Northcentral University
Northcentral University Reviews:
NCU Ph.D. program is great for serious self-learners
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I recently completed my Ph.D. in Business Administration with specialization in Healthcare Administration. NCU offered exactly what I wanted in a school: a completely online program that did not force me into a residency requirement (because my job would not allow an opportunity to stay in one location long enough to complete a doctoral degree); a regionally accredited school with a regionally accredited business program; and a relevant degree track. Over the years, I have read the comments about NCU on here and intentionally decided to wait until graduating to provide my own opinion as someone who successfully completed a doctoral degree. NCU is good school. You will not be successful in the Ph.D. program if you are not a competent self-starter who actively participates in your own completion of all academic requirements during the courses. The comprehensive exam at the end of your academic courses is not a joke. You must articulate your ability to think and communicate at a doctoral level in order to pass the exam (as is expected in any worthwhile school). The dissertation process is equally as arduous--but for a good reason. You are providing new knowledge to the area of research you chose to conduct your dissertation on. The academic rigor and scientific method are upheld by your committee members, the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the academic reviewer who all provide input and direction into your research/dissertation. In the end, I would not want to compromise the quality of my dissertation simply for the sake of obtaining a degree. Likewise, the reputation of the instructors and dissertation committee members are reflected in the quality of a Ph.D. candidate's dissertation efforts. They are all professors at other universities and/or leaders in their respective professional areas of expertise. The teachers (or mentors as they are called) are all doctorate-level instructors--unlike some of the brick and mortar schools that only require Masters-level degrees. Some mentors are excellent and others are not that effective (just like any other school regardless of prestige). The biggest misconception that many new doctoral students tend to make is that they assume everything should be directed and specified in the smallest detail to them-- that is not the point of post-graduate degrees (especially a Ph.D.). You are expected to begin performing as an independent, self-motivated researcher who has the potential to be considered an expert in a particular field of study by the time you graduate. As such, NCU's Ph.D. program provides that opportunity for professional and personal self-development for serious students who also possess the requisite skills to begin and complete such a demanding degree program. NCU is not a "degree mill" whatsoever. The faculty expect a student to perform to the standards that are established in writing. Also, Ph.D. students are only as successful as the effort they make to read, read, read... and read some more on their area of study. This takes practice and it takes dedication over the years you will sacrifice to complete your doctoral degree. My Ph.D. program took me 5 years to complete. It was not easy. It was often very frustrating and I was exhausted weeks and months at a time from the relentless school work; revising of papers, demands of working through every single holiday and weekend without a break, and sacrificing personal time that I could be enjoying with family and friends in order to achieve this goal. But a Ph.D. is never supposed to be easy. You can never fully prepare yourself for the challenges of a doctoral degree. However, I am very proud to say that NCU offered a viable, relevant Ph.D. program that met my expectation as a legitimate degree-producing university. The future is in online classes-- those who make short-sighted comments about the perceived worthiness of a virtual university need to consider the significant shift in how academic programs are being redesigned for those who grew up in a world of quickly-changing technology. I highly recommend NCU for those who are capable and willing to fulfill all the obligations necessary for a doctoral degree. You will not be disappointed (regardless of the numerous frustrations you might face along the way) as you successfully defend your dissertation and your committee members say, “Congratulations, Doctor...”
ADA compliance is very much lacking
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Have not graduated yet. Reached dissertation phase and am two years into the dissertation. The predissertation classes prepare you and several times a year require that dissertation related prep work be turned in. This includes extensive bibliographies, annotated biblio and essays/term papers related to the dissertation. When Pre-diss was completed, the rules changed and annotated biblio requirement was dropped. Several changes in how to engage in, write, report, assess you work for plagiarism, and hand in your work changed. The grading methods changed twice requiring everything be resubmitted and reworked from scratch. Then the rules for PHD committee changed, from your Chair assessing you most of the way, to all three committee members assess your work. After one year, the second year of the dissertation, my work went back to the need to redo from chapter 1, due to another program admin change and submission of proof of work change. The improvements requested went in circles, and kept changing for to changes in committee members. So, that cost me one year of tuition and related costs; no sufficient services or help were provided. My chair changed three times; they had trouble finding someone with an adequate background to oversee the work. I requested a disability related (brain surgery for epilepsy) reduction in work speed and increases in attendance breaks; they were very hesitant to do this, and my suspicion was the lack of continuity would cost me another Dissertation Chair. This program suffice for younger students; this would be my fifth 4+ year degree program. Compared with most schools, the schools ability is very limited and they don't like to stop the conveyor belt approach they are using. I am surprised this problem hasn't been resolved. They disenroll you if you ask for an extended break or any special needs to be met. Neurosurgery and head injury students take a risk with this school due to administrative actions. There is a total disconnect between advisors, loan officers and enrollment admin. You are forced to enroll even if you don't have your loan money yet. Otherwise you are disenrolled. Once you sign into a vlass, you owe the money regardless. If you don't sign on to a class, you are disenrolled. Administratively, they have major problems. I appreciate very much my teachers/mentors. I don't appreciate the institutions noncompliance with ADA. Trying to continue via a more professionally supporting venue.
Rigorous PhD Program at NCU
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Overall, the dissertation sequence of courses were no joke, it is an extremely challenging program. I recently completed this program and successfully defended my dissertation. I might add that the Doctoral program at NCU is challenging and requires you to be truly disciplined as an independent researcher and scholar.
NCU is a solid program
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I fully agree with the remarks by “Danamariebrace.” NCU was a pioneer in on-line PhD program and as a result had some significant learning curves; however, they have a proactive team that continues to improve the process. They have moved-on non-performing chairs and have well organized alignment with subject matter and methods experts. The now late Dean of PSU IST, in comparing the two programs, stated to me that the range of dissertation chair quality and experience is no different from that of in-resentence programs. Ultimately the PhD candidate is responsible for their own research. If things are not progressing administratively well, then waiting will not make that issue improve. As with our careers, as professionals, it is our own responsibility to take ownership for our learning experience. Academia is not a vocational monkey see monkey do environment. Even though a professor could tell you how to do something, instead they direct you to expand or look into xyz in guiding you to improve as a professional researcher. It is up to you to comb through everything and flip all assumptions to facts. As for coursework, the same applies. If a person does not apply the information to their life experiences within their individual courses and papers then they are wasting their time. It is not just a degree or paper or title, it is you and a professional having the opportunity to expand your topic awareness within the course and beyond the boundaries of the course. If simply doing what is required to get a grade is the objective then the opportunity is lost. Complaints on motivation speak for themselves. It is not the job of a professor to motivate a student. We are either self-motivated in everything we do or we are not. As with everything, NCU is an opportunity. As an Air Force retiree, it provided me an opportunity that otherwise would not have been possible. Enough crying. Take ownership and responsibility for oneself. If aspects of your educational process could be improved…be part of the solution. Best of luck.
Dissertation process is challenging
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I completed the PhD in BA and one thing that might help people is that the course work and comprehensive exams should not be the focus of your career at a Doctoral program. You should try to finish that as quickly as possible and just worry about getting a passing grade. The real work is in the Dissertation. Don't think that traditional school is all that much better either. You should prepare yourself for the Dissertation by reading around a dozen research quality books on your topic and have at least 50-100 peer reviewed papers read before you start. You need to write a 200-300 page thesis of original work and ideally have 1-3 papers distilled from your thesis. That's my advice, pick your topic carefully so you know a lot about it and can write extensively on it. Most of the problems noted seem related to the PhD process in general. Although I think the online format may make things harder. After graduating, I found NCU PhD marketable and helpful in my job search.
