Anyone have input about Nova Southeastern University?

Key Point on Nova

Key point on Nova - the various schcools at Nova are run very independently. Hence, the policies and quality of their programs can vary significantly. Some programs are on-campus, traditional only. Others are entirely distance learning. Some permit transfer courses in doctoral programs, others do not. And the list goes on...

Hence, a collection of statements about a lawyer from Nova, physician from Nova, optometrist from Nova, etc. are interesting - but really aren't useful in forming a conclusion about specific programs (such as their information systems program) at the university.

The same can be said about any large university - but bears repeating when people ask about Nova.

Regards - Andy

 

Yes, the prejudice is unjustified and, to those who know DL, it seems silly. Unfortunately, it also runs deep and is widespread in the academic world. I think it will slowly change, but it will take many more years. I believe that when the current, 20 something generation comes into positions of power in the next 10 or 15 years, the attitudes about online learning will change for the better.

 

I think onlinedegreereviews.org can be a useful secondary information source if you go in with your BS filter on. There are some landmines there-- disgruntled students, enrollment employees posting as students, competitor enrollment employees posting FUD. If you wade through all this carefully, there are still insights that can be gleaned.

 

"I believe that when the current, 20 something generation comes into positions of power in the next 10 or 15 years," and their degrees were earned from traditional B & M schools (and not from internet schools), the attitudes about online learning will NOT change for the better. For some reason, graduates of traditional doctoral programs view internet degrees as short cuts, sub-standard, questionable, and far from being comparable to theirs. This is why they do not want their degrees from traditional B & M schools to be ranked alongside online degrees; the reason why they will go out of their way to keep the discrimination alive to feed their ego....

I once spoke with a doctoral student who asked me "if you have a BMW, would you allow someone who drives a Chevy to convince you or others, in your presence, that their chevy is the same as your BMW?" My answer was no...

Case in point; holders of doctoral degrees from prestigious B & M schools/programs will go out of their way to keep internet PhDs beneath theirs. An example is this question: http://www.degreeinfo.com/distance-learning-discussions/37818-dissertations-written-dl-students-inferior-those-b-m-students.html

 

Interesting that the majority of individuals that responded to that poll indicated that DL dissertations were equal, however, you would expect that response on a DL oriented discussion board. After I started that thread, I asked my 22 year old daughter what her generation's perceptions were of DL. Even the 20 somethings that she knows say that DL is inferior. So my statement suggesting that 20 somethings are favorable towards DL is not holding up under my informal research. However, as technology improves, it is likely that online learning will someday become the norm rather than the exception. I foresee it being included as one aspect of even traditional classrooms. How long that will take is anyone's guess.

 

What are you saying in regards to Dakota State University? Are you saying that DSU is outranked by Nova or are you saying that DSU outranks Nova?

I applied to Nova back in 1995 and got accepted. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to go at the time. They had residencies that made the costs higher. The tuition back then was relatively high and I had no financial assistance that some people seem to have. Everything would have had to come out of my own pocket.

I have applied to DSU and still waiting for admission decision since October. They offer program in Information Assurance and Computer Security that is completely online with no residency requirements. The tuition is relatively low because they are state university. They are also RA.

 

I'm interested in NOVA's MAT STEM program. I've been teaching for 15 years, and have no desire to move to administration or join academia. NOVA's on-line graduate program seemed to meet my needs at a reasonable price. However, I am seeing a few red flags. First, the admissions counselor sent me a PDF application which I am supposed to complete by "printing or typing." It strikes me as highly suspect to ask applicants to an on-line degree program to "type" their application. The "print or type" instructions unsettled me enough to send me in search of student reviews on Google. I know that reviews are, by nature, typically completed by those who have an ax to grind or those who are extraordinarily pleased. Still, they were pretty low. Third, reading these reviews was very alarming. It seems that these students/graduates have a lot of trouble cobbling together a coherent one paragraph rant that isn't full of spelling and grammar errors. Many of the reviews read like they were written by a D+ middle school student. I have no plans to climb ladders or ensconce myself in a tenured ivory tower, but I also don't want to be the subject of snide comments and ridicule when asked where I got my Master's degree. Does anyone have any information that can help me get to the truth of the matter?

 

Is there a link for the USNews ranking?

 

Right here. Current ranking for NSU is "RNP", for "Rank Not Published".

USNews recognizes approximately 300 schools, including NSU, as "National Universities" (not sure of the exact current count). However, they only give a numerical ranking to the top 200 schools or so. According to USNews, the schools below that, which would be ranked in the (approximately) 200-300 range, are all so close that there are no statistically meaningful differences between them.

Basically, the schools at the bottom of the "National University" ranking are all tied. So USNews just lists them alphabetically, under the "RNP" designation.

 

I have one class left before earning an MS in brain-based teaching from Nova Southeastern, and I have been extremely happy with the program and the school. Almost all of my contact with the school has been through the BrainSMART department. The program is very well designed. The classes seemed easier at first, so I didn't feel overwhelmed when I started, yet they became progressively more challenging as I went through the program. I feel like I have worked hard to earn my degree and have gained valuable knowledge. I had one teacher that I didn't particularly enjoy, but all of the others have been very helpful and given great feedback that has helped me improve. Also, unlike other schools I've attended, I haven't had any administrative headaches at all.