Capella University

Joanne August 29, 2006 at 11:47 a.m.

I am in the clinical Psy.D. program and it has been a great experience. While there is much work and a high level of organization required, the content of all the courses is excellent. I am almost done with all the course work and there has not been a professor that has not been a knowledge resource.

Angie December 27, 2006 at 7:02 p.m.

I am currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Education, Postsecondary/Adult Ed. emphasis. I think their best features are the support staff and advisors, the residencies (those are a blast), and the highly skilled and trained faculty. I have been in the program since March, and they do transfer a fair amount of MA or MS credits, as long as it was earned from a credible institution and as long as the GPA earned was fairly high. Courses run 10 weeks long (it used to be 12), and can be very rigorous, especially if the courses are part of your core. Electives aren't as challenging. I have learned an incredible amount since I began and already have some research for my dissertation, though I will not be starting it until the fall of '07.

If I had my choice, though, I would go on-ground. I guess it's just my preference. I have four young children and teach over a full-time load at the college level, and no programs are near me that would fit with my insane schedule. I feel like people need to be more open minded that the "Doctors" of the future will be, primarily, not so much the privileged elite who can afford Ph.D. work on ground in terms of time and cost, but those who have found a way to fit it in to "real life". The Ivory Tower needs to make some more space for those who traditionally wouldn't be able to earn their Ph.D's. Capella gives those people the opportunity.

Dawn March 5, 2007 at 6:08 p.m.

Thanks for the comment JAG. I also agree! I am in the process of researching online schools with traditional campuses, and I have had the "Capella experience." I entered Capella in May 2006...and I do regret it! If you want to go to a school that you can easily get by in, then Capella is the perfect choice! Who wouldn't want to turn in all of their assignments and automatically get a 100 with little to no effort?! I can say that the ONLY thing that I have learned from the experience is NOT to seek out schools such as Capella, Walden, and NCU. No need to waste your money or your time. Take it from someone that had real first-hand experience with Capella!

DuDE March 26, 2007 at 6:18 a.m.

Peeved,

You don't HAVE to pay ANYTHING!!! They cant't FORCE you!!!

Truth April 10, 2007 at 7:03 a.m.

The Associated Press and CBS News have just announced that Capella University's Financial Aid Director, Timothy Lehmann, is under investigation for receiving kickbacks from a student loan company. CBS states: "In a letter to Capella's president, Cuomo's office asserts that Capella's financial aid director, Timothy Lehman, received $13,000 in consulting fees from Student Loan Xpress while the company was one of the school's 15 recommended lenders."

What a scam.

Dr. J May 15, 2007 at 10:05 p.m.

I have attended traditional, non-traditional, ground, and online courses over a 20 year period, culminating in a Ph.D. with a double major from Capella. I have taught over 365 college courses at the state university level, and other for profit schools. I find Capella to be Superior to many schools in this country, when the STUDENT seeks to learn. My three children just finished college, with only ONE, really loving the subject they graduated in, and absorbing the knowledge. In my 20 + years of taking classes, CAPELLA classes rank as high as MOST of the best of any school I attended, to include Hopkins, Heidelberg, Georgetown, Maryland, etc; however, you have to READ, WRITE, and go beyond the minimum to understand any course. You are the reason that you did not learn, and someday you will understand that.

VNova grad May 24, 2007 at 9:37 p.m.

I wouldnt not attend Capella for sole reason that it is a for profit institution. I think online education is great but I also think it does matter where you get your online education from. Capella vs Drexel, Capella vs Rutgers, Capella vs Northeastern, Capella vs NYU, Capella vs Penn State....you get the point reputation counts a lot. Most employers will tend to go with students from schools they've heard of and can prove that are both regionally and nationally accredited(AACSB).

The reputation of most of these for profit colleges is very low amongst most employers and especially reputable universities.

Completely useless May 29, 2007 at 7:25 a.m.

A degree from Capella is little more than an expensive piece of useless paper. This university is the place to go if you can't cut it anywhere else and enjoy getting laughed at by potential employers. Their faculty are the bottom feeders of higher education and students are sub par to those found just about anywhere else. Their reputation is similar to that of other schools of their ilk - a place where losers can buy a degree. Even some of their deans have bought degrees from other for-profit online schools. Fortunately, Capella's graduates are now getting laughed at by real universities and HR departments everywhere.

InfoSecstudent June 6, 2007 at 4:45 p.m.

The financial aid director, Timothy Lehman, is released from employment from Capella due to him knowingly violating university's Code of Business Conduct. There was an internal investigation as well as external and the guy is now gone. So that doesn't affect my financial aid or my education.

I love Capella and would highly recommend it. I have two degrees from major universities and I work at a major university. I just don't have the time to attend classes and tend to a small child while working full time. It is so convenient and all the staff I've communicated with have been more than helpful to me. I feel I'm getting my money's worth even though I could have gone to a cheaper school. The experience has been so worthwhile for me, especially since I'm totally changing careers.

InfoSecstudent June 6, 2007 at 4:59 p.m.

Capella is accredited (fully) by a legitimate accrediting body, it's public information that can be found by anyone.