Overall, I am satisfied with my experience with NCU
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I am active duty in the military and I used tuition assistance to fund my MBA, CAGS, and PhD through NCU. The price is very reasonable since the school offers a scholarship for active duty military. I only had to pay an extra $175/per class, so compared to other online universities (Capella, University of Phoenix, Walden), the cost of this school is definitely more reasonable. I have another doctorate degree from a brick and mortar school, and it is definitely better than an online format. I would have probably learned more if I received my MBA and PhD if I also went to a traditional setting again. Unfortunately, I could not afford to do that because of family and because of my full time job. An online school school was the next best thing for me. I was able to get my degrees, spend time with the family, and also be effective at work. More importantly, I do not have any student loans. Compared to other accredited online schools, I don't think NCU is better or worse but it is definitely more affordable. I also learned some and made me more competitive for advancement. Overall, I recommend this school to active duty personnel who are using TA. If you are AD, do not waste your hard-earned money or GI bill on other online schools. By the way, I do not understand how some people on the reviews can spend 12 dissertation courses and not even finish their concept paper. Prior to your dissertation, you spend every class on the different phases of the dissertation, so you should almost have a completed dissertation prior to even starting your dissertation. I completed my dissertation a little over my 5th dissertation course. I am glad that people are complaining about low graduation rates for PhD. It just shows that the school is not just a diploma mill. It makes me feel better about completing my degree.
Criminal Justice
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It is hard to understand a person who indicates his/ her PhD program was at the bachelors level but they kept going for 7 years and paid thousands of dollars. Why did they not stop before all that. Seems suspicious to me someone would keep putting themselves through such torture and then complain later. Makes no sense to me. NCU is a good school that offers you the opportunity to move forward. If you cannot hack it do not go. I found them to be supportive and the instructor met with me in person and showed genuine concern. I'm sorry it did not work out for some but I certainly found the school to be outstanding.
Believe it - NCU is a SCAM
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I completed all pre-dissertation coursework with a 3.9 GPA and passed my comprehensive exam on the first try with over a 98%. I am a great student and have been successful in all of my classes at NCU. Keep in mind I have been at this for over 7 years, and I have paid tens of thousands out of my own pocket for my PhD at NCU. But, as others have said, the dissertation process is next-to-impossible to complete. I never got past the concept paper phase. My dissertation chair was changed over 4 times, and all of the chairs were incompetent, unavailable, unhelpful, and unprofessional. As others have said, the classes did not even exceed a bachelors level of difficulty. And, instructor help was not even present in the coursework portion of the degree. But, they HANG YOU OUT TO DRY in the dissertation portion of the degree. This may serve as a WARNING to those who may follow. DO NOT GIVE NCU one penny of your hard-earned money. It is a SCAM school. I am not happy to have spent $30K+ and 7+ years of my life for nothing. I personally know a handful of people who are having the same experience. They take your money and provide nothing in return. I wonder how they are even able to stay in business. Let's unite and put an end to the madness. NCU needs to cease to exist. It is time the truth about this school be made known.
Don't Listen to the Negative Reviews
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Just like you, I was interested in reading current and former students' opinions of their experience at NCU. I can tell you that you will hear a TON of negative reviews. Yes, the graduation rate is lower in general for PhD programs than the national standard (37% versus 57% in 2005). But just keep in mind that not everyone is cut out to earn a PhD. It is supposed to be hard! Don't let that deter you from choosing this school. If you are looking for a solid education with amazing support staff and mentors (that is what the professors are called) that provide valuable feedback, then this is the place to go. When I was researching schools to attend (online because it wasn't possible with my schedule to go to a traditional B&M school), what really swayed me was the "no residency" requirement and the one-on-one classroom model. The thing I hated about my MBA was half my grade resulted from group work. The classes at NCU run for either 8 weeks or 12 weeks, and you really have the chance to start exploring and doing research on your chosen dissertation topic early in the process. Your coursework makes up the first two years of your studies, then you take a 12 week comprehensive exam. Once you pass that, you are deemed a doctoral candidate. It is at that point you start your concept paper. The concept paper is a 9 page paper that explores your chosen topic. Once that is accepted, you are able to start on your dissertation. Unlike many other PhD programs where you pretty much have to write your dissertation and then find out if it is accepted or not, if your concept paper doesn't pass then you didn't just waste years of writing. The biggest complaint I hear from other students further in the program is the lack of valuable feedback or mentors that take way too long to comment on work. The school has a 21 day feedback policy once you get into the dissertation phase and a 4 day policy with regular coursework. The program is challenging, especially if you are not good at managing your time. It was suggested to me that hiring an editor as early as the comprehensive exam is smart because they are able to pinpoint issues with your writing and identify grammatical/APA formatting mistakes so you don't have to keep rewriting your work. The mentors are not there to teach you, but more to guide you. In a PhD program, there shouldn't be anything new to teach since you have already gone through at least seven years of college prior to your acceptance into the program. The support staff at the school have been excellent in my opinion, from the initial advisers signing you up for your classes, to financial aid, down to the academic support center they have. If you need help with any of your classes, you can utilize their tutoring services, which they provide twice a week for free. I used it for my Stats course and it helped me tremendously. The books for this program are so much lower than any other school I have gone to, even when compared to my undergraduate degree at a state university. And they reuse some of the books in future classes! Do yourself a favor and disregard the negativity that comes from some of the comments here on this site and others. That's what I did because I read a few reviews that said just what I am saying to you. It doesn't matter what school you go to, online or B&M, you will get people that aren't satisfied with their experience. Just think about it, are you more likely to fill out a survey if you have a negative or positive experience? Most people would say negative. This is why I wrote this response to educate prospective students out there. Don't listen to the noise! If you are looking for a challenge in an independent home environment where the only person that can fail you is you, then consider NCU. The grades I have received are not easy to get so I really feel like I worked for those grades. I am much more satisfied with my education at this school than in either of my Master degree programs or my undergraduate program.
Ask about graduation rate
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I was able to learn about business admin and finance by performing the readings. I was disappointed in the low engagement of the faculty. The dissertation phase seems to be about dragging out the process rather than fostering progress, this is frustrating to a business person. I worked in high level positions for 20 years, and have an MBA from an AA accredited university. Ask them about their graduation rate. In a student only conference call, they seemed to brag about their low graduation rate, implying it indicates rigor, rather than failure. You decide.
Money Milking Machine
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The core curiculum will tak a couple of years, cost $20,000 or so. You will get good grades, and then take a "comprehensive" exam, which will cover nothing which you have covered in the previous couple of years. The chances are high that you will fail, and then (for another $2,500), you will take it again, and you will pass. Then you will be assigned a "Dissertation Committee Chairperson", who will most likely be an expert in a discipline other than yours. You will then be required to write a concept paper, and the only issues reviewed will be citation format, whether it is in the NCU library data base (God forbid that it's not...no matter how important it is..."peer reviewed"), the age of your references, your justification for using them (annotated bibliography... why, strength, weaknesses, etc.), and whether you quoted the authors too closely (not whether you've cited them). The chances are high that you will never finish your concept paper. Each "Disertation Research" course requires 10 sbmissions, whereby your "Dissertation Committee Chairperson" will review part of your work, and request that you revise it. You will probably receive no suggestions or explanations. The submissions are to be made by Sunday evening, and you will usually receive the correction on Friday. Your weekends will be no longer yours. It's impossible to work on your paper during the week, because of the slow turnaround by the "Dissertation Committee Chairperson". By the way...Yyou will never speak to, or even know the names of the other committee members, or the Dean of your school. The school will change your "Dissertation Committee Chairperson" without your consent, which will, of course, require you to revise your "Introduction", "Problem" and "Purpose" statements, as well as your "Theoretical Framework" review. Remember...your Chairperson will also likely be from a discipline other than yours, so you will basically have to convince a layperson of the legitimacy of your concept...in the strict arbitrary format which the school proscribes...difficult, if not impossible. My personal discipline was international business I'm a CPA in Germany), and my Chairpersons were from the school of education somewhere on the east coast. Each 10 week course will cost $2,540 for the first year, and then $950 every 10 weeks thereafter. The part-time professors (often in other parts or time-zones in the US) really only want to keep you in the program as long as possible, so that the school can keep collecting tuition. Finally, if and when you ever have your concep paper approved, you can start on your dissertation an dissertation research, and can expect to spend another couple of years and another $10,000 researching and writing your paper. In the end, you will probably spend $50,000 to $60,000 getting a Doctorate from a school with a poor reputation, regional accreditation (only) and with professors who do not come from your field...ergo, they will not be able to help you through their relationships in your profession or academia. One more thing. It's almost impossible to contact your "Dissertation Committee Chairpersons" by telephone or Skype, so you will probabl have no personal relationship with them, just as the administration is difficult to contact (Dean, Academic Advisor, etc.).
