Liberty University

Liberty University is one of those places where you have to compromise. As a veteran, Liberty makes it quite easy for a soldier to enroll in a university. It can be rather difficult and daunting to take a GRE, find professional references, and fulfill other requirements while on deployment! My experience was fairly seamless, and for that I believe Liberty was a good choice. The downside to that however, is accreditation. My masters did not put me in a position to obtain a license for which I had hoped for. Of course, I did not do my part or researched what I should have. Lesson learned. The courses themselves do tend to fall into a religious pit of sorts; not by the professors but by the students! Although christian viewpoints are encouraged, I notice students are the ones who focus on this aspect to cover up the fact that they don't understand the material! Just saying! Discussion boards become rampant with proverbs and personal experiences which should not be allowed by the university. If anything, points should be deducted for such behavior. Worldview can be integrated but shouldn't be used as a crutch. As far as the course materials, it's been said time and time again, "you get what you put into it!" This applies to everything- and education is no different. My graduate courses have been excruciating; reading, reading, and more reading! Although the textbooks are sometimes a hit or miss, they are jumping off points. Most of my time is spent researching and reading peer reviewed articles. That is the nature of graduate work. Regardless of the university being attended, the material from external sources are usually the same. So if anyone is citing only the bare minimum just to get by, shame on you! Liberty staff encourage references beyond the material used in class. It just seems most students go straight to the bible and that's it! I will be working on my second masters at Liberty University soon. Although I don't know why they would align themselves with someone like the president elect (I considered dropping my courses), in the end it comes down to convenience. I don't have to jump through hoops to be enrolled, I have access to an endless supply of academic research, and the courses themselves are set up to promote using all the resources available to master a subject. We all know online courses are an easy way to dodge work, and unfortunately many take advantage of that. It shows in the discussion board posts. If Liberty were to tighten the standards so that students don't fall back on the bible to get through a course, then I believe Liberty University can be a great faith based top tier university.

Hello everyone. Anyone that is considering Liberty University Online please do not make that mistake. What I am about to say sounds a bit paradoxical but need to be said. I enrolled at Liberty University Online back in the Summer 2012. The experience as far as professors, educational materials, class structure and interaction were excellent. I thought. However, I wanted to transfer my courses from Liberty University Online to UNC Pembroke. UNC Pembroke said that they would accept courses from the University of Mickey Mouse at Disneyland before they would ever accept one course from Liberty University (online format or not). I was extremely angered and frustrated to say the least. Mrs. Julie Layne at Richmond Community College, Admissions Counselor, told me that I should have come to her much sooner because Liberty University was a complete waste of time and money. Wish I would have talked to her sooner. I have six more classes to go before I complete the Master of Arts in Management and Leadership but now after learning this I am seriously considering leaving. I noticed that other universities that offer online programs require you to submit your GRE or GMAT scores, 3 letters of recommendation, an interview with faculty (admissions interview, but Liberty University Online did not ask for any of these items from me, that in itself should make raised a question but I trusted LUO because it is an accredited institution but does not have AACSB International accreditation which most colleges and universities do.

I agree with the person who was accused of potential fraud by Liberty University because the same thing happened to me and members of my family last year. They send the email and request the student to provide them information and make sure to include a color copy of your driver license or state issued identification card. Once they have every bit of information that they requested, they do not review it all but say that your ID has been compromised and then proceed to send your grants and loans back to the department of education. They refuse to talk by phone and will only respond to emails. However when you email them to ask them specific questions or ask about this compromised ID, they fall back on “we can’t divulge that information but will be sending it to other government agencies.” They will not allow you to view the information, dispute it and cut off all forms of communication leaving you with a balance for something that was already paid for. The Dept of Education doesn’t really help because they are aware that Liberty University picks “certain” students to randomly put in their system for this so called fraud prevention alert. Although the majority of these students are Black, the Dept of Education says this is not discrimination. Liberty University also black lists you from going to other colleges as they have a hold of your transcripts along with sending your account to a collection agency. This has been a horrible experience. I believe the only way to stop Liberty is to have a class action lawsuit brought against them for this practice they have. People if you have complaints please follow up with someone. We must not suffer in silence and just put it on reviews. We need to come together and file a complaint against the unjust things Liberty University is doing and getting away with.