INFO FOR THOSE interested in IA:
I'm also glad to say that they've completed the evaluation process for the NSA's designation of Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance and this further validates their CNSS certification which they already had. So the CAEI is a VERY new designation that took a couple of years to garner after they applied for this. This was another confirmation for me to choose the school.

Finally, I have had classes with some VERY intelligent and accomplished students who can run rings around just about anybody I've met on an academic level. Anybody who would bash the education at Capella by downing students, haven't taken a course at Capella. The students I've learned with are very sharp and challenging in discussion which makes the learning experience richer. If anyone would like to learn more about my learning experience can email me directly at eruditediva@gmail.com

InfoSecstudent June 7, 2007 at 1:58 p.m.

I assume you're speaking of accreditation through The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. I was referring to accreditation that determines the school legitimacy such as Capella is accredited with The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), www.ncahlc.org.
Which is really important to know since the Higher Learning Commission is recognized through the Dept. of Education (HLC is a regional accrediting body) and THAT is what I was concerned with regarding ANY school because schools can lose their accreditation (no matter if for profit, not-for-profit,private or public). Capella is hardly a diploma mill even if it is an open door institution. Again, I have two degrees from major Unversities and my learning experience at Capella is just as productive and vigorous. My career is in higher education so I felt comfortable with what I found out about Capella regarding accreditation and other information regarding the curriculum of my interest.

Additionally, I think that the business world may have folks who are just not well-versed on these type of learning institutions and can't know the level of competency of students from these institutions. I attribute much of that to a lack of knowledge but that will certainly change. Additionally, I know people who have prospered in my field with associate degrees from open-door, technical schools such as two-year institutions/technical colleges. I've worked in that kind of institution as well. There really is no valid reason to discourage people who attend legitimate institutions regarding their learning experience, especially when competent individuals come from those learning environments.

Finally, I have also found that some recruiters from these major businesses are simply ignorant and don't even know when/if a school is accredited. I know this first hand and it further supports my position that if the view is negative regarding these institutions and learners from them, it is because of such ignorance.

LifeLearner June 12, 2007 at 10:33 p.m.

To Disagree InfoSec. I work for IBM and there is no place mentioned that "IBM will no longer pay for its employee's education at schools that are not accredited by AACSB". So I don't know what you are talking about. Because I work on the road and they paid for mine at Phoenix.

Daniel June 14, 2007 at 3:19 p.m.

Here is the PHD program I was accepted to at Nova
http://www.scis.nova.edu/Doctoral/Academ...

Here is the Dsc Program I was accepted to at Dakota St.

http://www.departments.dsu.edu/gradoffic...

Could I get everyones input into which program is better?

Nova is a national 4th tier school, while Dakota St. is a regional 3rd tier. What does this indicate about which school is better?

Thanks everyone
-Dan

I Need Help June 20, 2007 at 2:58 p.m.

Trying to make a decision between two MBA programs both are from the same underlying University, UMass. One is at UMass Amherst and the other is at UMass Lowell. Both are fully accredited nationally and regionally. UMass Amherst is in the top 70 rankings of best MBA programs, UMass Lowell is not. However UMass Lowell is almost $600 cheaper per class then UMass Amherst, which is the better decision?

UMass Amherst or UMass Lowell?

biginagua July 5, 2007 at 3:16 a.m.

I have just completed two classes at Capella. The classes were excellent and taught real world skills and concepts I could immediately apply to my workplace. Comparing the cost of one online course at Capella to one course with AMA (American Management Association), it appears to me that Capella is a better deal. Note that AMA classes are not accredited either and the cost per credit hour surpasses Capella. Those who are being critical apparently do not have any experience with the classes at Capella and/or any real world business experience. I would put what I am learning against any Ivey Leaguer...I'm not scared! Hah!

Sele July 6, 2007 at 3:09 a.m.

How will a employer know that you have earned a online degree. Will the degree have online on it, or will it appear as a traditional degree.

for sele July 10, 2007 at 3:22 p.m.

Online degrees will become more and more common as the years go on, many of the top universities already offer them. It really all depends on where you get the degree from if you're going to do it online and it also depends on the job you're trying to get.

go where you want August 1, 2007 at 7:27 p.m.

Do what you want, it doesn't matter. Somewhere, someone will hire you. Hell, with Capella, you can be the most educated man or woman at the Kwik Mart.

Leroy S. August 6, 2007 at 2:51 p.m.

I think what we need to realize is that school is what you make of it. Sure there are some success stories and failure stories for every school. So you can get a good job from a "for-profit" school. However, I teach at a for-profit and I can tell you, the calibur of students is bad. Since there are no real admissions critera and everyone is accepted, if you go to a for-profit, you are going to work much harder to overcome your image. These schools ARE known for outputting some students (and when you look at the ratios compared to most non-profit, it will be much higher).

That said, I hold a Doctor of Science degree from a private non-profit university. I have to fight the fact that the Sc.D is the equivalent to a ph.D (in fact, I had the option of choosing a phD or Sc.D). My degree is from MIT, and I still have to do this. Imagine getting a phD from a for-profit. You will never be able to teach in tenure with it. Its not respected at all by any respectable schools.

