Master of Science Reviews

This is a Real School!

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on November 27, 2008

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Some people are saying that it is simple to graduate from Capella or an online school in general. That is completely..false. Yes, it is easy to get in, but isn't that a good thing? Now people have NO excuse in regards to furthering their education.  None. 

Secondly, I am by no means dumb, underachiever, or whatever some people "claim" online university students are. The numerous hours searching through peer reviewed journals, writing 10-20 page papers (you see that, plural) for one class in APA format, is not "easy." This should be expected! Even though it can be tough, it teaches you a lot and become increasingly confident about your abilities as a student and as a future professional. I appreciate that Capella cand do this through distance learning! Capella is a real school, with real teachers, and real coursework. I laugh at anyone who thinks Capella is just a breeze.

Very Good School

By: determined06grad (In Progress) on November 27, 2008

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I am currently pursuing my master's in mental health counseling and the addictions counseling certificate program. My only complaints is the long wait over the phone when you need information. Some days is pretty fast, but other days...be prepared to be put on hold for more than ten minutes! Other than that, I love the way the classroom is structured. The instructors are experienced and actually are supportive. The ones I have had provide very useful resources and answer all of my questions related to my field of study. Financial aid isn't a problem either. Everything falls into place on schedule. So far I have learned so much and I feel like I know just as much or more than a student in a traditional classroom. I do have a little bit of school pride.

Academics OK - Business Support Poor

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 17, 2008

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I began a Master's Degree program in Adult Education last year but had to withdraw when my son became very ill.  I found the classes and instructors adequate, but the business/financial aid support was horrendous.  I was repeatedly double billed for one course even after I provided copies of the cancelled check used to pay.  Individuals would promise to "reasearch my question and get back to me" and never did.  I was so disgusted by the experience that once my son recovered I did not re-enroll

Students must adapt...

By: avatar (Graduate) on September 29, 2008

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I will break my comments down per category:
OVERALL: I recently graduated from Capella with a Master of Science in IT-Security.  In addition to this degree I also hold the CISSP and Security+ industry recognized certifications.  The IT and Security related course work closely follows both the domains of knowledge around IT Security as well as general business and IT Management topics.  Online learning does take a bit to get used to.  Capella's paradigm (at least for my program) was essentially, read---->reflect---->write multiple essays weekly---> comment on peer essay postings, interact with other students ----> work on a final course paper or project to be turned in at the end of the quarter.  APA style was taught in my first course (called: Technical Writing).  Many professors also have students submit the output of 3rd party online citation checking (anti-plagerism) tools.  Again, a lot of reading, thinking, and writing.  

Materials: The course used books, as well as articles from Capella's online library which is more extensive than I will take the time to explain here.  The books I purchased through my coursework were outstanding and included: Harris's CISSP book, Hacking Exposed, and the CCNA book from Sybex to name a few.  

Teachers: The role of the professor is to take the class on a 10 week journey through the material while commenting on essays to challenge student thinking, and providing needed feedback on course projects.  The teachers are there to ensure quality and create challening discussions.  

Institution:  In my 2+ years at Capella, I was impressed with how hard the Administration was working to make additional options open to students.  For example, mid way through my program in IT-Security, Capella obtained NSA certification and published a course list that would allow students to obtain NSA recognition in addition to their degree.  

Support: The vast majority of the time Capella's online couserooms worked just fine for me.  Towards the end of my program I even used an 'un-supported' version of firefox without any issues.  Capella has automated tools that check software versions and configuration settings.  If you can pass this automated assessment, you shouldn't have any issues.  When I did need support I typically submitted emails which were acknowledged immediately and answered in 1 day.  

Technology:  When looking at online programs (traditional universities would not fit into my work schedule and I honestly dreaded the idea of sitting in 2 hour lectures again) Capella was by far the best.  They continue to improve their online courseroom and as an alumni I really hope they keep this edge!

Value:  I am very happy with the quality of education I received in earning my Masters Degree from Capella University.  I would recommend it (and have) to anyone who is willing to challenge themselves create thoughtful writing after some disciplined reading and reflection.

Great School

By: poneil (Graduate) on June 18, 2008

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I dont know what school the other reviewers were in that said the program was too easy. I know that in the school of psychology, the program was indeed very rigorous and challenging. This was by far the best college experience I have had. I can only speak for the Harold Abel School of Psychology. Therefore I suspect the other reviewers are talking about either of grad level business or technical offerings. In that case the negative comments are typical for those fields in most colleges. I would expect however the MBA program at a prestigious school would be an exception to those negative comments.

The school is outstanding.

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on June 13, 2008

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I graduated from a very good private B&M college. After doing extensive study, weighing family and work options, and looking at pertinent factors, Capella was a great choice. I am a Human Services grad student. Hard classes, fantastic instructors, very good staff. I am trying to determine what the source of contention is. 
I theorize that with some, it is the stigma of an online degree. Fair enough, I can't change that perspective. However, a lot of these reviews have dripped with the frustration of having been unable to fulfill their goals. This can produce alot of resentment that is best moved on from. I am not overly concerned with my comparative cognition and Capella has helped me immensely.

