Grand Canyon University

Established: 1949
Accreditation: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC), The Higher Learning Commission.
For-Profit: No
Country: USA

Programs:

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Grand Canyon University Reviews:

GCU is not for U
November 17, 2009
I have attended what I consider a real university..brick and mortal, well-established university, University of Missouri. There International business program is ranked number 4 in the country. NO doubt a well established university. I graduated with honors just a few short years ago. I don't know if that is enough ...

MAT at GCU
November 7, 2009
I decided to get a MAT for two reasons: review changes in educational practice and theory since I got my BA and of course for the pay raise. I and several co-workers decided on GCU because of the $1,000 scholarship offered to us. I completed the degree in 16 months ...

Just finished my BS in Psychology
October 29, 2009
I just finished my BS in Psychology at GCU. This is a great school, and getting better. Many here have made complaints about being charged for classes they did not attend. I had the same problem, but they have changed their policy on that, so no one should have that ...


Read all 31 Grand Canyon University reviews...




Comments:

Comment September 15, 2007 at 7:54 p.m.

Grand Canyon University is a private "for-profit" university. It is mislabeled at the top of this page as a non-profit.

Ron November 27, 2007 at 4:53 p.m.

Save your money and time!!! Degree Mill at best!!!

michelle January 11, 2008 at 10:07 p.m.

great school, appreciates our armed forces and their family members. so i feel they are one of the top online schools. by the way, they take full ta vouchers with no outer pocket expense

marica February 8, 2008 at 6:19 p.m.

I began GCU's MBA program last summer and left in the fall. I found the quality of the education to be substandard. For an institution that is ACBSP Accredited, they are not very particular about the qualifications of their faculty members or instructors. This is very disturbing in light of the fact they charge $400/per credit for graduate courses. Bottom line...this is not a good institution...go somewhere else.

Current Student April 16, 2008 at 7:46 p.m.

I love the school, and I have gained a well-rounded education here. GCU is NOT a degree mill!!! Hard work is required in order to earn your credits. Please note, this online program is ONLY for self motivated students who want to gain an education. Time management is imperative at this institution.

none May 10, 2008 at 10:37 p.m.

I applied was accepted then went elsewhere. The admissions counselors (I had many since they kept changing) lost my paperwork more than once, emails and phone calls went unanswered. I think they care more about $ than students.

Anonymous June 3, 2008 at 11:41 p.m.

I am thinking of starting my Master's Degree with Grand Canyon University and I am worried. Would I regret the decision I made or am I doing the right thing? I will appreciate it if someone responds to me. Thank you.

ken July 27, 2008 at 8:23 p.m.

There are some ridiculous comments here. To begin with GCU is not a degree mill. It is an accredited institution of higher learning. It has been reviewed by U.S. News and World Report as well as major publications such as Barron's Profiles of American Universities & Colleges. I had a bad experience as well with the enrollment advisor and thought about going elsewhere. However, I did not and finished my Master's in Education at GCU. I am very happy I did. The classes were great as well as the majority of the instructors (9 out of 10). The support staff was always helpful and resolved any difficulties within a short period of time. I am very familiar with great university programs having attended USC (undergrad) and UCLA (graduate program in teaching credentialing). I was very happy overall with Grand Canyon University.

Hey Ronny! October 5, 2008 at 5:35 p.m.

I read some of these comments and laughed when I came to Ron's: "Degree Mill at best!". Obviously Ron does not even have the slightest idea what he is talking about. GCU has its institutional accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC)of the Higher Learning Commission. I don't know what his motivation is to name GCU the way he did, but obviously any individual familiar with the Higher Learning Commission and Regional Accreditation wouldn't make such absurd statements.

Re: Hey Ronny! October 15, 2008 at 12:29 a.m.

You are correct; he obviously doesn't know what he is saying.Ronny's comments were out of line; I noticed he didn't state his degrees, educational background, credentials etc. It is easy to make wild statements out of ignorance.I am in an online certificate program at Cornell University. My Masters degree is from GCU. I know I was really well prepared at GCU and had to work very hard to earn my masters degree.I can recommend this university highly based on my expensive educational background. For those who are interested, I went to check out the campus. It
is located in suburban Phoenix, Arizona and the campus was most impressive. There are numerous new buildings and the university has spent millions on expansion over the past few years.

Visited GCU October 22, 2008 at 4:43 p.m.

I took the time to stop by the GCU campus when I was in Phoenix this past summer since I wanted to actually see the campus from where I received my Master's degree. I really had no idea what to expect. It was a pleasure to be there. The campus is beautiful and the people were very helpful and friendly. The campus visit matched perfectly to the experience that I had online with this university. The professors were outstanding and always helpful and showed concern for the students. They participated in the discussions (discussion board) and answered questions and e-mails promptly (within 24 hours). About half way through my program, they changed from the Blackboard to the Angel delivery platform. Even that went quite smoothly. I was really impressed all around. If anyone in teaching is looking for a real solid master in education program, I feel that this is the one!

Educational Value November 15, 2008 at 12:46 a.m.

I spent time (one year) checking the various programs and comparing the educational value. I found that the average tuition for the online masters in education to be about $20,500. This compared with the $14,500 I spent on tuition at GCU. I was very happy with the quality of education as well as the educational value.

Anonymous December 10, 2008 at 3:06 p.m.

I am about to finish my undergraduate degree in May with GCU. The ANGEL learning system is so user friendly. There have been little kinks along the way but nothing that wouldn't have been experienced at any other university. I love the flexibility and the option to work at a pace that suits me. Price is second to none for the Masters program. I am wanting to continue with my Master's next fall and have price checked it myself.

Go Lopes!

Go for it! December 11, 2008 at 12:18 a.m.

I couldn't agree with you more. I priced the masters programs at other universities and found GCU up to 50% less (on average 30% less expensive). In addition, I compared the programs closely and found GCU's to fit my needs better than any other out there.

Go Lopes!

Run from GCU January 7, 2009 at 3:22 a.m.

