Southern New Hampshire University

I am just four courses away from completing the MS in OL from Southern New Hampshire University. When I began this program, I was impressed by the friendly, welcoming attitude of the office of continuing education. My original enrollment advisor was an exception - she continued to ask me questions that I had already answered and almost sent up enough red flags for me to change my mind about SHNU. Then, that advisor was no longer assigned to me and things went smoothly. Financial aid - a very important thing to me - was easy and quick. The financial aid person called me at home and emailed me to ensure that my questions were answered and kept me informed of the status of my award. One thing I was not happy with is that I was not able to charge my books to my financial aid account and had to pay up front. Of course, when your refunds come, it's wise to save enough back for the next quarter's books so it isn't such a big deal. That first quarter, however, was a blow to my budget. The tuition is reasonable. It's not the best and it's not the most expensive - but considering that SNHU is a brick and mortar school offering online education as well, it is competitive and far less than a for-profit institution. The instructors I've had - with the exception of one economics professor - have been friendly and easy to contact with questions. One of my current courses is terribly designed and I would not be surprise to see the instructor terminated; most of my fellow students have complained about this. Courses involve online discussions, extensive reading (bear this in mind if you have never taken online courses - you spend lots of time in your books!) and in most of my classes, short papers are assigned (in APA format) every other week or so. One class involved a paper every single week in addition to a blog and the discussion questions - so be sure you are comfortable with writing a lot. A visit to the school's web site will help you to see the various programs offered. One of the selling points for me was that I was able to take courses that gave me a grad certificate in HR Management that also counted toward my MS at no extra cost. There are various graduate certificates that can be earned like this, and that can't hurt your resume one bit. Course textbooks are often available on various online bookstores or you can order them from Follett (usually way expensive!). My pet peeve is that three courses thus far have required me to purchase a book ONLY available from the campus bookstore that was between $80-110 for a 50 page paperback, the contents of which can often be purchased online or even found for free. These are called "course packs", and are unfortunately a part of a few online schools requirements. I had them as an undergrad at another school. I must say, though, that the coursepacks used by SNHU are high quality materials from Harvard Business School. I like the fact that SNHU participates in community activities in its local area. Another thing that impressed me is that when a student unfortunately died, the entire SNHU community reached out to the family and provided the necessary lodging and transportation for them to make funeral arrangements, etc. I doubt you'd find that from Strayer or Walden! Explore all the schools in which you have an interest and then make the decision best for you. I believe you'd be happy with your studies at SNHU - but only you can determine the best situation for your academic career.