Aspen University

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Jan, Sep 1, 2016.

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  1. Jan

    Jan Member

    Hi,

    I am interested in a doctoral program in Leadership at Aspen University and would greatly appreciate your impressions of this school including its academic standards, level of faculty involvement and its reputation.

    I realize that this school is not regionally accredited, which is not an issue for me because I do not intend to use it within the context of academia but for consultation purposes and to achieve a long term personal ambition.

    Thank you
     
  2. Jan

    Jan Member

    Hi

    I would greatly appreciate any information about Aspen that would enable me to make a decision regarding whether to enter their doctoral program. I was accepted into another doctoral program (DBA) as well so need to make a decision in the near future. Thanks again.
     
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Which other program?
     
  4. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    There are probably no active members with anything to offer about Aspen.

    There are some old, perhaps too old, threads about Aspen.

    If you haven't seen it, there are reviews at Grade Reports: Aspen University Reviews - Is it a good college?

    Good luck!
     
  5. Jan

    Jan Member

     
  6. Jan

    Jan Member

    I read some of the older posts regarding this school, and one from a moderator that was not too favorable. The issue is that the tuition at Aspen is very reasonable and they accept transfer credits, even those over ten years old.

    Grade Reports reviews were not great but it is difficult to make a decision based on these posts because we do not know if they are from students who did not do well at this school or if they are shills.
     
  7. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I've always thought of Aspen as one of the better NA schools. As long as you're aware of the limited utility of a NA degree (which you seem to already), and as Dr. Bear says, it will meet your current and future needs, I would say that Aspen is a good choice.
     
  8. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I agree. And there really aren't any regionally accredited doctorates in business that are in the same price category as DBA programs at DEAC-accredited schools. Out of curiosity, how did you narrow down all the DBA programs at DEAC-accredited schools down to one? There seem to be quite a few of them, and I expect most of them are pretty affordable. And no one in the general population will have heard of any of them, so from a reputation standpoint it's probably a wash.

    (I don't remember hearing bad things about Aspen, so I'm not trying to subtly steer you away or anything. I basically agree with Bruce here. I'm just curious.)
     
  9. Jan

    Jan Member

    Bruce, thanks for your feedback.

    One of my concerns is that Aspen was in some kind of legal financial situation which appeared to taint it's credibility. I was informed that this school is under new management but the question remains whether this school will continue to retain it accreditation in the future?
     
  10. Jan

    Jan Member

    I reviewed the curriculums of numerous DEAC and RA doctoral programs, the tuitions, the number of transferable credits and the level of accessibility and response from key faculty I spoke with and decided that Aspen appeared to be a viable option.
     
  11. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    It's impossible to say that a school will remain accredited forever. The school isn't under investigation as far as we know. But all of that can change in a blink.

    If that's your top concern then consider a well established publicmuniversity that is likely to survive even the worst scandals like UNC or Penn State.

    It's inconsistent. Straight up handing out passing grades for fake courses is fine for UNC but another college gets put on probation for marketing issues.

    When in doubt, if the school has a popular football team, that seems to give them immunity from virtually any scandal.
     
  12. Jan

    Jan Member

    My primary issue is that if I spend over $30,000 I don't want to be placed in the situation where my degree is negated due to loss of accreditation. I don't know for certain but it appears that quite a few DEAC schools have either lost their accreditation or gave up this accreditation at a higher percentage than regionally accredited schools.
     
  13. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Most schools that have withdrawn or otherwise lost (expired) their DEAC accreditation achieved regional accreditation, and decided (for better or worse) that DEAC was redundant or otherwise unnecessary. I believe California Southern University voluntarily withdrew, while APUS and Liberty University just allowed it to lapse.
     
  14. Jan

    Jan Member

    Bruce I appreciate your clarification.

    Although Aspen looks like a viable candidate, I am wondering whether there will be any questions on the part of clients as to the credibility of a doctorate from a vaguely known distance online school which does not have the reputation and market brand of schools such as Capella and Walden.
     
