Master Degree Paper writing

Five out of the seven papers required case studies or supporting examples from the world of business. The midterm and final were all theory, but the best way to work them was to draw basic structure for the answers from the text and then provide examples and extended commentary drawn from the wider literature.

The discussion questions were almost exclusively concerning theory, but we were encouraged to relate that theory to practice, and I would consider the results above average.

I dislike marketing as a subject, but I found the class enjoyable. The professor gave specific and constructive feedback on each assignment and discussion board topic. Try to find that in a B&M classroom!

There were no consulting projects, and I agree that would be interesting, but remember that this is an 8-week class for working adults. My current class is requiring at least two interviews. That's a start...

Tom

 

One question I have is whether you are getting good feedback on the papers you are writing. If your instructor has 20 students in the class, that would imply that he would have to grade and provide feedback on 20 papers EVERY WEEK. When one considers that that many instructors are teaching multiple classes, I question the quality of the feedback such an instructor could provide if he is grading 60+ papers a week. Without good feedback, the assignment becomes less about learning and more about busywork.

 

Hi SurfDoctor,
Can I start by saying Thank you for being judgmental. And I mean that in a totally friendly way with no disrespect. :~) It is not that I do not want to get into a classroom, it is that my current life doesn't make time for it. I work with the mentally disabled and advocate on more than a full time basis for over 47 individuals on my caseload. I work around the clock with meetings, case conferences, state reports, maintaining state mandated records, as well as some of the other duties I have. I also am a single mom, with two girls, trying to put one through college now, and the other is pre-teen who is very active in school. This does not leave me much time for myself nor a nice trip to a nearby college for class, plus I live in the middle of a cornfield and my nearest college is almost an hour away.
My aim is to find a online college that can help me achieve my goal of a masters degree without overwhelming so much that my clients and family suffers....this was my only intention. I recently completed my bachelors at Ashford, however they do write a very high volume of papers, and I was hoping to find something a little less strenuous.
Thanks,
G.

 

There were 17 of us in the class... so yeah, I imagine that grading all of that must have been challenging. DB feedback was generic after the first week--expectations were set, and you either met them or didn't. Paper feedback tended to be brief, but it was individualized and on point. (I aced this class, but my first few papers needed fine-tuning to match up with the professor's expectations, so I know he gives detail when it's needed.)

Tom

 

Hi G,
I read your response and just approved it to appear on the board. I hope you were not offended by the tone of my response, as it appears you were. If so, I offer my apologies. Judgmental is not the proper label for my response and if I was too direct, I am regretful.

I said what I did because there are minimum requirements for a degree to be regionally accredited and I'm always alarmed when I find someone is asking for an easier way to get through an online degree. There are much easier ways to get a degree, but they are not legitimate and should be avoided at all costs.

I understand your situation and I respect the difficulty you are experiencing. You deserve an award for making it through a bachelor's degree with everything else on your plate. However, it is not likely that you will find a good online program that is regionally accredited and light on paper writing. For example, I'm currently finishing up a 25 page paper, right after an unrelated 15 page paper all within a couple of weeks, as part of the doctoral program I am currently in. So you see that I'm not just blowing smoke.

Paper writing is not that hard if you have a good system for researching, outlining and writing. Using one of the great bibliographic software packages really helps too. With the best procedures and tools, the task is not that difficult. I would be happy to offer some suggestions, if you would like.

Congratulations on earning your bachelor's degree, that is a fine accomplishment. You should be proud. You will find now that you are looking into graduate programs, that the requirements will be more strenuous, not easier. I hope that clarifies my previous comments. I'm giving you the unfiltered truth because I don't want you to have false expectations. If you enter a program with realistic expectations, your chances of making it through are greatly improved. Don't worry, you can do it; you have already proven that you are a winner!