Not a good choice!
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I enrolled in Northcentral University in 2010 with hopes to have a good academic experience but most of all to earn my DBA in Business Management. Instructors are referred to as "Mentors" but they really don't help much. If you have a question, you send an e-mail and keep your fingers crossed that you receive a response before your assignment is due. You are paying only to be able to submit your work online. All prior universities I attended you were given an school e-mail, not at NCU, your personal e-mail is used for communication. Out of the four years I have attended, I've always experience issues with communicating with instructors in a timely manner. They pretty much set you up for failure. I did well in all my classes, accumulated tons of loans, only to get to the last three classes and did not do good with my COMP exam according to the instructor, after failing the class I appealed the grade but my academic advisor was no help, actually she encouraged me not to appeal, her advice was "there's a slim chance that you will be granted another try". I asked to speak with the dean no one would allow me to speak with the dean, it was like everyone I called was instructed to tell me the same thing. My advisor as well as the re-entry coordinator both stated they could offer me a Masters Degree versus allowing me to remain in the doctoral program. I already have two Masters what did I need with another one. This school is a huge RIP Off, I wouldn't advise anyone to go here unless you have $$$$ to give away. I feel that I just wasted four years of my life and paying for it dearly. Something needs to be done to stop schools like NCU from taking students money and giving them nothing in return.
NCU Actually Worked With Me
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I was treated with respect the entire time I was enrolled from 2/03 to 10/08. I completed the PhD program and will tell you this took tremendous work on my part. If you get past yourself and get out of the way you can most likely make it. No one will hold your hand and the faculty will expect you to perform as an adult. This is not suppose to be easy as a obtaining a PhD should not be a an small task. NCU does care and will work with you if you apply yourself and are not acting like an adolescent. Apply, work hard and it will happen for you. If you do not like putting in the time and effort that on-line requires then don't apply. Applying and then complaining makes no sense. Being lazy will catch up with you in this program. I'm glad the underachievers are weeded out. I think NCU offers a lot for those hungry enough to go to work. The complainers want an easy ride but will not find it at this university. I recommend those wanting to attend NCU have a sincere commitment to personal perseverance, aptitude and attitude. Couple all this with adult behavior then you can make it at NCU. I am glad I graduated from NCU. When I am testifying in the court room, which I do frequently as an expert, no one questions my credentials and often stipulate to my PhD from NCU.
Worthless
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Before reading my review, realize that I was doing well in their program. I took three classes with NCU and had a 3.8 GPA in their PhD of BA program. I decided to leave the school for the reasons below. To put it bluntly, NCU is a scam. The classes are nothing more than busy work and hardly on a graduate level. The assignments you're required to turn in each week can be nearly devoid of useful content, just as long as they're in proper APA format and you cite the required number of references. I don't think the instructors actually read anything I turned in, because the feedback I received was 99% about the paper's format and 1 % on the content. But if the paper I turned in was in good format, cited the minimum number of references and met the minimum length I was given a good grade, regardless of the mindless drivel contained within. To pass the classes I quickly learned to take a simple answer to a simple question and drag it out four 5 - 7 pages while quoting a few loosely related articles from academic journals. If this is what passes for higher education these days, then I think I'll stop at my master's degree. My "academic advisor" was a salesman, and a bad one at that. When I tried to address my concerns about the content and the focus of the courses he tried to convince me to stick it out for another year or two until I got to the point where the "real learning" would begin. Additionally, he was completely unaware of what course I was in, or even what level the course was on. When I called him out on it, he tried, again, to convince me to stick around longer and keep paying. It was not only a useless conversation, but one of the worst examples of bad salesmanship I've ever experienced, to include used car dealers. Additionally, the required textbooks for each class can only be bought from NCU's bookstore. Not even Amazon carried them. On top of that, they charged $200 for a used textbook for one class. I can only imagine how much profit they're raking in from book sales alone. On top of that their tuition rates are the highest of anything out there, nearly $3000 a class. You would think for that kind of money they'd run a quality institution of higher learning. NCU's education model is to make the students' turn in papers weekly, but the constant work is just a method of keeping the students' heads down and keeping them too busy to realize that they're not really learning anything. To put it bluntly, don't waste your time. A degree from NCU is completely worthless. I'm not sure who they bribed to get accredited, but it must have been a hefty amount of cash. If your goal is to waste thousands and thousands of dollars learning nothing more than how to write in APA format, then this is the school for you. If you want an actual education, I highly recommend going somewhere else.
A good PhD program
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I completed the PhD in Business. I found the program to be rigorous and challenging. Especially in the Dissertation phase. There was a lot of work in getting the concept paper approved. Overall it was highly rewarding and I would recommend the program to others. It is difficult and time consuming but worth it.
None 'mentors' don't waste your $$
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it's hard to extract that NCU is a program they throw papers into the lesson tell you to read them, forget it if you might have a question or need more information. Someone had mentioned they are a correspondence school, it's only a one way communication... You ask they don't answer anything! I withdrew from the class they have very creative billing. The total for the class was $128 less than the total student loan. They sent a 125 dollar refund. Then told me I didn't attend enough days and they had to return 758 to the lender. Interesting then they said they want the 758 + the 125 overage!! Really. SCAM + don't go to this place. Terrible terrible terrible
Expensive but worth it
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Very challenging dissertation process
Churn 'Em & Burn 'Em Is Their Game
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When you get to the dissertation phase they make you take the same courses over and over and over...Why? Did you suddenly become stupid? No, they know you already have poured a ton of money into the program and to protect your investment you will keep pouring it in. They don't care if you ever finish, and in fact they like it better if you don't. Avoid this place like the plague. Even if you should somehow manage to finish people who know better will be laughing at your bottom tier joke degree. Pay a little more and go to a real school that won't jerk you around as much.
NorthCentral is a huge RipOff!!!
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This school is a money pit. Their mentors and administration do not communicate with the students. I think they feel they are too good to return emails or voicemails. It is a money pit, they will continue to fail you to collect more money. Waste of time, go to a University that is more money as you will save money by not attending this University. I am currently in my fourth class and plan to transfer to Walden or a legitimate University. This one is a joke!
stay away
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No writing center and writing tutoring non existent. Some professors care and help while most are casually involved reflecting their paltry compensation. The military students mostly hook up with with service officers who nurse then along to graduation. No recommended id you expect good mentoring. Suspect school will be bought and renaned in near future. A poor education at for profit school with high tuitions
Met all my expectations.
