Ashford University - Organizational Management

Take these reviews with a grain of salt

By: dirtbiking (Graduate) on July 12, 2009

Materials:		Teachers:
Institution:		Support:
Value:		Technology:

Review:

A lot of these reviewers are either tainted by bad experiences and offer plain untruths.  For instances, many (not all) Ashford University textbooks if purchased from THEIR bookstore are packaged with their name on it.  However, the course information provides the full ISBN and you can buy the textbook anywhere online and usually cheaper.  That said, their bookstore is very efficient. Living in Tennessee I normally received a book from them within 2 days.  The few times I tried buying my books elsewhere was more hassle than the savings were worth.

As for academics, what do you expect, a Harvard or MIT education?  Give me a break.  I did the bulk of my undergraduate work (80+ hours) in a brick n' mortar institution (Univ of Nevada, Las Vegas) and found Ashford to be on par as far as a non-technical degree program goes.  Like UNLV, Ashford has good and bad instructors, and some courses are relatively easy while others are not.  

I actually found Ashford's course load to be much more intense than UNLV, and for the most part, their professors won't accept the "dog ate my homework" excuses many of my UNLV professors would.

As for brick n' mortar institutions, if you find sitting in a lecture hall with 150+ other students while a professor drones on non-stop for 50 minutes and then leaves without answering a single question a better learning environment, more power to you.

Finally, you have to separate the academic from the marketing side.  all these institutions do this nowadays as they battle to fill seats.  Otherwise, I have had very good academic advisors, and never experienced a single problem with their financial department whatsoever.

Bottom line:  you get what you pay.  Its not MIT but it's not a degree mill either.  Ashford's online programs are accelerated and the workload bears this out.  If you do not participate in the discussion forums, or turn in homework on time you fail, just like a traditional school.  Like a traditional school, each course has its bright students and those who aren't so much, and this is reflected in their work. 

I accomplished approximately 40 credits, obtain my degree, and found Ashford relatively on par with all the brick n' mortar institutes I've attended as far as course relevancy, instructors, and academics.   Hope this helps other prospective students.