I just recently started classes on June 25 2012 for the summer D term and I have had the worst experience at this college ever. About two weeks shortly after I received my award notice emailed to me from Liberty I received an email saying there was a potential fraud hold on my account and that I wasn't eligible for any financial aid at liberty. Also in the email they said that in my case there was several situations in my case that forced them to remove all of the aid off of my account but could not tell me what the situations was. Now I am stuck with a balance on my account that needs to be paid all because of they thinking that I am not who I am hell I even sent a copy of my photo id stating who I was and what the hell I look like faking like I am someone else anyway please save your time and money and do not go to this school

The MIS degree in Liberty University allows you to gain Computer Science/Engineering skills and knowledge and combined them with Business knowledge. I am currently working in IT field and my experience as a student at LU in this program has helped me understand better how technology plays in the development of people’s life’s and in business. I expanded my business knowledge and greatly expanded my technical knowledge with skills in programming languages, analysis and design, database management just to name a few. I’m currently on my last class of my MIS Major. The program is extremely rigorous and challenging. Online classes are not for everyone, you will need to have good time management skills and a lot of curiosity to learn. The 8 week course format is great and you can take classes throughout the year. The classes involve a lot of reading, writing, software projects and assignments’ with deadlines. You will have individual assignments but also you will have the opportunity to interact with other Liberty students weekly during discussion boards and with group assignments. The professors have been very helpful, whether by email within 24 hours or by the phone. Looking back at all the hard work, I’m very satisfied of my overall experience. I feel I received a great education in which I gained a lot of practical knowledge and skills, I developed some friendships, and gained a Christian worldview and that’s something most schools simply can not offer. PS; By the way… for those that don’t know much about LU: Liberty University is an accredited university, one of the top 10 largest Universities in the United States having over 72,000 enrolled students, the largest Christian university in the world and have been best voted online as one of the top online universities for their programs. I feel good about my choice of attending Liberty University.

As is the case, different people will have different experiences. It would be wonderful to have an organization that was 100% for 100% of the people. However, every circumstance is different, every individual is different, and every class is different. That being said, Liberty Unviersity was a wonderful experience. My professors (mostly) responded very quickly and gave great advice. Sometimes there were some disinterested teachers, and sometimes grades were not posted quickly. However, my overall experience is great. The classes are tough, but not to the point of ripping your hair out. They don't as too much, but they are not simple nor easy. They take work and dedication, as they should. My advisors have been good, although I have received conflicting informaiton before. These issues have always been cleared up very quickly. Technology is wonderful. Everything is smooth and easy to navigate. Overall, I love my experience with Liberty. Have 2 classes left, and with they offered the Doctoral degree I desire. It hasn't been a perfect experience, but those who think it should be are deluted as to how the real world works.

I chose this school accidentally. This was one of the schools I was interested in attending but hadn't decided for sure. I ended up almost losing my schollarship and the military spouse CAA advisor said if I registered for classes that day I would still receive my funding. So, I did and am so glad that I did that. Liberty has been wonderful. The values and beliefs at this school are very much my own. I find myself logging into class everyday excited for the new experience of what I may be learning that day. This is a very military friendly school, so military families don't hesitate. Contact the Military adviser located on the university webpage. Anyway this program is great. The classes are very satisfying, and I feel like I am getting a high level of education. This is a Brick and Mortar school located in Lynchburg, VA and they have some amazing programs here. I love my school so much that I am seriously considering taking my education a step further and applying to graduate school for next spring. The financial Aid was a little trying, but I have experienced that before at the school I received my AA from. Believe me all of the information they need is required and once that hurdle has been jumped it is so much worth it. You will not be disappointed in Liberty University, and who knows maybe God will find his way into your heart if he hasn't already.

I chose this school because it is accredited and has excellent technology for completing online classes. Additionally, I have found that most of my professors have PHDs and teach on campus. I highly recommend this University for anyone.

