California State University-Dominguez Hills

Apparently the admissions evaluators for this program only recognize BAs received from schools accredited by the Western Regional Accreditation board. I was denied admission because "A Bachelor's Degree has not been received from an accredited institution." I received my BA from Northwestern University, which is currently ranked as the No. 13 liberal arts college in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report. The rejection letter was signed by Brandy McLelland, and when I called the HUX office to talk to her, and explain that Northwestern is indeed accredited, I was told that "she doesn't take calls." From that point, I was bounced to at least three other people, who all said the same thing... you did not received a degree from an accredited institution. Case closed. Apparently this school recognized BAs from schools located across the United States in the past, because I've seen great reviews for the program by people who received their BAs in New York, as well as other sections of the U.S. Ironically, the HUX faculty includes one member who received his BA from Northwestern. Seriously, these people are not bright. One of the office staffers told me proudly that the Western Regional Accreditation board is part of the U.S. Department of Education. I told her that all of the regional accreditation boards are part of the U.S. Department of Education. The HUX program appears to be an interesting program, and for someone who is nearing retirement, but is willing to pay for her education out-of-pocket, the price was right. The office staff, however appear to be an obstacle that cannot be overcome. In short, American Public University offers a fully-online Master's degree in Humanities, and this program is recognized as one of the leading online Humanities programs in the U.S. The choice seems clear.

I am a former college professor who has returned to get a master's in a completely different field. My first school was a very expensive, highly-rated private university. CSU-HUX actually exceeds the personal attention and academic standards of that private school. The professors take an acute interest in the intellectual development, as true educators should...they're not just interested in grading papers and returning them. My only suggestion is that sometimes the registration process is confusing if you are a veteran because of overlapping deadlines and lack of coordination (sometimes requiring multiple registration efforts), but other than that, this is a school that I would highly recommend to anyone wishing to develop his or her mind beyond the textbooks. Library resources are excellent and overall technology is very good.

I am in the process of completing my MA in Humanities, with an emphasis in literature, through the HUX program. I have been very satisfied with the program. My instructors have been accessible, the course work has been rigorous, and the support from the HUX office has been outstanding. All of my questions have been answered promptly, and the head of the program, personally answered some questions for me. A great value- a hidden gem, really in the world of online learning.

As one of the first students to graduate from California State University Dominguez Hills with a Post-Master's Certificate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, I recommend it highly. This is an excellent graduate school program if you are looking to be certified as a mediator or to complete a counselor licensure requirement. Two required internship courses and overall cost make this school a better choice compared to others. Although fees have just gone up, it is still a reasonably priced education compared to other conflict resolution progams that are offered entirely on-line. You should have good interpersonal communication and time management skills in order to get the most out of your experience. CSUDH has been a leader in distance learning for many years, so the professors are very knowledgeable about how students best learn the material. Classmates attend from all over the world with many different professional backgrounds meaning students get to explore different approaches from multi-cultural perspectives as well as multidisciplinary approaches; this also adds richness and value to an education in terms of how it is used after graduation. Perspective students should appreciate that in many classes, intensive group work is used to problem solve(or manage) a given scenario or real world crisis situation. The only road block I experienced was due to technical issues that are probably inherent to many distance learning delivery systems however, this minor obstacle only served to aid me in my ability to resolve conflict. Recently, the NCRPAA (Alumni Association) was re-formed to assist new students during orientation and to encourage networking with other professionals during and after graduation. GA

The CSUDH program is well-known among mediators and professionals I know and work with. When I attended CSU Dominguez Hills online from 2001-03, the program fell under the Behavioral Science department and the major concentration was in "Negotiation and Conflict Management". The course offerings have since been expanded to include more coursework on Mediation and Arbitration (example: Dispute Resolution in Sports, Divorce and Family Mediation), which I wouldn't mind taking. I thoroughly enjoyed attending this graduate program online so that I could tend to my family's needs. CSUDH makes excellent use of technology with real-time Internet broadcast lectures (synchronous) and archives (asynchronous) as well as real-time chat and use of Blackboard. Most of the professors I had were excellent and promptly returned emails. In one Negotiations class I had, the professor expected us to write seven papers (1,000 words each) and read three textbooks (technical, sometimes difficult reading) in addition to other resource materials. That was the EXCEPTION and not the rule. Nevertheless, the rigorous coursework will strengthen your communication, negotiation and mediation skills. By the end of my program, I had: written countless papers, produced two videos (one for a negotiations class and the other for a community conflict class), and managed and built a team project website (for a computer applications class). I had some issues with the Comprehensive Exam (oral and written), problems I attributed to the program coordinator's refusal to give us score breakdowns for both oral and written portions. With this refusal, you wouldn't know how well or how poorly you did. I assumed I did poorly on my written so I retook that, only to find that it was the oral that I should have retaken! Students need feedback or else how will they improve? Hopefully, they've changed the way they administer and grade the Comprehensive Exam. Overall, despite the bad experience with the Comp exam (I passed my oral the 2nd time and received my degree), my experience with the program was positive. At $180 per credit hour, the program was an excellent value! It's now $240 per credit hour, which is still a great value. The professors, technology support and online library access are unbeatable for the price you pay.

This is a solid program for those seeking the essentials of an MBA. The texts chosen are good, instructors have practical experience in their subject matter, courses combine text readings, individual & team case assignments, and discussion boards conducted along regular 12 week semester cycles. A very few courses have streaming lectures; more would be nice. Calibre of students is mixed but there are some very capable and high-achieving classmates to team with in most courses i've taken, a number from around the globe adding a nice dimension. Like most programs, you get out what you put in, meaning you can get out a lot with taking the work seriously. Cost of the program is outstanding and its a public university that will still be there in 25 years. Use of technology could be better but content is good.