Antioch University

To be fair, this like most new programs, has things it needs to work through. I struggled to find value in teaching myself. I expected a bit more from the faculty. I do believe in the value of self-directed learning where you have a advisor/professor who is an expert in the field. My advisor nor any of the other professors had a background in my subject area. For example, coming from the sciences much that is written is in the passive voice. Transplanting an empirical science background into a social science background where active voice prevails forced me to readjust my writing style. Not that his is a bad thing (I got to learn something), but they were not accommodating to this diversity and I was forced to either adjust what I was interested in pursuing (the sociobiology of leadership) or leave the program. Add to that my advisor had no background in the biological or the empirical hard-sciences. I ultimately left the program even though I had an article on the sociobiology of leadership published in a major encyclopedia on leadership. There is no real way to finance this program beyond cash and/or loans. There is no teaching assistance or other scholarships. Therefore, the attendee makes a significant financial investment and must realize that walking away provides a complete financial loss. The blended approach of residencies and online is a nice system. The online portion is basically the use of an email list-serve and chat rooms. Clearly there is room for improvement but every student is afforded the opportunity to interact. The downside, similar to the faculty expertise is that many of your colleagues do not shave the interests you may have, so though the discussions can be lively, frequently you are exploring your area of expertise solo. In conclusion, attending this program requires one to be more than just self-directed. You might need to be capable of teaching yourself what you do not know (a tough thing to do if you do not know the questions to be asked). You should also be prepared to adjust your interest to the interest of the advisor or faculty. And finally, you should realize that this program requires a substantial financial investment.