Kaplan University

[agzg]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Pray tell, how does one get a BS in Nursing online?

Those are "hybrid" or "blended" courses - you do your gen eds all online, then you have your lectures online but your lab work in a campus setting (with wet labs that have cadavers and everything). There's research out there supporting the efficacy of those models. I'd link to some of the better ones but I can only find them behind a paywall right now.

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I'm not sure that not requiring the GRE is a "good thing," either. Taking it--and preparing for it--is a good sign that you're serious about going back to school, and that you're prepared for graduate-level work. A school that doesn't take it (unless it's a school that requires auditions or portfolios) might be teaching to the "lowest common denominator," which is never good for anyone.

There are a lot of grad schools that don't require the GRE or portfolios or auditions. Mine didn't, but we're top 10 in the field.

[33girl]

Please go to the Frontline website and watch their latest report about how Kaplan and other for-profit universities are scamming veterans out of their GI Bill money.

If you're going to school for a career in Higher Ed - which will require nearly constant human interaction - you need to do it all in the classroom, not online.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by agzg

There are a lot of grad schools that don't require the GRE or portfolios or auditions. Mine didn't, but we're top 10 in the field.

I know that there are a lot, and some of them might be excellent programs, but they are by far the exception and not the rule (ie, top-tier programs that don't require the GRE, auditions, or portfolios). Picking a program because it doesn't require the GRE, regardless of the impact it may have on your career, isn't a brilliant move.

Originally Posted by 33girl

Please go to the Frontline website and watch their latest report about how Kaplan and other for-profit universities are scamming veterans out of their GI Bill money.

There's so much scamming going on with some of those for-profit universities. There are a lot of stories about schools fudging FAFSAs to increase Pell Grant amounts, which is money in the bank to them. It's just a hot mess. They often hide behind "accreditation," which doesn't really mean that much since there are so many accrediting bodies.

[littleowl33]

This doesn't really apply for a Higher Ed degree, but for others considering online, for-profit education - please be very sure to check that the degree or credential will do what it's supposed to do. There have been horror stories in the Chronicle about students who received credentials (I think in nutrition or dietetics) that the recruiter assured them would satisfy the state requirements, but after graduating they found that they weren't allowed to take the state's qualifying exam because their program wasn't recognized. They were stuck with an essentially useless credential.

Also be aware that many graduate schools may not recognize an online degree from a for-profit institution if you choose to go on to further education, like a doctorate. There's debate over whether this is non-profit snobbery or legitimate concern about the quality of the degree, but either way, it can be a serious disadvantage.

The Chronicle has also reported that while for-profit online programs (particularly at the undergraduate level) are not as difficult to start (what with constant rolling admissions and the ease of attending "in your PJs"), they are very difficult for many students to finish. Their graduation rates are pretty poor. However this could be correlation, not causation, since many students chose online coursework because they already have very busy lives that make attending a traditional program difficult.

Finally (and this somewhat ties into my first paragraph), do plenty of research on the program outside of what the recruiters will tell you. Non-profit universities employ admissions counselors, and a good one will tell you up front if their program is not a good fit for you. For-profit universities employ admissions recruiters, and oftentimes they will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you through the door. It's sales, not counseling.

I'm not saying for-profits cannot run programs well or that students cannot be successful with them. I'm just encouraging those considering these programs to be very cautious consumers.