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Its been a year now since I graduated from NCU with a PhD in Business Administration. The degree has helped me gain a better job than I previously had and has opened up new opportunities for me that I did not have before. It was a good program. I am very much appreciative of how rigorous the Dissertation process was as it allowed me to produce a thesis that I can be proud of.
Progressive Review #2 of Many - Progressing Along
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I'm back to offer a second review as promised, with the intent of elaborating on the previous review. There's been over a year's gap in time since my last review, and a few things have changed both within my life, as well as with the university. First of all, the mere prospect of attempting a PhD, and subsequently noting this on my resume, has landed me a new job as a Director of Information Security for a top private organization in my local state. This isn't to suggest the degree alone landed me this role, but the flexibility provided by the university to allow my attendance while still working full time has obviously delivered some advantages. Secondly, I've changed my degree focus within the University from International Business to Computer and Information Security. In working with some of the professors and academic advisers at the university, I deduced this focus to be a much better use of my skill set; along with providing a better focus on my immediate and long term career goals. Relating back to my original review, and agreeing with several other reviews on this site, there's been a high degree of administrative turnover within the ranks of NCU. The Dean has announced his retirement, I've had a couple more academic advisers, and some of the notable professors I preferred working with have left the ranks of academia , or at least as far as NCU is concern. Additional changes include a full commitment by the university to offer 8 week course options within all fields of study. This offers students a shorter path to graduation. While this may provide a way for the university to acquire more federal financial aid funds at a faster rate, the university's accreditation, federal financial aid qualifications, and overall course quality don't seem to have suffered. Tuition has gone up a couple hundred dollars per course, as you would expect in a for-profit institution. However, as noted earlier, Uncle Sam seems to have no issues with footing the bill for federal financial aid students attending this institution. My ideologies regarding self-guided study are still holding true. I continue to read all materials required by NCU, as well as additional scholarly publications, in preparation for the course activities and the looming glooming dooming dissertation process. As I mentioned in my previous review, the mentors at NCU are hit and miss, as with any university. I've identified a few of the winners along the way. These individuals tend to stay in closer contact than those more detached from their duties, allowing for the development of a preferred dissertation board when the time comes. Finally, I'll deliver a quick note regarding the administration at NCU. Things don't seem to have gotten much better... What with all their talk of reorganizing the university's processes to better the student experience... However, things certainly haven't gotten any worse. Does that count for anything? As the institution evolves their dissertation process, I maintain, perhaps naively, that NCU just might be able to iron out the creases in the dissertation process by the time I make it there next summer. Barring this miracle of educational evolution, I may have no other choice than to suck up the political bull that is rumored to center around this process. In summation, not much has changed in the last year of attendance at NCU. I still maintain that you get out of this education, a reciprocal of what you put into it. Doctoral degrees in general are not an easy task, and they are certainly not to be taken lightly. Your ability to get a 4.0 in a Master's program speaks nothing to your ability to obtain a doctoral degree. It's a special breed that is capable of this feat. There's a reason less than 1% of the world's population lead their name with "Dr.", and that reason is NOT "... because it seemed like the next logical step." Sooner than later, I hope to count myself among the select few. When registering for your first class in this program, keep in mind NCU is a fairly new organization, and is expanding rapidly. The lack of policy and structured, coupled with rapid expansion, is going to result in some bumps in the road; likely taking their toll on you, your wallet, and your patience level. If you're already registered and are working through the degree, hang tight... you're almost there. If you on the fence about attending, this school is as good as the next institution. If you want the best educational experience possible, expect the responsibility of progress to rest on your shoulders. This isn't preschool, and you aren't four years old. You're a grown adult, and are expected to take responsibility for your own success. Go get 'em. :)
Great program - horrible admin
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The instructors were excellent especially my dissertation committee. This is really a "you're on your own" kind of program which was great for me. No discussion, no team work, just get a syllabus and do the work. The support from the admins / counselors was horrible and worst then non-existent - they sometimes pretended to help you but did not! I would rather know they would not help and adjust accordingly. I understand they are now hiring FT faculty to work the dissertation committees which is certainly a step in the right direction. I would recommend them with caution. Check with their continuous enrollment policy and things like that before you start and be sure they are offering what you want. As far as degree quality - it has served me very well and I have increased my adjunct options and income.
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NCU is a scam and definitely not Student Centered. I was kicked out of a class for what they said was nonattendance after 1 week. I was active and almost finished with my first assignment when I got the notice. I emailed to question and did not get a response for over a week. They sent me an invoice for over $2,000 for the class that they kicked me out of for not be active. I know it sounds strange, but they insist I did not not properly withdraw. I told them I did not withdraw they kicked me out. Now I owe $2,000 and could reapply at a higher cost and shorter course term. Sounds like bait and switch to me. I would look anywhere else than this "school", they are just out for money. Lastly, I am not sure the physical school actually exists because I called and nobody answered the phone several times. I got a new adviser just about every class and turnover is out of control at this place. RUN! Save yourself!!!!
Successful Graduate
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I only go after jobs posted on the Chroncle of Higher Education site these days, and my last three jobs are from there. I have an NCU PhD BA, plus other quals, and work FT at a foreign ACBSP Accredited school. My compensation exceeds 130K USD per annum.
Great program but not for everyone
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First of all, it is well documented that on-line learning is not for everyone. To be successful, you have to realize you are responsible for your education. There is no classroom where you gather with others. Most people need the classroom environment in order to learn. It is on your shoulders to learn. The programs is very good. It can be very difficult. If you are not a self-learner, do not take on-line classes. If you have no drive, do not take on-line classes. Those who blame the program do not have the ability to learn this way. It is not a bad thing. There are many ways to learn. You must evaluate how you learn. This is serious. Your success or failure is on you, not the institution. They provide the resources.
PhD in Accounting worth the time and $'s
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I'm just finishing my 10th course at NCU toward my PhD in Accounting. Like most have said, you get what you put into your education, and this is true at NCU, where the requirements are well laid out and demanding, which requires time management and discipline. I've had only one instructor that I felt I could not work with, and NCU agreed with the circumstances and re-assigned me to another mentor who was awesome. If you have the discipline to work on your own, the support structure is there. Great program, and would recommentd.
SCAM SCHOOL
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Rip Off School! I should have been suspected a concern when they accepted “all of my hours” which is something “they don’t usually do” as the admissions individual excitedly told me! I have a 4.0 average and for some strange reason I cannot pass the comps! Now, one would wonder why an individual could make straight “A’s” and then get nailed for “APA formatting, poor sentence structure, and other issues. When I asked the question as to why professors would pass me and give me A’s in classes and then fail me, the only response was “this happens all the time.” I questioned the ability of professors to grade if all my course work demonstrated A work and then to be failed! Stay AWAY!
