Norwich University

I desperately wanted to believe in the ideals Norwich promised to uphold from the start of the MDY program, but unfortunately they just aren't there. First and foremost, this is a private military academy. As such expectations are high, and they should be. In fact, not only should the be high, they should be very high. With that, the expectation is also high from my end, the student, that Norwich will be (to borrow from my military slang) squared away. If I'm going to allow you to lead me and expect me to meet a very high standard, you (Norwich) too should at the very least meet or exceed said standard. Again, I wish I could give Norwich a A+ here, but reality is their past level of performance is a C+ at best. The 'positive' here is that they've been consistent with their lack of consistency. Requesting and sharing of information from staff and professors with me and my peers throughout my time at Norwich has been inconsistent and vague at best. From issues with the course design, to contact with the on campus bookstore, I've had to check and recheck with the respective individuals just to get resolution. That is unacceptable. In Moodle, the online posting platform, I've literally found three different expectations for one assignment and not one is the same. This has been addressed with the program director but little if any resolution has been had. I certainly have not received resolution after a week plus. Second, the consistency between professors is laughable at best. I put value on a professors 'usefulness' by their ability to use their pedigree to thoroughly express and expand on ideas being taught and shared. Many if not all professors are accomplished in their concentration. But with that only two of the many professors I've had so far have understood this premise. Others merely serve as placeholders. Shame as I truly wanted to believe Norwich's promise. Finally, the work should be hard, the assignments challenging -- I expect this, but don't believe for a minute this program is for the working professional. Yes, people have finished their degree while holding a career at the same time, but I question their level of work and personal commitments while doing this. Simply put, if you have a tremendous professional workload and family commitments, think VERY long and hard (repeat--VERY) as to whether or not you wish to take on this level of commitment. I can say without a doubt that had I known then what I know now I would not have chosen this degree. Also, as sad as this is for me to admit, I would not recommend the MDY program to my peers, and that really frustrates me. Why? Because there is still a small piece of me that believes Norwich can fix this, but when and how? Norwich, are you listening? Until then, the unknown ROI is simply not worth the amount of energy, frustration and very real concern for lack of yield put into this degree. In the end, life is what you make of it -- this I know. However, putting very large amounts of time and energy into a system that is marginally 'ok' at best; among many other problems addressed with the Norwich Staff that are easily correctable, is not worth my time, or seemingly that of others. Your mileage may vary, however my experience seems to be in line with that of others. http://www.studentsreview.com/VT/NU_g.html

I recently completed the Masters in Diplomacy program and waiting to attend the residency component. I found the program to be great and it met my expectations. I think the pace at which the program develops is adequate and it is certainly doable if you have a full-time job. With that being said, it also takes a significant commitment and you will develop a top notched time-management strategy. The program itself is structured to give the student a comprehensive but general understanding of the subject matter. If I had to offer one critique, I wish the program would have afforded more practical application. There were many times where it was too theoretical. The overall online experience was what I expected and for the most part the student population came to work which made the process enjoyable. There seemed to be a significant level of diversity which led to thoughtful and robust online discussion forums. The online school platform (Moodle) changed in the middle of the program which was a little distracting but the new platform operates miles ahead of the old Angel based platform. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience in the Diplomacy Program and would recommend it to those who are seriously thinking about online school because a traditional setting is not an option.

I had never taken an online course before attending Norwich. So I was a little skeptical, even after researching all the various online graduate programs available. My career required an online curriculum and I now know I made an excellent choice. Some of the professors were more engaging than others and some of the reading material, especially in studying the international political economy, were slightly outdated. Overall, however, the quality was exceptional. There were also a few instances that perhaps the grading of papers seemed a little lax. For example, I feel that if you earn an A on a paper, it should be nearly publishable, with perhaps only minor technical / grammatical errors; I received some As I'm not sure I deserved, with substantive drawbacks to my arguments.. I could not find data on the average and median grade for each class I attended. The online interface was easy and accessible, even for a Mac user like me. I learned much, much more than I expected to going into the experience. I would recommend this university to anyone who is seeking an online M.A. and I actually may go back if I decide for an MBA.