   GCU is accredited but that does not mean it is credible. I attended GCU and found their curriculum to be weak and well below the standards of other comparable Universities. GCU is a profit first Christian University? If the Southern Baptist founders could see their statement of faith they would roll over in their graves. Jesus drove the money changers from the temple, but GCU has set the tables back up. GCU outsources their technical support to India! GCU is not Christ centered and outsources American jobs. You shall know them by their fruit and GCU’s fruit is rotten!

Check your sources January 8, 2009 at 1:42 a.m.

GCU is a christian university but they also must live in the real world! They have to charge tuition to support the university. Their technical support is outsourced to India. Many schools and companies do the same. "Run from GCU" not only seems not to live in the real world, he seems to be a religious zealot. Here are the facts:
GCU is accredited. They are rated in Barron's "Profiles of American Colleges" (2009; 29th edition) as "Very Competitive". I would ask "Run from GCU" several questions: Did you just quit your program because it was too competitive and you couldn't make it and now your comments are the result of "sour grapes"? What was your major at GCU? Where did you transfer? Did you finish a degree there?
The bottom line is I couldn't care less if GCU meets a religious zealot's standards or not. I care about what the experts such as Barron's have to say about the university.

Lsail123 April 9, 2009 at 8:22 p.m.

I just enrolled. I can always leave if I do not like it. Itwas not the least expensive or the highest priced. Right in the middle. The enrollment counselor was the best.

Paul D. April 16, 2009 at 4:11 a.m.

I recently considered GCU, but removed them from my list due to a few concerns. One, they expect payment in full before you start a class. Yet there are other reputable online degree programs that have payment plans. Second, their course listings for different majors are nearly identical! I'm majoring in Business, so why is Biology on the list? The course listings for the majors was not that well planned or organized, and had very little differentiation.

RE: Paul D. April 16, 2009 at 5:20 p.m.

To begin with, paying for a semesters (or quarters) tuition at the beginning of the term is the norm across the nation. What you are asking for (payment plans)is the exception. Secondly, I am assuming you are an undergraduate majoring in business. You are asking why biology is on the list of courses that you have to take. Could it be that biology is part of a general education requirement that you must satisfy? This is also the norm, not the exception. Finally, I, for one, would like to know what "reputable" online schools you are talking about.

JOHN D. AGNEW April 17, 2009 at 1:03 a.m.

GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY IS BAD NEWS!!!

GCU Gets Great Reviews! April 17, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.

It is funny. Guys like John D. Agnew (not his real name of course) posts some stupid comment with nothing to back it up! If you notice "John", all twelve reviews are outstanding! The reviews come from graduates or soon to be graduates that have actually taken programs in a variety of fields including business administration, psychology, education etc. Several publications such as Barron's Profiles of American Colleges (2009) have rated the school as "very competitive". How do you explain that "John"? You are probably some guy that just quit for one reason or another. Possibly GCU wasn't "christian enough" for you, like some other clown wrote (you might even be the same person) so you decided to write some ridiculous, uneducated, unsubstantiated comment that means nothing. People who know about this school are expressing an informed opinion. They have seen it through. They have done the work. Experts that judge all colleges and universities for a living have also expressed their judgement of this university. They rate GCU highly. So what really matters? The opinion of someone like you or people who really know?

joy April 24, 2009 at 3:06 a.m.

I am interested in attending GCU for Bachelors in Education. The good comments seem to outweigh the bad ones. Seemingly the master program is great. What about the Bachelor of Ed.?

Look at the Reviews April 24, 2009 at 6:32 p.m.

I like to read everything when it comes to these blogs. Certainly, I would give more weight to the Reviews versus the Comments Joy. The comments are frequently made by individuals that have very little or no knowledge about the university in question. In this case, the negative comments for the most part are short and offer no real insight. They have been written by individuals that have no real experience with the course work at the university. The reviews, on the other hand, are more detailed and written by individuals that are either currently in the degree program or have completed a degree. In the case of GCU, the Reviews are all positive and therefore, the school has a very high overall average of 9.67. As far as the Bachelor of Ed degree goes, I believe a good indicator are the Reviews of the M.Ed in TESOL and M.A.T.

What is up? April 29, 2009 at 2:27 a.m.

Grand Canyon is a good school, but why have they affiliated themsleves with the diploma mill Warren National "university" / Kennedy Western "university"?????

Source: Current edition of Cheyenne Herald

www.cheyenneherald.com - specifically

www.cheyenneherald.com/_pdf/April%202009...

No "Connection" April 29, 2009 at 6:07 p.m.

There is no connection or affiliation. There are 14 students (out of over 1,600 current students) from WNU that have made inquiries into the possibility of transferring some of their units to GCU. There is no affiliation between the universities. I am sure that some of these displaced WNU students will also be looking into many other universities for transferring purposes. This in no way means that they are accepted by the university nor does it mean the units/credits will transfer.

My experience with GCU was a great one. I feel the university is a solid academic institution. It is regionally accredited and rated highly by publications devoted to evaluating four year colleges and universities in the U.S.. No university has any control over who makes inquiries. I certainly do not find fault with GCU in any way.

GCU Rules!!! April 30, 2009 at 3:32 a.m.

I found my almost two years in the master's program in education to be really good. Everyone from the instructors to the office staff were professional. I recommend the university to all my fellow teachers that are looking into getting their master's in education. I have also heard good things about the school of nursing and business, but don't know from first hand experience.

Go GCU April 30, 2009 at 4:58 a.m.

I think you misread it. GCU has set aside a "group of advisors" to intake the Warren National "university" students. The 14 referred to was in the first 90 minutes. I love GCU, but am concerned with this involvement with a banned diploma mill.

"There are 14 students (out of over 1,600 current students) from WNU that have made inquiries into the possibility of transferring some of their units to GCU"

RE: Go GCU April 30, 2009 at 5:18 p.m.

