Bellevue University

Like many have stated, the diploma is dull.  Just received mine today, and it was not to my expectation because I have spent countless hours studying; however, I learned a lot from my business program, and I did it in just a little over a year.

The only problem I have truly had with Bellevue is the administrative part of it.  The classes were a breeze compared to the incompetent employees who reside there.  I have been billed several times saying that I owed 3,000 or 5,000 dollars.  My tuition was 100% paid for, and more since I am active duty military.  Pay close attention to your finances, and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to, or you might be bombarded with something.  If you can do that, you will be graduated in no time.

Mr. Security - 
I am about 75% done with the Security Management/Administration Master's Degree. I have a few opinions. I think the course material, and also the "system" used, is excellent. Overall, I would give the program an "A", and easily. If you are looking for a Master's level education within the Security field, this is a good bet. It's not easy, but it's worth it.If FORCED to mention a down side, I recently (and still do) have a few issues with the financial aid dept. and the dispursement of $. If you are using financial aid, especially loans, tread carefully....very carefully. Apparently the money goes to the school first, as elsewhere.....and then disbursement comes to you.......uh....sure it does.....still waiting.....ended up paying for classes WELL in advance, as they kept the loan monies. It is in the process of being resolved.......uh....for months....
But, again, if the $'s are not an issue, I highly recommend this school. Also, this may be a "fluke", but I'm not sure, as it still hasn't been resolved, although I have countless emails stating it will be, etc.. Again, if you have the $ lined up, go for it. I am in the Industry and value greatly what I have learned and reenforced. Good luck!

I am in the final phase of the Masters of Public Administration Program.  I have found the program challenging and very applicable in the work place.  Prior to enrolling in the program I have worked for the Federal Government for more than twenty years.  The information I learned improved my skills as a public administrator.  I have heard alot of negative, but this degree teaches what is actually used in the field.  I have spoken with colleagues, who have earned degrees from resident colleges such as the University of Michigan and the information I learned was just as good.  It was a very good program and as long as you apply yourself the information is useful. I am proud of being a Bellevue University graduate and would say that the negative comments are most likely from very young people who lack the real world experience.  This degree suited me perfectly.

I have been thinking about pursuing a Master's degree in Security management with Bellevue.. Is there anyone out there that can tell me something good about this program? Please..

I don't understand, it seems that the majority of complaints seem to revolve around the issue of the diploma only listing the degree and not listing the major. I must admit, I have never heard of a higher learning institution doing so. If a person is willing to invest time and money on what they consider to be a milestone in their lives, and proudly display what they believe they have earned, it would make sense that it be included on the document. It may mean nothing to an potential employer, but it'll mean the world to friends, family, potential clients and constumers. Personally, if I have to walk into a medical or legal office and the persons degree hanging on the wall simply says diploma.... It kinda makes you wonder what they have accomplished. Did the printing press forget? Was it purposely left blank? Perhaps it was an error? Did it come from a cereal box? What kind of University is it?

Nevertheless, I don't understand the legalities nor the reasons but it seems insignificant that a university would risk loosing potential students for such a minimal detail. If it's not that big of a deal as they claim... Then simply just list the major with the diploma and make everyone happy! 

To be perfectly clear, I am not, nor have I in the past or future been to this university. I am not advocating or repudiating their programs. I did some reasearch simply because as an active duty military member, needed to see what my options were. It is not my intent to put this University down in anyway. It just simply isn't what I was looking for.

Think again before going here. Nothing ever gets done, no one is ever helpful, financial aid department/ academic adivising department are clueless on everything. Understaffed, what a huge disappointment, my degree now means nothing coming from this horrible institution.

I saw on FAFSA website the statistics of graduation rate and retention rate of Bellevue University. And it's very low. Graduation rate is 7% and retention rate is 28%. I'm thinking of transferring to BU from UNO since most of UNO's upper division classes are offered during the day and I have to work. The counselor at BU told me to enroll in the Human Resource Management accelerated program which is 9 months long. It sounds so inviting but the low graduation and retention rate really make me hesitate. Anybody has any comment or advice please? Thanks.

I have a friend with two BAs from BU. He cannot find a job and has been told by several HR managers that his BU degrees are not comparable to those from a school like UNO. Stay at UNO, BU will give you major debt and a headache when searching for work.

Hey I went to UNO was displaced by Katrina.  I eventually went back to school at B U and it is quality.  Trust me.  The statistics only include people entering in and staying tne full term.  But most of B Us students are non traditional and no transfer students are counted.  If they did count them their graduation rate would be closer to UNOs.

