Why I Decided Against GCU's Ph.D. in Psychology

I came very close to applying for GCU's Ph.D. in Psychology program but before I finished, I decided against it. I have had a somewhat difficult time finding information/reviews about the school anywhere but here so I thought I'd share some of what I have learned in order to help others.

Why the program might be a good fit for you:

1. After speaking to two current students of the program in real life, I was told that a. The program, aside from the dissertation itself, is "easy." Most classes consist of two discussion board posts per week and SOME courses have actual assignments. It sounds to me like if you are working and/or have a family, it would be relatively simple to find the time for homework.

2. You could probably find teaching jobs at other for-profit universities with the credential.

3. You may enjoy the personal development aspect.

4. You might be working in industry and the credential may be recognized by your employer (say, the government) and could lead to a promotion or raise.

Reasons why I decided against the program:

1. I want to spend my federal student loan money on a program that has a high probability of bringing in the type of income that could help me repay my debt. Since I am not working in industry and my own research indicates that traditional universities probably will not hire me to teach with this credential, my money would probably be better spent on another program.

2. There was very little information about the program online. What I WAS able to gather about the university frightened me. I will not share others' stories here, but a quick Google search may help you discover them on your own.

3. Students are required to find their own third dissertation committee member. The member must a. hold a Ph.D. and b. be published in the student's area of interest. The direction in which I desire to take my research does not leave me with many options and certainly not to anyone I know personally. This concerned me, because writing and getting approved a prospectus is difficult. Gathering research can be stressful and frustrating. The last thing I need to do is worry about finding a committee member when any traditional school would be able to provide all three individuals on my behalf.

4. I spoke to several professors and two directors from 3 different universities. Two were public schools and 1 was a private, not-for-profit university. Everyone with whom I spoke indicated that I most likely would not be able to secure a faculty position at their school with a Ph.D. from any online, for-profit university. I am certain that some people have done so in the past, but it sounds like the odds would be against me. Since this is my goal, it sounds like GCU is unfortunately not for me.

5. After deciding against the program, I began receiving phone calls and E-mails, trying to convince me to attend the school. The E-mails arrived (and continue to arrive) weekly and the phone calls are probably a few times per week. The people are nice, but the thing is, I'm a grown woman in my 30s with a family and a master's degree from a good school. I feel like I'm capable of making decisions for myself. I do not need to be sold on something. If I were to express interest in a state university, they'd send me a packet of information and leave me alone. They would not desperately call me to recruit my financial aid dollars. The only non-for-profit school that I have ever seen do that is USC's Social Work (MSW) program. Those people would seriously not leave me alone until I told them I refused to spend $90K on a master's degree.

Anyway, I hope that this can assist you in your own decision making. I do not think GCU is a terrible school (though I do not know from experience), but it sounds like it just isn't right for me. Good luck to everyone who is trying to decide whether or not to attend!

 

That's pretty common for most distance learning programs. Tenured positions are competitive these days, and credential modality discrimination is still a big problem these days. I've only considered the program to later clinically respecialize, and I have the same attitude regarding most online Ph.D programs in psychology.

 

Good luck finding a program that fits for you. There are trade-offs to be made when taking a PhD online, and you have to be comfortable with them. I chose GCU because it was the only school offering the degree I wanted in the format that would fit my current life. While it's a for-profit, it's different than many in the sector, in both form and function. I like that they have invested in their campus and academics, and now have 11,000 on campus students, NCAA Div I athletics, etc. They have not raised tuition in 6 years. They have a plan to return to non-profit status. We shall see.

Although the coursework for the PhD is not terribly difficult, I don't think this is uncommon. You were mislead by the students who told you they have classes with no assignments, just discussions. All classes I have taken had several assignments, usually at least three papers. Still, the degree is all about the research.

Finally the marketing is off-putting, but not any worse than many other non-profits offering online programs. If you don't believe me, go fill out inquiries with Arizona State or LSU and tell me when they finally stop calling.

 

I filled out an inquiry with ASU, and they never bugged me. There are other non-profits that send me a lot of emails, but don't call me. All I have to do is click the unsubscribe link in the email. Bellevue is the only non-profit I can recall calling me numerous times.

 

GCU is huge here in Phoenix. It's extremely well known and respected. There is a lot of talk of them going back to non profit since they run like one and treat their students like one. The campus is huge and absolutely beautiful. They haven't raised tuition in years and they have a great athletic department. Also, since they have a really large campus, I would think that would help a lot with getting a job later on. It's no different than if you get your degree from ASU, SNHU, NSU, or any other campus based university that offers online degrees. Basically, if you get your degree from any school that's not in your immediate area, it's going to be pretty obvious it was online.