You are right.I glanced at it only for a short time. I had a second chance to look at it more closely. These 14 students may well be taken in as transfer students. They would then represent 14 out of 14,000 enrolled at the university (a tiny minority of 0.1% of the total student body). We don't know the details. However, I would suspect that they will be offered only minimal credit transfer if any at all. For example, a master's program transferring student may well be able to only transfer 3 to 6 credits no matter how far along they are in their studies. I don't see any direct connection though between the two schools. These displaced students, of which there are hundreds, are going to be transferring to many different schools. I believe there is mention of a second university in the link you posted. This is all just speculation and I will contact the university (alumni relations) to get any specifics I can. I'll let you know what I can find out (if anything).

Graduate May 1, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.

I went to a well known B & M university in Pennsylvania and had several graduate level classes. I moved back to California and completed a master's degree at GCU. Without a doubt, I found the classes more difficult and demanding at GCU. The school is growing rapidly and has undergone a great deal of change over the past several years. I believe GCU will continue to grow and continue to expand its offerings.

Happily Surprised! May 3, 2009 at 9:23 p.m.

I spent time trying to find the right master's program in TESOL. I narrowed it down to four schools. The tuition for the entire programs ranged from $14,000 to $22,000 not including books. All of the schools were RA. I contacted the enrollment advisors for each of the schools and had a long chat with each. My reasons for wanting the master's were two fold: I wanted to teach college level courses one day and for professional advancement. GCU's enrollment advisor was very helpful and explained how to best finance my education ( the tuition was the lowest of all the schools as well). He did misplace my paperwork (application and transcripts)only to find it a couple of days later. It also took the university four months to eventually send me an acceptance letter even though my combined GPA was 3.5 (well above the 2.7 they were asking for). However, I did stick with GCU and I was very happy I did. Almost all the professors I had were great (one not so great. Nine out of ten isn't bad). In addition, when I did have a question for the counselor, professor or office staff, I received an answer that was prompt and accurate. All in all, I would have to say that my experience was terrific (even with a small set back here and there). When I read some of the other forums about some of the other experiences individuals are having dealing with other institutions, I have to say that I am very happy to have gone to GCU!

Growing Rapidly! May 13, 2009 at 3:46 p.m.

This university is growing rapidly! I visited the campus last summer and was very surprised by the number of new structures. Now, further expansion is planned. Below is a short summary.

Grand Canyon University’s enrollment has increased dramatically to 25,000 students (both traditional students as well as online students) and is planning a major expansion.

GCU is planning to build a 5,000-seat event center, double its student housing with a new dormitory, expand classroom facilities and build a new library.

Afraid of Hard Work? May 20, 2009 at 12:46 a.m.

This is for the posted review of May 15, 2009 Decent Education-not convenient:

He/she states: " I would not recommend signing up unless you plan to devote your life to the schoolwork. In order to maximize profit, courses are 8 weeks long with heavy reading assignments and a weekly assignment.

The material is thrown at the student so quickly that there is little time for questions or to re-read or review. You spend your time reading and then flipping through what you've read for the answer to the questions".

It sounds like you don't know what college is all about. You have to "devote your life to the schoolwork" when you are at a university. They don't give degrees away. You are expected to work your butt off. It sounds like the "heavy reading assignments and weekly assignments" are too much for you. University level courses move quickly. They do expect you to work hard. The review two days after yours is titled "Great Program! Heavy Work Load". That person put in 15-20 hours per week into a Master's degree. Maybe you need to adjust your expectations about what university level material is all about and stop complaining about it being too much work.

Great Experience-Teacher-Masters Online Degree May 22, 2009 at 11:23 p.m.

I have read all of the reviews. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and overall experience at GCU. My first Masters at GCU was nerve wrecking at first. YES, it does take a lot of your time. People told me not to do it because it would run my life. Yes, I do spend about 20 hours a week on making my assignments perfect. I completed my Masters with the Reading: Instruction and Curriculum degree and received a 4.0 do to my effort and hard work (yes, i put in a lot of hours because I wanted to. You don't have to). I am very well pleased with my experience. Every professor I had was understanding and very well knowledgeable.
Now I am working on my second Masters in Special Education for Financial advancement as a teacher. It is a bit scary once again due to minor changes and a new course all over again. I have to remind you we are all different kind of learners. IF you can spend time online and are technology smart, then you will enjoy it at home with your cup of coffee or tea and your pajamas. I believe it is very structured and organized. I highly recommend it to anyone pursuing a career in Education. I cannot speak for the other degrees. I know that many in the state of NJ are raving about GCU's educational resources and professionalism.

@ Great Experience May 25, 2009 at 1:57 a.m.

Your comments were really good. I think you should write a review to inform others. Many students highly value the reviews at this site and it would be helpful for prospective students to read your review.

Nancy May 26, 2009 at 2:22 p.m.

I am currently attending GCU for Addiction Counseling and have found the program to fit into my life well. I am a single paret and work 40hrs a week and still have no problem getting my work done. People who post negative comment that are just one sentence long are more then likely people who 1. never attended the school 2. were failures and dropped out due to the fact that they could not manage their time effectivly. I have found that all staff have been helpful and pro-active when it came to returning calls. I did find tat the financial aid department was a bit of a pain, but they have numerous students calling them and are overwhelmed. All in all I have enjoyed my experience so far.

@ Nancy May 26, 2009 at 2:48 p.m.

I agree with you 100%. People who write one sentence negative comments haven't gone to the school or are probable dropouts. They don't know anything about GCU and that is exactly why they post a one sentence comment. They simply cannot write more. I will say the same to you as I did to "Great Experience".
A formal review will also help prospective students make a decision. If you have time, you should write one.

??? May 29, 2009 at 1:37 p.m.

"I'll let you know what I can find out (if anything)."

Any update on the Warren National University / Grand Canyon connection?

@??? May 29, 2009 at 5:23 p.m.

Not yet. I'm just going to let it go....other things to worry about. GCU will be just fine!

To Great Experience & Nancy June 2, 2009 at 5:18 p.m.

I have to say you guys got it right. People who make these one line ridiculous statements about GCU obviously have no idea about this university. My experience was great (as the vast majority of the people who have posted here and who have written reviews). I really found the one critic of the school to be very funny. He essentially was complaining that GCU was too much work and that, as a result, he didn't have a life: "I would not recommend signing up unless you plan to devote your life to the schoolwork." Really??? Isn't college supposed to be a great deal of work? He/She needs a reality check on what college is all about.