NCU PHD business administration
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Major issues with this university in regard to mentor/learner support at this school for the RSH/DISS sequence. I have been in the program for 7 years. I have straight A's and the topic, concept, proposal are all approved as ok. Now after 6 years in the RSH/Diss sequence the school has been threatening to throw me out and has limited my submissions to the OAR. I am in the last course and the OAR has rejected my manuscript stating there are severe flaws in the study. After having the paper evaluated independently by several statisticians have verified the study cannot be salvaged. Hence I have to start over. How can a school approve three documents over 6 years then say nope you have to start over and give us more money!!!? I have had the statisticians look at the other documents and they have come to the conclusion that the dissertation has been in decline since the concept paper. I have had 6 mentors, and at least 5 different committee members over the past 6 years. In addition, I have received canned feedback throughout the process. Students need to rally together for a class action suit. This unethical behavior must stop at this profit university. I have no phd now. The only good thing about this experience is at least I have no school loans. However, I know most students do. This school will lose it's accreditation. This may seen vague but if you have had the experience then you will know what I am referencing. Anyone interested in putting things together...email me...kiersty66@gmail.com But do not ask me to divulge information you can share that with the attorney. :)
Don't waste your time or your money
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I only took two classes at NCU. I have been at this for many years. I have never had a terrible experience with any of the universities that I have attended. I have attended three total. One for me A.S. One for my B.S. and one for my M.S. I am not one to quit or give up on anything. One of my 'mentors' (as they call it) kept contradicting herself on APA standards. When grading assignments, she would attempt to correct grammatical errors. In the comments sections of the assignments, she made numerous grammatical errors herself. When trying to file a grievance against her, I was accused of a code of conduct violation, which was absolutely untrue. The e-mail that was supposed to have the violation in it miraculously disappeared. At the other universities, I have never had a code of conduct violation. I also never had any academic problems either, I graduated from all three with honors. I have never had an experience like at NCU and I would not recommend it to anyone.
Progresive Review #1 of Many - Recently Started
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I started a PhD in International Business Administration back in the beginning of May '11. I have been at this post education thing for the better side of a decade now, and find NCU to be just like any other school; you get out what you put into it. Having attended both B&M and online schools in the past years, I'm an advocate of online learning actually being more productive (to the right learner… I’ve graduated with honors in all degree programs attended) than B&M schools. I’m not going to bash anyone leaving a bad review on here… as they obviously had a bad experience in some manner, but I can offer you my findings for my own experience as I have witnessed them. Online learning requires a learner with a great deal of initiative... Without this, you can coast through a course and get nothing for your $1500+ tuition bill. However, learners who take advantage of the independent learning models tend to walk away with a more comprehensive education than those who are spoon fed a "tunnel vision curriculum". While NCU bears a close resemblance to a correspondence school (According to a few reviews here), it's got key differences that make it quite different than those types of schools. I've had learners who offer quite a bit of constructive insight when grading my materials. However, I've also had instructors who look at the paper, leave two comments, and give me a 98%. This is the same at NCU as it is at any other university. Professors are a lot like grade school kids... a few winners... a whooooole lot of losers. This is where that educational initiative comes in. I've had a horrid professor that might as well have slept at her desk while grading, and I still gained a massive amount of knowledge about managerial statistics. Why? Because I studied by backside off using the text, companion website, web, etc... I took the effort to learn what I wanted to, and succeeded quite well enough to believe that I could in turn teach the course myself if asked. As far as the administration is concerned, I've had minimal issues with them, they stay out of my way, and I stay out of theirs. I've had more administrative issues with my wife attending the local community college than I've had with NCU remotely. I have had some bumps in the road, but it wasn't anything an email to the proper department didn’t fix. Also, the academic advisor I have seems to do fairly well with addressing my issues. Response times from him and all other NCU staff, including professors, is a bit slower than I like, but I'm used to an office environment where waiting no more than 12 hours for a comprehensive resolution is the norm. Response times from the university average about 48 hours... make of it what you will. Tuition is what it is… I’ve seen much higher rates at much worse institutions. I feel for the effort I am putting into my PhD, and the amount of knowledge and guidance to that knowledge I get out of it, I’m getting a good value. At $2,200 per course, it’s what I expect from a post graduate program. The school could use a better financial aid portal for me to browse on my own, but any information I ask for from FA comes to me in a timely and complete manner. The University’s true asset seems to be its resource databases. If the school has made a single smart decision, I’d base it in their purchasing access to index databases of research materials from organizations such as NexisLexis. I’ve gained about 70% of my knowledge through reading resources available in their dissertation and scholarly article databases. These are the true sources of a comprehensive education at any level. Extra effort excerpted to research areas that affect your day job, personal interest, and real world situations is the mark of an APPLIED education… The best kind of education in my opinion, is one that you can instantly relate to your professional career. Likely, my biggest complaint about the University is its website layout. It looks like this thing was created using GeoCities back in the 90s. For what I pay in tuition, you’d think these guys could afford a java developer or two. However, if aesthetics is my biggest concern so far, I’m happy. It will be interesting to see where things end up as I approach my dissertation process… I’ve heard murderous things about the process here at NCU… then again I hear murderous things about the dissertation process at any promising school. I’m far from calling NCU top of their field, but if the process makes me look further into my research and make an effort to better present my data, it’s serving its purpose. A final comment here… NCU is starting their 8 compressed course offerings on September 8th for all education levels and programs. I have one more round of courses before I can migrate to the 8 week model and hopefully finish my research degree much sooner. I’ll be posting subsequent reviews as I progress through my degree so that other prospective learners can get an honest and detailed insight into what they are in for. Moral of the story so far: If you’re not prepared to shoot for a 4.0 GPA… you don’t belong in a PhD program. Get ready to put on your big boy/girl pants and crank out 50 – 100 pages of research MINIMUM per course; don’t be surprised if you easily double that when making a solid effort... My first round of classes produced almost 250 pages of research… all of which can be reused when doing my dissertation research. If you aren’t willing to make a solid effort to teach yourself things outside of just what the syllabus suggests… You obviously don’t have a mind thirsty for abundant amounts of knowledge, and you’re making a poor decision to become a profession researcher anyway.
NCU is what you make it to be
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I am currently in my 6th course at NCU and I've had ups and downs with the school. HOWEVER, I've been attending college for many years and I have had similar ups and downs at all schools that I attended. Some professors you like, some you don't. It is frustrating when I want a question answered and it takes forever to get feedback. But, I love that I control how much I want to learn about a subject. If I want to read ten articles on a topic, I can, if not, I am not required to do so. Through my Master's program at a local college, I often had to sit through lectures where it seemed like the professor could care less about being there. Just because you're in a building, does not mean you're actually learning something. Going to school online was not my ideal choice, in fact I started at a local college for my PhD. At the end of my first year I was told that curriculum changed and I had to wait to get my degree, or drive two hours each way to a different campus for the next three years. Again I say, all schools have their issues. I hope that my dissertation process goes smoothly but from my understanding NO dissertation process ever does. NCU, like all educational institutions, requires hard work on your part. You have to be on top of your financial aid, your documentation, and your schoolwork. It's just part of being an adult learner. I'm enjoying the information I get to analyze for this degree and thankful that I don't have to spend 30 hours a week in a classroom, quit my job, and go deeper into debt to do it.
Is this legal?
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How is it possible to receive an "A" in all of the dissertation courses (where your concept paper is completed-and praised by Mentors) yet receive a "resubmit" when the same concept paper is submitted to the dissertation committee? It is common knowledge on NCU's Yahoo group and their own forum that many students are forced to retake classes, thereby paying more money and delaying the degree, for no apparent reason- and this is always at the very final stage, right when you don't want to quit because of the investment already made. NCU's answer to students about this is that they do not have to explain their position. I do not know why there is no regulation or investigation into this practice that seems to have started within the past year based upon the many complaints from other students. NCU accreditation requires them to act within certain guidelines that are not being followed. It is almost impossible to get a PhD without paying double the fee and time originally quoted. Some students have had their dissertation committee changed up to 10 times. I would suggest that any applicant ask for graduation completion rates and course retake rates before signing up at NCU. I have no issue with their tuition, only the fact that they are withholding degrees to milk more tuition payments beyond what the program requires. Of course, the answer is that not all students are PhD material- yet an investigation should be completed to see how many of those students received A's in all of their dissertation courses which according to NCU's own course description(s) would demonstrate that they are in fact PhD material.