@do0d - What were you expecting in a diploma? You want me to come over and put it in an LED-lit frame? Just put it in a nice frame and move on with your life. The diploma shouldn't be what matters in your educational career, it should be what you learned that matters. I've never heard a person complain about the look of the actual diploma. How petty! And here's a question for you: Did you actually end up paying any money to BU since you are active duty military or did everything finally work itself out? FYI, retired military here and even though I've had a few issues with BU as well regarding administration, everything worked itself out in the end.

If you think BU is a diploma mill then you've never taken a course there. There is a reason that the drop-out rate is somewhat higher than UNO and Creighton. The courses are usually more challenging and you must learn take the initiative to learn on your own. There's a reason why Harvard (yes, the Ivy League school) made an offer to buy BU and its illustrious online program a few years ago. 

A Bellevue degree will not get you a job when competing against applicants that attend state schools or other private universities like Creighton or Drake. The faculty and staff are not very good; the reason this school has a 28% graduation and retention rate. They are all about collecting GI Bill money as well as federal student aid. Go to a real school if you want a valuable education. 

I was recently admitted to Bellevue University.  I applied around June and the admissions process has been so easy.  My  admissions advisor has been so helpful and contacted me right away when my previous college sent Bellevue a transcript without my AA degree listed.  He wanted to make sure I had my AA degree so I wouldn't have to take additional classes.

There have been multiple diploma mills in which I have almost applied to, and when I found Bellevue University I knew it had to be too good to be true and did my research on various college review sites such as this one.

There were many reviews that contradicted each other; one review would say it was a diploma mill with no challenging work and another would say it was a great investment.  If you're a prospective student looking for accurate reviews, take a look at whether the reviewer is an alumni or 1st year student.  The majority of the negative reviews are from students that haven't even been at Bellevue for a year and actual graduates of Bellevue will give more in-depth reviews.

Not horrific by any means. If you're finishing a degree, this one of your best options. The online classes are easy requiring very little real study time. I'd flip though a few pages, smack something out, post it, and get an A.

Teachers were all excellent except for the Kirkpatrick crap. DO NOT ATTEND for that reason alone. This is the class: A poorly written biased text states that "YOUR FAVORITE COLOR IS BLUE!" .. then you are asked to write a paper on what your favorite color might happen to be. It's not a class: it's transparent brainwashing. Horrible stuff. Otherwise: pretty good. :)  

They only care about your money. They do not care about student success the financial aid appeals committee is a huge joke don't even bother. Their mission statements are a bunch of bull. Don't let them take your money tell your friends and family members to stay away from this college. Another example of a private school for profit, that doesn't give a damn about the students, just about digging you deeper in financial aid debt, so they can continue to spend money on expanding their campus. Don't believe the ads.

I just competed a business degree at Bellevue, and found it reasonably challenging. My objective was to learn, and I did just that. The benefits of this school are many: tution costs are competitive, there are 4 semesters per year, and they offer accelerated programs. So if you grind it out, you can complete in less than two years. The downside from the online perspective is that they group the accelerated classes in clusters, and these will be administered by the same instructor. But it wasn't so bad, as the class tends to lead the way. It is very interactive. All in all, 8 out of 10.

Hi,
I am thinking about doing the online accelerated Degree in Management of Human Resources. Anyone have any advice and or reviews about attending BU?

Yes go to UNL their you will have a much better success with this degree than BU. BU Sucks, save your money and go to a real university.

I'm thinking of taking the MBA in Finance. From looking at the schedule, it appears I will have to double up two semesters. What would be the four courses you think I might be able to take two courses per semester? Not sure if every course is proctored.

Will 10-15 hours per week of study time be sufficient for two courses over a 12 week session?

Did the undergrad and grad work with Bellevue. I can assure you that the course work is not easy, but it is fair. An average of 10-15 hours a week is needed for graduate level classes.
I am very pleased with the University and feel the education was there was great. 
Very well designed programs with course work that was applicable to the real world.

Hey guys how is the Bachelor of Legal Studies program? Thanks.

Hello,

I am graduating from Bellevue in two weeks. I would like to say that attending Bellevue was the best investment I have made in my life. I have seen several different posts on here and I would like to do my best to provide some clarification. The first issue that some people had posted was that the coursework was easy and you automatically receive an “A” in the class. I will rebut that comment. Prior to attending Bellevue I had attended Community College and after that a private college costing me around $25,000 a year. I received my associates before attending Bellevue online. The coursework at Bellevue is much more demanding than any coursework I have taken at my other colleges. My wife is currently attending a City University in New York and she was also amazed at how much coursework I had to do for my online classes at Bellevue. So yes it is very challenging. You will not just receive an “A” for your class. The professors at Bellevue are also very knowledgeable and have extensive knowledge in the fields they are teaching. One person posted that all the exams are open book. This is not true also. This semester I was taking 3 classes and all tests were proctored for my online classes. As a student you will need to get an approved proctor that will watch you take all your tests. 

