Argosy University

This program is like many other online programs. You get out of it what you put into it. A previous reviewer said it was "set up like a diploma mill.I disagree. "Diploma mill" implies anyone willing to pay money can receive a degree. You actually have to do a lot of work to do well in this program and those that do may find it rewarding. I completed my Master's in two years and haven't looked back. One should note it is easy to get lost in the process and it is perhaps too easy to get accepted into the program. Group studies are especially difficult because a number of people don't want to put in the work. A more selective admissions policy would perhaps weed out those who expect things to be easy. The program is also very expensive. Overall, I found the program to be quite valuable and relevant. I enjoyed going back to school and I would recommend it for anyone "on the go" who is serious about pursuing more education.

I completed the MA in Education/Teaching Credential program early this year after taking a double full-time course load to complete it in 1 year instead of 2. I would never, under any circumstance, recommend anyone to even contemplate spending time or money at this "institution." I put that in quotes because it is more like a circus, run by monkeys, with not a single redeeming factor. I graduated from UCLA with honors in 3 years, and I have a flawless GPA and overall perfect academic track record-- I know a good education when I see one. Argosy did nothing but make my life a complete and utter mess from start to finish, and managed to screw up every single detail along the way. There were times where I said, "Ok, this has to be their last mistake. No university who people pay $20-30K+ to could possibly operate like this." Sadly, the incompetency continued until the very last day (actually, it continued after I graduated!). The administration knows ZILCH about running a university. No one provides any guidance there, and chances are you-- no matter your IQ-- are smarter and more capable of fixing your problem than they are. Every person except for Dr. Carol Tolson (Dean of Education) was lazy and incompetent. If you think I am ranting, allow me to give you some examples of all of the mistakes during my program. I have every email and can name names. They enrolled me in the wrong classes, overcharged me for tuition and textbooks/e-books, incorrectly recorded final grades, failed to provide me with any instructions on student teaching prerequisites (ie. CBEST, CSET, fingerprinting, paperwork with CTC, TB test, first aid, etc.) until 1 day before placement, failed to place me at a school for student teaching for over 2 months, did not provide me with an adviser, my "guidance counselor" did not even know what classes were in my program, enrolled me in the BA program mid-way through my MA program for no reason, cancelled my classes on the first day with no notice for a week, did not return calls, did not return emails, ALWAYS just copied and forwarded my email to someone else, failed to pay my mentor teachers their stipends for 4 months, and the list just goes on and on... I have never written a bad review for something because I think it's such a waste of time to be so negative, but I implore all readers to please avoid Argosy at all costs because I have a worthless degree and am $27K in debt AND have no teaching job to even help start paying it off. Oh, another lovely memory: one of the education professors (who they fired toward the end of my program randomly) called me the next day and yelled at me for 10 minutes because I was allowing the Dean of Education to finally place me in a school since he had been let go. I had to immediately alert the Dean and she apologized, said he was just bitter and out of line. Also, because they were so disorganized and had ruined the MA schedule of classes by not even understanding their own progression rules, I had to petition to take the final few courses in my program independently because that was the only option in order to graduate on time. I basically taught myself 50% of my MA program, and the few times I had a professor, they were unprofessional and lazy. I cannot say I learned a single thing from a professor, and although I've always been an A+ student in high school and at UCLA, their 4.0 means nothing to me. What a waste. These people need a lawsuit brought against them. They are stealing your money.

It amazes me the different opinions on this board. I believe that there is always good and bad even in the best of schools. My experience has not been good for the most part but I haven't given it much time. One thing that I have noticed is people say, Argosy is not like this or that school. Of course not. It is Argosy. Even the bad experiences can be a learning experience if we chose to make them so. Life is not always good nor bad. It is both. One can always be positive or negative or both. I am not sure if I am going to stay. Time will tell. Some of the best times of my life are when things started out badly and got good with time. It can go the other way too. College students are suppose to know how to address issues with administration above the people that they are dealing with. That is part of being educated. Giving it a little more time.

I attended Argosy for five years, completing one degree and moving on to another. Without giving too many details, Argosy promised me: 1) Student teaching. 2) Assistance with local teaching positions (interviews). 3) Prestigious degree that employers will be impressed with (not). 4) Assistance with student loans and keeping myself out of debt. None of the above has occurred to the date of this writing. I have nothing personally against the professors. Many of them are simply trying to do what they love to do, which is instruct. However, they are pressured to "sell," as are the other employees of the various campuses around the United States. What I have? 1) A piece of paper that is worthless to every respectable school, higher institution, university, or college in my state. 2) One hundred and fifty thousand (yes, that is: $150,000) dollars worth of student loans. ($100,000 of that was from Argosy, the rest was from undergrad work and further repair of my academic career by attending another university for a respectable higher degree). 3) At the limit of student loans, and now in repayment with the same part-time job I had when I began Argosy over five years ago. 4) Years of resume re-working, wasted time, hundreds of interviews, and thousands of dollars spent on paper, postage, phone calls, gas, off time from work and hundreds of hours of filling out online applications for the constant rejection letters, phone calls, and/or nothing at all. Save yourself time, money, and aggravation.....Stay AWAY from any online-only school or a school that promises a degree within a "year" or "weeks." They might not all be scams, but nothing replaces a real university or college. It might be difficult to balance work and school; however, the positive stories I am reading about any online university (or even partial online universities), coupled with my experience, is worth the night classes or morning classes at a 'real' university run by any state. I am now five years older, about to watch my employment go through a "transition" yet again, and I find myself with NOTHING but BILLS. Do yourself a favor.....run, don't walk, away from Argosy.

