California Southern University

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by phdcandidate1374, Feb 11, 2010.

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  1. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    The fact is, that the whole reason we archive all our threads is just so that people can go back and read them and add to them in the present day. I wish more people would do this because most questions that are asked have been asked and answered before. Things do change but many things stay the same.
     
  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Earning a degree from a nationally accredited school like this one will provide you a very diminished opportunity to teach at regionally accredited schools. While some may accept your doctorate, many simply will not.

    As for licensure, the degree in question will almost certainly NOT lead to that without becoming licensed in California first and practicing there for some time. Even then, reciprocity in other states may be very difficult. And I DON'T think this degree will suffice to qualify for licensure directly in any other state besides California. Perhaps others have more information on this topic.

    Some of this might change if the school becomes regionally accredited. But the licensure issue will not. And teaching at APA-accredited schools will not happen.

    Good luck with all of this.
     
  3. DxD=D^2

    DxD=D^2 Member

    Richard,

    This is excellent information. I didn't know about the distinction.
     
  4. aciam

    aciam New Member

    Rich,

    I appreciate your feedback. I have to ask, though, why did you focus on the potential reasons why I seek this degree and not the primary? Is this course of study sufficient to satisfy that reason? (I think so.)

    Being new here but reading around, it seems that you have a chip on your shoulder about CSU, or possibly just degree programs that are not dissertation-driven. Being employed and on a great career path (and being 43yo), I seek to expand my knowledge first, and create new opportunities second. If CSU will flat out not prepare me for licensure (contrary to their advertisement), then it doesn't necessarily take it off the table for me.

    I am trying to balance things out - I like the low tuition costs, focus on applied psych (what I do), train at your own pace, and potential future RA.

    I get that you don't advise CSU, but could you explain your take on the dissertation v. applied project? It would seem to me to be a matter of application and need, yes?

    In your opinion, is CSU good for anything? I'm trying to get at your thought process here, and not criticize your assistance.

    Thanks.
     
  5. Vinipink

    Vinipink Accounting Monster

    aciam,

    We old timers most speak out of experience, and we are giving you and advice (public service) that may lead you to the right direction or just pointing out your options, but in the end is your decision alone. We cannot rationale with you as per what degree you should pursue, you will have to make up your mind about that. If a particular degree or program meets your current and future needs then the answer should be easy.

    Best of Luck!
     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Umm....because there are others on this board besides you?

    As for the differences between a dissertation and an applied project, I've written many times about that subject on this board.

    Good luck with your studies. The more certain you are that taking a degree from this school is right for you, the more likely it is that you will get good results.
     
  7. jimwe

    jimwe Member

    I'm resurrecting this thread because I'm interested in becoming a licensed substance abuse counselor (LCDC) in Ohio. I have a minor in psych and an MS Ed that is not relevant to this field. It looks like they are still on track to becoming regionally accredited. Anyone going there now and have comments?:confused:
     
  8. jimwe

    jimwe Member

    Bump...........
     
  9. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    There is no question that DegreeInfo is the biggest and best online discussion board for distance learning. No question. Despite this there are times when we just aren't able to supply answers, feedback or first-person reviews on every online program. This would seem to be the case regarding California Southern University. We do not seem to have any active members who can give us their first-person review or description of their experiences in that school. Maybe that won't always be true but it seems true at present. The best I can do is to point out that California Southern University has both a facebook page and a linkedin page (as well as other social networking connections). Both of these pages can be used to contact present and past students.
     
  10. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    NA "pay as you go" - advantage

    I have no affiliation with DETC, but I am soon to be one who has an undergrad and a graduate degrees from an RA schools who will be undertaking a course of study with a DETC school. Maybe that will change my position or maybe it will only serve to validate my opinion. Why a DETC school? I like the program, the cost is something I can afford for both myself and my wife who is in the same graduate program out of pocket and it is a VALID accredited school and degree. We shall see what happens.[/QUOTE]

    Good points. One thing about NA schools is that they offer monthly payment plans. For example, CCU requires $500.00 down, and $100.00 a month. Many people spend more than $100.00 a month at Star Bucks. I did the payment deal at CCU for my undergrad degree, and it was the best decision I could have made. I possess the degree without lingering student loans that accumulate interest over time. I am a "pay as you go" type of guy. I hate debt. My wife will commence an undergrad degree from CCU under the same payment plan described above.

    I have never seen RA schools offer pay as you go options for their degree. If there is one out there, I don't know about it.

    Have a good one!

    Abner :smile:
     
  11. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    NA "pay as you go" - advantage

    "I have no affiliation with DETC, but I am soon to be one who has an undergrad and a graduate degrees from an RA schools who will be undertaking a course of study with a DETC school. Maybe that will change my position or maybe it will only serve to validate my opinion. Why a DETC school? I like the program, the cost is something I can afford for both myself and my wife who is in the same graduate program out of pocket and it is a VALID accredited school and degree. We shall see what happens." - posted by another DI member.
    Response:
    Good points. One thing about NA schools is that they offer monthly payment plans. For example, CCU requires $500.00 down, and $100.00 a month. Many people spend more than $100.00 a month at Star Bucks. I did the payment deal at CCU for my undergrad degree, and it was the best decision I could have made. I possess the degree without lingering student loans that accumulate interest over time. I am a "pay as you go" type of guy. I hate debt. My wife will commence an undergrad degree from CCU under the same payment plan described above.

    I have never seen RA schools offer pay as you go options for their degree. If there is one out there, I don't know about it.

    Have a good one!

    Abner :smile:
     
  12. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Well, Patten offers a monthly payment (no down payment) for bachelors and masters degrees. The competency based system allows you to cram as many classes as you can into a four month term.

