Graduate College Alumni in Higher Education http://www.tui.edu/Alumni/GCalumsHigherEd062000.pdf Graduate College Alumni in Higher Education Administration http://www.tui.edu/Alumni/GCalumsHigherEdAdminJune2000.pdf Graduate College Post Graduate Licensure / Certification in Psychology & Mental Health http://www.tui.edu/Alumni/GCalumsLicensesJune2000.pdf
Union and Fielding are the only primarily DL institutions whose Ph.D. grads have made decent inroads into the world of full-time positions with residential, RA institutions. As the web listings that Bill Highsmith posted will indicate, Union alums have been especially successful in that realm. Nevertheless, and I don't know if it's just me, but I did find Union's tuition & expenses to be awfully high for what is essentially a self-designed program. I gave *very* serious thought to applying there until realizing that, from a cost-benefit standpoint, it wasn't worth the expense for my own needs and situation. But as a credential, the Union Ph.D. is about as solid as it gets for a DL Ph.D. That may change as more players get into the game, especially as more and more well-known traditional schools "discover" distance learning.
Union's tuition is certainly on the high side, although it compares favorably with its long-time "competitors" (Fielding, Saybrook, Walden). It may be helpful to note, however, that their tuition is based on a full calendar year rather than a traditional nine-month academic year. Also, any private university will tend to run higher than most state universities. To a degree, what we have is an issue of supply, demand, and credibility. Perhaps it is precisely because Union's doctorates have such a high acceptance level that they are higher than other programs in terms of tuition. There is also the matter of Union's regional accreditation, which will place it higher than most of the foreign doctoral programs that are discussed in this forum. (In other words, you do get what you pay for.) I have never done a cost comparison, but I'd be curious about how Union's overall tuition compares with a schoollike U. Phoenix, as one of the primary complaints I hear about UOP is its cost. I think you'll also find that M.B.A. programs tend to have high tuition rates, in part because their tuition is often paid by companies rather than individuals. Thus far, Union has not felt a significant "bite" from other doctoral programs, although Capella has made successful inroads into the market. (I consider this somewhat of an apples-oranges comparison, however, since Union is a nonprofit university and Capella, like Walden, is proprietary.) f anything, Union has solidified its position through the acquisition of Vermont College, which adds several master's programs (M.A., M.A. in Art Therapy, M.Ed., M.F.A., and C.A.G.S. programs) to the mix, improving its status as a comprehensive university now offering degrees at all levels. (Previously, Union offered only bachelor's and doctorate degrees. This had an historic basis, since many of the individual colleges and universities that made up the original Union consortium already had masters programs.) Final note: I find Lewchuk's original post somewhat amusing. Since Ken is a long-time participant from the a.e.d. days, I think he already knew the answer to his question. But since I happen to have a Union Ph.D., I do not mind in the least, especially considering David's delightful response.
I would imagine that programs like Capella have served to expand the market as a whole rather than take students away from other schools. If this is true there will be more for everyone. I didn't realize (never thought, never looked) that Walden is proprietary. Has it always been? Rich Douglas
