Aspen versus NCU, Walden, Capella or California Southern University.

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Jan, Sep 7, 2016.

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  1. Jan

    Jan Member

    Hi folks,

    I would appreciate your feedback.

    As mentioned in a previous post, I'm an older entrepreneur involved in a private consultation business who wishes to complete doctoral studies that does not leave me in debt!

    I've been exhaustively reviewing the benefits and limitations of the above named schools for either an EDD in Leadership at Aspen, a DBA in Leadership at Walden or Capella, or a Psy.D with an organizational specialization at California Southern University.

    Although Walden and Capella's doctoral programs are very substantive in content they are exorbitantly priced and require face to face residencies. While NCU does not require residencies it is also very pricey, and considering the fact that I'm an older guy who is not seeking career advancement or having an organization to pay the tuition, do not wish to lay out close to $100,000!

    Aspen is fairly priced, has a substantive curriculum but has its shortcomings due to the fact that it is DEAC accredited and the tuition is not locked in. After much thought and the fact that all my previous academic credentials are from regionally accredited universities, I don't feel comfortable with a doctorate accredited by DEAC. California Southern has the advantage of being reasonably priced, locked in tuition and is WASC accredited. I am not familiar with the level of substance of its curriculum. but what I have learned is that it is not a "give away" degree and takes a significant amount of work to obtain.

    Your thoughts would be appreciated.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2016
  2. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

  3. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    I am not a fan of anyone of the schools above, but I don't think Aspen is in the same league for comparison as the others. It is incontrovertible that RA accreditation is more Valuable than DEAC.
     
  4. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    RA generally offers more utility than DEAC. But the individual school plays into it quite a bit as well. The University of Phoenix is RA but has a polarizing name. There are people who, with or without just cause, absolutely hate it and think it is a joke. To those people a person with a degree from Aspen would probably have the edge just based upon the fact that Aspen doesn't have such a terrible reputation.

    For someone involved in private consultation I'd say the utility issues are less likely to come up unless one wanted to teach on the side. Even then, I'm living proof that a DEAC graduate degree an get you a teaching gig at an RA school.

    Anyway, of the list above I think CSU is the best choice. U Cumberlands, as Steve notes, should also be on the list. Similarly, I think one might compare the EdD in Leadership at Johnson University.
     
  5. Steve Levicoff

    Steve Levicoff Well-Known Member

    And what do they all have in common? They are all profit-making schools. And, for the most part, they are all online.

    In short, they are all whores. Sluts. Trash. Tramps. Jezebels.

    Okay, I jest, although I am totally against profit-making universities (with a very rare exception, none of which are listed above. And, to me, the term online university is an oxymoron.

    (Think that proprietary schools are not intrinsically risky? Think ITT Tech.)

    Seriously, of all the schools mentioned in this thread, I would lean toward University of the Cumberlands. It’s brick and mortar, reasonably priced by today's standards, has a longstanding reputation in its academics, and as long as you’re not advertising your sex life outside of marriage, you’re welcome there. And you don’t have to buy into all of their religious riffs (also the case at Liberty, incidentally, at least for distance students).

    Everyone looks for cheap, fast, etc. But the top priority should be credible, and there’s something missing with today’s crop of online doctoral programs.

    By the way, today’s journey will take me by U.C. (with which I have no affiliation whatsoever, except that I drive by it occasionally). I’ll be sure to wave for you guys as I head from Tennessee to Ohio.
     
  6. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    I am against for-profit truck driving. Transportation is too important to be left in the hands of people with incentive to maximize their profit rather than provide quality transport.
     
  7. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    I've never been to a dentist who didn't work for a for-profit practice.

    Isn't dental health too important to leave in the hands of people who just want to maximize profits?
     
  8. Jan

    Jan Member

    Thank you all for your feedback.

    The University of the Cumberland appears to offer a solid doctoral curriculum, but quite frankly I don't wish to get involved with ANY school that promulgates rigid religious beliefs and values that they expect their students to abide by.

    So, in addition to the schools noted above, I've been investigating universities in the UK such as Liverpool, Leicester and London which appear to offer very substantive curriculums and academic standards, as well as high levels of recognition and acceptance on par with US regional accreditation.

