PhD Organization & Management/Leadership Reviews

Good Program

By: pam (In Progress) on December 14, 2007

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I have been with this school for one year and I am happy with the rigors of the program thus far.  Most of the student and teacher interaction is valuable.  Those that do cast a negative shadow on the program likely have not been a part of the program or one like it.  I have a Bachelor degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the University of Minnesota (both Tier I schools) and I am, at this point, to family oriented to pursue a B&M version of the Ph.D.  However, from discussions with friends and evaluating the criteria, I assure you, the program is much the same as it would be at either of these two schools.

So far so good

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on December 4, 2007

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Overall, the school has done a fine job.  The expectations are actually not that much different from B&M expectations.  

Those that cast doubts do so with no knowledge and are being subjective only.  If you want to know what it is like, you should talk to both current students as well as those who have graduated.  

The degree may not carry the same weight as Harvard, but few do.  This school has never claimed to be Harvard, MIT, or any school like it and the education is not geared towards that anyway.  It is also a fallacy to say that "most" HR directors do not respect the school.  That actually is not true and some of the largest companies in country pay for the school 100% and are promoted within the organization and receive offers from other organizations.  Further, while you may not teach at Harvard, you can teach in community colleges and some DII and DIII schools as well.  Teaching should be for the love, not the money.

An overall assessment

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on October 9, 2007

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The biggest drawback for most onlookers is the fact that it is a for profit university.  The only issue I have with this is that the students who are looking to better themselves are victims of this viewpoint and stereotyped as something of a sub par learner.  

The school does a slightly above average job and I contribute this to the good use of materials and an excellent library system.  I would also say that the students in many cases help enrich the learning experience through their own real world experiences, thus helping students apply theory to practical use.

The teachers and support are slightly above average.  I have taken both online and campus courses and completed degrees in both formats.  I will attest to the fact that you will have average support in either scenario.  It will all depend upon the teacher and the student’s perception of what support constitutes.  My concern is that I am being taught by those that understand the scholar and research point of view, as well as the practitioner point of view.

The value goes beyond simple dollar figures.  Value is how you feel about the education and what you take away.  In terms of the monetary perspective, Capella falls short.  They are expensive and offer nothing in the way of research assist positions to defray the cost of tuition.  Value from a non-monetary perspective is average.  The interaction with students is enriching and facilitates the learning process.  

Overall, the institution is slightly above average.  It has its ups and downs, as does any school.  The real issue is the stigma in the term "for profit."  Gone are the days that online education is sub par.  Academia is now more concerned about schools that become enthralled with the bottom line (and rightfully so).  Overcoming this can only be done with more stringent admissions requirements and schools will change only if students place pressure on them to do so.  

My conclusion is that Capella is okay and offers you an accredited degree.  Understand though that the degree comes with roadblocks.  I think as students graduate, the degree will offer you a broadened knowledge of whatever your degree concentration was, but it is not the end.  Your work, not your degree, will dictate how far you go.  It is up to the graduates to prove to the academic world, and to a lesser degree the business world, that Capella offers a solid education.  You, as a student, are presented with these roadblocks because of the name, unlike a Harvard, Penn State, etc.  The graduates from B&M campuses via online programs do not have to focus energy (minimal if any) on the defense of the school and can focus most (if not all) of their energy on their work.  The key is this though, neither do Capella graduates.  Do not get wrapped up in what others think and stay focused.  Your work will provide the proof as long you care, make the concerted effort, and have the intellect to move forward.

Pleased with my choice!

By: egrosenfeld (In Progress) on October 6, 2007

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As with most things in life, you get out of the experience what you put into it. For the almost 3 years that I have been working on my degree, I know I am putting IN a tremendous amount AND I am certaining getting BACK, both from an educational experience. I also believe that the attitude with which you approach your journey makes a big difference. As one of the other posts mentioned, and it is often repeated at Colloquia, you are becoming a PhD - it is not a piece of paper I am given. At this point I have completed my coursework, passed my comps, and I am almost ready to submit my dissertation proposal. The overall experience that I have had has been a very positive one. As I read through the other reviews I find it quite interesting. On one end are individuals claiming Capella is a "diploma mill" and to watch out because the university will fail you for no apparent reason. It sounds as if it is being done TO you. As another learner indicated, if YOU are not able to perform at the required level, then I am pleased to hear that the university will not allow students to continue. I have worked exceptionally hard to reach this point in my studies and as others have said, I feel that I am EARNING my degree. 