Teahers are vastly experienced. Some appear disinterested and seeking reinforcement of theories they endorse, in one case arguing for their position when shown a picture specificly refuting that position they had taken. Institution is hard but excellent. Library usage weekly required, library staff rarely responds to queries, thus support weaker than expected considering quality of work required. Search engines obtuse relative to specific study area with Google providing more data than Norwich Google. Drop out rate seems to be well over the 50% they advertise.

I've just completed the 2010 Residency program for the Diplomacy degree after having finished the course work in November 2009 (I started in June 2008). The degree is incredibly challenging and requires a lot of reading and critical thinking. From weekly discussions in the online classroom to the 20-25 page term papers, you are given every opportunity to learn from engaging with classmates and to develop writing skills. While many students do have a military background I was pleased by the range of public service, private sector, and foreign diplomacy perspectives I encountered throughout the program. One professor had worked as a diplomat for the Czech government in the Balkans. At the one-week Residency each student presented one of the six term papers he/she wrote. One paper presentation was on conflict management in Somalia from a student from Ethiopia and another was on recovering from the effects of Apartheid presented by a South African student who had trained new police recruits after desegregation in the 1990s. There were literally over 100 papers presented in three days and each person could choose which presentations to attend based on their interests. I completed the degree while working full-time in the Air Force. It was an amazing experience and a perfect fit for professionals with an interest in international relations who cannot attend school in residence for 12-18 months but are still looking for a challenge.

I finished my diplomacy masters in 2008 and must say that the program was much more challenging than I expected. Having tried other online courses I was pleasantly surprised at its structure. Excellent program and solidly backed up by a stellar "bricks and mortar" school. There was one issue that arose about an instructor that was a very poor example of educator. I discovered after a simple google search that this person was a disbarred lawyer and ex-felon! The class was atrocious but to Norwich's credit that person is no longer a member of their faculty. At the time it was disheartening that such a person was allowed to "teach". Do yourself a favor with online courses, really read the instructor's bio and if it looks a little sparse google their name but most importantly, don't do like I did and just hope for it to get better - call someone!

I completed my Diplomacy Degree in 2005 and am just about done with the coursework for my PhD. This is a real program, not a give away by any means, it's challenging but worth every minute. You will never find professors of this caliber on any one campus; they come from a number of institutions and are world class. Highly recommend

I recently completed my last seminar in the Diplomacy program. After a year and a half it is hard to believe that I am finally done. The workload was intense and almost crippling through Seminars 4-5, but the rest were pretty balanced. You are registered as a Full-Time student, and make no mistake, you need every hour of the week you can spare. I averaged 20-25 hours most weeks and even more through the tough Seminars. I took it very seriously and prioritized the program ahead of anything else in my free time, which resulted in a 4.0 GPA. I am proud of the accomplishment and look forward to residency. There are only a handful of International Affairs degress online at the Masters level. Based on my research of the others, and Norwich's reputation as a Brick and Mortar school, this was the best program I could have taken. It is not cheap, but you will have it for the rest of your life, so why skimp on a cheap online degree from somewhere else.

I haven't taken an online degree program before, so I can't draw any comparisons. Overall, I'm fairly satisfied but I have a few complaints: while the core curriculum--the first three seminars--are well structured, the three concentration seminars (in my case, Conflict Management) are a little more fractured. By the time I made it to Seminar 6, I actually had to go back and write down the title of each week's lecture just to make sense of where the seminar was going. At that point, everyone is pretty burnt out and not likely to complain but ultimately, when an education comes with a price tag of 25k, I want my money's worth. Three seminars seemed redundant for the concentration, and I honestly wish I'd picked Commerce. The curriculum could have done a much better job at making each of Seminars 4, 5 and 6 more distinct. My advice to new students is to network and make use of contacts. If you have an opportunity to publish or do something outside of class, take it. If a faculty member is willing to act as a mentor, accept their guidance even if you didn't care for them as an instructor. That's really where you'll get your tuition's worth.