So your $120K a year job is an accomplishment by you, not your school.

online Ed.D of Ph.D. August 10, 2007 at 3:28 a.m.

I have been searching high and low for a "brick and mortar" that offers doctoral degrees in ed. leadership online. I have come across only one--Nova Southeastern Univ. Any others??

Leroy S. August 10, 2007 at 4:21 p.m.

In response to "Ed.D of Ph.D"

First, you should know the Ed.D is a Doctor of Education and a ph.D is Doctor of Philosophy and they are seperate. So you can't get an Ed.D of Ph.D.

But I don't fully understand your question. If you are looking simply for a school that offers a phD online, I would never reccomend any. A phD fully online is rarely respected.

Second, if you want a phD from a brick & mortar in leadership, you can search petersons. I think Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh PA and CMU in Pittsburgh both offer leadership degrees.

Finally, if your asking specifically for a doctorate (either phD or edD) in Educational Leadership Online, that may be a really hard find. It sounds like an online school that created it to try to stabalize online education. Your better off getting a standard leadership Doctorate and you can always specialize your dissertation to be online. That is my highest reccomendation here. You should never have a very specific phD like that. A phD is usually broad and your dissertation is your speciality. This is changing with IVY's latelty, but even they say its the same degree, just some extra seminars you take.

Kenyan August 11, 2007 at 2:31 a.m.

I am new to the USA and I am a graduate of a university in Africa with a bachelor's degree. I am trying to identify a university that can accomodate my many needs including:

1. Foreign degree: I have my bachelors degree from a university which is hardly recognized in thE US. It is dificult, and may take many months to get my official transcrips sent to the school of my choice.
2. Different Name: I have changed my name after graduation. All my legal US documents and pasport show my new name.
3. Work & Family: I am working full time and have a young family that needs my support.

I came accross Capella, Phoenix, Liberty and even Belford Universities. Most of them do not have the degree of my interest: Master of Social Work but they offer alternative courses that are very close such as counseling.
What do you suggest I should do? Please help.
Kenyan

Neuro Online August 12, 2007 at 4:45 a.m.

I know so many PhD students that sacrificed family, friends, marriages, with a payoff that depended as much on politics as ability and work. I had a neuro professor at the U of IL college of medicine ask me to finish my PhD with him. I turned him down and went to Capella. I will not slave 14 hours a day to be at the whim of a professors budget and politics again.
Now I spend time with my 1 year old, and can help my wife who is a 2nd year medical resident. Rather than adding stress to her work day, I do my work late at night.
Online learning is becoming more popular, and oddly it is the brick and mortars that are supporting it. Today the universities are striving to meet online demands with professor who know content, but not online delivery. And it would be better to piggy back on the reputation of a B&M university. However the fact that you cannot tell an on campus degree form an online will eventually give support to the purely online formats.
Face it anything that doesn't involve a lab science can be taught online. The only reason to pay $500 a month for your kids dorm room is so they can live away from home and get drunk often. Online learning is safer(1 in 4 college women are sexually assaulted) oftentimes cheaper, and more convenient. It is only a matter of time before the online degrees from some schools(watch for accreditation from any online school) is accepted, or even the norm.

Just wondering... August 13, 2007 at 2:57 a.m.

If Capella does such a horrible job, what are the thoughts of so many Majors, Lt. Col. and Col. going for their Ph.D.'s at the school? This is actually a fact, but I am wondering how everyone feels about our military leadership? Frankly, online education is here to stay and as Neuro Online indicates, B&M campus schools clearly are moving in that direction. Even Texas Tech has a Ph.D. online now. At any rate, 10 years ago you wouldn't have caught Penn State dead offering a MBA online. However, what do you know, they do now. It is only a matter of time (with some residencies) that Penn State and others offer Ph.D.'s online. Once they do though, it will go one of two ways for Capella. Either it will make them stronger, validating their delivery method or it will shut them down because Tier 1 schools are now offering Ph.D.'s online.

Just wondering... August 14, 2007 at 2:08 p.m.

Leroy S.,

I can appreciate you point of view on this issue and thank you for taking the time to reply. I look at this very objectively, even though I entered Capella 3 semesters ago. I still question my decision at various times and on both a conscious and sub-conscious level as well it seems. I enjoy researching and writing and I depend on a few past professors for input from time to time (B&M campus for my MBA) because I am not sure I am getting the feedback I need at Capella. My writing has been historically strong, but I think in order to overcome the stigma of Capella I will have to work extra hard.

I guess time will tell, but I do agree with you, Capella’s acceptance rate is unacceptable. When US News and World Report has an N/A next to acceptance that has to make even a semi-intelligent person worry. Other universities that are B&M and have a heavy online following such as Regent University at least have their acceptance rate for the Ph.D. program at 60%. I am looking into Regent right now because I think that while it is still online, the university has a better overall appeal.

At any rate, look closely and choose wisely because Capella is convenient, but convenience alone cannot dictate and should not dictate your choice.

Confused August 15, 2007 at 5:05 p.m.

What about the IT Security Program? The NSA has accredited them. I wanted to my phD there in that. I got accepted and ready to go for september. Is this degree respected and will I be able to teach at a University with it?