    What do you folks think about UK degrees versus online US regionally accredited universities in terms of equivalence or superiority?
     
  9. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Since you're on the road all the time (as a trucker), what kind of internet service do you use in your truck? Is it reliable and would you recommend it?
     
  10. Tireman 44444

    Tireman 44444 Well-Known Member

     
  11. Jan

    Jan Member

    Tireman, thank you for your feedback.

    I am hoping to make a decision as soon as I am able to find a school that relates to adult, older students with significant career and life experiences and accomplishments in a collegial manner, rather than as youngsters who they dictate to and demand unquestionable compliance. I found this attitude to be quite prevalent at Aspen, Capella and California Southern University, with very little "give" or compromise. This standard of interaction with students may generally work well with younger students who are apprehensive questioning authorities who have control over whether they attain their degrees, but does not work very well with older students who possess a stronger sense of self and expect a higher level of flexibility and respect.
     
  12. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    Jan, which of your requests do these schools refuse to compromise?
     
  13. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    If you are prepared to successfully pass the dissertation phase at California Southern University (CSU), then that's an excellent financial choice that is backed up with regional accreditation. Unfortunately, the dissertation phase has about a 50 percent attrition rate -- and most enrolling students do not fully understand the implications of "the brick wall" aka forever ABD i.e. after spending all that blood, sweat, tears and money, about half the students will not graduate when they finally reach the last obstacle in the doctoral program: the dissertation.

    Prior to achieving RA status, tuition at CSU was dirt cheap. They recently achieved RA status, which means that tuition will only increase, from this point forward. From a financial perspective, now is the time to began that financial and academic journey because in another 5 or 10 years, CSU will be just as expensive as NCU, Capella, Walden and all the others.
     
  14. Jan

    Jan Member

    Hi me again,

    For example, at California Southern University they refuse to allow you to select a chairperson to oversee the doctoral committee and instead assign one to you, even though I connected with one of their faculty who was attuned to my proposed doctoral dissertation topic and methodology! Furthermore, CSU and Capella, NCU and Walden refuse to accept doctoral level courses over ten years old and insist that you must repeat these courses, although their corresponding regional accrediting agencies do not have ANY policy regarding a time limit or expiration time frame for transfer of comparable doctoral coursework, and neither does the American Psychological Association. Although I understand that the content of certain courses evolve based on new research and theories that may support this policy, however there are many other courses that don't, raising the question as to the rationale for doing so (eg, making more money by having students repeat courses).

    At Aspen, they held certain rigid standards for creating the dissertation, which is understandable, but quite frankly appeared to be an attempt to make their degrees appear to be heads above those offered at regionally accredited distance online doctoral programs.

    The bottom line is that these schools are generally relating to older students as if they were in their twenties, whereby there is no room for flexibility but unquestionable compliance to policies that just don't jive well with accomplished and experienced students who are primarily seeking advanced degrees for personal satisfaction.
     
  15. Jan

    Jan Member

    According to CSU's website, they had a 67% graduation rate from their doctoral Psychology program in 2015. This is above the average attrition rate of fifty percent that you note, which is the standard in most brick and mortar doctoral degree programs.
     
  16. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    During one year, NCU had an attrition rate of around 87 percent, but they have vastly improved since then. Extremes exist.

    Jan, please answer this question.
     
  17. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    Then you should favor the patently religious schools as they are the least doctrinaire.
     
  18. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Jan disclaimed interest in the University of the Cumberlands.
     
  19. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    Based on what I've read so far, I think you're searching for a unicorn. Your comments sound similar to another thread that was started by someone else a couple of days ago. So let me get this straight. You want:

    - Secular
    - Cheap
    - Online
    - Highly flexible
    - Accredited

    What else am I missing? Would you also like to outsource all of the work to a third world country? Maybe the forest critters will step in and do it for you. Yes, I'm being snarky at this point.

    Here's the reality: You're probably not going to find a "perfect" program that meets all of the demands you are looking for. The best you can do is find one that fits most of your requirements and go with it.

    You've been given some really good recommendations in this thread. What you ultimately decide to do with the info is up to you.

    Good luck on your unicorn hunt.

    [​IMG]
     
  20. Jan

    Jan Member

    Me again, I did answer the question. Thanks
     
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