Hello Everyone, Well I'm finishing up my BS in HLS at TESC and would like to pursue a masters degree. I'm trying to decided whether to continue on with TESC or head over to Northcentral University to earn a M.Ed. What I dislike most about TESC is their customer service. Which one would you choose and why? Thanks in advance. Debra
There are millions of online MEd programs around and so I'm wondering why you're limiting yourself to those two.
Hi Debra. I have attended both schools. I was never satisfied with the customer service in my time at TESC. I felt disconnected from the school proper. Conversely, I had a very positive experience at NCU and would recommend them over TESC. NCU is regionally accredited, very student oriented and offers flexibility for your studies.
One of the reason I'm even considering TESC is because I'm already a student therefore familiar with the online format as for the other school I'm told there's no discussion boards. HUGE PLUS in my book!
Which program at TESC are you considering? The only education progam I see listed is their "Master of Arts in Educational Leadership": http://www.tesc.edu/650.php That program requires "at least three years of teaching experience or educational services experience and valid teaching educational services administrative certificate" among other requirements: http://www.tesc.edu/files/MAEdL_Prospectus_2009_FOR_WEB.pdf So if you don't currently possess that, the TESC program wouldn't even be an option. I don't know that much about MEd programs, but from what I've read here, it seems like NCATE accreditation is a good thing to have, and neither TESC nor NCU are NCATE accredited. The list of accredited institutions is available here: http://www.ncate.org/public/institlist.aspx?ch=106 You may want to check this list ... regionally accredited online MEd degrees listed by price: http://www.geteducated.com/online-college-ratings-and-rankings/best-buy-lists/best-buy-online-masters-of-education ex, the cheapest program on the list (for out-of-state-ers) is the University of Wyoming, which is NCATE accredited ... More info on the U of Wyoming program (I don't know anything about it except what I've already noted here, I think you should explore the other options at the list above to see which would be right for you ...) http://www.uwyo.edu/alt/info.asp?p=3270
Unless you are a teacher (and even if you are) maybe a MPA would suit your needs - it would seem to complement a homeland security degree. Just a thought.
I'm currently an NCU student and love it. I don't want to appear to puff for NCU on this board (well, no more than I already have) so send me a PM, if you are interested, and I will tell you all about my experience.
Debra, There are certainly choices for less tuition than NCU. For example Lamar University offers the online M.Ed. in partnership with Higher Ed Holdings. The program is now $6450, and is also NCATE accredited. http://stateu.com/lamar/ Moreover, if you intend to utilize the M.Ed. in the public education /school arena, programmatic accreditation will matter with many state boards of education. 10/22/2009 “Online Master’s of Education students at Lamar University who took the state principal exam in the spring and summer of 2009 averaged 20 points higher than students statewide and also scored higher than most campus-based students who have taken the same exam. The Lamar online students averaged a score of 261, while the average score across the state is 245. A student must earn a score of at least 240 to pass the principals exam.” http://www.lamar.edu/newsevents/news/207_8072.htm Wayne State College also offers the MS in Education online at $8100 ($225 x 36-hrs.) and is also NCATE accredited. http://www.wsc.edu/graduate_program/degrees_programs/index.php#mse