ITSec August 22, 2007 at 9:31 p.m.

I must thank you all for your informative and constructive criticism, compliment and recommendations regarding choices of schools for further or continuing education.

I have Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Computer Science and Management Information System (MIS) from local B&M Universities in Maryland and Virginia States respectively. In addition, I have had more than 20 years of work experience in both Telecom and IT fields. About 18 months ago, I had an admission at the Kennedy Western University for a PhD in Technology Management but could not register for classes due to two issues:
(1). Kennedy Western was not accreditated and had bluntly refused to go for it.
(2). My employer refused to pay for my classes on the grounds that I currently hold almost all certifications in both Telecom and IT industry - therefore, my position does not require a PhD degree as a tactical way to short change me on tuition benefits.

Throughout the months of June and July, I was wrestling with adminission councellors from Capella and I end up in their Business and Technology Department for the same Post-graduate degree. So far I have not registered for any class but from what I have been reading from the reviews, I think, I might be better off seeking admission for an online Post-graduate education from any of the reputable B&M Universities in my region. I just thought Online system would be appropriate for me hence I would only need a laptop and ISP account while constantly on travel across the globe.

kenyan August 28, 2007 at 3:18 a.m.

Just Wondering,

I am new to the USA and I am a graduate of a university in Africa with a bachelor's degree. I am trying to identify a university that can accomodate my many needs including:

1. Foreign degree: I have my bachelors degree from a university which is hardly recognized in thE US. It is dificult, and may take many months to get my official transcrips sent to the school of my choice.
2. Different Name: I have changed my name after graduation. All my legal US documents and pasport show my new name.
3. Work & Family: I am working full time and have a young family that needs my support.

I came accross Capella, Phoenix, Liberty and even Belford Universities. Most of them do not have the degree of my interest: Master of Social Work but they offer alternative courses that are very close such as counseling.
What do you suggest I should do? Please help.
Kenyan

Robert L. Johnson August 28, 2007 at 7:48 p.m.

I like the talk between Leroy S. and Just Wondering.... But like Leroy S. I must agree Capella has a dishearting name in academics. It would be very very very very hard to get a job in acadmics with a FOR-PROFIT degree UNLESS its for another FOR-PROFIT school. The whole ZERO admissions criteria even for a phD?? Come on now. Your probably in class with people who can't make it anywhere else. A doctoral degree isn't one of the degrees that should be "in anyone's reach". In order to earn one, you should study and write tons of admissions essays to a real school. No wonder its laughed at in acadmia!

Careful August 31, 2007 at 5:10 p.m.

Careful

Just an FYI for everyone attending Capella. Capella is not different from ITT or Pheonix. They are a business selling education. Their admissions people are sales people and willing to do whatever they can to get you in. They have open enrollment so there is no "admissions". Everyone gets in. I have heard of people who got in without a diploma from a high school or GED.

This open enrollment makes their degrees seen as the bottom feeders degrees. It is not taken serious in many industries and not respected at all in acadmia. They are expensive and the education you are recieving, may be good, but since your in class with the guy who still eats paste and is as smart as a rock, your degree is watered down.

Your better off at a community college or finding a public non-profit school that has online courses. Capella's bottom line is the almighty $$$, that means they don't care what happens to you as long as you pay. Seriously, don't take care of financial aid by the first class and see how long it takes before they lock you out until its taken care of.

Just Wondering... September 6, 2007 at 6:32 p.m.

It is as I have said before; it is really up to you. It is a matter of opinion and if you read the entire thread, you will find varying opinions. I have attended B&M campuses as well as online campuses and the key difference is behind the scenes, in the administrative offices. The real issue is not so much the “for profit” label as it is the “let anyone in” label. The problem is that when you make a school a publicly traded company, you make the school a business and school and business does not add up.

I consider myself intelligent and I would like to teach. I also know my back is against the wall with a degree from Capella. I will have to find a way to overcome it and one of those ways is to do your best to research and publish. In reality, a degree from Capella will be just that, a degree. In order to accomplish anything beyond this will be up to you and the work you put into it. It is to bad, but a degree from Capella will probably take another 20 years before real ground is made on the acceptance stage.

I would also like to share with you the teacher’s perspective from the school. I get the distinct feeling when talking to the teachers that they even look down on Capella a bit, especially the ones they employee with degrees from the University of Minnesota, University of California-Berkeley, etc. Some of the academic advisors are achieved degrees at the University of Minnesota in education and I can even see some nose snubbing from those people. Therefore, within the confines of Capella you even have nose snubbing, so it does make one wonder just how high and thick the wall is that you are being backed up against.

Just food for thought.

Careful September 6, 2007 at 7:26 p.m.

I can't stand the review I just read. It was well written and well argued. The thing I absolutely hate is when these schools call STUDENTS anything but that, and professors/teachers the same. Like Capella calls students "learners". Phoenix and ITT call their students "customers". Phoneix has "study groups" and "facilitators". These words actually get them out of certain educational requirements by using them (at least in Phoneix, they do not need qualified instructors because they don't instruct, they facilitate!).

Education in general is snobbish, no doubt there. My biggest complaints are like others here. 100% acceptance and the recruitments (aka admissions) practices. Finally, the idea of a business running a school.

