Empresarial or Charles Sturt ??

Hello, I am interested in a DL PhD program. I was told about Empresarial U in Costa Rica and Charles Sturt in Australia. I am a marriage & family therapist and would be attempting entry into either a behavioral science or health science program. I can not get definitive answers about program costs at Sturt and it seems that Empresarial is giving away scholarships... yikes! Any recommendations about choice of schools is recommended. Cost, residency,and GAAP recognition are concerns of mine.

 

Empressarial is a bit of a confusing situation. No one seems real sure about their status and they are not that inexpensive. Australian doctorates are a much more solid bet and fairly affordable.

Have you considered Northcentral University's PhD in Psych. It is around 12,000 or 13,000 for the program, and no residency. It is not meant to qualify you for licensure. They are a candidate for accreditation and should be hearing something regarding their full accreditation in the next few months.
http://www.ncu.edu

Liberty U has a PhD in Counseling.
http://www.liberty.edu

If you want something in Christian Counseling, the University of Zululand (South African State university) has research doctorates through the theology dept at a complete cost of less than $2000 US dollars for the entire program.

Good luck.

North

 

Harijan: If your choice is only between Empresarial & Sturt
Sturt
There is no question of any kind about Sturt's legitimacy, and their reps are friendly and easy to deal with. Other options may be better, depending on what you specifically want, but between these two, get thee to Wagga Wagga!

 

Choosing a university, especially for a doctorate, is no trivial matter. If you choose a car or a candy bar or even a wife and it doesn't work out, changes are possible. A degree is forever. So, assuming you have done major shopping around and have narrowed it down to those two schools, I agree Sturt, the pride of Wagga Wagga, not to be confused with Walla Walla, is the choice.

 

Hi all,

Not to be biased but on a trip down under this summer to CSU for a seminar. I visted Bathhurst, not Wagga Wagga. Unfortunately the name is not as funny but, another campus none the less.

Fairly nice facility and kanagaroos on campus!!

Now that's the down under experience!

One bit of trivia. Those that live out in the Bathhurst area have a terrible problem with kangaroos jumping in front of the cars!

Many have a bar across the front of their cars called now get this
a "hopperknocker".

Now you know.

BAH

 

According to the Costa Rican embassy, Empresarial is a recognized university in that country. But they've been very mercurial over the years, and have all of the "look and feel" of an unaccredited, nonresidential school.

I believe that in completing a doctorate there, you would have little else going for you than their governmental recognition. But they are straight-forward regarding admissions and degree requirements. (However, where's the faculty?)

Sturt. But can you do a Sturt doctorate nonresidentially?

 

Yes you can at CSU

Cuz, I'm doing it! Assuming I get past this Lit Review

BAH

 

If you can get a DBA within 2 years (Six 16 weeks terms) and no dissretation required (only a 6 units Capstone Project). Go for It! Bottomline is that you can get your doctroate in a much easier way & people will call you "Doc" in Year 2004 (Assuming that you are not interesting in a full time faculty position at any 4 years RA college, allthough this EU doctroate will qualify you to become an adjunct!)

 

Thanks to everyone who has replied. Your responses have been very helpful. I was unaware of many of the other schools out there. Both of these schools responded to my requests for information, and seemed affordable. I want to do some research, continue private practice, and perhaps teach at our community college if space and interest is available. Possessing an Education Specialist degree is great, however few people outside of academia seem to know what it is. I feel a doctorate will assist me in my small practice and in obtaining an adjunct teaching position.

 

Did you pick CSU?

Harijan,

What did you decide? I am looking at PhD program in Health Science at Charles Sturt. Sure would be nice to see what someone else has experience with that DL program.

Matt

 

The Empresarial situation is still not clear. I don't believe they have the legal authority to award the doctorate, and do so with Americans by running an additional operation from Georgia (the last time I looked). This might actually result in a degree not awarded by the "real" Empresarial. This reminds me of MIGS and Villareal.

Sturt still remains the better choice, and by far.

 

I decided to try TUI. Charles Sturt did not send me information after repeated e-mails and telephone calls. So far things are going well. I am half way through the program and relatively happy.

 

Good for you!

Glad you have started a program. I am surprised to hear CSU did not respond. They have always answered my e-mails within a day or so. Recently learned the tuition for PhD student studying 'non-laboratory' (off campus - DL) is AUD $3800 which is around 3k USD. That is for half time study, which is what DL is considered (16 points vs 32 for full-time). Now that I have some tuition info and I think I have a boffo dissertation thesis topic it is time to get serious. I am going to go back and look at U of S. Africa again since tuition is a real bargain. Can do Psychology there and my proposed project has a psych. componant, plus my undergrad is psych and grad emphasis was sport psych. If anyone has any thoughts on any of this, I'm all ears!

Matt