Anxious & Ready June 6, 2009 at 3:38 p.m.

I have recently applied to GCU. When the representative came to my school I became very interested so I decided to apply. I was told that I had to complete four steps immediately and they called me everyday, more than once a day and sent emails until the application was completed. Now that the application is completed, it's taking an act of God just to find out what my application status is. They will not return phone calls or emails now. I'm tired of waiting. What should I do?

@ anxious & ready June 6, 2009 at 5:44 p.m.

I would like to know what the name is of the representative. I had a very similar experience. After a five month wait, they sent a letter of acceptance. I can only tell you that it was worth the wait. The program was great. The problem with GCU is that they are currently experiencing tremendous growth and they are under staffed. Tell the rep that you are going to complain to his supervisor (as I did) and that will solve the problem ( it did for me). I'm telling you, you will be happy you stuck it out. It is a great university.

Julie June 19, 2009 at 1:03 a.m.

I go here, and should graduate with my BS/Psychology in October. Overall it is a great experience. You do have to work, but the papers are not near as hard as University of Phoenix and Western International University. The price is also cheaper than UoP and WIU, which is nice. Plus, they seem more upfront about your student aid than UoP and WIU. Your reimbursement checks are sent out within 14 days after they receive them. The advisers are okay, but nothing like UoP or WIU. This university doesn't hold your hand and walk you through things like UoP and WIU. Overall, it is a good experience. They do have group assignments, but other than that, I would recommend the program.

Update? June 19, 2009 at 2:04 p.m.

"I'll let you know what I can find out (if anything)."

Any update on the Warren National University / Grand Canyon connection?

See May 29th Post June 19, 2009 at 8:31 p.m.

See May 29th Post! Over and Out!

re:Julie June 19, 2009 at 10:22 p.m.

I agree that the financial aid office has their act together but the part about UoP being more difficult is not accurate. Although I haven't taken courses at UoP, I know two people that have as well as knowing two instructors. They have shown me their assignments etc. and there is no comparison to GCU. The level at UoP is considerably lower.

?? June 30, 2009 at 8:23 p.m.

Any update on the Warren National University / Grand Canyon connection?

"I'll let you know what I can find out (if anything)."

I know that WNU is the subject of a class action by former students, that is all I know from that end, any word on the Grand Canyon / WNU affiliation?

@?? July 1, 2009 at 12:39 a.m.

See my May 29th post. Over and out.

@"What is up?" (aka" Go GCU" and "??") July 1, 2009 at 1:09 a.m.

What is your affiliation with GCU? Are you a student; a graduate? Are you possibly one of those want-to-be graduates that couldn't hack it so you dropped out and now you want to "take revenge on GCU" kind of guys?

I suggest you do your own research. I also suggest you re-read on my post on May 29th. That is all I'm going to say. In the mean time, why don't you focus your attention on your undergraduate studies so you can finally finish your degree.

Super Pleased! July 1, 2009 at 5:56 p.m.

Most of the negative comments are coming from individuals that have absolutely no experience with GCU. They haven't been through a degree program there; most of them are frustrated drop outs that couldn't make it.
On the other hand, I have seen it through and received my Masters. Overall, I was super pleased with my experience at GCU. It was a great deal of work and time committed to my studies, but in the long run, it has helped me tremendously. If I were coming to these forums to get advice on where to go for a graduate program, I would suggest looking very carefully at the reviews and not associate too much validity to the comment board. Those who have written reviews have either completed degree programs at the university or are about to complete their degree program. They truly know and can judge the university. These other "waste of time and space" individuals make these short meaningless comments simply because they couldn't make the grade and dropped out. It is there way of venting their frustrations. I can only say, give this university your consideration. It is truly a great experience.

I agree.... July 2, 2009 at 8:11 p.m.

The statistics speak for themselves: GCU has about a 9.3 average and 14 of the 15 reviews (individuals who have either finished degrees or are about to) are outstanding! What else can be said? The numbers tell the story. Everything else you read by the "want-to-be" is b.s. They are the failures; the drop outs.

Guy Who Knows! July 7, 2009 at 6:35 p.m.

This university is awesome! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed my experience at GCU! People really care about you as a person and your education.

dubvee 2005 July 17, 2009 at 2:21 a.m.

HELP!!!! I am currently applying for the MBA program and wanted to know if it is worth it? I currently work for one of the most respectable Fortune 500 companies in the world. Does anyone know of where some people have worked after getting the MBA from GCU?

ACC2k9 July 17, 2009 at 5:33 a.m.

First off, I'm an undergrad Accounting major set to hopefully graduate at the end of this Fall semester. I've been at GCU since January, having transferred in from ASU.

My experiences with GCU:

The Good:

- I was able to transfer in 73 credits and my associates degree waved the basic requirements even if some of my classes didn't match GCU's general requirements.
- The course layouts are pretty straight forward: 2-3 Discussion Questions each week along with an assignment.
- Military tuition rates make this college very attractive

The Bad:
- I've had numerous administrative issues:
- Financial Aid: Student loans have been canceled randomly at the start of each semester, requiring numerous phone calls (with long on-hold times, or not being able to reach your financial aid rep assigned to you) to get fixed causing slight delays in disbursement(refund) checks to be sent
- Transcripts: While most of my credits transferred in, many of them were incorrectly evaluated or not initially considered for credits. I had to send/fax course substitution/description documents 3 times, as well as make numerous phone calls to ensure that I eventually received the proper credits and evaluations for them (still missing a class or two, but its not worth wasting an hour of my time calling in/preparing more forms).
- Academic Counselors: I have now had 3 different academic counselors assigned to me in the 7 months I've attended. My newly assigned counselor has not even made contact with me and I only found out through an email response to my old counselor notifying me of the change.
- Other: Part of my internship required documents from the school, that took me over a month to get (nobody understood what a certificate of good standing was), nearly costing me a great opportunity to advance my career.
- Classes:
I think the Discussion Question portion of the class needs to be redesigned. Generally, you have to answer 2-3 questions and respond to 2-3 of your fellow classmates posts. The problem is that most of the time these questions just ask you to recapture some section of the book in your own words, leaving you to either say "great post bob" or make up some random comment or question to receive points. Every now and then an instructor will post something that actually gets you thinking and responding to something other than whats written in the book, but this has been quite rare for me.