Anyone ever see the Simpsons episode when the company takes over Springfield Elementry????

Just Wondering... September 6, 2007 at 11:33 p.m.

Careful,

I can respect your opinion and I do agree with you on the point of the acceptance rate. These schools need to get picky. Honestly, even if Capella reduced the acceptance to 50% it would be an improvement.

On the other point, I guess I have not given a lot of consideration to the nomenclature used by these schools to describe students or professors. I have not found documentation that the label they put on students or professors makes a difference when considering educational requirements. I will have to research that point a bit more.

Thank you for your thoughts.

UoP is Better:

You bring nothing to the discussion with this post. If you want to make this proclamation, please do so intelligently and not with drivel.

Just Wondering... September 7, 2007 at 1:31 p.m.

http://www.onlinedegreereviews.org/colle...

So, look at this link associated with this page. Further, if you use this site as a comparison (which it appears you do), then you will note the score for UoP is 6.7 and Capella is 7.2. In either case, those scores are useless, but it appears you put some credence in them.

Finally, I know you are a fraud when you compare a degree from ITT, UoP, Capella, or any other school of the sort to MIT. My, my, that is just plain crazy talk.

Just Wondering... September 7, 2007 at 1:50 p.m.

Leroy...

Good to hear from you. I do stay away from administration and I actually have a phone conference with a professor that is well published and full time with Capella. She actually wants to help me publish a paper (I am sure it will be a co-publsih), but that is certainly exciting. I do believe Capella will, over time, be mroe accepted. But as any one knows, the world of academics in reference to change takes time.

Leroy S. September 7, 2007 at 5:52 p.m.

Again UoP is Better, I leave you to yourself.

Just Wondering... your on the right path and you already know what your up against so your in good shape. It depends if you want to go into Academia or industry when your done. Industry will be much more accepting especially if you start your own practice. Academia is very snobbish and will be for quite some time. It is still humorous for me to watch friends I know in academia. Some are tenure, so they are better than the assistants on tenure path, others are full professors, so they are better than tenure! Even better is the difference from the Ph.D's to the D.Sc's to the Ed.D's to the Psy.D's! Ph.D's are the cream of the crop it appears. But all of them are equivalent in every way. In fact, I have friends in accrediations who said all those programs can easily change with a one form transfer request (meaning all they have to do is request to change the D.Sc to a Ph.D and its done!)!

So it really does not matter where your degree is from once you get in. But I do know a Capella Ph.D who is looked down upon even once entering tenure track. S/he is having some problems and other facutly are making it obvious. Once s/he confronted the other faculty, s/he found out it was because her school has no acceptance criteria and s/he did not get her dissertation fully published in journals. So acadmics is snobbish, but they do their research and you had better have some good publications to back your intelligence before entering.

Online education September 9, 2007 at 2:12 p.m.

Anyone pick up on the sarcasm? I know you did, which is great! I know not everyone is doing it, but don't diminish people for trying to improve. Capella, UoP and others may not be the greatest, but the blind ripping on these schools does prove one thing, scholars can't even live by the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover." In other words, scholars claim to be open and objective, but from my experience, this is more lip service than anything else.

A Ph.D. from Harvard generally sees things one way and one way only. Anything outside of their narrow view cannot possibly be worth looking at with more intensity. I chose Harvard, but I am not calling out Harvard graduates. I am merely using one train of thought.

To all of those who say you wouldn't even look at a candidate with Capela on their resume, shame on you! You are openly lumping all of the candidates from that school into the category of "dumb." To me, this is foolish and demonstrates your ignorance as well. Locking out individuals based on their education is just plain stupid and tells me one thing, you are to wrapped up in your own self worth to look past anything other than what you know and are unfamiliar with folks. I will be honest, I know of a few colleges that won't even consider Penn State graduates if they know that they didn't actually live in the area at the time of their education. Frankly, this type of discrimination is unacceptable and proves that our academic community is not as bright as they claim to be under may circumstances.

Ronald McDonald September 10, 2007 at 1:38 a.m.

I got my degree in a Happy Meal.

Online education September 12, 2007 at 1:41 p.m.

UoP is Better,

I am not sticking up for UoP or any online school based on the fallacy that enrollment numbers or advertising dollars constitutes a good program. These arguments are not valid for this discussion because they only prove that students go to the school and that they saw an ad. In reality, online educators appeal to another market outside of what B&M campuses traditionally have focused on in the past. If you are educated, you should remember this concept from any basic marketing class.

What I am saying is merely that online education offers another delivery format and should not be chastised for doing so and nor should the student.

Thank you for your time.

Comment September 15, 2007 at 8:01 p.m.

Capella University is a "for profit" university.

Mary September 18, 2007 at 3:42 p.m.

I am presently a student at Capella taking my first class in the Human Services-Counseling MS degree program. To be honest, I wish I could figure out how to transfer to a brick & mortar college and still keep my student loan. I'm terribly disappointed. The vast majority of the other students in my classes are barely literate; how they got through a Bachelor's program and passed is anybody's guess! I thought I would be in a class with other educated, literate, articulate adults and that we might disagree but it would be done with some level of intelligence. Boy was I wrong!

