My Experience with California Coast University- 5 classes to go

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by freddyboy, Aug 19, 2013.

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  1. freddyboy

    freddyboy Member

    Hello,

    I am a long time lurker, and first time poster...finally decided to join the fray.

    For several reasons, I enrolled at CCU 5 years ago and I am 5 courses away from a BS in Health Care Administration and I expect to finish in December. I needed the self paced courses, the interest free payment plan and accredited course work. I did my due diligence and understood the limitations of national accreditation.

    I have an Associate Degree from a B/M Junior College in Texas where I live and have taken correspondence courses at Weber State and CSU Pueblo.

    CCU typifies the good, bad and the ugly of distance learning. I suppose that I'll leave the details for another day, although overall, I can say that I'm pleased with my experience. Bottom line though, is that my circumstances have changed and so I plan to pursue a Master's Degree.

    While my employer ( a major hospital) is perfectly fine with CCU (and it has a very strong HR Dept), I can see how my degree does have limitations that RA degrees don't, as it relates to acceptance into traditional graduate school programs.
    Fortunately, and perhaps due in part to the fact that the THECB formally recognizes DETC, there are several state universities that will accept by degree for 2014 admissions, including one of my top choices: the CEPH acreditted MPH program at Texas A&M School of Rural Public health. I think I lucked out a bit.

    In researching online RA MHA and MPH programs, I located only 30 or so that accept DETC undergrad degrees, which is not bad, but also, quite limited overall.

    However, most state programs in Texas do require an RA degree.

    Anyways, I thought I would share a few details about my experience so far.
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Best of luck in finishing up your degree.
     
  3. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I also graduated from CCU (BS/MBA pre-accreditation) and found the program great! Best of luck with grad school.
     
  4. freddyboy

    freddyboy Member

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    Thanks Kizmet,

    I appreciate that. Indeed, first things first, and I do not want to put the cart before the proverbial horse, but I figure I can at least get the research started now while I am on the home stretch instead of waiting.
     
  5. freddyboy

    freddyboy Member

    Thanks bro,

    I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised that the School of Rural Public health at Texas A&M is cool with national accreditation. They call it "federal accreditation." BTW, this is a blended program, not entirely online, which is fine with me, as my circumstances have changed. I also spoke to some folks at Texas A&M at Kingsville regarding their online Health Administration Grad Certificate and MBA, and they are good with the CCU credential as well...several nice options indeed.
     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Congratulations on your pending graduation.

    No one is a more vociferous critic of the over-hyping of DETC accreditation. Still, let me just say that, even though there are a limited number of options for graduate study at an RA school, you only need to identify and enroll in one.

    This is a key distinction in the ongoing argument about DETC accreditation. Overall, it is severely limited compared to regional accreditation. But in individual cases, taking such a degree can be a wonderful thing with great outcomes.

    So go make some great outcomes already! Good luck to you.
     
  7. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I think there is a thread focusing on MPAs or MPHs. AMU and Troy might also be an options for you
     
  8. sideman

    sideman Well Known Member

    @Rich- This is one of the most cogent and benevolent threads you've ever posted.

    @freddyboy- From one DETC supporter to another I'd like to wish you well in your future quest and congratulations on your soon to be past accomplishment.
     
  9. freddyboy

    freddyboy Member


    Mr. Douglas, thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement. I am very proud of the work I've done at CCU, and I do look forward to completing the degree within the next five months.

    Your comments on DETC accreditation do represent the reality of the situation. It it what it is. Most competitive programs are out of reach. In might case, I was actually surprised to find that a few state universities in Texas and elsewhere, as well as some good private traditional universities, are good with DETC, or national accreditation in general. Having done due diligence when I enrolled at CCU, I actually had set the bar pretty low, it seems, in regards to grad school expectations. Like you said though, I only need to identify one quality program, which in my case, is one of the best in the nation.

    In case things don't work out at my school of choice, I'm also keeping my eye on my other top choices : St. Joseph's of Maine , University of South Dakota, East Tennessee State, and Texas A&M at Kingsville. I've communicated with each of these insitutions already and have found a favorable response to my situtation. I"ve also contacted Western Kentucky and Cal State East Bay, both with excellent MHA programs, but they are co hort based and I'm not sure I want that.