Overall:

If I weren't so close to graduating, I'd look else where to complete my education. Education wise, I am definitely learning and the course demands are there. But being a "for-profit" university, I expect better service as a student paying for my education here. I fail to see how senior management at GCU (many of which used to work at UoP) can capitalize on their students and then provide them will such poor service.

GCU Guy July 17, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.

This is in response to ACC2K9: You mentioned:
"Education wise, I am definitely learning and the course demands are there. But being a "for-profit" university, I expect better service as a student paying for my education here."
I have to agree completely with your closing statement. GCU provides a great education. There are also administrative issues that they have to address. This is in part, I believe, to the university's student body growing at such a rapid pace that the administrative staff is being overwhelmed. I think they can take care of that by hiring more individuals. However, I found that they did eventually get the problems straightened out. The main point for me is that the education is great! We go to universities to get a great education. Every school is going to have some administrative glitches along the way. I know it is upsetting but you have to get beyond that. In summary, I have to agree with ACC2K9 when he says "Education wise, I am definitely learning and the course demands are there."
Go GCU!!!!

Another Afraid of Work July 21, 2009 at 6:26 p.m.

Let's look at some of the things that the review from July 16th talks about.
"I was attending GCU for a semester, and the school signed me up for more classes and now I owe over $2000 for classes I never attended and NEVER wanted."
Having gone to GCU I know that they pre-program students. In other words, once you declare a major they set up the classes you will need for the coming semester. Of course, for elective/general education classes you decide what they will be based on certain requirements. I would be willing to bet that this guy didn't inform the university that he intended to DROP OUT and that is why they programmed him for the next semester and that is why he was charged tuition. There is a strict timetable that universities adhere to regarding drop deadlines and tuition. It sounds like he obviously didn't pay attention.
He goes on to say "The classes themselves were not to my liking and I didn't learn very much even though I had to do tons of work."
News flash; not every single class you are going to take in college will be to your "liking", so get real. He also mentions not learning very much (that is his fault that he didn't study and "hit the books") and there was a lot of work. Really??? Too much work??? Poor child:( Another news flash for our little freshman friend; college should be a lot of work and GCU is a lot of work. If you're not willing to devote a lot of time to your work then continue with your plans to drop out. If you read the discussion board you will read that he is not the first, and won't be the last to complain about the work load at GCU.

A. Malley July 31, 2009 at 5:27 a.m.

I am currently attending an online program at GCU. I would like to point out that the course work is demanding. I transferred about 80 credits to this school, so I have some basis for comparison when I say that the work standards and expectations in class are high. I find that I have to spend at least 12 hours per week per online course to maintain an "A". All of the assignments are "write and cite", so it is very difficult to achieve high marks without performing the required reading. Furthermore, a few of the professors I have require that I post my completed assignments with an anti-plagiarism service.

The overall class grade averages for the online courses that I am taking are low, as in low 70's, so there are no easy grades for the masses here. I am glad to see that hard work is not devalued by grade inflation. Based on many of the online discussion items posted by my classmates in the "classroom", I would suspect that the online courses probably attract some people who expect that they will be able to earn a degree with little effort or preparation. Based on the amount of time I have to spend on my coursework to achieve a high grade, I would suspect that people who are not college material will probably wash out at GCU.

The admission process was lengthy, but once every item on the admission list had been performed, there was no doubt in my mind about what I could or could not expect administratively. The school had many people available and willing to help me through the process. There was plenty of phone and email contact with the enrollment, finance, admissions, and guidance councilors at GCU, and I never had to wait more than a day for complete and helpful answers to my numerous questions about attending GCU. However, I think it would be easy for someone that were impatient or disorganized to miss important steps in this process, resulting in some sort of administrative mess, either with financial aid, class registration, books, etc. I found the guidance and personal help to be very thorough when I registered in the summer of 2009.

I am a veteran, so the tuition was very reasonable for me. However, the tuition is otherwise expensive, but comparable to many private universities I've looked into at about $22,500 for 30 credits per year.

I am satisfied with my experience here so far. I hope it continues.

@ A. Malley July 31, 2009 at 6:02 p.m.

"The overall class grade averages for the online courses that I am taking are low, as in low 70's, so there are no easy grades for the masses here. I am glad to see that hard work is not devalued by grade inflation."

When I was taking my M.Ed. program at GCU I found the averages in the class was also in the mid to high 70's. I too maintained an 'A' (4.0) average throughout the program but it required hard work. I was putting in 15-17 hours a week between the reading, researching, writing (1 paper a week of approximately 10-12 pages along with a log of 2-3 pages)and the discussion threads. The standards were very high. This comes from someone who did both California State teaching credentials at UCLA (so I have a point of comparison). As far as the tuition goes, I found it to be on the cheaper side. The M.Ed. totaled about $14,500 for the entire program. I started the program in 2006 and finished in the spring of last year so the tuition may have gone up a little since then. Overall, I would definitely recommend this school to anyone in the teaching field that wants to attempt a Master's program.

Melanie August 11, 2009 at 12:04 a.m.

I am wanting feedback from anyone who currently is taking or has taken the Masters in Professional Counseling curriculum.

BeCool August 20, 2009 at 11:55 p.m.

I would like some feedback on the MS in Addictions Counseling.

Elizabeth August 21, 2009 at 3:55 a.m.

I have a 3 year BA in Psychology & History from the University of Toronto, plus courses to equal a 4-year degree from 25 years ago. The state I live in doesn't recognize the 4 year BA. I'm a mom of 2, one of whom is special ed., who works part-time and want to transfer credits, but have a degree in special ed. I've taken some on-line 'back-to-college' type General Ed. courses at my local community college because Canadian Universities do not do General Ed. I'm not afraid of hard work, but am worried about the problems people have had with the application and transfer process. How quickly/long does it take to get into the programs? I met with an advior at my local state university and know I will need about 6-8 general ed courses. Courses start there in late Sept. I don't want to loose a quarter because of admin. problems with applying.