I know it is possible to have a high-quality online education, as I received my Bachelor's degree from Corban College, a private Baptist college with extremely high standards. While the people in my present class are just now learning how to write according to APA standards, I learned it during my Bachelor's, while also serving an internship, writing a thesis, compiling a portfolio...all of which I understand I will "learn" later on at Capella.

Does anyone here know how what is left of the student loan I received through Capella could be transferred to a different institution. I am already committed for the next quarter, but after that I will transfer out.

BTW, I had a 3.94 grade point coming out of Corban, and so far my grade at Capella is a high A. So my complaint comes from true disappointment with the program and not "sour grapes".

Mary

Just Wondering... September 25, 2007 at 12:38 a.m.

Mary,

You should be able to terminate your student loans with them and submit your FAFSA application with a different school code, thus transferring the remainder of the money for the year to the new school. Call the DOE if Capella gives you any problems (which they may).

Just Wondering... September 26, 2007 at 2:57 a.m.

The APA certification got the best of them. Perhaps this is going to go the other way, which I mentioned earlier, Capella becoming extinct. Only time will tell.

Similar to Mr. Rogers Neighborhood September 27, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.

Don't believe all these lies. Capella is at [sic] par with Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood!

Dr Kate September 29, 2007 at 10:28 a.m.

I've loved reading some of these comments against online schools. Re: Worthless daring anyone to take their online degree and get a job at a "real" school: I just accepted a job offer to teach undergrad bus students at one of the top 25 bus schools in the US...so there. :( You shouldn't discount online degrees if you don't have one. My doctorate research is under review at one of the major academic journals right now. I plan to continue my research and to teach as a full-time adjunct in this school's bus program.

Why didn't I go to a "real" school for my doctorate? Because they won't even talk to anyone over 30 who applies to those programs. They also wouldn't consider offering me a tenure-track position for the same reason. Their faculty are judged on their research productivity, plus teaching. My practical experience isn't valued in that stream...yet. I'm still planning to get enough research publications that I can go to the Dean and request consideration for a tenure-track position. Probably won't happen just due to my age. But I do have a 4-year contract full-time.

What do my students always praise me the most for in my reviews? My practical experience in the working world that I bring to my courses. I think the bricks and mortars of the world are starting to realize the value of having scholar/practitioners onboard.

Last comment in response to the comment regarding going to a "real" school's online program rather than a for-profit like Capella. The school I am going to work for has a few "online" courses they've started, too. How effective are they? The profs have put their powerpoint presentations up on the web with voice-overs of their lectures on the slides. Wow. Guess how effective that has been? At online schools, the course designers create courses that encourage research of the topics and lively discussions where the learners really get engaged.

So, for my money, I love my Capella doctorate and encourage anyone out there to sign up tomorrow. It's got great teachers and good students. Of course, the slacker students started falling off as we got deeper into the program. Those of us in it for the final degree recognized those students upfront and weren't surprised when they faded away.

Full-time adjunct? September 29, 2007 at 8:16 p.m.

Isn't the term "full-time adjunct" an oxymoron? Real schools also don't pay kickbacks to other schools for refering students into their programs. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Capella is so desperate for new LEARNERS that they pay other schools $500 for each student that transfers. Here's the link

http://chronicle.com/subscribe/login?url...

To Kate September 30, 2007 at 1:06 p.m.

Well Just Wondering, you will be waiting a long time to see.

I don't care about online schools, just ones out for a profit. Also, I can assure you for-profits are not respected in academics unless it is by another for-profit. OR, if the person teaching already taught there, is well published, or has a lot of experience.

Leroy S. October 1, 2007 at 5:03 p.m.

"Just Wondering...",
The news about Capella stopping the Harold Abel School of Psychology doctorals. How are the student reacting to this and what are they doing to ensure that your educational is still acceptable? I just didn't know if they have an agreement with another school or something that allows transfers-to-transfers for credit. I was in a program at one point for a "Doctor of Science" at a highly reputable school who decided to drop their program and concentrate on others (the school is an Ivy and didn't want engineering anymore). They offered us the ability to tranfer many credits to a whole list of Universities and continue with the doctoral education. Since Capella is online, I was wondering how they handle this situation.

Thanks!

Capella is desperate October 2, 2007 at 3:57 a.m.

The Chronicle of Higher Education is reporting that Capella University actually pays other schools to send them students. The article is called “University of California Campus Collects a Bounty for Sending Students to a For-Profit College” and may be found here -

http://chronicle.com/subscribe/login?url...

Looks like Capella pay others schools $500 for every student that enrolls.

Leroy S. October 2, 2007 at 1:44 p.m.

Thanks for the information "Just Wondering...". Your overview is a perfect application of Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions"! When there is a paradigm shift happening, those who have devoted their lives and research to the opposing view hold on for dear life and try to resist it! Even back in the 60's we saw this happening with education (tier's were not as distinct then, people didn't want them because they gave favor, but look what happened. Same thing with inter-disciplinary programs!)

I must say I don't mind some for profits, but three of the ones I dislike the most are Phoenix, ITT, and Devry. I have done tremendous research and found these three to be one's who have devastated the for-profit landscape with a drive to the bottom line and the unethical business they ran in recent years.

