George Washington vs Penn State?

I am currently looking at George Washington University and Penn State University. The MPS in Security and Safety Leadership at GWU and the MPS in Homeland Security program at Penn State. From what I have discovered so far, they both seem like excellent schools. It appears to me that the Penn State program is geared more towards a purely academic point of view taught by academics, whereas the GWU degree seems to be more focused on actual real world application in the law enforcement field. I am a seasoned law enforcement officer, but I am also very comfortable in academia (I can play the game).

Can anyone who is or has been enrolled in either of these two programs comment on their level of satisfaction, the flexibility (ability to speed up or slow down the process) of the program, and their analysis of the two programs in general?

I would very much appreciate any practical advice.

Thanks,

Josh

B.S History, Excelsior College 2011

 

Hello Josh! Welcome to Degree Info. Here's some information for new members: http://www.degreeinfo.com/distance-learning-discussions/35100-new-users-ask-where-did-my-posts-go.html

Good luck and congratulations on your BS from Excelsior. That's a fine accomplishment.

 

I have no experience with neither program. I knew there was a person who was in the GWU Leadership program, he satisfied with it. Especially, the Marine Corps paid for his tuition because it was/is expensive. I assume there is a pro/con for each school's program. Between the two schools, I would choose Penn State over GWU. I was a student at GWU once for a Master of Science in Computer Engineering...but dropped out due to financial issue. I have not looked into the tuition at Penn State for graduate school, but I assume that Penn State is cheaper than GWU.

Good Luck with you decision, and hope that someone can give you a feedback.

 

Thanks Tekman

GWU is about 3k more for the entire program. The one I am looking at is one of their least expensive programs. For instance, their MBA program is almost double. Thanks for offering what you could. Hopefully I will get some responses from people familiar with the two programs.

 

I can offer insight into the Public Health Preparedness option, and then some overall comments about the program. I am very satisfied with the rigorous nature of the PSU MPS so far. The courses are very interactive between students and the professors, and I must note that the professors (for the most part) are on-campus professors as well. One of my professors is the head of trauma surgery at Hershey Medical Center, and he's very active in our class.

My only complaint so far is that some students sandbag, and there are plenty of group projects in a few of the courses. This, however, is not unique to PSU. Most courses consist of a paper per week, with message board discussions between students and faculty. Going into the program, I really didn't know what to expect, but after my second semester, I must say that I'm impressed with PSU's distance learning component. I know nothing about the GWU program, so I can't offer any advice on it.

What path are you considering for the PSU MPS?

 

soupbone,

I appreciate the response. So far I have found a lot of positive things about both programs. At this point, I plan on applying to both, but am leaning towards the GWU program because it is more closely aligned to the law enforcement field. In response to your question, the base program looks like the only viable option to me at this point.

What is the actual total cost of the PSU program including tuition, fees, books, etc? Is it a cohort style program or is there any flexibility if for some reason I had to take a month off?

Did they wave the GRE for you?