Jennifer-starting in Sept. 09 August 21, 2009 at 3:17 p.m.

I am about to start my Masters in Education with GCU next month. I am a bit nervous because I work full time, have a 2 year old and a 2 month old baby. I am confident I will be able to handle it but just wanted to find out the types of assignments required. I've seen a lot of "work load is heavy" type comments-just wondering what the specifics are concerning the "work."
Thanks!

Re: Jennifer-starting in Sept. 09 August 21, 2009 at 7:25 p.m.

Hi Jennifer;
I received my Masters in Education almost a year and a half ago. Generally your work load will look like this:
1. Read approximately 80-100 pages per week in the text.
2. Write a 5-8 pages paper on a given topic.
3. Write a 1-2 page reading log (which is not just a summary of the reading rather how you would apply the theory/information presented in your classroom.
4. Participate in discussion. This usually means 5-6 posts of your own answering the professor's questions plus commenting on 5-6 posts from others in the classroom. These must be substantive answer (not just "good post. I agree".
5. Any other reading/research that the professor might want you to do (i.e. reading journal articles etc.)
I am an organized person that works accurately, professionally and quickly. I earned a 4.0 GPA in the program. However, I must also tell you that I averaged between 15-20 hours a week to accomplish all of the above every week for 21 months. It is DEMANDING! No doubt. I have a point of comparison as well as I mentioned above (July 31st) since I earned both of my California state teaching credentials through UCLA (3.85 GPA). I too had/have two teaching positions and two children. It was difficult but very much worth it. I have never regretted the experience and what I learned at GCU for anything. It was great! You will love it!

Patrick August 27, 2009 at 11:50 p.m.

Does anyone have some reviews/info/opinions/general comments to offer about the online MBA program at GCU? I am considering several online MBA programs but GCU keeps rolling back around to center stage. Any reply is VERY MUCH appreciated!!!!

Track 2-Z GCU Student August 28, 2009 at 4:36 p.m.

I enrolled w GCU beginning of summer to obtain my BS in Bus Admin/HCM. I had planned on starting the last week of June, but due to some extenuating circumstances and fin. aid issues, I had to delay it until July. I have no problems with GCU as an accredited school or the programs they offer. I like what they stand for and what they have to offer. For being a highly accredited university & offering online degree programs as well, their tuition rates are very competitive. I did my due diligence and there are other universities that, but charge WAY too much for their programs. After signing up I experienced MANY problems. In the beginning I could leave a message with my enrollment, finance, & academic counselors & get a call back within 24hrs or even that same day. It seemed to me that once I was enrolled & accepted, the communication changed drastically.
First, I wasn't informed that I was "financially accepted", meaning I had income to pay for tuition & my "mygcu" account was established. I found this out 4 weeks later, by mistake because the front desk reception just so let me know.
2nd, they weren't as helpful with getting my financial aid grants/loans filings corrected & almost cost me to lose it all. I had to get help from my local community college's finance department because my GCU finance counselor wasn't fulfilling their end.

continued...

Track 2-Z GCU Student August 28, 2009 at 4:37 p.m.

3rd, I was promised a couple scholarships; 1 for enrolling in summer courses (applied when I started) & the other for transferring credits with an average GPA of 3.0 or higher (to be applied 1st school year). I have yet to receive either.
4th, every time I have a question on anything related to my account, whether it be course questions, term dates, books, etc. I can't get a return call or e-mail response without having to feel like I am harassing them on a daily basis after my initial attempt was a week prior. Oh and when I finally do receive a return phone call, the excuse is always the same...I was out sick, family emergency, or the best one so far "that's odd, I never got any message from you." That's fine I understand they have to work with a bunch of students, but if it is too overwhelming for them then they probably should hire more staff or not accept as many students.
Lastly, my name was incorrect in "mygcu" for over a month and it took me 5 e-mails, 3 technical ticket submissions and 10 phone calls to just get my name corrected. Not to mention, I wasn't notified in advance or told what to expect. It was Friday mid-morn & I in the middle of doing course work. All of a sudden I lost access to my class. I tried to log back, but my User ID & password were invalid. I panicked bc not only could I get a hold of anyone, except the front desk reception, I had to submit my work to get credit. I ended up working 30 mins & figured it out myself. Please don't get me wrong, I love the courses so far. The professors are very knowledgeable, the workload is what I expected & the online program Angel is easy to use, but it is the communication from my "team" that frustrates me. Students shouldn't have to take time out of their busy schedules & demand answers, it should just be automatic and in a timely fashion.

That is ture! August 28, 2009 at 11:33 p.m.

The last poster said:
"Please don't get me wrong, I love the courses so far. The professors are very knowledgeable, the workload is what I expected & the online program Angel is easy to use, but it is the communication from my "team" that frustrates me. Students shouldn't have to take time out of their busy schedules & demand answers, it should just be automatic and in a timely fashion."
You are right. The classes are great and the professors are very knowledgeable and there is a lot of work involved with the classes. I experienced some of the same problems with communication. I think they need to hire more people in administration because they are growing too quickly and their administration is not keeping up. When they resolve that problem, things will be pretty much perfect at GCU.

Frank Comer August 31, 2009 at 12:19 p.m.

Frank Comer is my real name and I have been enrolled in the M.S.-Leadership program (On-line) going on two years now. My experience in the classroom has been nothing but possitive. The courses are demanding for "Adult Learners" with full time jobs. I have attended graduate programs at the University of Wisconsin with success as well. I will just say that someone should not evaluate difficulty by the length of a paper but it's content. The paper requirments at GCU are not as lengthy but the APA requirments are the same as any other school. I attended a state college, attending classes everday to achieve my undergraduate degree. Honesty, I slept through most lectures and turned in a paper at the end and graduated. You will only get what you put into any learning opportunity.

