Eastern Kentucky ready to play ball: University of the Cumberlands is out.

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by sideman, Jun 16, 2021.

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  1. sideman

    sideman Well Known Member

    As I'm now semi-retired and starting to tread back into the water for a masters, I decided to contact both of these Universities in Kentucky. I first contacted University of the Cumberlands and asked if they'd accept my bachelors in CJ from Penn Foster. After going through their channels, according to the dean, they would not accept me as a graduate student. After sobbing non-stop for days, and crying out in anguish, "Why me!" (just kidding of course), I noticed one of the other threads mentioned Eastern Kentucky and so I contacted them. Their masters in CJ, in the upcoming school year, will be called "The Criminal Justice Policy and Leadership Graduate Program" (whereas currently its name is "The Justice Policy and Leadership Graduate Program"). Well, I just think this is Criminal! But anyways, after exchanging emails over the last few days, I have received favorable responses and they seem unfazed and nonchalant about my PFC degree. And, let me make sure that everyone that reads this understands, I have been clear in my questioning and queries that this is the undergrad degree I would apply with.

    So, I am strongly considering this school now. Their tuition rate for grad school in this discipline is $409 per credit hour plus $50 per textbook (a pdf I presume). Also, as a bonus, they do offer a scholarship program for seniors, so I can certainly apply for that. If I study in their 8 week format (6 weeks in summer), I could complete the masters in 18 months. My only concern would be that I travel internationally (once the pandemic is over) twice a year. That would stretch it out, but not by too much.

    Comments, concerns, cries of outrage! But seriously folks, I would like to hear your thoughts.
     
  2. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    How many (if any) of the PFC courses were ACE evaluated?
     
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I don't blame you! Good luck!
     
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  4. sideman

    sideman Well Known Member

    For whatever reason it won't let me link to the pages of all PFC courses (past and present), on the ACE site. But certainly if you dig around it will turn up. If I recall, when I first started (ca 2011), the majority of the CJ courses had been ACE evaluated. Looks like more recently there are just a few.

    https://www.acenet.edu/National-Guide/Pages/Organization.aspx?oid=60099b28-9016-e811-810f-5065f38bf0e1
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2021
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  5. LearningAddict

    LearningAddict Well-Known Member

    That's what prompted me to ask: I got the impression from looking at a PFC list that there weren't many evaluated courses available now, but I remember you discussing your PFC enrollment at different times over the years and figured maybe a great deal of the courses you took there in the past were under ACE at that time.

    Seems like both PFC and AC have been dumping a lot of their most attractive features since they made a deal. AC has quietly dropped some undergrad degrees in addition to dropping all of their Master's programs, and PFC it appears has cut down on ACE. I've been keeping an eye on this. I think more is up than what they claim.
     
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  6. Vonnegut

    Vonnegut Well-Known Member

    EKU is a good school. For several years they have had some 100% online graduate programs (CJ, Emergency Mgmt, Safety, Security, etc) that have been HEAVILY marketed and monetized. They have a polished marketing, recruitment, course design, faculty, and administration setup with a good reputation. It’s a solid choice.
     
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  7. sube

    sube Member

    Sideman, Just curious, but if you're semi-retired, are you just doing this for fun/personal development? I also plan to semi-retire in a couple of years, or less, and have talked myself out of multiple masters programs telling myself it's a waste of money and I won't see any ROI.
     
  8. sideman

    sideman Well Known Member

    Ha! Funny you asked. This is what has been going through my mind the past few days since posting this thread. I keep thinking, "What's the point?" "Am I just stir crazy from not pursuing a degree?" "Will I use said degree when I finish it?" "Would I be employable as an adjunct or would they prefer a younger person, same credentials, with more real life experience?".

    Oh yeah. All these questions have been spinning around in my head. The ROI part didn't concern me at the start, because when I contacted EKU relating my particular situation they sent an email that stated there was a scholarship for 65+ students (yes, you read that right). Sounds great doesn't it? After some digging I found the scholarship recipient must be a Kentucky resident. Of course I'm not, so that knocked that out. And the ROI came back into play, along with opportunity cost (if I spend the money on tuition I can't spend it elsewhere such as travel, fixing up the house for sale or rent, etc.

    So, that's the size of it at this point. I won't pull the trigger unless I get these questions resolved. Fortunately, I don't have to work (but would like to get a gig teaching online and/or research for a few years) and neither does my wife. And of course she has to be on board for this going forward, and so far she is (or seems to be lol). So that's about the size of it. I want to cap a terminal degree in criminology/criminal justice with a masters but still have the aforementioned reservations. Aye, and that's the rub.
     
  9. Vonnegut

    Vonnegut Well-Known Member

    Congrats to you and your wife on the retirement and achieving financial security! Truly hope you two are enjoying the adventure!

    Chris May have a better idea on the adjunct market for CJ and if it’s oversaturated. Would presume, if you had a related career, you’d be marketable. Many schools love semi-retiree adjuncts. People spend money on vacations, golf, skiing, travel, sports, classic cars, guitars, watches, etc. All provide a ROI, it’s just not always a financial return. If you need a financial ROI, I personally wouldn’t look to adjunct work as an answer.
     
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