Leroy S. October 2, 2007 at 9:01 p.m.

I have some resources to back up my claims, where are yours? Besides, I am against for-profits too for the most part. I don't blame them for low scores, that more of an entire culture lowering standards to get more people to graduate. They removed the manditory language constraint on high school kids, thats a big issue with me.

I got In! October 9, 2007 at 4:34 p.m.

I got in the PhD for IT! Its hard and not easy. Everyone here needs to grow up and try it out for yourselves. When I'm done, I earned the title Doctor.

I got in! October 10, 2007 at 2:05 p.m.

Yes I am in it. Its not dark. You probably wouldn't even be admitted to the program.

I got in! October 11, 2007 at 4:40 p.m.

No they don't you have to have at least a Masters degree to get in, plus a rigorous admissions test, application, writing sample, and you have to tell them your GPAs. Its hard to get in.

I got in! October 12, 2007 at 2:34 p.m.

I did not write that blog but its all true. Most of the people here don't like Capella because you couldn't make it at the University and are jealous you can't get in.

Just for fun October 14, 2007 at 6:28 p.m.

I am getting a degree at Capella so I can teach there and become a part of the problem. I want to see how many I can push through the paper mill! and get paid to do it! mmmm... I wonder if there is a commission for the number of students you push through your class?

To "Former Capella Employee " October 16, 2007 at 1:40 p.m.

HA HA HA! Ya, accreditation means the school is high quality. I taught there and had to pass so many failing students because "it will mess up financial aid if I didn't". I failed them anyways, my grades were over written, and I no longer teach there. The school is a joke and just wants money. I also thinks its funny you people who go there for PhDs. Its not respected by anyone anyways.

To "Former Capella Employee" October 16, 2007 at 5:39 p.m.

Nope, never posted under any different names. Sentence structure and grammar, I don't really care if they are correct when I am posting my opinions on a website. Its probably better I don't follow them, it might throw Capella "LEARNERS" off by seeing real English!

Just Wondering... October 16, 2007 at 6:13 p.m.

Of course, I slaughter the grammer then. It should read:

The above posts are constructive in nature and I would love a constructive rebuttal, but no one will address these points with anything other than drivel. Perhaps you are the educated man or woman that can enlighten us both.

Capella Pays Kickbacks October 16, 2007 at 9:13 p.m.

The Los Angeles Times just printed an article about Capella University paying kickbacks to the University of California -

http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-...

Why won't Capella disclose how many community colleges they pay kickbacks to? According to Capella's web site, they have alliances with 25% of all junior colleges in the country. Capella must really be bringing in the money.

Just Wondering... October 17, 2007 at 12:05 a.m.

Leroy,

Good to hear from you. You will get no argument from me on the topic of accreditation. It is merely a standard and certainly not the end for any school.

Lumpy October 17, 2007 at 7:45 a.m.

Holy Cow!!! Someone actually recommended UoP instead of Capella??? I'm not saying Capella is great (They're not, They suck just like Walden, UoP and NCU and the other UoP clones) But UoP has the most money hungry greedy b@$T@rds for management the world has ever known.

If your going to recommend another school, you can definately do better than UoP!! Wise Up!!

Former Capella Employee October 17, 2007 at 11:42 a.m.

"Capella Pays Kickbacks": Having alliances with other instutitions may be as simple as Articulation Agreements detailing which courses transfer and to which Capella equivalent. It does NOT follow that those community colleges develop courses on behalf of Capella, or should otherwise expect to be compensated.

No "head in the sand" here, just facts in lieu of speculation.

The reason the UC-Irvine/Capella agreement has been so sensationalized, and apparently misrepresented, is due in part to reaction against the paradigm shift referenced a few posts back. That, and Capella's for-profit status, are seen as inherently questionable: wrongly so, in my opinion.

Leroy S. October 17, 2007 at 5:07 p.m.

"Former Capella Employee", an understanding of the paradigm shift is important here. The shift in which I speak of is strictly on the subject of Online Schools. I do not mean a shift in For-Profit schools. I believe For-Profits have a place in society, but schools like UoP and ITT are killing the reputations. I remember about 15 years ago when an IT degree from local tech schools like Triangle Tech and even ITT at one point, were good. But the over advertising and going public for some, caused some issues. I think Capella hit this stage and it is passing. They proved this by going after accreditations and reinvesting back to the University instead of shareholders. I don't think a for-profit can hold up if it’s publicly traded. This is a long shot, but I believe that schools like Capella will output students who will eventually come together to buy the school off the public market and force it to go private-non-profit. Sounds funny, but alumni tend to love their alma mater. I know a few Capella grads now from doing some research that are already starting this movement.

As for the idea of earning a PhD online, I am against it also. I don't mind the online format for BS or even a MS, but a PhD, no. UNLESS, the online format consists of residencies requirements too (as mentioned in some posts, RMU, Pace, and CMU have such PhDs). You need to have classes IN class for a PhD. That’s the nature of the degree.

