I was so happy to be done that I didn't even mind doing my teammate's work for her when she went AWOL.

    I would love to teach at Regis. I think it's a great program.
     
  13. lightspeed

    lightspeed New Member

    I guess this guy I talked to wasn't very good at elaborating, but I got the sense that he meant that the NCU structure wasn't that smooth for they're still new at offering the program. He might have not liked the APA part but I got the feeling he meant more than just APA. So my question is, is this true? Is the program well ironed out, and in such, is structured to help you succeed and finish the program as opposed to one where you're left to sink and swim and never really see much land. IMO, no matter if it's online or B&M, a program of any sort needs to be one in which you as a student can succeed in and you're not left to hang.

    I'd love to hear any insight you can share.

    Thanks.

     
  14. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    Capella

    While Capella is not cheap, Capella does offer the field of study that you are looking at:

    www.capella.edu

    I have been academically challenged in the program. In addition I have presented papers based on my comp exams at three different conferences in my field.

    In addition to Capella, look at NCU, Agrosy, Walden, etc. Find a program that you are happy with.

    Shawn
     
  15. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member


    Many schools have their own rules for thesis/dissertations but usually invoke one of several style manuals for references. Here is a list of style manuals from UC Irvine (for a technical thesis/dissertation the APA manual a little cumbersome to use).
    http://www.lib.uci.edu/libraries/collections/special/uci_td/td2.html#2.12
     
  16. Mitchell

    Mitchell New Member

    Interesting comments about the Regis MBA. Despite the MBA being by far the largest of its programs, I'm glad to hear they continue to maintain standards for rigor across the board. I also graduated from Regis, but from the MSCIS program in 03. Most classmates were experienced professionals and I experienced very little dead-weight. In the few cases where there were, they tended to drop out early in the course and we never had to carry anyone to the finish.

    Congratulations to lightspeed on your recent graduation.
     

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