I did a forum search and found information on the school. Long story short, but my Adult Ed degree isn't going to be recognized by my company because it won't apply to my current field (nevermind that it could be used to implement and design training programs, which leads to better product knowledge and productivity, but oh well...). I was looking at getting an M.S. in Management in the meantime and working on the M.A. at NSULA on my own time. I found Salve Regina University and I like the self-paced and online course blend. The program looks good, and I like the course offerings you can take. The tuition isn't all that bad ($380/cr) but they also take 40% of the MSM credits transferred in, so I was going to take a few classes at Amberton and transfer it in. Doing that makes it in my price range for what looks like a pretty good private university with a Catholic tradition. Does anyone have experience with the school? I think friartuck goes there currently. How is the coursework/exams? I tried finding syllabi on their website to figure out an idea of rigor on my own but can't seem to locate them. What is their reputation like on the East coast? I'm assuming it's pretty much like Madonna U here in Michigan, which is a good small religious institution that has a good reputation amongst the people who have heard of it, but it isn't really well-known in other areas at all. TIA for any help!
Salve Regina is a great school, but check all your options before committing. A good starting point is Jonnie's Distance Learning Page section on Management degrees; http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/2386/dlmgt.html
Thanks Bruce I totally forgot about his page. I've researched grad schools until my brain feels like it's bleeding lol... I've looked at everything from Nova to Central Michigan, Jacksonville State, Bellevue to Mountain State. It would probably help if I listed my criteria I'm looking at. I know everyone has their own opinions on schools and I'm not stepping on anyone's toes; I'm just commenting on feedback I've gotten from people IRL and what I'm looking for in a grad school, so please everyone be gentle. I'm NOT trying to get into a NA vs. RA debate, an "assessment school vs. traditional B&M school", etc. I am trying to avoid for-profit schools (although I understand it can be argued that even traditional schools can advertise like a for-profit). I don't care if it's AACSB or not (all things being equal obviously I would take it). I'm looking at not really spending more than $12,000 on it because I'll be mostly paying for it. It doesn't matter if it's well-known in the sense of U of X, but it would be a plus to have an easily recognized name. As weird as it sounds, I'd really like a "traditional" school with a B and M presence, a football team, things like that. I'd like to buy a t shirt that says "X Alumni" on it. I'd like to join an alumni association and feel proud of where I went. Going to TESC was good for getting my degree finished quickly, but I've already gotten a few comments from friends and family on their website and how they're clearly an "adult learner" school, etc. and I'd like to avoid going to another school like that for grad school if I can help it. I don't mind rigor- in fact, I'd like it if the school put me through my paces. I want to KNOW the material when I'm done. Secular versus religious affiliation does not particularly matter to me. It also does not matter about a "regional brand" (i.e. here in Michigan, Alma College is a really well-regarded school that is not known outside the state), because my husband and I will be moving out of state in a couple years when we can sell our house. Places we're looking at are Texas, Tennessee, and the Eastern seaboard- either Virginia, Maine, Vermont, maybe northern Mass. I would like a concentration in Leadership/Executive Leadership/Organizational Leadership if possible, or Managerial Science like Amberton has. What I've considered- West Florida, NSULA (for Adult Ed and English), Central Michigan, Salve Regina, and Liberty. West Florida is a good program and has a Leadership conc. that they just started. The Leadership classes can be hard to find (I checked their student schedule), Liberty is expensive but their Management degree has a Leadership concentration. Central is expensive and I'm not too interested in the program other than it is known here in my state and both my mother and stepfather graduated from the MSA program and said it was very thorough. I like Amberton's degree options (both the Managerial Science and Human Relations and Business degress would be accepted by my job), the price is great, but they do not do Financial Aid for the little bit I might need, and they're pretty much an adult learner school with no football team, etc. What I like about SRU is the blend of self-paced and online classes, they take transfer credits, it seems like a traditional B&M school that has the alumni organization and things like that, and I love how you can take classes in International Relations for the degree. IR is an interest of mine and I enjoy the subject but not enough to get a degree in it, because of money and time constraints. I also like that it's in the same general area as my undergrad (they're in RI and TESC in NJ) instead of all spread out, but that's a minor thing. What I'm working with- a 3.1 undergrad GPA in a non-business major, I can get letters of recommendation and I'm sure I can write a good statement of intent for schools. I'm not wild about taking the GRE but i'll do it if need be. I'd really like to stay under $400/cr. I want to study the social interactions of business- communication, leadership, "soft" skills, etc. I can do Math and Stats and don't mind numbers when need be. Sorry about the novel!