I am half way through this degree and so far it has been a great experience. Professors are hit or miss but they are always good. My economics professor, however was great and showed the level the school provides. Each prof has had a Ph.D so far and has been engaged. The material is doable but not easy. The reading, especially for international law, is mind boggling. If you can write well you will definitely have an easier time in this program as all assignments are papers. If you are not a good writer now, you will be when you leave. Even half way through I am looking at the world in a more educated light and feel good about it. I look forward to a new career once completed.

I am enjoying this program. The reading requirements are many and the instructors are very thorough in reviewing and providing feedback for your work. You are responsible for the readings and using the online library (which I have grown very familiar with) by providing at least five discussion submissions each week. Since everyone has a life outside of the program, I am finding that everyone in the cohort pretty much does their own thing. I feel it is going well and am looking forward to the next five seminars.

I enrolled in this degree after a great deal of contemplation (time, expense and value). It was by far one of the best experiences I have ever had. The quality of the cohorts, the professors and the admin team is second to none. Within 6 months of graduating and applying to the UN, I have been offered a contract in the Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO) in Sudan. The degree certainly placed me very competitively. If you want a challenge, a reward at the end and a quality education. Norwich MDY is the way to go.

For just about $20K, I feel I am receiving a top notch education from highly qualified instructors. Further, if you are in the military, the school is very accomodating to students overseas. Norwich lives up to its 200 year old tradition.

I took a very long look at this program before I began, but I never expected to be as pleased as I was. The classes were exceptional, the work was extensive, and I learned more in these two years than I ever imagined possible on a range of topics I thought I knew fairly well. This isn't a program for the faint of heart. It's more work than other graduate programs, and I can speak from experience since I hold a MA in education. The entire program is first-rate and very well managed. The professors were always willing to help and the support was always more than adequate. The workload is extensive and can easily fill far more time than 15-20 hours per week spread across reading, research, and writing activities. I wish I could have spent more time than that just because the questions and research, along with the discussions were THAT good. Going on campus for residency week was one of the best professional experiences I have had in a very long time, and one that really impressed me right from the start. This is one program that is an undiscovered gem.

The emphasis on Diplomacy provides the twist to this intensive but highly rewarding program. Topics and texts are current and the online discussion threads provide for some excellent, dynamic, debates on current issues. Great support to - from Prof's, support staff, IT etc. The only warning - watch out...if you think going 'online' is going to be easy, forget it! This program is all about reading and writing and you will do a lot of both. Overall a great program for anybody looking to begin or enhance a career in the international arena.

I am half way through the Diplomacy program at Norwich University, and it has been the best choice I have made in a very long time. The instructors are simply awesome; the work load is heavy, but manageable. The school goes above and beyond to accommodate the Graduate Students. Highly recommended.

I have found Norwich's Diplomacy MA program to be quite well structured. It certainly lives up to the Norwich motto "Expect Challenge, Achieve Distinction". I have completed 3 of the 6 seminars and have felt challenged in each one. The mix of broad student background and professor practical field knowledge/experience makes this program a perfect fit for any international relations focused professional. This is an outstanding program.

Norwich University is a proud school steeped in tradition and value. The Master of Arts in Diplomacy is a very challenging program designed to train student in the cause and effect of international relationships. NU Staff is world class and will put every effort into satisfying a students request and to resolve any issues that may arise. The cohort style class binds students to their peers to enhance the learning experience. You will be satisfied with Norwich University.

If you are looking for a program backed up by a "brick and mortar" school you'll be hard pressed to find a better mix. Norwich (on campus) has a corp of cadets and "traditional" (i.e. non-cadet) students, and the online students represent a cross section of society as well. The professors are top notch, and the University has invested considerably in the online program. This is a very fast paced program- be prepared for an intense workload, much reading and a fair/large amount of writing. The grading is rigorous, and participation is key. Strong time management skills are definitely required. The tech support and admin staff are outstanding, any and all questions have been resolved efficiently-- usually while you are on the phone! I gave slightly lower marks for professors and value as I am still early in the program and can't predict how the rest of the professors will be or what the ultimate value will be, but so far the program has been superb.