GCU Alum September 12, 2009 at 12:46 a.m.

I have read all the reviews on this blog concerning GCU. It is evident that the vast majority of the negative comments and reviews are from people that just couldn't "make the grade" so they dropped out! It is that simple. Are there some problems with communication? I believe there are based on the comments I have read although I personally didn't experience any. It seems that the university is growing at an incredible rate. They probably haven't kept up with the growth rate well enough and need to hire more people. However, the level of education is great. You don't have to believe me. Just read all the reviews of the successful individuals that made it through their degree programs. They all say the same thing; the education you get at GCU is great!

Future GCU Student September 17, 2009 at 6:13 p.m.

Hi all, I'm in the process of enrolling in the M.S in Addictions Counseling program at GCU. I just wanted to get some feedback from current and former students about the workload. I'm curious, does the work consist of weekly discussion questions, papers and so forth? or are there additional things involved. Thanks for your time.

GCU Guy October 5, 2009 at 3:48 p.m.

Look carefully at the reviews and comments in this forum. The vast majority of individuals, over 82% love this university and were successful in completing their difficult degree programs. The 18% or so that don't like GCU found it either "too much work" or just decided to drop out apparently without giving the university the proper notice or didn't give notice that they failed out by the drop date and were charged tuition for that semester. You have to follow the rules! This university is not for those who are planning on not doing work or doing very little work. It is very much the opposite. It is a very challenging university. Those who came to GCU thinking otherwise make up that 18% of drop outs.

experienced October 7, 2009 at 10:11 p.m.

I belive that going to online classes is now more common and for most of us necessary. The complaints I have about GCU is that they do not have 24/7 tech support like most universities. They just refer you to a website where you can trouble shoot. Someone said that a lot of their calls are routed to other countries. I have experience with other online institutions like Kaplan and University of Phoneix and they're calls are not routed anywhere. GCU is a christian school as was bought by investors who have now made it a for-profit school but you are still required to take a class in religion in the undergraduate programs. The founder of the university has stated that he did not know the university would change so much and become like all the other online schools out there. The ANGEL software the school uses is the same software my brother uses in high schoo. other online schools like university of Phoenix have their own website or software that is designed for their own students not high school students. Currently, Grand Canyon university is going through lawsuites based on the way they pay their employees and how they are reporting their finances. I saw a lot of comments from people stating that their tuition is on the lower end....just remember that you get what you pay for. I also heard people stating that their applications had been lost but then found. What would you do if your bank lost your checking account information?
I would be very upset! I know that the applications have sensitive information like DOB, SS# ect. This is not something that I would feel comfortable with.

For those people that did complete their degree at Grand Canyong university I would like to say congradulations. Regardless of what school you attended, having a degree is a great accomplishment. I do want to know what kind of alumni benefits GCU offers. Does anyone know?? I know that University of Phoenix has a whole website full of networking, discounts and lists of employers looking to hire UOP alumni. Does GCU offer any of this??

@experienced October 8, 2009 at 1:25 a.m.

Are you a GCU drop out?

Let's Look at "experienced" October 12, 2009 at 5:54 p.m.

Dear Fellow GCU Alumni;

I want us to take a look at this individual named "experienced".
He is obviously someone who has a very limited educational background. To begin with he does not know how to spell nor does he know how to use punctuation correctly. I quote:

"The ANGEL software the school uses is the same software my brother uses in high schoo. other online schools like university of Phoenix have their own website or software that is designed for their own students not high school students."

AND

"For those people that did complete their degree at Grand Canyong university I would like to say congradulations."

It should read "Grand Canyon University...." not "Grand Canyong university".

The word "schoo" should be spelled "school". The word "congadulations" should be spelled "congratulations".

In addition, "other" in the sentence "other online schools like university of Phoenix have their own website or software that is designed for their own students not high school students." needs to be capitalized. In addition, you need a comma between "students" and "not".

" This is not something that I would feel comfortable with."
Do you mean "This is something I would not feel comfortable with"?

Now to substance: "Experienced" in fact is probably not a college graduate. He also does not have any background at all in the field of education. I have received my State Teaching Credentials through UCLA (a top 25 university) and my Masters at GCU. I also have decades of experience (real experience) in the field of education. Therefore, I am in a much, much better position to judge GCU as an educational institution. GCU is exceptional! People that have written bad reviews (only 5 out of 28 have meaning that 82% of the reviews are outstanding) base their reviews on the fact that they simply could not handle the work and academic rigor so they dropped out. It is a simple case of "sour grapes". I would guess that "experienced" is a case in point. When reading any of these forums, please take into account who is writing these comments. If they cannot or will not identify their academic background, their words don't mean a thing.

Overload? October 13, 2009 at 6:07 p.m.

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone in any of the graduate programs -- particularly the Master of Education -- tried to take more than the normal 2 classes per semester?

If so, how'd that work out for you?

For the record, my girlfriend's daughter has a 1st grade teacher that went through the Master of Education program and is quite a good teacher. She seems quite satisfied with her GCU experience.

TIA!

re: overload? October 14, 2009 at 1:28 a.m.

I have a MEd from GCU. During my studies I took the two clsses per semester. The workload was heavy (15-20 hrs per week) for each class. I knew of only one student that tried to take more than that and she said it was way too much. I don't know how much time you have to devote to your studies however, if you have a full time job, I would not recommend taking more than two classes per semester. Like your girlfriend I was really happy with the MEd program at GCU.

experienced October 15, 2009 at 9:23 p.m.

It is sad to know that the post was judged on spelling errors and on the assumption that I do not have a college degree. I would like to apologize to everyone for my spelling mistakes and bad punctuation. I was a little busy at the time of that post and did not pay attention to my writing. I am currently enrolled in a doctorate program and for your information I have taken programs at GCU and successfully completed them. So as much as you would like to bash me for my typing errors we are both alumni to the same school.