In my program, many of the learners at Capella are adults who have extensive experience in the business world. I am also at the point in my accademic and professional career that I would not expect an educational institution to hold my hand every step of the way. If I need additional support, I need to stand up and ask for it.  When I have done so, I have immediately be assisted. In looking back at the other educational institutions that I went to, I find Capella a refreshing change. Some posts mentioned Capella's focus on money - I hate to break it to you, but this is a business. I'm not sure many institutions that aren't concerned about money? Is the degree I am persuing a good "value"?  I can not compare the cost at Capella to other schools, but I imagine that they are quite comparable. The personal and professional satisfaction and opportunities that I am capitalizing on are absolutely worth it!

In life you always have choices. I believe that I made the right choice in selecting Capella.

Indolents need not apply

By: jbaugh (In Progress) on September 28, 2007

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I am ABD in the School of Business and Technology, but am in the data analysis phase now and I hope to be completed with my dissertation by Thanksgiving. After earning an MBA at the Eller College of Management (a nationally ranked business school) at the University of Arizona, I freely admit that I was a little concerned about the value of an online PhD. However, working full-time and teaching part-time at the University level did not leave time to attend a traditional brick&mortar institution. I did a lot of research into different online programs and evaluated Capella as the best of the lot (I used Saaty's (1980) Analytic Hierarchy Process to do this evaluation, so I am confident in the validity of my procedures). Although expensive, the cost of the program is comparable to other institutions. While I would have liked for the SOBT to hold the AASCB accreditation, that was not a kill-point for me, as I was unable to locate any online school (in 2004) that had that accreditation. 

The Capella staff was very helpful in the enrollment process and transferred in the maximum 48 credit hours from my MBA program, which helped me immensely. Once enrolled in the program, I found that, the instructors were always available to me, and the rigor is definitely there. As one of the previous reviewers phrased it, you get out of any program what you put into it. I spent 20-25 hours a week throughout my coursework and maintained a 4.00 GPA in the program. I feel that I earned those marks and did not feel that they were given to me.

I would not classify Capella as a diploma mill by any stretch of the imagination and feel that the argument above that addressed the attrition rate belies this charge. Diploma mills do not reject anyone. I believe the disgruntled reviewers above failed to achieve their goals because they were not fully committed to the rigor required by any credible PhD program. I found the program difficult, but feasible, given good time management skills. The comps process is all about completing a very difficult task in a timed manner. I felt that the Leadership program prepared me adequately for this challenge and I got through it on the expedited plan in 8 weeks. If certain people feel that they were unfairly weeded out at the comps stage, perhaps they should examine their own culpability and lack of commmitment to producing a quality product under strenuous conditions. 

My dissertation is taking longer than I orginally projected, but that is due to work and other life pressures that interfered with my educational schedule rather than any lack on the part of Capella itself. The staff, my mentor, and my committee have been very supportive during my dissertation. In fact, other instructors, who are not on my committee, gave freely of their own time to help me locate a suitable study organization. I can't say enough about the value of that support and I hope to carry that model into my own doctoral praxis.

Greatly disappointed

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on September 21, 2007

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I started with much enthusiasm at Capella.  I did considerable research about on-line degrees.  My wife, who has a PhD from Columbia cautioned against my undertaking the PhD program, but I pursued it anyway.  I found it to be a disaster in the set up.  I found the administrative organization and the focus on money obscuring the educational experience.  Furthermore, the evaluation of my Master's degree credits was unbelievable in that less than half of my credits were transferred, and I graduated from Boston University.  At work, the school was not recognized.  I would strong urge people to avoid this school.  Perhaps there are some on-line schools that are focused on education.

Capella Ph.D. Programs

By: Anonymous (In Progress) on August 26, 2007

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Overall, the program is okay.  They lack AACSB accreditation and if you are looking at pysch, they lack APA accreditation (which is even worse than lacking AACSB accreditation).  The instructors are generally okay, the materials are good, and the use of technology is good.  Honestly though, what you take away is improved writing skills and materials.  You could purchase the materials at a bookstore and the courses are to expensive to walk away with improved writing skills alone.  

I think Capella is average and once more B&M schools decide to go online with at least 75% of a business Ph.D., Capella is likely in big trouble.  I have heard rumblings of Strayer buying out Capella, so that may be in the works.

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