Another issue is the diploma. I would like to advise you that a diploma is for your own decoration to hang on the wall. For my job I sometimes conduct background checks for applicants. Part of the background process is verifying education and making sure their college education was accredited. The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS).The accrediting body for Bellevue is The United States Department of Education will tell you if a school is truly accredited as well as who the accrediting body is. Bellevue is accredited and would be accepted for jobs in municipal, state, and federal government. This is all that matters. When I speak to an applicant I don’t tell him to bring in a copy of his college degree in a pretty $100 frame. What is needed to be provided is an official sealed copy of the transcripts that comes right from the college or university with an official seal. This is the only things that is every accepted and requested, not the actual diploma. 

Overall I am very happy with the experience I have had at Bellevue. I would highly recommend the online program to people who are working full-time and don’t have the ability to attended classes on campus.

I commented earlier in the year upon graduation, but I would just like to chime again in regarding the issue that keeps coming up regarding the diploma.

I hope this will clear some things up for you.

1.  Your diploma lists your degree ("Bachelor of Science", etc), but not your major.

2.  Your diploma is NOT your "degree".  Your degree is the level (degree) of knowledge that you have obtained.

3.  If you are counting on a piece of paper to prove the amount of work that you have done as well as your educational level, place more pride in your transcript instead.  

Your transcript lists your major.  So, if you want to lug around your big ($100) diploma everywhere you go to show people how well you've done in life, that's very honorable of you.  Although, if I were who you were showing it to (for instance, an employer) I would be more impressed by looking at the work you have done, the classes that you've taken, internships, test scores... which are listed on your transcript if done while in the program.

I am currently in a CACREP-accredited Masters of Arts in Mental Health Counseling program... and since graduating from Bellevue, I have also become a Mental Health Worker at a large state hospital here in Vermont.  Neither institution has asked to see my diploma.  What they cared about was (timpani-rolls and bolts of lighting, please) my official college transcript.

If all you went to college for was just the physical proof that you graduated, which is what your diploma is, I feel very sorry for you.  If you attended college, took out loans or paid lots of money, stayed up endless nights reading and writing papers to gain knowledge and skills that you can use to benefit you (and society)for the rest of your life, fantastic!  Order a transcript for your own personal use... and stick it in the back of your diploma frame, like I have.  Then, at any time, you can whip it out to show whoever you want to prove your self to.

Regardless of what you do, it doesn't matter if your diploma just lists the degree, lists the degree-and-major, or if you only have a copy of your transcript... any potential employer or educational institution will ask for an official, sealed transcript from your university.  So really, it doesn't matter if you write the degree your self in crayon.  Never mind, that probably would NOT benefit you ;)

My point is, care about what you do and why you go to school.  Don't care about an insignificant piece of paper with a few words on it.  Like Bellevue, many other universities simply list the degree and not the major.  This includes a whole slew of well-known institutions, including some who are Ivy-League schools.

Assess and be confident in your own skills and your own knowledge.  Put your self out there, be honest with your self, and work in light of the best interest of others as well as your self.  This is what will make you successful.

-Tony P.
Bellevue, '09
Bachelor of Science

I would like to have syllabus of the MIS or MCIS degree courses, however they refuse to provide the information.

Bellevue is one of the schools I would like to obtain my MBA in Finance, but it seems the school will not let me look at a syllabus from one of the classes.  Anybody going or recently obtained an MBA please email me a copy?  kemposun@gmail.com   

I'm surprised they will not provide me with a copy because many other schools do, and even some schools like Liberty have samples. Bellevue only shows an outline and no syllabus.

Nobody gets a diploma with their major on it. It will just say "Bachelor of Arts" or "Master of Arts" like mine from a different school. You know nothing...

Beware. MA of Management Program is a nightmare. The instructors are inconsistent with their basic requirements, you will have no contact with your academic counselor, and although they market that it fits well into a working lifestyle, it allows no work life balance...at all. The ego's of the PhD instructors are like none I have ever known. Apparently PhD = GOD. Worse yet, their surveys are all to the Likert Scale so you can't even make constructive comments. Simply, they don't want to know.