Would not recommend

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on April 7, 2008

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I was enrolled in a graduate program for over a year and dropped out due to financial issues. The classes were decent, but a bit on the easy side. I was very disappointed by the level of work in some of my classmates.

I received the GI Bill for assistance which I used for books, tuition and the residency expenses. I rarely heard from my academic counselor and when I did contact her, it took on average of a week for a response. The financial department was TERRIBLE!!!!!!! In addition to my GI Bill I was also receiving aid – according to the invoices they gave me, I had enough to cover all of my expenses. Then after a year and a half I received a bill for $7,000. I talked to several people and after weeks of investigating I still to this day have NO idea where all of my aid and payments were going and how I could still have $7,000 to owe. The support was terrible and they didn’t seem to care about having me as a student. I finally said that I would just get a student loan to cover my outstanding balance. I was approved and it was sent to Capella for verification. After 3 WEEKS of not hearing anything I finally track down someone from support and they say that they denied it because I receive GI benefits so I didn’t need the loan – and then again reminded me how I had to pay the $7,000 before my next class. They claimed that I legally could not receive a private school loan due to the funds I was receiving from the VA. 

I dropped out and switched school. My new university not only approved me for enough financial aid to cover my costs, but they also said that they can approve a loan for me if for some reason I need one. I am very happy to have switched and now love my new school. But, the story doesn’t end there……

After dropping out I spoke with the financial department and business office about my outstanding loan. BOTH confirmed that they did not have payment plans but as long as I made consistent payments, I would be fine. I then proceeded to pay $250 a month towards my balance thinking that everything was fine. Then 3 months later (after continues payments) I receive a letter from a collection agency. Capella sent me to collections for nonpayment! Capella never responded to voicemails or emails. Whenever I would call they would send me to a generic voicemail box which never was returned. I ended up have to quickly secure a personal loan to pay off collections before it reached my credit report. To this day none of my messages, complaints, or concerns have been addresses and I still have no idea where all of my money went.

I cannot recommend this university to anyone unless you are paying cash at each class and can see exactly where your funds are being applied.

Positive and negative points

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on March 18, 2008

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I am in my second year at Capella pursuing a MS in Human Services. I have found the program to be quite easy, which is cause for some concern. Sometimes it seems a little too easy and I feel that I have received outstanding grades for substandard work. As an undergrad at a regular college, I struggled just to earn C's & B's. At Capella, I have a straight A average, which is not something I am used to. Then again, maybe I am overly critical of myself. Most of the instructors are excellent, although I have encountered a few who were absent from the courseroom too much, as in weeks would go by without any work being graded or questions being addressed. I am also hearing conflicting reports regarding the accreditation legitimacy of Capella. In New York state, a degree from Capella will not be considered for licensure. The degree basically means nothing, but then, New York is a ridiculous state that few people can actually make a decent living in. I just hope the Capella degree will pull more weight down south which is where I plan to move in the near future. Until then, my options seem to be very limited  in NY and there are very few decent jobs for someone with my credentials. The online learning experience, for me, is infinitely better and more effective than sitting in a regular classroom. The input and experience from adult classmates is valuable and I have learned much from the work I have read from fellow students. The Capella library I find to be mediocre. It seems to have many limitations and repeated searches will frequently turn up irrelevant information or none at all. Overall, I am pleased with my progress but don't trust it. I feel that if I was criticized  
more often, it would feel more appropriate and more like college. I am just not used to being told that I have done great work. I hope it's really true and the instructors are not just being too nice. I want to earn my degree, not have it given to me.

MBA

By: pattismokefan20 (In Progress) on March 17, 2008

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I am just finishing up my MBA with Capella and I could not have enjoyed it more.  This is by far the best way to get a quality education without having to be somewhere at a specified time.  This allows working individuals the flexibility to learn and grow without sacrificing work or family time.  I also appreciate that the program is very writing extensive.  This makes the learner to develop opinions and interpret the information more thoroughly than if this were in a typical campus setting.  I enjoyed this experience very much and it was worth the cost involved to complete the program.

Your experience will be what you make it

By: lfilla (Graduate) on August 15, 2007

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I've just completed my degree and I had a wonderful experience. It was a lot of hard work but it was all worth it. I think Capella is an exceptional organization - always looking for feedback from learners and working to improve. I felt supported and encouraged throughout my three years as a student. Not all instructors were great, but most were.

The technology was excellent and I had very few issues. Tech support was helpful and friendly the two times I needed to contact them. Even the transition from Capella's old proprietary online learning environment to WebCT went smoothly for me. 

I learned a lot and would not hesitate to recommend Capella to others. Just understand that your experience will be what you make it. This is not high school -- it's up to you to create an excellent graduate school experience, just like it's up to you to create a great career.

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