    Let me also say that as much as I think CCU is a credible program, I would never recommend it to a high school senior. It is not designed for that market. The learning process for me was enriched by the fact that I am already in a management position, and was able to integregate theory with practical application in a professional setting. Having said that, I'm not sure I would recommend DL general to high school seniors, although I know some kids do well with home school/home study.

    I look forward to making some great outcomes, thanks to CCU, and degreeinfo. Thanks Mr. Douglas
     
  10. Maxwell_Smart

    Maxwell_Smart Active Member

    Who has over-hyped it here? I haven't seen this myself. Now, over-hyping of the "Big 3" on the other hand... well, that happens so much here I'm surprised they haven't been offered in this thread as some kind of option yet.
     
  11. skidadl

    skidadl Member

    I thouroughly enjoyed my time at CCU. At the time that I started my employer, who was a Fortune 7 company, paid for my degree. Apparently they thought it was fine.

    Now I am enrolled in the AACSB accredited degree that I have always been interested in.

    BTW, congrats on your accomplishment. I'm guessing that completing a master program will further prove to yourself that you haven't been crippled by the degree that you earned.
     
  12. sideman

    sideman Well Known Member

    If indeed the OP feels he has to go on to a masters because he has been crippled by the degree he's earned I wonder where he got that subjective viewpoint from? There comes a time in life where you have to seek your own counsel and trust in it (I believe I'm paraphrasing John D. Rockefeller).
     
  13. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    That assessment wasn't the OP's. It was from the poster you quoted.
     
  14. sideman

    sideman Well Known Member

    Well...uh yeah. I can see now how it can be easily misinterpreted. It was an offhand comment on skidadl's comment without questioning him directly. But since you brought it up Rich; Skidadl do you feel like the OP really feels they have been crippled by their CCU degree? Have you felt that you at one time were crippled by your CCU degree? Is that one of the reasons you're pursuing a masters? And to the OP: do you feel crippled by your CCU degree? And is this why you're pursuing your masters?
     
  15. freddyboy

    freddyboy Member

    Have I felt "crippled" by my CCU degree? Well, I havent earned it, yet. But I understand your question. I would not say that I feel "crippled" having studied at CCU. By "crippled" I guess you mean, unable to function properly.
    If you take note of my original post, you will note that I am eligible (once degree is in hand) to apply to one of Texas' best universities for Master's Degrees...with full programmatic accreditation. I dont' consider that "crippling".
    I do believe that the options are much more limited, but that is a very different proposition.

    I chose to pursue a Master's degree because I love learning while opening other career opportunities. And yes, Texas A&M and the other schools I mentioned have more name recognition and are more widely regarded than CCU, plus CCU does not offer an MHA or MPH program.
     
  16. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    I thought I'd toss in a remark concerning not recommending CCU to a high school grad. As a general rule of thumb, I would not recommend any sort of distance education to a high school grad (with rare exception) unless it was in addition to "butt in the seat" B&M courses.

    And congrats BTW. I also ran into limitations moving from a DETC AS degree to a RA BS, but it actually worked out very, very well and I graduated from a college I fully intend on sending my kids to someday.
     
  17. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Have we ever seen a nationally accredited school refuse to accept credits from RA schools? Just askin'.

    (And congratulations to those who persevere in getting their credits and/or degrees from DETC-accredited schools accepted by RA schools. Just because there are significant limitations doesn't mean you, individually, can't succeed.)
     
  18. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    Actually, Andrew Jackson University would not take some of my University of Wisconsin coursework. The reasons were the courses were either not applicable to my program, or I had reached a limit on the amount of transfer credit they would accept. I understand that's not the premise of the question you were asking, but I have found that RA schools are easier to work with in terms of acceptance of transfer credit than the DETC schools in which I have been enrolled, regardless of where those credits were earned. Excelsior, BTW, did accept my coursework from AJU.
     
  19. PuppyMama

    PuppyMama New Member

    Am I missing something, or is GCU actually REGIONALLY ACCREDITED?

    Grand Canyon University - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    According to Wikipedia, the school is accredited by "The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, a regional accrediting body"

    I have also seen this on their website.

    Am I somehow wrong? I'd like to know, because there's a good chance I'll be earning a PhD there...
     
  20. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Grand Canyon University has held full regional accreditation since 1968.

    They have gone through some significant changes over that time, including the switch from non-profit to for-profit, and from "Grand Canyon College" to "Grand Canyon University". But those changes have not affected their regionally accredited status.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 3, 2014

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