Doctorate from NCU

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by twin1, Feb 6, 2012.

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  1. twin1

    twin1 New Member

    I am thinking of attending NCU (online) for my doctorate in Management. I was looking at a thread earlier where Randel1234 was the moderator; I wanted to ask Randel1234 what his/her experience was with NCU.

    Thank you.

    twin1
     
  2. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    My overall experience was positive. I did not use financial aid and I have heard others have a dificult time working with the FA office. The admin side of the school sucks. When I enrolled (2004) there were few online PhD's available. The cost at the time was about $25K. With so many choices and the price of the NCU degree going up significantly, I would certainly suggest you explore all options before committing.
     
  3. truckie270

    truckie270 New Member

    My experience mirrors this, but I bailed from NCU just before starting my dissertation courses. Customer service was non-existent when I attended and they were just starting to raise tuition and change degree requirements frequently. As Randell noted, there are many more options out there now.
     
  4. suelaine

    suelaine Member

    My experience was also positive overall. I started in 2005 and as Randall noted, the tuition was considerably lower. I was hired at a B & M State university immediately after earning my NCU Ph.D.
     
  5. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    I am working on a CAGS in e-commerce at NCU and completed my MBA at NCU.
    There are a few things going for NCU:
    1. it is relatively unknown so it doesn't carry a stigma like UOP
    2. you can start anytime. call and find out
    3. you go at your own pace
    4. there are NO group projects
    5. there are NO discussion board postings
    6. there are LOTS of options (I feel like a kid in a candy store with all of the courses NCU offers)
    7. the mentors are well credentialed
    8. cost is comparable to others and there is NO high pressure sales force
    9. NCU offers a CAGS which allows you to get a credential in case you bail out of the program. This credential is highly regarded in certain jobs as a legitimate post-masters credential, almost on par with a doctorate

    Check out this pay scale which has the CAGS/Doctorate in the same category.
    Compensation
     
  6. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    You will find a few people on this board who criticize NCU sharply, but I would not put much stock in their criticisms. The course-ware at NCU is well done and the text selection is good. The program is really tough and a lot of work.

    The one thing I would warn you about is the fact that you will get almost no help from anyone throughout your entire degree, the customer service is terrible. If you can work almost completely independently, you will have a positive experience. I only attended a few classes at NCU and then moved to a school that suited me better, but I left for other, non-academic reasons. The academics at NCU are as good as any other online school, the service is probably one of the worst of any of the well-known schools.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 7, 2012
  7. AdamJLaw

    AdamJLaw New Member

    That is positive. Did you have some B&M experience prior to this?
     
  8. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Me? yes. I attended DeVry (NJ Campus), St Petersburg College, and Florida State College.
     
  9. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    I attended USF in Tampa for 3 years, finished my degree at TESC and an MBA at NCU.
     
  10. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I don't know if I would go that far...:no:
     
  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I know a woman who earned a Masters degree in some generic counseling area that did not qualify her for a license to practice psychotherapy. She then went on to earn a CAGS that allowed her to test for licensure. A CAGS made her career. Not a doctoral degree by any means but a substantial addition to her resume.
     
  12. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    Yeah I don't personally think it is that highly regarded, but the pay scale document I linked to does not discriminate.
    The nice thing about the CAGS is that a lot of people wash out of PhDs due to the dissertation and PhD ABD is not allowed, however CAGS E-Commerce is a real credential.
    I always plan for the worse :)
     
  13. twin1

    twin1 New Member

    Randell1234,
    Thank you so much for the feedback, I do appreciate it! I registered with this site just to be able to chat with you about your experience with NCU, since I have talked to them 2 weeks ago. I will be either paying out of pocket or VA. I just don't want to start with a college that I have to leave for some reason so I'm talking to as many people as I can that actually attended NCU. I also have talked with CTU (Colorado Technical University). I am going to talk to NCU again in August 2012 to see if it is still viable; they are going through their accreditation review.

    If you have anymore feedback or suggestions feel free to email me...again, thank you so much!!!

    :)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 7, 2012
  14. twin1

    twin1 New Member

    suelaine,

    Wow, that is great! That is my goal is to teach online while I continue in my career field in IT security.

    Thanks for the feed back, it is much appreciated!!!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 7, 2012
  15. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Just so you are fairly warned, the online teaching profession has appeared to a few people here to be beginning to shrink. Some of us are predicting that there will be a significant decline in this industry in the next few years. Take that into account when you are planning your future, I know I have.
     
  16. twin1

    twin1 New Member

    SufDoctor,
    Ok, I definately will think on your words. I am very motivated and can easily work on my own; I received a second bachelors from Excelsior College that was long-distance (CD) so I could finish it while I was still in the Navy, I am currently working on my masters at Capella, and will do my doctorate online as well. I don't need help with getting coursework done, so if that is the only drawback then I would be fine. I am going to contact NCU again later in the summer when I get closer to being done at Capella.

    Thanks so much for your feedback!!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 7, 2012
  17. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Yes, I hold two degrees from B&M institutions. Not sure if you were asking me, but I answered because your question was below my post.

    There is a "Reply With Quote" button on each post that you should use to indicate who you are talking to.
     
  18. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    You will probably like NCU then. I liked it but I hated the customer service. The classes are a lot of work, but they are very interesting and well-constructed.
     
  19. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    At NCU, you are assigned a "mentor" for each class who acts sort of like an instructor and a few of them were OK, but for the most part, they were merely paper graders who did not want to offer the slightest bit of guidance. So the name "mentor" is really stretching it. The coursework is good, but you are pretty much on your own in getting through it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 7, 2012
  20. twin1

    twin1 New Member

    SurfDoctor,
    Yes, I have read the research on this. I have many years in my IT career left, so I figure teaching online is good learning experience, but not one to support myself with. In the future...since there will not be any social security left when I can retire....I will be an expert in my field and can think of teach or writing full-time (hopefully).

    :)
     

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