I "wish" I would have chosen a different Master's program. This is a high priced alternative for being treated poorly.

last part- they won't** own up to it.

I attended what was probably the best classes I've ever taken, security management was awesome. 

Bellevue is not the greatest school however, they screwed me over pretty bad. Prior to graduation, you sit down with your counselor, to ensure your credits are up to date ect. My counselor fail to inform I owed credits, this was negligence on his part. I paid graduation fees, and continued with the graduation ceremony and family graduation ceremony. Weeks later, I learned the hard way that I was not completed with my degree, even though I was lead to believe I was-it was very embarrassing. 

While traditional universities may treat you like a number, Bellevue U, with their accelerated courses, will treated like you're manufactured via factory conveyor belt. Small defects aren't a problem, they own up to it either.

was disappointed after enrolling and graduating from BU's online program. My disappointment came from a variety of concerns that I thought were of a valid nature. I will share them, not to be negative, but to allow others to make an informed decision about BU. To begin with, I did not feel challenged; I received A's in all my classes with little effort on my part. Next, my professor was the same person for all my classes with the exception of the Kirkpatrick series. In addition, I felt the instructor lacked work experience in the subject area and was instructing based upon text book knowledge only. Then there were diploma issues. The diploma was received 3 months after commencements and it was rather 'cheesily' looking and feeling. It failed to list my major, so I called to inquire why. I was told that 'they don't do that' and I figured it was a cost saving issue. I hate to give a bad rap to a school I went to, but in all honesty I would not recommend attending BU. If you care about your education, carefully investigate other options. Sorry BU; this is not sour grapes, but a true series of events that potential students should be aware of so they may make a well informed decision. I wish someone would have written this for me before I made my decision to attend BU

I entered Bellevue with my associates degree and they transfered all of it.  After that, I only needed to finish my major requirements, a required ethics course, and some electives.  I did all that in 15 months... 12 of which were the accelerated cohort for my major, the ethics course took 3 months, and I finished my electives throughout the year via CLEP and DANTES exams.  

I found my time at Bellevue to be very engaging.  The learning was intense in the accelerated program, since each class was packed into 5 week sessions.  The term-length combined with the ammount of work that was crammed into them made the learning VERY hands on and interactive.  I felt like I had to swim to survive, but at no moment did I feel any lack of support from my instructor.  

Because of what I learned in my classes, I felt encouraged to seek out ways to apply myself outside of class.  This caused me to find a volunteer organization where I continue to work to this day.  My real life experience there, combined with the fast paced learning environment, provided me with a really great understanding not only of the material... but of which direction I wish to point myself in life.

While attending Bellevue, I worked full time teaching English in Japan.  Unless I was able to complete the material at my own pace throughout the week and turn in assignments online... I would have had to make some very big sacrifices to finish my undergraduate education.  Bellevue has a great system.

Since finishing my major courses I have been accepted into a great grad school where I'll continue my studies in counseling psychology/psychotherapy.  Classes begin in September and I couldn't be more excited!  

If you have drive and do well learning on your own, I think that you would benefit from taking classes at Bellevue.  Like everything in life, the knowledge that you obtain from your education and the experience that you gain is a direct result of your own effort.  

Good luck!

-Tony P.
Bachelor of Science, Behavioral Science
Bellevue Graduate, 2009

This University is the biggest Rip Off. The comments must be from the faculty,because they are a substandard diploma Mill. I attended the University for one class and I withdrew. I read the reviews on this site and took that into consideration(Big Mistake on My part). The Business instuctor claimed to have had world experience,however she lacked text book Knowledge.Your test are open book.The work is not a challenge. I passed the class with an A without any effort. If you desire a true Education don't waste your time with this school. Yes you do get your degree quickly but you don't learn to much of anything. The other programs may be okay but the undergraduate business program is horrible. Awards they have don't apply (read the small print)
Do all your research,because the saying is true. You get what you pay for

5/26/09
Do yourself a favor and stay far away from this University. Just because a school is accredited means nothing. Big Rip off. Pay the extra money and look into another school. Teachers(oh forgot the same teacher teaches you the entire time you're obtaining your degree)The actual Degree just says Bachelors of Science. You have to call school for what your major was.
BEWARE!!!!!!

I am currently in an accelerated B.S. program online. I will have taken 4 years of school in less than 2 thanks to Bellevue. They took my military training into concideration to help fulfill degree requirements. The program is challenging but worth it. You may have to switch around academic advisors to find one you like and is as motivated to help you graduate as you are, but altogether I very satisfied.

I am currently a B.S. student at BU and I love the program. It is reg accredited and very flexible.