Open admissions are another thing I am against for a PhD level degree. Even if the argument comes up that "the student will drop if they can't handle it". Or "the PhD should be accessible to everyone". Well, no it shouldn't. By the very nature of a doctorate, it is not intended for everybody. Only the best who apply should be given a chance. If you apply and don't get in, do more to build up yourself and apply again.

Finally, "Former Capella Employee" brought up a great misconception about the academic alliance. In no way does the alliance indicate preference about schools. The alliance of transferable credits means you guarantee your students that the allianced credits will transfer. This helps alleviate the worry many students have when they know they will be transferring. It doesn't mean Capella is paying other schools to allow transfer or vice versa.

Paradigm shift? October 18, 2007 at 5:50 a.m.

What a crock of bull. If Capella and UC Irvine weren't trying to hide something, then why won't they disclose everything? The Los Angeles Times reported that Capella's Michael Walsh declined "to disclose how many [other Capella agreements] involve per-student payments." Why did the Chronicle of Higher Education say that Capella and UCI were trying to hide their agreement? Is Thomas Kuhn God? Interestingly, even Wikipedia (is that considered a primary source for Capella learners?) states that the pharse "paradigm shift"

"has been abused in "marketing speak", and is often considered a meaningless buzzword in this context. This is now so widespread that Larry Trask lists it in his book Mind The Gaffe as a phrase never to use, and he advises caution when reading anything that contains this phrase."

It certainly looks like the term paradigm shift is the latest buzzword of Capella's sales team.

Just Here from MN October 18, 2007 at 8:02 p.m.

At the top of this page Capella is listed as a Not-for-profit institution. http://www.capella.edu/about_capella/his... shows that in 1996 Capella became publicly traded.

Just Wondering... October 18, 2007 at 8:23 p.m.

What would have been more interesting to me would be how the educational marketplace would look if for profit institutions had not made changes by offering classes online. That is right; I used the term “educational marketplace.” That is what it has become and the only schools exempt from this are Ivy League schools. It is a bidding war for educational dollars and the adult learner is the target market for now. Nevertheless, do not kid yourself; the young adult (18-25) will soon become a target, which I feel feeds right into Leroy’s earlier point, “In less than five years, I bet it will be a standard.” Of course, I am not saying this will be a standard for this age group, but you will witness market penetration.

Regardless, I do not support or oppose online Ph.D.’s, as long as certain requirements are met. Requirements like admissions standards and the removal of the concept of publicly traded. Even then, I am not sure Capella will be accepted anytime soon, but perhaps it will at least remove two of the critical talking points.

Being Honest October 18, 2007 at 10:49 p.m.

Capella, UOP, ITT, and any other for profit university is sub par and so are the students. No one should take anyone with a degree from these institutions seriously. Students in these schools are the worst of the best and the best of the worst (and maybe they are neither, they may just be the worst of the worst). I question whether these students should even be allowed breed for fear that their below average genes may be allowed to create another sub par human with below average intellect whom will either turn out to be a derelict or a garbage man. I will not say I am sorry because I am not. These so-called students make me sick as an educated man and frankly they do not deserve jobs in academia and they do not deserve jobs in the professional business world either. Allowing these “students” into management will most certainly translate into a failed business and allowing them into academia will only further desecrate our educational system.

My question to any online supporter is simple, “How could you possibly support a sub par educational system and support these no minds that come out of these institutions that actually think they are qualified to work in any management function (including a head housekeeper) or any level of academia (including the mail room clerk)?” Honestly people, with this their can be no debate, online education from for profit schools simply cannot be taken seriously and any argument otherwise should be dismissed.

I bee a Capella gratuate October 19, 2007 at 8:35 a.m.

i know i be good becus i paid my moenys to Capella University. I think it is cuz i am realy a learner and when eye called there phone number i spok to one have there salesmenn who sed that i was a opinionated reasearchor but he be glad two take my mony to. i em very hapy that i researched Capella. now i em a PHD n i bee very glad now eye tel everybudy to go two Capella end i hate peeble who sey bad things abowt my schoul.

Btw.... October 19, 2007 at 12:48 p.m.

Capella didn't go public until 2006. I have contacted the site owners so that they can upgrade this.

Oh My October 22, 2007 at 12:40 p.m.

this page is not only full of biased comments that push nothing more but academic snobbery, academic elitism, academic racism, and academic classism.

Attention Fools October 22, 2007 at 11:49 p.m.

This is Attention.., just so people realize this. "Nope" is right, the school sucks and so do any other online schools. Schools that are B&M that are now going the way of offering online degrees are selling out and their reputation is being destroyed by doing so. I said it before and I will say it again, if you are to lazy to get of your butt to a classroom, you have NO business working, going to school, raising children, or any other normal activity. I will put emphasis on RAISING CHILDREN, because you are raising more idiots who will only dumb down this country.

Attention Fools October 23, 2007 at 2:56 p.m.

Me Oh My, it is not just online for-profit dipolma mills, it is online period! Any school that offers diplomas via an online delivery method is turning themselves into a diploma mill. That is right, I said it, any school who dumbs down their program with this delivery method is a school that is contributing to the problem. So, for all of you Penn State grads, your degree is getting more worthless by the day (that is just one school out of hundreds).