Union Institute - Utility etc. Is it a legitimate school?

Starting from scratch, if I was making the choice today, I'd enroll in NCU before Union for two very big reasons. First is the ongoing turmoil at Union, something I don't think they'll straighten out until after the next OBR report later this year. Second, I wonder if, on rare occasions, an NSU degree might be stronger. I have no data to support this, and I've never heard of such a situation. (Nor have I ever had any trouble with my Union Ph.D.)

But I'd chose Fielding over both of them.

 

www.ncu.edu

 

Fielding does have an excellent program. However, their tuition is very high and they require periods of residency in California. NCU offers a very competitive tutition and no residency requirement.

 

You wonder that a Nova degree would be stronger than a Union degree. Why? My thought is yes but I think Union's strength, in part, comes from it not being known.

I talked to a lady who is from Cincy the other day. She has lived halfway between Kings Island and Cincy all her life but had never heard of Union. Not surprising, though. If you were to ask people in Indianapolis if they had ever Marian College you might get many blank stares.

 

This is true. But Fielding's residencies can be done in various locations, not just in California. Additionally, the scholarly community is hands-down stronger than NCU. It isn't even close. Union and Fielding are a lot alike in that fashion.

Residencies are a wonderful part of a DL doctoral program, and add great weight to the entire learning experience.

In the rare situation where it would matter, I suspect a Fielding degree would be more valuable than one from NCU. But, of course, I have no data (just 27 years of experience in such matters) to support it.

 

Fielding and Union have been around a great deal longer than NCU or Touro, too(RAwise for certain). Thus, Fielding will have more people in academia. NCU and Touro aren't represented with any significance in the professor ranks but there are some NCU and Touro doctorates with full-time professorships. It's still early in the day for NCU and Touro.

Even in 1986 I did not fully see the utility of a Fielding degree. I looked at them with shaded eyes back then. They've been around so long now that it appears their grads have settled in well. I would guess that much of it has to do with their APA status, though.

Not long ago, I was discussing some research with a Notre Dame prof. I made a passing comment about Fielding and Nova. He said, "those are on-line schools, right?" Sort of snobby about it in that tone, too. What he didn't realize was that even Notre Dame has a prof with a Fielding doctorate.

 

Even Notre Dame?

SNORK!

Oh, yeah. Of course Union is a legitimate school. Overpriced, oversold, and too far left for my tastes, but certainly legitimate. Only wackos and shills deny its legitimacy and obsess about the place.

 

Re: Re: Re: Union Institute - Utility etc. Is it a legitimate school?

Rich,

Kudos to your NB.

I would hate to bet a job interview on someone knowing about Union's recent trials- and in fact, when I interviewed for my University faculty position, the comment was made "at least NSU isn't Union" - talk about faint praise - that's OK - as long as the checks clear.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Union Institute - Utility etc. Is it a legitimate school?

I don't know too much about the trials at Union these days. Much has been posted on it, though. Even Rich is conservative on the topic and not blindly waiving the banner for it. He forthrightly says that he would not likely choose it right now...and to wait until the smoke clears.

I would consider NSU about mainstream today. They have a medical school, they require GMAT, they require residency, etc. I have even seen one of their profs cited on television of late, on a National Geographic show(the motorcycle party in SD). If I could afford it, and the time off, it might be my first choice.


]Originally posted by jimnagrom
Rich,




Kudos to your NB.

I would hate to bet a job interview on someone knowing about Union's recent trials- and in fact, when I interviewed for my University faculty position, the comment was made "at least NSU isn't Union" - talk about faint praise - that's OK - as long as the checks clear. [/QUOTE]

 

It is not a matter of one doctoral program being best or having the best faculty but which program bests meets the individual and specific needs and goals of the prospective student.

Selection of an appropriate distance learning doctoral program is based on a number of considerations. Some of these factors include future employment goals (ie, whether one is seeking a position in academia or as a private consultant), age, time constraints, financial factors (whether one is paying out of their pocket or the tab is being picked up by their boss), learning and personality style preferences (whether one enjoys synchronous online interactive instruction/participation or wishes to engage in asynchronous solo learning without course participation or a "Union" learning model), residency requirements (whether one wishes or is able to spend the time in residencies or does not), preference for research or applied dissertation orientation, importance of a school's reputation, specific faculty one may wish to study under, etc, etc.

Therefore, any decisions regarding the selection of a relevant distance doctoral program needs to consider these factors as well as others rather than selecting a program based on a schools' reputation or the strength of its faculty.

 

I definitely believe this is true and most are likely to agree here. The reason there are distance programs is because the demand is there in the first place...thus meeting the needs of the student.

So often it seems on the board that the rating of a school is directly tied to how man professional educators can be counted amongst it's alumni. It's more than this to be sure. There has to be more to the equation than this. Thunderbird was looked at very highly for many years and I doubt they put out many profs. Their worth was what industry thought of them.

Then of cours there is the reality situation. One can think all day long that a school has the perfect program for them. It might offer best price, best timing, best residency(or none), etc. However, if that school is plain no good then it just won't work. Case and point being the Homeland Security exec that bought a Hamilton degree.

 

Nova Southeastern University www.nova.edu also offers an EdD Organizational Leadership.