Which Doctoral Program Do You Prefer?

I love Capella!

I thoroughly investigated the following schools and concluded that for me, Capella would be the best. I determined that on the basis of how long it would take me to finish a Ph.D. and also how many credits transfered from my Masters. Here are some comparisons in terms of psychology departments. [Capella has different policies for different schools, ie., psychology, business, human services, etc.]

I looked at:

Saybrook Graduate Institute: only accepts 18 credits and you have to pay for a full year whether you take one class or a "hundred."

The Union Institute: no credits transfer. Hence longer doctorate time and more $$$$.

Fielding Institute: at most about 6 credits transfer if I remember right and your Doc will almost assuredly take you from 4 - 6 years with all the APA requirements, etc. You will spend a fortune.
If you want APA accreditation by distance then this is currently the only school available. Capella is soon going to submit their application to the APA once the self-study is complete. Then there will be two didtance APA accredited Clinical/Counseling Psych programs.

Walden University: around 24 semester credits transfer. I would rate this one second in terms of transfer credits. I don't see Walden as innovative and aggressive in their self=marketing as Capella is. I spoke to their Psych. Head and got treated very roughly. Maybe I am biased but I tend to see this as archetypically predictive of how they operate. I'm tired of being treated as a "child" by the traditional Brick and Mortar schools who have their heads in a place where little light ever comes in [unless during proctologist visits].

Capella University: the Psych dept. accepted 30 semester credit hours of mine. That is 10 courses. That saves me five quarters of work (at two courses per quarter). I am hoping to finish my degree in 2 years and one quarter! My Degree Completion Plan was approved. The Department head seems to agree it can be done in that short amount of time.

I hope this helps some of you folks that are still doing their research. All the schools, overall are fine schools. You have to find what is best for you. My decision was not easy but I'm glad I made an informed and careful decision. Many of you guys here helped. Thanks!

 

Re: I love Capella!

It all depends on what you want to do with your degree. I'm glad you found what's best for you! For people who want to teach psychology at a respected university, Fielding might be a better choice. Compared to the others on the list, Fielding Institute has an excellent reputation. For some people's goals, a school's reputation is a very important factor.

I hope others will conduct the same kind of independent research you've completed. Best of luck!

 

Thanks Steven!

Steven, for the time being, I would agree with you. Fielding has been around for a while. I think that Capella will, in a few years, gain that kind of reputation in the sense of word getting out due to so many grads coming out. You can get known via the "trickle" effect over many years or you can get known faster by means of an abundance of grads going into the work force.
Capella right now has approximately 8,000 students. Fielding probably has 1,000 to 2000 max, if I remember correctly. Both schools are good schools. I would say that when Capella becomes APA approved, they will attract more students than Fielding due to their generous credit transfer policy and also the way they structure their clinical practicum and internship. I've heard that there are former Fielding students at Capella's Psych school who like better the way the Capella's residency works versus Fielding's. Capella's seems to be more user-friendly and workable for busy professionals.

Thanks for your thoughts, Steven... and congrats on your acceptance into Touro's Ph.D. program.

 

Re: I love Capella!

This post is extremely informative because I haven't spoken with the schools that you mentioned.

You have corroborated my thoughts about the transfer of graduate credits. I am very excited about the prospect!!!

 

NCU is now RA

North Central U. is now regionally accredited (as of last week -- just spoke to an academic advisor today).

Any comments as to the quality of this school?!



Marko

 

I have been strongly considering both Touro and NCU. The little correspondence I've had with both has left them on equal footing. Although I would prefer something with a Ph.D. in Finance, I like the variety of course offerings at NCU. Both institutions seem flexible.

Given my strong financial background, my next step will be to take a class from each university to see which suits me better and offers more of what I'm looking for.

 

That sounds like a great idea! I suspect that many people do not have the time or money to do that. Let us know how it goes after your first course at each school. I think many people here would be interested in hearing how your side-by-side comparison goes.

 

Now that the Northcentral is fully accreditted by the NCA. Maybe we should take the wordings "seeking RA status" off ?

 

The importance of doctoral degrees ?

How in the world did this thread get 3000 views?

Are people really that curious about DL doctoral degrees?

 

Yes I think people are "that" interested in DL doctorates. We are now in a society where more and more education seems to be a distinguishing factor in competition for jobs. Yet we are also in a time where individuals simply cannot give up their jobs to go to school. That leaves two options, DL or part time. A lot of schools won't let you attend part time. Among my own staff, at least a dozen have spoken to me about pursuing their doctorates. Most of them live in rural areas and don't want to leave their jobs, but do want to advance their education. I will support them financially as long as the degrees they puruse are RA. With the computer age and ease of access, I think DL docs will become even more popular.

 

3100+ Views ?

This thread is "out-of-control."

I keep waffling between different schools vs. no more school (just settling for a graduate degree and not pursuing doctoral studies). Either way, I need a sabbatical from all academic studies for at least six months after graduating from the masters program. I'm so tired.

 

I finally placed a vote today in this informal poll: for Argosy University.

They have a DL component, along with other non-traditional learning methods, but they also have a Brick & Morter school in my community.

If I pursue even higher education, it definately won't be until sometime in 2004. I've got too much cooking on the stove to try and attempt it this year.

 

Cast Your Vote Today!

Bump.

 

Did you consider NSU? They've been in the DBA market a long time and they are now switching to offer a PhD. Given their fairly large enrollment (500+) they can offer specialized coursework in Finance and other business discilines - such as accounting, IT, marketing, etc.

Regards - Andy

 

Yes I did. The cost of flying from Alaska to where ever every month for classes, along with the cost of the hotel and food, did not appeal to me or to my budget.

Also, with the Ph.D., NSU will be requiring more credits.

 

That makes me want to enroll.

 

Phds in Higher Education

I am looking at distance schools for a Phd in Higher Ed. The University of Nebraska at Lincoln is very affordable but they only accepted 23% of its applicants last year. I am wondering what folks think of Touro vs Capella??? Northcentral might be a possibility too if I went with a Phd in Organizational&Industrial Psychology. I am looking for feedback. Thanks!

 

It should be noted that Northcentral University has been awarded regional accreditation (Not seeking as noted in the poll.)

They will also accept degrees from DETC accredited schools for admission purposes.

 

Re: Phds in Higher Education

23% - This is a very interesting statistic. I suspect you'll find that Touro and Capella accept nearly all of their applicants. The difference lies in the institution's motivation - Touro/Capella are tuition driven institutions. U of N, as a state school, is less so.

I'd take the University of Nebraska over the others - unless the program is totally out of line with your needs. With U of N you'll have a lot less explaining to do for the rest of your life.

Regards - Andy

 

Andy Bochers wrote:

According to Peterson's College on the Midwest, 18th Edition, Capella's accepted 48% of its applicants last for the Fall 2001.

-S