  15. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    The truth is, most employers or clients know nothing about accreditation, and haven't heard of most schools other than the big names and/or state universities. That's backed up by the depressing amount of people who have been hired or promoted in important positions, including academia and law enforcement, with worthless pieces of paper from totally fake schools that they call degrees.

    Anyone who would recognize Aspen University most likely already knows that it's legitimately accredited, and if the NA/RA thing is a huge issue for them, do you really want to deal with someone so close-minded, anyway?
     
  16. jamesb

    jamesb New Member

    I'm currently at Aspen's doctoral program in computer science and I would say that the academic standards are better than average. I obtained a BS and MS at competitive traditional butts in seats classroom, and the level of work required at Aspen is greater than either. I tend to think that online classes have something to prove so they try and dish out as much work as possible, which someone seems to think is academically more rigorous. Academically you get out what you put in. If you want to get by, you can do the minimum word count per assignment, which is usually 3000-5000 words, or you can challenge yourself with the research and writing. There is typically a minimum number of references so you can go easy and reference small articles or dig deep into scholarly articles.

    Faculty, just depends like it does at traditional schools. Some are extremely responsive, while others its takes a nudge with an email to the dean of the program or your academic advisor. Compared to traditional universities the faculty and administration staff are easier to get a hold of, more attentive, and more helpful. To me this is one of the pluses of for-profit, your money matters to them and they have an interest in keeping you happy.

    Reputation. I rarely see negative comments, but it's usually because of the NA standing and a bit of ignorance. Remember, I'm looking and the average person doesn't care to look or know anything about accreditation. I don't see them getting in the news anytime soon, at least for the same reasons other high profile for-profits are. Tuition is reasonable, so they're not milking the fed loan system and their not just giving away degree's.


    If this is truely your stance you shouldn't care about the accreditation, as long as the school is accredited. Your not at risk of someone calling you out for going to a degree mill.

    Everyone is different, but why I chose Aspen is because of cost, flexibility, and a realistic idea of attainment. I have a full-time job and a family. I didn't want to go into debt and I wanted something that I could finish in 4-5 years. Luckly I could fit Aspen's entire tuition into my company's tuition plan. I personally don't think any doctorate or Phd is worth going into debt over, so if it's not free or you can't pay it as you go, then don't do it.

    I'm nearing the dissertation phase and the school has changed a lot, in a positive way. They take your feedback and actually listen. I've had them change course syllabus and content to make them more clear. Aspen has recently switched to 8 week classes, which is good since the 1st and last week in the old 10 week format were non-productive anyways. About a year ago they switched to the desire2learn platform, which requires weekly progress. At the same time they started using turnitin.

    In the last year or two Aspen student population has been growing at a fast pace. Earlier this year they reached the 5000 student mark and obtained a positive EBITDA. The nursing program has been the biggest growth area. I suspect that if they sustain the growth and become truely cashflow positive we could see Aspen obtaining RA. I know they are interested in program level accreditation to grow the other areas similar to the success they have had with the nursing program.
     
  17. Jan

    Jan Member

    Bruce, I realize that there will be divergent perspectives regarding the credibility of degrees from regional versus DEAC accredited schools. For instance, I read another post on this forum relating to Aspen, from another moderator, who did not think very well of this school, and instead suggested Fort Hays or Peru University.

    The reason for my cautiousness and wariness revolves around realistic considerations, such as my age, which is not in the "spring chicken" category, and limited financial resourses, which leaves me with very little time and resilience to make an error in selecting a school that does not ultimately meet my needs or pan out.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 2, 2016
  18. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Your situation is pretty specific, and you're clearly well-informed about what you're doing. That's very different from someone looking for an affordable Bachelor's degree at the start of their career.

    Eventually no matter which school you choose you're betting on it's longevity. Accreditors do track their schools' finances, so if Aspen isn't on any kind of warning or probation, perhaps that's as good a sign as you'll get?
     
  19. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    Will you have the same doubts post-degree as you do now? It seems so. Maybe applying the same critical eye to possible RA choices would help.
     
  20. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Asked and answered: There isn't one in his/her budget. Besides, it's not like regionally accredited schools are guaranteed to live forever either.
     

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