As far as being better equipped in judging a school because of your major is not a valid point. You are saying that your judgment is better than any other person on this site because you have an education degree!?! I strongly disagree with that. Just because you attended a school that is highly ranked doesn’t mean you know everything about educational institutions. The only argument you made towards the school is that it is exceptional and you are an Alumni. As an educated individual you should know that you need to support your argument with facts. We all make what we want out of our educational experience. Just because you received your teaching credentials from UCLA (a top 25 university) doesn't mean much. If you want to show that your education is valuable because you attended a high ranking school, then you really messed up by attending a school that is not ranked high enough for your standards.

I am not here to bash any schools. I working in the education industry and I have a lot of experience with GCU, UOP and Kaplan. I have experience with the events that happen behind the scenes in these institutions. These online schools are a great alternative for most of us that are unable to attend a traditional campus. I would like to let everyone know that it is always in your best interest to attend a traditional university than and online university. I would only attend an online university if there is absolutely no possible way for you to attend a traditional university.

Since you have an education background, and apparently in a better position to judge schools. What do you think about UOP or Kaplan?

Just in case you decide not to make valid points again, I have included more grammatical and spelling errors. It seems that is one thing you’re really good at.

@ experienced October 16, 2009 at 2:25 a.m.

This website was down for almost three days. On October 8th I asked you if you were a GCU drop out. You responded "Not at all...." You went on to say that you have never attended GCU and in fact that you have never even applied to GCU. Unfortunately for you I had a chance to read your post before the website went down. When it was up again your post and my response to your post were gone.

You owe the GCU Alumni another apology. I believe you are nothing more than a liar and a fraud. I believe you are indeed a drop out and your posts are nothing more than 'sour grapes'. State your name, degree you have earned at GCU and when it was earned if you are telling the truth.

You further make yourself look like a fool by saying the following:

"Just because you received your teaching credentials from UCLA (a top 25 university) doesn't mean much. If you want to show that your education is valuable because you attended a high ranking school, then you really messed up by attending a school that is not ranked high enough for your standards."

What a joke you are little man! You are trying to say that a UCLA education means next to nothing. You try to say that GCU is substandard. You might want to do some research (if you know what that means).Publications such as Barron's Profiles of American Colleges (2009) has rated GCU as "very competitive".

Let's face it; you are not telling the truth are you? I know what I read and you admitted that you never attended GCU. Please go elsewhere 'sour grapes'.

Kempo November 1, 2009 at 1:57 p.m.

GCU 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 on their site.

Beth November 4, 2009 at 7:17 p.m.

I am about to complete my BA in Christian Studies at GCU and I will tell you that the curriculum is great, but the support is TERRIBLE!!! There is a revolving door of academic advisors and each new one that gets assigned to me is worse than the last one. I wasted a lot of time, and money, taking classes that did not actually apply to my degree program because my advisor was misinformed and told me that they were required when they weren't. I also was dropped from a class the day it was scheduled to start because of an administrative error on the part of tech support and the class was not supposed to have been offered in the first place (mind you, my advisor enrolled me in the class and they had already billed me for it before I got dropped.) I also had numerous problems with the billing people (I am a vet and I was using their Veteran's Scholarship and had to call every semester to have it applied even though they were supposed to apply it automatically.) I could go on and on about the administratice problems I had. I am glad I finish my degree this semester and will not have to deal with the heavy work load of working full time, going to college and dealing with incompetence at GCU. If you are willing to babysit your advisor and re-check everything that they tell you, then you will do great at GCU. I will be seeking my Masters Degree elsewhere.

Opposite Experience November 5, 2009 at 5:32 p.m.

I found the administrative staff at GCU to be supportive, caring and helpful. It seems to be the exact opposite experience to Beth's experience. I did have an issue early on with the enrollment counselor. He was obviously way over-loaded and didn't even know if my application had arrived or not. That was straightened out with a phone call to a 'higher up'. Once I got over that hurdle, everything was great. The program was excellent, the professors knowledgeable and the material very interesting (tome at least). All in all I have to give GCU an "A".

Former Enrollment Counselor November 15, 2009 at 9:33 p.m.

I worked for this school for 3 years. I finally left because I could not stand how these people lied to the students. They told them anything they could in order to enroll them. It was always about the money and never helping the student. Even as an enrollment counselor I was told daily that I needed to meet a quota or I was fired. If I did not get my numbers then I was not doing it right. I was taken aside by a supervisor one month because I enrolled 8 students instead of 15. I told him that I was doing everything I could and he said that it was not enough. Basically without saying it his following words were, tell the student anything you can to get them to sign up. Once they are signed up then let the other departments take care of it. Lie Lie Lie all a bunch of lies. The education is not bad I will admit however the staff are the worst bunch of liars I have ever met. For a Christian college they sure do not treat their employees in this manner nor do they treat the students in this manner, if you are looking into this school please dont, there are plenty of other schools that are just as accredited and cheaper. STAY AWAY!!!

@Former Enrollment Counselor November 16, 2009 at 4:16 p.m.

Can you tell me some of the people you worked with? Who told you to lie? What is your educational background (i.e. degrees, credentials etc.)? I would like to estabish if you are telling the truth. There are plenty of people out there that 'get fired' for one reason or another and use forums such as these just to vent their frustrations and will paint an unfair picture of a university just to 'get back at them'. I would like to know if this is such a case.

Jess.North November 17, 2009 at 10:51 p.m.

On November 30th I will begin taking online classes. (B.S Education/ Elem Ed/Special Ed) Is taking the online classes harder? Will I recieve help if needed? I know I can do the work, I'm just worried! Does anyone have any advice for me?

Don't Worry November 18, 2009 at 3:50 p.m.

My major was in Education as well (grad level). The professors were very good and helpful (one wasn't as helpful as the others but 10 out of 11 isn't bad). I can only say that I loved it and I think you will too. Check out the comments in this forum of the individuals that have graduated from various programs (both undergraduate and graduate). I tend to ignore the bad reviews and comments because they come from frustrated individuals that couldn't 'make the grade' and bailed out. This is their way of 'seeking revenge'. I say just because you couldn't make it doesn't mean that the programs aren't great and challenging. It is a childish way of striking back. Take it from me, you will enjoy the program and get a lot out of it.


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