So Far So Good
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So far, I'm working on my 5th course with the PhD Program in Business Administration. I have no complaints so far. I love being able to work on my next assignment as soon as I'm done with the first. As well, I like the fact that the professors communicate with ou. You are given a timeline that is not mandated to follow; just as long as you complete all assignments before the due date. The academic advisors make sure you are comfortable with your schedule and they accomodate you.
Successful Candidate
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I succeeded in the program and successfully defended my Dissertation. My requirements for a PhD program were a) regional accreditation, b) ability to publish, and c) online or part time. I found NCU to have good quality course work and text books. The Dissertation was challenging and I am happy with the work. Overall, the program was well designed, with each course fitting nicely with the next. Reviewers for the Dissertation were tough, but meant well. In the end, I completed a regionally accredited PhD and am very happy with the program. I would recommend NCU, but note that it does require a lot of hard work.
A McDonaldized program
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I completed my first course at NCU with a B+ but was disappointed when after signing into the next class (STATs) I was not able to get materials befor the class began. They only allow 28 days between classes and you dont even know what materials you need until a week before class. Because the required SPSS program was sold out everywhere and it was Christmas, I still did not have materials two weeks into the class. I withdrew and was told that I only had pay 40%. Financial aid had already paid for the course. The 60% difference was not paid to me or returned to my lender. When I notified the provost, I was told there was no reason for me to receive a refund, and although I can log on to the website, my access to my financial statement has been blocked. I have withdrawn from this university in favor of another university. I belive this university is a degree mill. Students of this university do not have a face or a name. This university is only interested in the money. They have rules that impede your success inorder to keep your money. I have completed a year in another university and have experienced far less stress. Yes, a PhD should be challenging and even demanding at times, but not impossible. I found the mentors and staff to be arrogant and unhelpful.
Do Not Attend NCU.
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NCU is not worth the money, especially now that the school has almost doubled the cost of tuition. All the school is concerned about is making money. The school continues to make the PhD program more difficult, now a research professor has been added to the hurdle. There continues to be allot of wasted down time which costs the student more money. Do not waste your money or time at NCU.
Can not recommed NCU at this time
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Like other Ph.D students on this forum, everything was fine until recently. Between confusion caused by the changes in the programs and the tuition hike, I can't recommend NCU. In the past I would have, but my current mentor is the worst I have encountered. The syllabus was updated, but apparently the mentor was unaware of this?!I am waiting to hear what the mentor and my advisor has to say. No one is on the same page so to speak. And the comments on my papers are just references to the APA style book. And a lot of 'unclear about what learner means' my other mentors were MUCH better. But I am too far along to quit now, so even if this course damages my nearly perfect GPA I will suck it up and drive on since I only have one more research course to go before beginning the actual dissertation process.
Should not be an accredited program
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The advisors lie. I have been signed up for classes and charged for classes I never signed up for then charged for payment. I have discussed matters with my advisors who tell me the matter will be takne care of only to do the same thing again. When I asked for an extension, because of illness, it was granted. However, when I went to complete the class it was not allowed telling me that I had never contacted them. These are only a few of the problems that I have had with Northcentral. This University should not be accredited.
Stay away
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1st the good: The teachers are great. They provide feedback quickly. The comments are constructive and help the student to learn. Now the opportunity for improvement: They are making a great many changes that are not working out best for the students. Once you pass into the dissertation phase, things get bad. Administration has never considered the students as customers. They will never return emails or voicemails. Not sure why. The two week review promise in the syllabus will actually take several more weeks. Meanwhile your tuition bills arrive right on time. Remember, this is a for profit college, and trust me, they will do everything to acquire every penny they can out of you, except treat you like a customer. Contacting the academic advisor is a large waste of time. Not sure what these folks do, but it is nothing to help the student. During the D process you will be on your own. The rules will change without notification. You will be taught little or nothing. You will be expected to find out everything on your own. When you ask for help you will be met with silence.
NCU
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Must admit the recent changes at the school have left me disappointed. The program goals seem to be in a state of flux making it difficult for students to satisfy the program requirements. The requirements for the Ph.D. seem to change often making it difficult to understand what is going on. My chair is equally confused. The school offers little to no support. There is no teaching or any other guidance. Sort of like a correspondence school. They have never heard of the term customer service. Emails go unanswered and voice mails go unreturned. I understand the school is having accreditation issues. But the changes made in 2010 may satisfy the accreditation committee but will most likely result in alienated students.
PhD in Business Administration
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Before enrolling in NCU's PHD in Business Administration, I did thorough reseach on accredited online schools, considering Colorado State University, Walden, Capella, SNHU, IndianaTECH, and many other well respected institutions. I found out that NCU offered best ROI, with tuition much lower that its competition. During my PhD core classes, I found the assignments to be rather challenging, but rewarding. My concept paper was revised several times by my Dissertation Chair, before being sent for university review. The mentor wanted to make sure that my concept paper will be approved if not in the first try, with some minor modifications on the second try. Needless to say, my concept paper was approved first time around. Additionally, I found out that comprehensive exam is just as challenging as any traditional PhD program out there. I am currently finishing my Dissertation at NCU, and if everything goes well, I will graduate in few months. Overall, I am very satisfied with NCU’s programs, delivery methods, and available resources. One-on-One mentoring is the greatest feature that this university offers. Too bad they do not have degrees in other areas or my interests, otherwise I would be taking several more Master degrees from NCU.
NCU is a good deal
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I am a third year PhD student in Applied Computer Science at NCU and I am pleased with their program. After a college career of 6 previous degrees, the majority of them earned at traditional B&M schools (and all regionally accredited), NCU was a breath of fresh air due to the fact that it offered a PhD online.Most of the mentors I have had were very knowledgable about their subjects. I find it interesting that the individuals who are posting negative reviews don't seem to have even a basic grasp of grammar and sentence structure, yet the individuals who are posted positive reviews seem to be very succinct. I think the negative reviewers were hoping for an easy degree and are disappointed that NCU has high standards that they can’t live up to. For someone like me with a full time research career, having this flexible schedule in a work study format is a blessing. I could never earn enough as a traditional PhD student to support a family. The main issue to focus on in regards a school’s reputation is regional accreditation, and NCU is regionally accredited. Even if they are under review, they have been approved, and from what I understand it is difficult to lose regional accreditation once a school has it. None of this means I think NCU is perfect. It has experienced growing pains and does not always do things efficiently. However, no school I have attended ever has or will, and that includes a traditional Ivy-league level institution. This is just human nature. For what I am paying to complete my dissertation plus the regional accreditation, NCU is definitely worth the time. However, for prospective students, don’t think this will be an easy ride. I have had to work harder than any other degree, but in the end it will be worth it.
NCU is in TURMOIL!!
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This was a great school until the last year, but now is not the time to enroll in NCU. They only have a three year accreditation, which means that there are some problems to be addressed. Having said this, NCU is flailing about to rectify some of the issues, but this has created turmoil and angst at the Research Phase of the process. Policies change at the whim of the President, and which are not always publicized. Student programs are not honored.... Students are moved from program to program without recourse. The last research course was shortened without changing the syllabus, and students are made to repeat this shortened course, and are given an "F" until the requirements have been met. Staff support is abysmal, there is no proper business courtesy from "Academic" Advisors (AA), who do not acknowledge correspondence sent, and who need to be prompted for replies to concerns. AAs are changed frequently, so along with faculty firings and resignations, the academic climate is in turmoil.