I have earned 2 degrees from Liberty and will earn the third in May 2011 (1 B.S. & 2 M.A.'s). I earned one degree in the undergraduate category (Religion), one from the seminary (Theological Studies), and the third from the graduate school of business. Here are my observations: 1. Yes...Liberty is a Baptist school. No, they don't force you to subscribe to their denominational viewpoint. While in the seminary, I was enrolled with Christians from a variety of denominations and ACADEMIC FREEDOM was respected. Make your case in a scholarly manner and your work will be respected and graded accordingly...you don't lose points for being "other-than-Baptist." 2. Liberty's faculty is not a joke. You will encounter professors with terminal degrees from highly respected universities. In addition, many of these professors are published by reputable publishing houses and peer-reviewed academic journals. Those critics who attack the pedigrees of Liberty's faculty as a joke are being dishonest. Liberty is regionally accredited and must meet the same standards as any other accredited school when it comes to hiring faculty...this is not a diploma mill. Do your research to prove this yourself. As for there religious backgrounds, as a Baptist/religious university faculty are required to endorse the university's statement of religious faith. So, too, the faculty at the Notre Dame, Brigham Young, and a variety of other religious schools in this country. 3. The academic programs are comprehensive and rigorous. Papers are submitted through anti-plagiarism software platforms that assign originality scores. If you intend to submit a "purchased" paper or a "cut and paste" job, you will not get away with it. My research papers have always been returned with constructive comments and feedback. Yes, some professors are better than others when it comes to student attention, but for the most part Liberty expects, and gets, a high level of student attention from its professors. 4. Liberty loses points for its "academic advising." Most of these advisors are students at the university...they are more bean-counters than advisors. However, if you are independent and mature, you don't need them. Print out your requirement sheet for your degree program and register for the classes you need...it's that simple (that's all the advisors are going to do anyway). If you are technology-challenged, Liberty's platform can be frustrating until you get used to it...but so would any other college IT platform. However, the Help-Desk is understanding and available to assist these types of students navigate the IT set-up. 5. The course material is relevant and up-to-date. The text books are not "religious," unless you are in the seminary. 6. I found the programs to be worth the money. I was challenged academically and the research was intensive. All work is expected to be of the highest quality. 7. As a distance-learning program, you get what you put into it. For those critics who say it is easy to cheat, I say this...I went to state university and witnessed much academic dishonesty...it's easy to cheat there, too. However, I never submitted papers through anit-plagiarism software at state university. 8. Class participation is done via online discussion forums. I didn't like them at first but grew to appreciate them because I found people are more honest when they are not looking you in the eye. As an exercise, these discussion boards are very helpful and provide quality critical interaction with a variety of viewpoints. 9. As a person of faith, Liberty gave me the freedom to integrate my worldview with my work, particularly important in such areas as ethics. No one asked me to embrace a particular religious view. 10. Distance learning gave me the flexibility to return to school. My work schedule did not accomodate attending classes without significant imposition on my home life. Going to Liberty allowed me to keep my job and be a good father & husband. It was a seamless transition...I could work my school work around my job and other obligations, not the other way around.

The Liberty University Online professors that I have had so far will post assignments but they have not been available for support or any questions. If you can't figure something out on your own, this program is NOT for you. Don't get me wrong, any Master's level program should be a challenge or everyone would have a Master's but I expect support from professors.

Liberty gets a lot of bad reviews simply because they are a Baptist university. Some people want to devalue the education because they feel like Christianity is shoved down their throat. Newsflash...if you attend a Baptist university, you will probably take a few religion courses. Xavier is a very prestigious university in Cincinnati. If you get a degree from there you will take theology and religion courses also. I have an Associates degree from a private college and have taken several classes at a state university. Liberty's coursework matches or exceeds both of them. I am not a "bible thumper" by any means, but I did enjoy a couple of the bible courses. A couple of others I didn't enjoy quite as much and one of them was about as difficult of a course as I have ever taken. I don't see how people apply a stigma to private religious universities, but private religious high schools are applauded for their superiority to public schools. Bottom line - Liberty is a great university that offers a quality education. The online classes are challenging. I haven't met a professor yet who will let you get away with much at all. If you don't do the work, you will not pass. It's really that simple. I'm glad that I found Liberty and I know that it will help me progress in my career. My company is even helping me pay for this. Would they do that if they weren't going to recognize the degree? My advice would be that if you find a company who looks down on a degree from Liberty, find another company. Preferably one that knows how to evaluate an education rather than letting their preconceived notions get in the way.

This is a great university for anyone, especially military. I have enjoyed my time at Liberty. I will say that the online classes can be very challenging but are so worth it. I know when my degree is complete I will be able to feel comfortable in any management position. I know that Liberty has taught me the skills I need to succeed. The teacher are very understanding and helpful. Every time I called in to the advisors my questions are answered promptly and accurately. I would highly recommend this university to individuals interested in obtaining the education and skills required to seamlessly step into their chosen career field.

A very tiresome experience to begin with. The process from the beginning was not good. They were very slow to respond to questions, and this was in every department. Whether you call or email...expect to just wait, and wait some more. It doesn't make sense for an academic institution to conduct business in this manner while students are focusing on their education and moving forward, it's like they put you on hold until whenever. If paying application fees and tuition gets you this type of result....it's not worth it. I would recommend exploring as many options as possible before going to Liberty University. Unless they hire more professional staff and show a genuine interest in your future at their institution.

Liberty University has been a great educational experience. I have completed a BS in Business Management and am finalizing a Masters in Management. I can not say any bad comments, I've loved the interaction, I've gotten great feedback, and I've had great interactions with other students in the group projects. Liberty's DLP program offers 8 week semesters, allowing you place all your focus on 2 to 3 classes over 8 weeks instead of 4 to 6 classes over 16 weeks.