First, let me say it would be very helpful if all posters would state WHICH Argosy campus they attend(ed) and how far into their programs they are (or got) - there are many Argosy campuses throughout the U.S., some are excellent, some are perhaps not as good as others. Certain campuses are "known" for certain graduate degrees and specialize in certain fields (Education, MBA and PsyD in Psychology are big programs at my campus.) In 2007, I received my BA in Psychology from Argosy Orange County, CA campus. My instructors were all excellent (all were practicing psychologists, all were PhD level, and NOT Argosy grads contrary to what one poster stated). The courses were rigorous. It is so important that you do not fall behind in your assignments and reading because one week here is like 3 weeks at a regular state college. With that said, Argosy is NOT a paper mill. There is no way they would have the accreditations they have if this were so - obtaining those accreditations is seriously difficult. The course requirements, reading, research paper assignments, exams, etc. are exactly the same types as my friend had in her BA psychology program at Cal State Fullerton. I am now beginning my student teaching and finishing up my Masters degree in Education with a Single Subject teaching credential. This has been an amazing program. The Department Chair of the teaching credential program is the most supportive, encouraging and demanding educator I have ever met. He is available to his students at all hours of the day and night and I have never gone more than 24 hrs without a response about a concern or question. All of my instructors are/have been long-time teachers, principals and superintendents of junior and high schools. My off-site classroom observations, research projects, readings, writing assignments, etc. have been hectic and demanding, but worth every dime I have paid. I have learned so much. I am fully ready and prepared to begin student teaching. I know what to expect, I know how to design effective lesson plans and how to teach effectively. My education has been exactly the same (if not better) as what I would have received at a large state college. Except that I was in classes with 15 other teachers-to-be, not 100+ at a public school. Think about how much better you will get to know your instructors and they will get to know you when you aren't 1 in 100 students in their Curriculum and Instruction course (for example). Argosy Orange County does have its APA accreditation for those getting their PsyD degrees and are really concerned about having an APA accredited degree. But this designation is not required everywhere you would apply after graduation - if you go into private practice, you don't need it. Most hospitals and behavioral health facilities don't require it, they require a PsyD degree and that you've passed your state boards and have a valid license! Nevertheless, most of the Argosy campuses in California are APA accredited now. You have to check with each campus - some have their APA accreditation, some do not, but even those that don't have it yet definitely are pursuing it. For those grad students going into education, Argosy OC is fully approved and accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Calif's public education overseeing agency. Our OC campus is in the process right now of getting the WASC accreditation, which is the highest accreditation on the west coast. Right now, they are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which is still highly important and respected. The things the school has to go through to get these accreditations is so not easy! I have been invited to sit on the student interview panels during certain accreditation meetings where the evaluators from APA, WASC, etc. come to the campus and really turn it upside down. Interviewing students is just one part of this process. The bottom line is, I was really saddened to read some of the negative posts on this site about Argosy. It has been a great school and experience for me. I have a relevant graduate degree in an in-demand field and will have no problem getting a good teaching job upon graduation. Maybe some other people have had bad, isolated experiences and found this sounding board to vent them. But without knowing their whole stories, it's hard to say exactly what these situations really were about. Maybe the students who were dismissed for plagiarism really did plagiarize on a paper (who would really admit it, if true)- Argosy takes plagiarism VERY seriously, and it is easy to prove with the current Turn-it-in cross checking system used by most universities nowadays. It's embarrassing and humiliating to be called out for something like that, so I can see why these ex-students may want to get their digs in however they can. The bottom line - DO YOUR RESEARCH. Find out about the field you are considering. Compare other programs and schools and see how Argosy's courses, content, prices, etc. compare. If you think you can do better somewhere else, go there. For me, it was the best choice and the most flexible and relevant to what I wanted to do. I compared Argosy to Pepperdine University and Chapman University when first considering my MAEd and teaching credential programs. Both of those schools had more "fluff" courses padded into their programs (for example, three bilingual education courses required instead of Argosy's two) and these schools were much more expensive than Argosy. Sure, Argosy is more expensive than a state school, but you have to compare it to a private university, not a public state university. Perhaps educational or professor quality differs among campuses in different parts of the country. All I can say is the Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, CA campuses all have excellent, multi-accredited programs. You will work your behind off here (as you should if you want to master your degree subject)- Argosy is not a paper mill and it is not dumbed down, easier than other schools or granting worthless degrees. One of my mentors who graduated from the EdD program (educational doctorate)several years ago is now the superintendent for a large school district here in Southern California. The past chancellor of the Saddleback Community College district is the program director and teaches in OC's EdD program (the College Administration specialization)as well. These types of professionals would not be affiliated with Argosy if it were flaky, unethical or low quality as some posters here have stated. Do your research, sit in on some classes, talk to students in the halls, find successful Argosy alumni to speak with, know what your chosen field requires, involve yourself in paraprofessional associations and activities while you are earning your degree. Get to know your professors and soak up all you can from them. Don't be a passive learner, don't cheat or plagiarize your research and papers, and be a serious, intelligent student and you will have a great experience wherever you go, Argosy included. Good luck! T. Felts MAEd/SSTC Student, Argosy University Orange County, CA

I am finishing my M.Ed. in Educational Leadership at Argosy University Online. It has truly been the worst educational experience imaginable. This school designed as a "diploma mill" and is only concerned with recruiting you into their programs and charging you thousands of dollars for your degree. I have spent my entire life savings on my degree and now I may not even graduate. I have been wrongly accused of academic dishonesty (another student in my class used my words and submitted them as their own). I am devestated! Now my instructor is threatening to fail me from the course and have me kicked out of Argosy! Please don't let this happen to you. Do your research and look at the Better Business Bureau Reviews and read the Hamel v. Argosy case at www.magerlawyers.com. I have been finding so much out about how they wrongly accuse students and threaten them without a warranted cause.