    The American College of Education has a pretty affordable tuition program and doesn't accept Title IV. So it's "pay as you go" in a sense as well.

    But it really depends upon your definition of "pay as you go." You can earn a degree at Fort Hays buy paying for each class individually. Or you can earn a degree at Patten, NAU, UW, Capella or WGU by paying a set subscription fee with self-paced courses.

    That said, I don't have a problem with NA degrees for a few reasons. But I do think that, at the undergrad level, most students would be better served by an RA degree. But I use my NA MSM to teach at a community college (it also helped me land a promotion). I also learned a lot. Credit transfer can be an issue with an NA degree. And acceptance into graduate programs can be an issue with an NA degree. But neither of those things really matter when you're earning a Masters degree (unless you intend to use it to continue your learning at the doctoral level. Even then, many programs will admit you with just a bachelors). I think that in some cases an NA degree is a nice and affordable solution.

    I have a friend who earned an associates degree from Penn Foster and had the credits (most of which were ACE recommended) transfer to a public RA school.
     
  13. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Thanks Neuhaus. You bring up some good points. I would agree that RA offers more flexibility when it comes to credit transfer. So, is a person better off going RA? I suppose so, but there is usually a hefty price to pay. In MY personal experience, an NA degree is more than sufficient for the type of work I do in the government capacity. In order for a degree to be considered valid, the school must be accredited by a legitimate accreditor. They view legit as being under the purview of CHEA and USDOE. In my case, my degree passed the legitimacy standard because it meets the requirements of, once again, CHEA and USDOE.

    Now my definition of pay as you go. In my mind, pay as you go means paying gradually for the entire degree program. I guess any school can be said to be pay as you go since you could take one class at time, which is a valid point. However, in my case paying for the entire degree program monthly offers flexibility that few RA schools offer. Not all, but few. These monthly payments are made interest free, which was a huge deal for me. I like to save money where I can. Like most people, I do not like interest bearing loans or payment plans. As we all know, student loans accrue insane amounts of interest. In my case, I cut out going to Star Bucks, and with the money saved, I made my monthly payments. Of course, all of this is merely my opinion.

    So in summation, my NA degree works for my particular set of circumstances. My employer does not know the difference between RA or NA. All they know is that accreditor must be listed in their book of approved accreditors. I refer to this book as the "black book".

    If someone's plan is to enter the world of academia, RA is of vital importance. NA may be accepted at the community college level for teaching, but hardly at the University level. Credit transfer issues play an important part as well. Of course an RA school is not required to accept credits from another RA school. It is up to the schools discretion. As far asTransferability, RA often more options than NA.

    So, I hope this all makes sense. I am out the door, I must run to Petco. The fur babies need more dog food, and the cat is getting hungry as well. :smile: I thank your for your comments.

    Abner
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 12, 2015
  14. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    Please disregard all the typos in the post above - my apologies

    The edit feature timed out, and I was unable to edit my post. Oh well. :(
     
  15. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    That's my company's rule as well. But NYS (for state employment) requires that degrees be RA (or NYS state approved). So it really depends upon a person's aspirations. Then again, I also don't know if they actually check accreditation.

    So the RA alternatives would be WGU, Capella, Patten, ACE (graduate only), NAU and UW (pretty limited so far). But I can understand why someone would find value in an NA degree. I, personally, feel that my MSM from the University of Management and Technology was affordable, challenging and has offered me significant utility in my work life.

    So in summation, my NA degree works for my particular set of circumstances. My employer does not know the difference between RA or NA. All they know is that accreditor must be listed in their book of approved accreditors. I refer to this book as the "black book".

    It all comes down to your goals. As I noted earlier, I have a friend who transferred Penn Foster credits to an RA school. It's a bit like a non-ABA approved law degree. In certain circumstances it can be great. But for the majority of would-be lawyers the ABA path is probably the best way to go.
     
  16. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    I have heard UMT is a good school, and it has all the proper accreditations, including Project Management. And it landed you a teaching position. That's great! Your Masters have served you well. In my case, I completed the Aspen MBA for $4,200.00! This was before the school changed hands. The price has went up considerably. I got a damn good deal, and the MBA has landed me some contract work related to DL. This provides me supplemental income, and has paid for the MBA 10 times over. I just can't beat a good deal.

    Abner
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 13, 2015
  17. jimwe

    jimwe Member

    Ft Hays University has a "sort of" payment plan. Currently, grad classes are $250/hour. You pay $300 to start then pay off the rest during the semester. I have a psych minor and when I take the LCDC test, I will be an LCDC II. To be a LCDC III or higher, I need a degree in social science. I'm kind of interested in their Masters program, but am not sure if Ohio will take their program since it is not Regionally accredited. I called the state board, they said I need to go to their website and check courses against Ohio's requirements................It's like figuring out taxes or something!:(
     
  18. Mdtrey12

    Mdtrey12 New Member

  19. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    In my opinion it makes the PsyD more desirable. It will allow graduates to qualify for Clinical Psych lisensure in a great many states. For the moment, I suspect it is the least expensive RA DL program.

    It is not APA accredited. This means that you will have more trouble qualifying for an APA internship and the most competitive Psych positions have APA requirements/preference.

    I imagine CalSouthern will raise tuition. They need to watch that they don't rise to the point they lose the competitive edge.
     
  20. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Anyone can pay on their student loans while they're in school, but most people choose not to. There is no interest on subsidized loans while you're in school. I would be fine with a payment plan if the school was extremely cheap. California Southern University is not extremely cheap. They explicitly state that a balance will be owed by the end of the program, and one cannot graduate until the balance is paid. You are in debt. You're just in debt to the school rather than the government and without the advantages of forbearance, deferment, income-based repayment plans, and loan forgiveness.
     

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