Hi friends, Anyone here attended Northcentral University - Distance Learning? They are fully accredited by HLC and seems very competitive in tuition costs. I need to know how their programs are conducted and pros and cons. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. FH
This was the subject of indepth discussion on Northcentral not long ago. http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10401&highlight=northcentral
Thank you for asking... When I looked at the big picture, I got fed up and disgusted with NCU because: I sweated through undergraduate-statistics with a "B" at a private college. I then sweated through graduate-statistics at the state university with a “B” -- and then NCU would not accept those credits. But wait, it gets worse in a strangely pecular way... 1) This one is suspicious: I did not have three, required, graduate-level business classes, but NCU waived them saying that my undergraduate-courses were equivalent to NCU's graduate-level courses, so I didn't have to take them at NCU. 2) This raises a valid question: Why wasn’t my undergraduate-level statistics class from a private college and my graduate-level statistics class from the state university accepted by NCU? It just didn’t make any sense. I didn't like NCU's teaching methodology. They simply handed me an 877 page statistics book and told me to answer the questions at the end of each chapter. And they call this doctoral-level work? Even UoP's teaching methodology surpasses NCU's by light years because you get required feedback on a weekly basis. At least you get what you pay for at the University of Phoenix, but the same can't be said about NCU. I was allowed to ”listen in” on a telephonic oral defense for a dissertation at NCU and frankly, it was pitiful. Since no names are being used here, I am not breaking any confidence. However, whatever garbage they were feeding and teaching that PhD student clearly came out in her oral defense. Garbage In = Garbage Out. I am glad to have gotten that monkey (NCU) off my back and I am extremely blessed to have left NCU before I got in too deep. I will never recommend NCU to my professional friends. Good luck on your decision.
In your typical quicky 10-12 course MBA at least half of the courses are the same as undergrad courses - just bigger numbers. I would consider it unusual to have these accepted as graduate courses. I think you usually just take them over again.
It's kind of like a stock market adage -- if it sounds too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. People also continue to join degree mills in overwhelming numbers. Why? Someone previously pointed out that the creator of NCU is concurrently the creator of a major, unaccredited school that is highly profitable. Can someone point out its name? In this unaccredited school, they simply hand the student a book and have him answer a few (not all) of the questions at the end of each chapter. NCU uses the same teaching [sic] methodology and, somehow, they still achieved RA status. Either the standards for RA are slipping or NCU has slipped through the cracks. The future of NCU will be interesting to note.
SCUPS - Southern California University of Proessional Studies. It has been around a long time and maybe isn't quite as easy as portrayed.
Southern California University of Proessional Studies Ah yes, that's the name!!! Southern California University of Proessional Studies (SCUPS)!!! <-- click on the link SCUPS is the sister of NCU? And the founder of both schools is one and the same? I remember briefly reading about SCUPS, but didn't pay too much attention to it. However, I will now read-up on it more. Someone also previously reported that the curriculum that is used at SCUPS is the same that is used at NCU. Caveat Emptor!!!
Re: Re: Thank you for asking... Manjaup suggested that the RA standard may have been lowered for NCU. What do you think?
Isn't it ironic that the NCA sees NCU in the same academic light as the University of Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Univ. of Nebraska and on and on ?
Re: Re: Re: Thank you for asking... A suggestion based upon subjective speculation. If they "lowered the standard" for NCU then perhaps every school accredited by NCA is suspect. Do the negative experiences of a few students imply a particular school is substandard? One would think that any given school would have a few disgruntled students. Its somewhat like DegreeInfo, everyone can't be pleased..........
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Thank you for asking... Because if NCA lowered the standard to slip NCU into the RA system, how does one know that many other schools haven't been "slipped through" the system? IMHO, NCU gained NCA accreditation like every other school---by meeting the criteria.
I agree with Ted N. Although some individuals had bad experiences with NCU does not negate the positive experiences of others.
Reply from NCU on my feedback Thank you for your feedback on the three syllabi that you have reviewed. I’ >d like to bring you up to date on Northcentral University’s history and >process of course development. Last year we began the process of Program >Review for each department. One of the first issues revolved around the >faculty, and the methods they used to develop their courses. The first step >was to educate each of the 100 faculty mentors on how to design an >appropriate syllabus and course page for a unique distance learning >institution such as NCU. We designed a course that all mentors were >required to take. This could not happen all at once so we had to schedule a >few mentors at a time to complete this 16-week course. To date, about half >of the faculty have completed this course and are implementing the valuable >information they learned. However, there are still many faculty who are >either currently enrolled in this mentor course or who are scheduled to take >it in the near future. We do NOT want faculty to develop courses without >the proper training. As a result, many of our syllabi reflect the old >method of designing a course. > >The Program Reviews in both departments are scheduled for completion in >2004. That is when all syllabi and course web sites are expected to have >risen to the level of the LS 610 course that you are currently enrolled in. >In the meantime, your feedback is extremely important to us, as we do take >it very seriously. Its a concern that not all the faculty members are educated how to design syllabus and course page. HOw did they acheive RA without having a team of well trained faculties !!! NCA has for sure lowered their standards in this case or NCU has bribed somebody at NCA