I can not recommend NCU
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I am currently registered. I like the idea (theory and concept) of NCU. I have summarized my experience over the past couple of semesters. I hope you find this review beneficial. Institution & Support: The admissions department is great! They were and continue to be upfront, well-informed, and courteous. They come across as sincere and genuinely concerned. The rest of NCU Administration is simply poor. Staff members routinely fail to return calls and emails. If you need information on degree requirements, accounts, etc., please understand that you will have to deal with NCUs voicemail hell. On the rare occasions when I did receive a call back, I was given incorrect and/or inconclusive information. Materials & Books: I have a serious problem with some of the books doctoral students are forced to buy. In one courses, NCU used books that were not academically appropriate on any level (undergrad or grad). I purchased 3 books for the course (cost $300). The books were missing scholarly references. For example, the books defined management terms without references attached. Every book that is used on a college/univ campus (traditional or non-traditional) has references. I take my education serious and weak learning materials/books are a big problem for me. Teachers: Thus far, I have not had a problem with my instructors. NCU will change your instructor in the middle of a course. However, the new instructors have been accommodating and I appreciate that. At this time, I can not recommend NCU. I would like to see staff mature and grow in their professional positions. Specifically, learning and understanding how to provide basic customer service (ie answer questions and return calls). Academically, I would like to see appropriate books selected for all courses! If anyone is is having serious problems (breach, failure to release info, billing errors), please follow the grievance procedures. Document all interaction carefully and follow-up via email. If you find a "legitimate" issue is not being handled and you have exhausted NCUs grievance procedures, submit a complaint with the Arizona Department of Education - Private Postsecondary.
Not For Everyone
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It's a good construct however, changes to programs while students are in progress of completing their degrees are not well orchestrated nor well communicated with students. Not much guidance is provided to students on how to successfully get through their programs. Students need to exercise/tolerate changes.
Ut sementem feceris, ita metes .
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I am now in my third course in this program. My experience has been positive. The coursework has been rigorous, and the mentors, so far, have been knowledgeable, timely in providing feedback, and supportive.
Worst college I've ever attended
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I was in my last course at NCU (before starting the dissertation sequence) when I received a bad instructor. I was informed by one of the Academic Advisors that most students complain about this instructor, and that her feedback, comments/expectations were rather far-fetched and irrelevant to the course. Anyhow, I submitted my first paper, only to receive one point above an F, with comments/feedback that made absolutely no sense. The instructor did not read the instructions for the assignment (so she had no idea what it was even about) and obviously did not use the book because the feedback/questions she asked were contradicted by the assignment and the questions in the book. I contacted my academic advisor about this problem, and after getting the run around, was surprised when the school informed me that this was my problem, my fault, and I needed to deal with it. I submitted a second assignment and, received the same far-fetched feedback and low grade from the instructor. I attempted to schedule a phone appointment with the instructor, but she declined. I e-mailed her several times trying to understand what exactly it was that she was looking for and why she wasn't going by the instructions outlined for the assignment and the questions listed in the book...but I kept receiving an evasive response. I contacted just about every administrator in the school, and finally received an e-mail from only one, and that was the dean of the business department. Once again, I was informed that this was my problem, my fault, and that the instructor was a wonderful asset to NCU. I have two MA degrees (from different schools) with a 3.9 and a 4.0 GPA average and NCU in effect tried to infer that I was some bumpkin who should have been honored to attend such a prestigious school. At this point, I realized that things were only going to get worse, and the last thing I wanted was to shell out more money only to be abandoned half-way through the dissertation process. At this point, I realized that the college was trying to rip students off by making them pay for the same class more than one time in order to make more money, hence, the purpose of hiring teachers who are out to give students a hard time and a bad grade. NCU does not have the best reputation, and a degree from that school isn't considerably valuable, and after talking to several college administrators, was informed that with a PhD from NCU, I was not going to get the job I was looking for. I have two Masters degrees from two other colleges and have had a good experience and both of those colleges, but this PhD program at NCU is awful. Going to NCU is like digging through the garbage can trying to find a piece of crumpled trash that looks like a degree. To me, an NCU degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on.
Hard Work and Exceptional Thinking
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I am currently nearing completion of my PhD coursework and am thrilled with the program. It is VERY intense and a student will learn a great deal. If you are not independently motivated and looking for simple recall of information instead of synthesis, you will most likely have a tough time. There is no hand-holding, they assume you are beyond that stage of education. However, I have never had a problem getting a question answered if I needed help. I expect that the dissertation process will be a big challenge, but it is supposed to be. I will have no doubt that I have earned this degree when it is complete. I highly recommend it!
I graduated from NCU with a Phd and...
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let us not exaggerate. This is not a traditional DL program as the vast majority of courses do not have or do not utilize a discussion board. The program resembles the old correspondence courses. Essentially I was on my own during the process. I would get remarks to change this or that but never on how to implement these changes. I was expected to research on the solutions. Definitely I was on my own. The greatest obstacle is the idiotic process of two PhD committees. In traditional schools you report to your dissertation committee. In NCU once you get the green light from your dissertation committee, the paper or proposal or dissertation goes to the Review Committee that usually slaughters the first "approved" review. Often they disagree among themselves. Why? Because they are ignorant. And because they are ignorant, they torture the candidate. No sour grapes here. I did get my PhD. But I left the place with a bad taste in my mouth. I wish NCU would realize that having two committees that disagree strongly on their assessments is bad advertisement. Horrible marketing. You have one set of professors say to another “You do not know how to detect mistakes.” If anyone reads this, FIX the problem now.
Not many other good options out there
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I've started my 7th course in the Phd in BA with a Technology Management focus. I have two Masters (MBA and MS) from B&M. I can honestly say that I prefer NCU's format of self study, over sitting in a classroom. For one, working full time and a family, I don't have time to sit in a classroom. I'm grateful to complete my coursework during the time I have available which may be starting at 10:30 PM on a Friday. The school overall is good. The work is definitely not easy. Some instructors are better than others, as with any school. I have taken exception with two with respect to inconsistent grading and lack of feedback. The administration is responsive and overall satisfactory. For me, the school works because I want the Phd title and I want to teach adjunct now and FT at a community college later on. If your aspirations and situation are similar to mine, then NCU might be good for you. Good luck!
PhD in Business
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I only enrolled in one course in the PhD program and never heard from an instructor. It was very difficult getting the administration to follow up with me. The technology did not work and I complained that the school used deception in their promotion. They would not refund my money or show any concerned for my issues. They intentionally did not respond to me. At the time I considered NCU a fly by night operation and ran as fast as possible away from this organization and wrote this experience and as a loss. There are many issues that I will not draw out here. Overall, I can see that there are more favorable ratings on this site for NCU then unfavorable ones. It is obvious that some students do believe that they are getting value for their money and at least for them, this is the best program. However, candidate searching for a doctorate program should go beyond just student satisfaction ratings of a school. That is only one indicator. What do you what to do with your degree? If full time teaching beyond the community college level is your main goal, then you should seriously consider another program and meet with deans and faculty members from some of the schools you would most likely teach for to discuss your career options. Do not overlook this. You can avoid an economic and career disaster. Here are some simple tips for selecting a PhD in business program. If you are looking for a PhD and plan to teach business in academia, you should contact the types of schools that you would like to teach at. They will tell you which programs they will accept. Most business schools will only employ candidates for tenure positions from an AACSB programs and or schools that have a high-level full time research faculty, not part time adjunct faculty. So be very careful before you invest your time in a PhD in business program. NCU may be able to point to a few successful candidates that have successful publication records but these students or graduates may have been successful before the program or in spite of the program. So you may want to see which schools has a greater number of full time research faculty, their publication record and turnover of faculty experience. Accreditation should be only a minimum standard. You should also interview students who dropped out and or where not successful in the program to get a more balanced perspective then just the school. Not all PhD in business programs are viewed the same just because they have an accreditation seal. There will be a problem for candidates who have completed the program before any credible changes take place. For many who just want to teach on the side, a community college or use the PhD credential at your job, this may be the place for you. Hopefully, the new equity partners will clean up many of the serious problems cited on the Web. Perhaps a merger or name change is in order. Then maybe you may not to have to worry about listing
Great phD Experience so far
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The staff at NCU was awesome during the enrollment and registration process. I am thoroughly enjoying the coursework, which is very rigorous. I am halfway into my first class and I am 100% happy with the program thus far. My mentor has been extremely helpful and is quite knowledgeable. I look forward to completing the rest of my phD.