I am attending SRU. I took a grad certificate halfway through the MSM. The big catch in my plan is that my employer suddenly cut off tuition reimbursement for at least 2 years and it's tough for me to write the big check for my next course. The good thing is that they're very flexible and they will allow me to transfer in more grad courses (which I'm considering if I'm able to find something cheap and interesting). They will allow you 12 credits in transfer towards the MSM. There are no exams. The coursework has been pretty interesting but I wouldn't say it's been terribly difficult. It's fairly writing intensive but not overbearingly so. I think my final paper for Marketing came to 45-50 pages, however I went way over the call of duty. I got into SRU because it was easy to take my first courses which were self paced. I was running on adreneline then and was pretty happy with that mode, however after taking the interactive courses I now dread my last self paced course, which is business law. It's a lonesome way to go and there isn't a great deal of feedback from some of the instructors. I suppose I put 15-25 hours per week in a class, but I think you could definitely get by with less. I get pretty nervous when I'm taking courses and want to get everything just right. You won't find syllabi online, as a matter of fact they won't give you access to them until you sign up for the course. They use WebCT. Everybody has been very, very nice at SRU from admissions to staff to faculty. I had occasion to view the campus while on vaca last summer, it's beautiful. Lots of old mansions right on the ocean. Newport's a pretty fun, touristy town. The Mrs and I spent some time in the downtown area where there's lots of shopping and nice restaurants. Good luck to you.
Thanks for the feedback. I talked to Kelly in the Grad Admissions office today and she was extremely nice and patient with all my questions. She explained the process for applying with me and walked me through filling out the application, so I think i'm going to give applying a shot. I'm working on my statement of intent now.
SRU has a good rep in the area (Southern New England). A bit pricey for me but I don't think that anyone will ever question the quality of the school/degree.
You might want to consider looking into Troy University's M.S. in Management program. Troy is a traditional, state-supported B & M school in Alabama that has an extensive online and extended campus division affilitated with the military in several locations throughout the U.S. Troy's M.S. in Management includes a concentration in Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, accepts up to 12 SH of credits in transfer, and falls within your price range at $350 per semester hour. Troy offers 5 nine-week terms per year, offers numerous IR courses online, and has a pretty decent Division I-A football team that played in a bowl game this season and usually plays on ESPN or ESPN2 a couple times a year. Additionally, they have campuses in Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia so that may be worth considering if you plan on moving sometime in the future. Troy's eCampus website has links to upcoming class schedules including syllabi for the various online courses that they offer which may give you an idea as to what to expect. I considered the M.S. in Management at Troy but opted for their M.P.A. instead and have been very happy with my decision overall. abnrgr275
I had completely forgotten about Troy! Thanks, I'm off to check their site out now. Edited to add that they have a concentration in International Management! That's so cool! Thanks for the heads up.
I was thinking Troy at one time also. But I didn't feel like taking admission tests, GMAT, GRE or MAT. Also, I think they required proctored exams at the time I was considering them. I've been dealing with Tiffany at SRU since Karen Johnson left. She's been very responsive to all my questions or concerns. Congratulations on making a decision. That makes two of us on board at SRU.
I saw where they said that the GRE req would be waived with significant work experience, but I wasn't sure if mine was enough (8+ years of business, no management positions yet) so I went ahead and scheduled the GRE. Should I cancel it now? hm...
Actually Heather, they will waive the GRE/GMAT if you average a B in your first two or three classes as a non-matriculated student. You can take 3 courses on that basis. You might touch bases with Tiffany to confirm this.
