University of the Cumberlands Online PhD in Information Technology

Alas, I don't. You see, there's this thing called the Internet, and another called personal networking. I'm fortunate enough to have enough access to the first and extensive access to academia via the second. Needing to spend money actually going somewhere is a distant third on my "need to do" list.

Now for students touring colleges for the first time or folks that perhaps don't have those kinds of resources, you're spot on.

 

Ooo. Good point by you.

 

This is a bit off-topic but I'm tacking it on here just because I don't think most people think much about national defense when they think of Big Tech firms like Google and Amazon.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-national-defense

 

And what's wrong with that?!

 

Simple: It totally negates the notion of having gone to school there . . .

"So, where did you go for your doctorate?"

"I went to Liberty University."

"Cool! Did you like their campus?"

"Um, I don't know . . . I was never there."

"Uh, right. Okay . . ."

It's a neon lights ad for saying that you did your degree online. And that you never even met any of your faculty, fellow students, or anyone else that was "at" your school. It means that you never even had the pleasure of going to the bookstore and buying a t-shirt or sweat shirt from your school.

When people have asked me where I went to college, I have honestly been able to tell them, "I went to Thomas Edison." Because I actually did. When I had a meeting with my various advisors - program advisor, portfolio advisors (I had two of them), T&A (testing and assessment) advisor, I actually went to TESC and met with them in person.

Now, perhaps today's millennial generation takes pride at never having had to show up to a university from which they earned a degree. But there are still scads of people who ask questions like, "Uh, will my degree say online?" Or, "How to I defend having earned my degree online?" "Or, will an employer hold it against me that I earned an online degree?" And we still see even the online defenders voicing the opinion that it's better to earn an online degree from a brick-and-mortar university than from a strictly online so-called university. (An opinion with which I would agree, incidentally.)

So, Chris, I see that you earned your MBA at Assam Don Bosco University. An excellent school, from what I hear - certainly one with a solid pedigree.

So tell me, how did you like India?

 

I currently teach both content areas of my master's degrees at a prestigious college preparatory high school. I also tutor criminal justice based on having an M.S. in CJ. Neither of these employers asked whether I earned my degrees on campus or online. I recently interviewed for an assistant professor position at a top 150 ranked university. No one on the five-member committee asked if I earned my degrees online or whether I was earning my Ph.D. online. I've held other positions including law enforcement, state juvenile justice, and two higher education positions. None of them asked where I earned my degrees, all they wanted was my official transcripts, and in the case of my MBA, my official evaluation from ECE.

Btw, you can buy sweatshirts online. I bought all my Lamar and Liberty gear online. I have been on Lamar's campus when I graduated with my M.S. I have also been to GA to graduate from Ashworth and will definitely walk across the stage in Lynchburg with my Ph.D. I may or may not visit before that time. I may never visit India - big deal!

 

Good post Steve -

I think that it's important for every student to have a general plan of what they're wanting to do educationally such that they offset any questionable qualifications with proof that they can sit a brick and mortar program and do well. There also needs to be some mind to making sure that the last school you attend is the best one in terms of reputation

In my case, I've gone to good schools and sat there. (Northeastern, UMass Amherst) and online only schools (WGU). The question of whether or not I can hang academically isn't there as I've posted 3.8 GPA and such at the seat schools. However, as I age the online model is preferable and I really don't want to spend time on campus unless I win the academic lottery and get in to an Ivy program, which won't happen.

 

You said that almost like you're serious. T-shirts at the bookstore? Really?

 

Well, as someone that's been to India, I'd recommend going if you ever decide to travel. Back in the 90s and early 00s it was my first voyage to something that wasn't "West" and even though I experienced a traffic jam caused by an overloaded cart (bad if your engine is a working animal that's now 4 feet in the air..) and had to make sure that all the water I drank was bottled (and the caps not opened and resealed); the people themselves were warm and the country beautiful.

If I can find the picture I took of the cart, I'll see if Kizmet will let me post it.

 

While I have no real evidence to support this as there are many factors leading to the death of my college attire, all of the stuff I've bought from school stores on campus has survived. The stuff I've purchased from online stores has passed on to textile heaven. I feel like the stuff at the stores may be higher quality.

The latest test of this theory will be the University of the Cumberlands t-shirt that showed up at my house unexpectedly as part of their welcome process. We'll see how it holds up.

 

Sure, be my guest.

 

I'm sorry if I missed it in the thread, but if anybody has gone though the comprehensive exam, could we have a little description of what it's like? I've worked hard and absorbed everything I could from my first two courses, but I don't know if that necessarily is preparing me for the exam. Is there a specific way we should be approaching the courses?

 

Is anyone currently enrolled in UC's PhD IT with a concentration in DF? If so, I'd like to chat about it as I'm thinking of applying.

 

Caution out there! Those on Information and Systems Security [Ph.D-IT], should brace. I don't know whether it is my last two classes on a specialty area, or something {algorithm} has been tweaked somewhere to terrorize my a**. To get an A, you have to sacrifice your back. I'd suggest getting those height-adjustable desks or lateral shift, scoliosis, sciatica, or one 'em will accompany that "A." Also, I think taking one class per semester will make things better, but you still have to put in a good 4-6 hours a day to finish all those assignments. I hope the next phase [dissertation] is not the same with these two classes last courses. 48 tasks in total in an 8-week window, mostly comprising tedious Lab work/assessment/reports. There are 6 papers and two weekly discussions of not less than 300 words that require at least 300-word responses on two other students (1200 words weekly alone). Two exams every week and 6 Lab quizzes. If you are not sufficiently experienced in information security/IT, I suggest buying books ahead like two weeks before class begins and read the book front to back because when the course starts, you will never have time to open the book(It will be a marathon from day one to Sunday midnight just doing tedious assignments). At a minimum, you will spend 8 hours a day to finish all the 98 assignments (in both classes). Every task has rubrics that must be followed to a T and worth 100 points each. To get an A, in each class, you have to score at least 4350 points. Something wrong somewhere, but you make the bed, you lie on it!

 

So, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that getting a PhD is difficult, there's a lot of work and they actually expect you to know things?

 

This is an anomaly, but of course, Ph.D. does not, and it should not come easy. I think whoever engineered these syllabi had one goal in mind (To ensure those employed either take eight weeks off or settle for disastrous C, D, or F grade).

 

That is it. I am done. I had no idea earning a PhD would be hard. I thought they would just give it to me. Sheesh

 

For people who don't know, Tireman has been working his way through his PhD at UNISA for about a million years. Fantastic determination and perseverance.

 

Self-determination and extreme perseverance are what you need to graduate, Indeed. Like Tireman, I'm determined to finish mine even if I have to beat Ingeborg Syllm-Rapoport! Most schools don't explicitly throw the R-word around, but Iowa State University put it nicely for their Information Systems, Ph.D.

 

I think things have been tweaked around. DSRT 930 AND 931 are taken alone, but the other two 16 weeks course can be taken with other classes. A smart person would start taking 734 and 837 way early because they don't have prerequisites. You can take those with other core and specialty courses early on, then 736. Also, while taking 736, include core and specialty classes. The same applies to 839. The only eight months you cannot short change is during 930 and 931. I can give one formula of finishing 18 core credits, 21 specialty credits, and 15 professional credits in 14 months; then, you will be left with eight months to take it home. This program can be finished in 22-23 months. A caveat, you must be willing to put in some work, but if you came from WGU's acceleration machine, it is a breeze.