Current or Recent American College of Education Master Degree Students?

Good morning all!
I am new to this forum and looking forward to consuming all the information that is available! I am looking to pursue my Master's degree from the American College of Education. I searched for some threads on here but none of them were that recent.

I just had a few questions for those on here that went to ACE and completed a Master's degree.. I am looking to work towards the Master's in either Curriculum and Instruction or Educational Leadership since some of the classes carry over if I were to complete the 2nd master's.

1) How was your experience?
2) Which master's degree did you pursue?
3) on average, how many total hours did you spend per week working on everything for the course?
4) if i complete 1 course per 5-week term, would I still be able to handle my family and teaching commitments?5) since they don't accept financial aid, do you still receive a tax document for tuition expenses?

Thank you everyone in advance!

 

Hello! Thanks for the response. From my research into graduate programs, it seemed like ACE was pretty much the cheapest for a master's degree and I like the 5-week courses. If I go down the ACE path, it should be less than $9,000 it seems with everything included.

You guys are the pro's on here though so if you have any suggestions for another college that is similar or cheaper in price, I am all ears =) Since I am a math guy, I was never that great in regards to writing (as maybe you can see from this post haha) so a master's that would be limited writing would be ideal (if that is even possible).

Thanks again!

 

Quite possibly the most common online degree in America is the MEd. Typically, the best place to look is the nearest state university.

 

Good morning,
My nearest state university would cost about double the price of ACE. That’s why I thought Ace would be a good online option.

If anyone has gone through their masters program recently please feel free to reply or message me.
Thanks again!

 

Hi again Steve!
From your experience, for a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction or Educational Leadership, can any other online schools beat that price or is that the best price you think?

And on a side note, I applaud you for your many degrees and also your current PhD degree. May I ask how you juggle that rigorous PhD with your job and family life? And also, how do you go about paying for a PhD (and also your master's)? I know those degrees aren't cheap at all and I am trying to figure out the best way to pay for the Master's without going into debt. Any tips from your experience?

Thanks again!
Anthony

 

I too will be in that boat with taking one course at a time. The only potential problem is that some of these master's programs say that the degree must be completed within 3-5 years. Has that been a problem for you with your PhD or your previous master's degree? Thanks again for the dialogue - much appreciated.

 

You have probably seen ACE's policy on time-to-completion, but just in case you haven't (from the current catalog):

http://ace.catalog.acalog.com/content.php?catoid=13&navoid=802#maximum-time-to-completion-with-stop-outs

 

MattS,
I am a current Ed.D. student at ACE and see you recently graduated with yours. I was wondering how your experience was? I am in the first class and it seems pretty rigorous. How was the dissertation process? I am on the 4 - 5 year track so no rush as I am paying out of pocket and am pretty sure this degree won't do too much for my current chosen career field. How long did it take you to finish and were there any hiccups - good, bad, otherwise? If you could take some time to answer these I would be super appreciative!
Justin

 

Overall, I had a very positive experience. As with any dissertation process, there were periods of frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed, but I felt very well supported by the faculty and my committee. I defended my dissertation in April of my 4th year, so just over 3 years really. They have made some recent changes to the program which, in my opinion, are pretty great and geared toward student success. As one example, rather than sitting in a general dissertation workspace course, there are now courses designed to help you develop specific chapters. I think fewer students will find themselves sitting in the ABD zone for long periods of time with the new changes. I know other colleges/universities are using this model as well.

Full disclosure: I am now working with ACE in a professional capacity. The opinions above are genuine and those of my "student self." I wouldn't have desired to continue my relationship with them had I not been very happy with my time there. However, in the interest of transparency, I felt you should know about my current position.

 

Matt,
Thank you very much for the response, it is definitely encouraging to hear your experience. I appreciate your candidness about your current relationship also as it adds to the credibility of your opinion. I think the classes which follow the diss chapters was a great change and it is one of the reasons why I decided to pull the trigger after closely watching the school for a few years. One other question for you - looking at your signature line I notice you do not have an undergrad or grad background in education, did this hamper any of your class experiences or hinder any assignments? Thanks again for your response, it is appreciated!
Justin

 

Justin,

It did not. Unlike many of their master's programs, the Ed.D. is aimed at leaders in all professions, not just education. There are several focus of study options available. While there are certainly many educators in the program, I met fellow students in law enforcement, nursing, business, and many other professions.

 

Matt,
Thanks again for the reply! I am liking my experience at ACE so far, so like you I hope to be a success story in a few years.
Justin