NCU is an excellent university
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The technology and the instructional support at NCU are excellent. I have two master's degrees from traditional brick and mortar universities, so I can accurately evaluate the quality of NCU. My experience at NCU has been outstanding. The academic rigor is equal to any other program that I've been associated with, and I'm proud of my association with NCU. It's a wonderful university.
You must be a Thinker!
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NCU has been a great place for me. I have plenty of education at "bricks and mortar institutions," and rate this education as the best in my life. I am completing a Business PhD after retiring from a successful 20 year career in business. One my think that I knew everything needed for the business world based on my experience. Not true. This education forces you to think! There is plenty of cross interaction with other learners and professors. Most professors are well credentialed in the business or education fields in their own rights. I currently interact with higher education administration in a political capacity, and am shocked at their comparative skills against those I have met online at NCU. This is an excellent education community that should not be overlooked or undercut. The criticism that I have heard is mainly unfounded. NCU requires you to think, if you need to be coddled go somewhere else. But, if you like to think, NCU will greatly add to your status as a scholar, professional capacities, and to your merit in the business world. I would hire any NCU business grad.
NCU - PhD Bus Admin
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Currently in the research dissertation proposal phase, and have been an NCU Learner since 9/2003. I have found the growth of the University to be sure and steady. My experience is that this is a premier online distance learning University. I read that some are unhappy, but I can tell anyone that my skills have grown while I have been pursuing my PhD at this University. This is a fine University, and I heartily endorse it to anyone seeking an advanced degree, or even an undergraduate degree.
NCU is OK and improving (hopefully)
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NCU is unique in its style. It is truly 100% online. Its main advantage is flexibility in completing courses for busy full-time working professionals. It is also one of the affordable universities. Like in all other universities, every mentor is different. Some are responsive and some are not. Some read the assignments closely, some do not, but generally course work effort is reflected in grades. They recently started to be more interactive with students and taking their inputs for improvements. I am hopeful that it will improve from its present position.
NCU-Good Support
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Treated very well. The University cares very much for their students and their progress. Mentor offer timely responses and direction.
NCU's marketing doesn't match it's delivery
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I was academically dismissed from Northcentral University in January. The primary cause of my failure as an NCU student was the complete lack of mentor-student interaction. Even when I responded that I was having difficulty during the first research class, the mentor never responded until he posted an unsatisfactory grade. Please read the complete story at www.ncublogs.com. All NCU students that have experienced the lack of mentorship during their classes should leave their contact information in the comments (the comments are moderated before display, I will not publish personal info). A single person such as myself cannot change NCU. Perhaps as a group, our collective voices can get the attention of NCU or the Arizona Attorney General or the FTC. NCU is not delivering on their marketing promises.
NCU
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I have been attending NCU since 1/04 and have found the program to be very satisfying. The instructors require you to work hard and present material in a way that builds on the assignments. In my hundreds of interactions I have found the the instructors to be professional and supportive. I highly recommend this university to any student wanting to improve their education. I have used the education at Northcentral University to improve my professional standing in the community.
Educational Satisfaction
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I am a PhD learner (Industrial/Organizational Psychology) in the Business Administration program and I absolutely love it. I switched from Capella to NCU last year and only wished I had done it so much earlier. I would recommend NCU to anyone.
So far so good
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I enrolled in the PhD program (Business Administration with Marketing Specialization) last week and am scheduled to start in October. Although I haven't started the program as of yet, I have done quite a bit of research on other Online PhD programs and have found that NCU is the ONLY Online college that offers PhD degrees with a Marketing Emphasis. The level of support I received by my Enrollment Counselor and Academic Adviser was good...no complaints. I am currently earning my MBA at University of Phoenix (Awesome school) and NCU is letting me start on my Specialization courses first so I can transfer my MBA courses in (from UoP) next year. University of Phoenix is a great college too (I earned my BA degree from the ground campus in my area and am currently doing the Masters program online). Anyhow, I start my first PhD course with NCU in October, so I will write back again and let you know how it goes.
Lack of Support in the program from the mentors
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The idea of having NCU degree seemed to be great, but the problem arise from the lack of mentors support to their learners and the academic advisors. As I started my Ph.D program, They don't tell you anything that direct you to the proper source. You are basically on your own. I have an MBA and I got 30 credits transferred. The main problem is that when you start a Ph.D, One may need a lot of support all along, but the beginning is always hard. I just wanna say that it is extremely hard to even get their support. There is no standard grading system, by which you can pinpoint your grade. It is all up to the mentor and what they decide to do with you, so if the mentor does not clarify what wants you end up losing out, especially if your name sounds foreign like mine. I got an (A)in almost all of my assignments, but the mentor sometimes read the first two lines of my assignment and tells to resubmit and you already lost 10% of your assignment grade without even knowing why and if you discuss it, they may screw up your entire grade of the class, because there is standarized grading system that all mentors can abide by. It is important to mention to you that My MBA GPA is an (A)and I still maintain an (A) in my first classes assignment. The bottomline is you need to check out different online schools like Walden, Argosy or somewhere else as long as they provide a more standardized grading system and strong support for their learners, because you a mentor to be on your side to help you achieve your academic goals and be on your side during the process.
A great choice for busy people
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I am doing a PhD at NCU, and am enjoying it a great deal. The program is not for everybody, but suits someone in my situation very well. Here is my story: 1. I could study anywhere. I have good bricks-and-mortar undergraduate & MBA degrees, a decent GMAT etc. 2. I have a demanding job that I really enjoy. The cost of taking a leave of absence to study full-time at a great school would not make financial sense. 3. I did extensive research, and find that the NCU curriculum in my field is the best thought-out and most aligned to my needs. I am including bricks-and-mortar schools in this analysis. I have designed curriculum for a top school, and I know good design when I see it. 4. I am not trying to pass off my PhD as anything it isn't. I don't think my PhD will change my life, or my opportunities - my personal makeup will continue to drive my success. 5. I don't want to be in a cohort - been there, done that. I love teams, but I have my hands full of them at work, and don't want to either "carry" or have to wait for other group members at school. 6. The nature of my work is that there are busy times and slow times. Being able to speed up or slow down my progress through courses is a huge benefit. 7. I am genuinely interested in my subject, and am doing this as a hobby as much as anything. I have "gotten ahead" plenty already, and am mostly looking to add a little brain food to the tail end of my career. 8. I don't need my hand held. I am prepared to learn on my own and take a risk on my assignments (nobody will be looking at my 'marks'). I don't need someone to prescribe every little step of the way or tell me "exactly what they expect" from me, beyond the general marching orders. The bottom line is that I haven't chosen NCU out of lack of better options. I am genuinely impressed with their program and their delivery style. It isn't easy by any means, and is certainly not light-weight. I would say if your story is anything like mine, and you are favorably impressed with NCU's programs - go for it! Best of luck on whatever choice you make...
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