Northcentral University On-line Beware of on-line PhD programs Prescott , Arizona Internet

I am a student at NorthCentral University. I am very satisfied with their service;

very professional staff and the professors are excellent

In order to succeed in life, one has to work hard,

I am glad I chose NCU as my University.

 

The commenter claimed to have been interested in a program at Harvard, while defending a for-profit school with a dubious reputation.  This is indicative of the kind of shamming that lesser, for-profit schools use to dupe students into thinking that the for-profit school is reputable.  No real university ever mentions other universities.  For-profit schools are usually accredited as business schoos and if undraduate the credits will not transfer to real colleges.  If an unfortunate student pays to be enrolled in a fake graduate program at a for-profit school, it is unlikely that the fake degree will help them.  In fact, such a worthless degree will harm the career because it demonstrates dishonesty. 

 

If you want a real degree, go to a real collegthat isn't for-profit.  Make sure there's an option to attend courses as well as an online delivery method, if you're seeking online courses.  Stay away from online degrees and focus on schools that provide a distance learning component.  

 

Again, you'll never find a real, reputable university comparing any of its programs to those of any other school.  Stay away from for-profit.  There are real colleges out there, most of them costing less than a forgot fit school.  Do your homework and apply ONLY to real colleges with decent reputation and as low an acceptance rate as you can get into.  Then, your degree will be worth something. 

 

Oh...one last thing:  anyone claiming that traditional, in-classroom methods are easier or not - as - good - assistance - learning should be ignored, and is a fraud.  The best schools (William & Mary, UNC Chapel Hill, UVA, Duke, Berkeley, UCLA, and the Ivy Leagues) have both distance courses and in-class courses, if they offer any distance learning options at all.

 

Here's the reatest test:  if you want to see whether this online-only for-profit school is as good as a real college, pick a real college with very high standards, and low acceptance rates.  Apply.  See if you're accepted.  For grad programs, do the same.  If your undergrad GPA is decent (3.0 or above) and you got decent scoring on your GREs, you should be okay.  

Sorry, it IS a corrospondance school.  Email versus paper mail is a meaningless distinction.  They are a prime example of why online degrees aren't taken seriously.  "Can't cut it" is the lame excuse to dismiss people with legitimate gripes about being treated as a customer and not a student...

 

STAY AWAY FROM NCU.

Spot on.  NCU is a FOR PROFIT business, which means you are a customer, not a student.  They were bought out by a private equity firm, and changes ensued.  They changed so may policies so quickly, not even staff (or faculty) could keep them straight.  The DIS process has become a joke, with every revision being chronically returned, thus keeping you enrolled.  They have a policy now of "continious enrollment", so you are always on the clock and on your dime.  They won't talk to you or return your work unless you are paying them.  You have to ask permission to NOT be in a class, you know, for your own good.

Find another place to get a degree.  For an online school, the web interface is from 1996.  Awful.  At NCU, the meter is always running, and you're on the hook for the bill.  Spend yuor money elsewhere...

I innocently inquired online regarding a NCU program yesterday at 3:30PM PST and my phone has been BLOWing up ever since! Within 3 minutes of my online inquiry my phone started ringing from a number in Colorado and a toll free number. I've recieved at least 15 calls in the last day and a half from NCU's contracted sales force. I feel like I'm being stalked by a used car salesman who perceives me as some patsy jackass who will eventually fold and succumb to the pressure of a hard sell.

I wish the admissions officer at the University of the Pacific would have called me this much when I was busting my a*s at a JC to get in!

I hate to make an overgeneralization of a programs integrity purely based on the number of calls I received, but c'mon. My radar is up (and my phone is on silent while I weather the storm).

Danny O. SF, CA

Your stance seems to be 'the complainers just could not make it'.  Well I passed comps first time, was in DIS II passing with no problem.  In addition to which, long before attending NCU I was a published author (not self published e-books, but real books) and considered an expert in my field.  Let me give you a few indisputable facts about NCU:

1. The courses have no tests...just papers.  Not one test ever.

2. Unlike other online schools they don't have video taped lectures, software like black board for students in a class to interact and discuss.  None of the things traditionally provided in online courses.

3. Unlike any other university, you have no say in your chairs/comittee and your chair may very well be from a completely different discipline and have zero knowledge of your topic.

4. In the entire time I was there, I never met a single 'mentor' with any prominence in their field.  I had several who had published 3 or 4 unremarkable papers, 1 who had self published a few e-books. Not one who had one a major prize in their field. Not one who had published a textbook in their field. Not one that I could run through Google Scholar and see other researchers in their field quoting.  Frankly before entering NCU I had more qualifications and more prominence in my field than any two mentors (combined) that I encountered there.

5. Student complaints are routinely ignored. 

6. Harvard and Stanford have online courses (Masters not doctorate) for 1800 to 2000.  That means NCU is more expensive that Harvard or Stanford. The following state universities have masters and doctoral programs far cheaper than NCU: Dakota State, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, University of Arkansas, University of Nebraska.  Just to name a few.



So frankly the only reason anyone attends NCU is lack of research.  That was why I started there, and I am delighted to have left.

- FACT: The post secondary education system is in a LOT of trouble these days. 

I am a Veterinarian, obtained my DVM degree at a State school obtained my state license and then I went on obtained my PhD at another state school, then obtained my certification in my field of specialty.

While I was completing my PhD at a state school, I noticed individuals from the eastern world (India, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.) who do NOT have DVM degrees, they are issued BVSc (Bachelor of Veterinary Science) much like England & Europe. But the individuals simple change their BVSc degree and advertise it as a DVM. Individuals from England and Europe keep their BVSc degrees and advertise their degree as such. The ironic thing, is that a Europe or English BVSc is more in line closer to a US DVM than a India BVSc which is more in line with a BS in Animal Science. I spent 6 months in India doing research on an animal disease and teaching at a "veterinary school" so, I am more familiar of their level of training.  I don't have any ill feeling toward veterinarians of foreign countries, but I find this changing of your degree simply unethical.

Further while I was in India doing work for my PhD, I noticed several schools "American University" and such that were advertising and just asking around, it seems the standards for these schools is drastically lower than US or European standards for graduate degrees. 

Now I am done, I have completed and defended my PhD degree, but I now realize I am working side by side of people from India or China with their degrees, and honestly I don't know how honest they were on their applications but I do know their level of understanding and knowledge of my particular area in Veterinary Medicine is markedly deficient. I would trust a graduate from the US with a BS in Animals Science, Biology, Chemistry, etc. more than I would trust a graduate from China, India or such with a PhD in any of those fields. 

As it pertains to North Central University, I have worked with graduates from there and I would say they are comparable to standard US schools and I also would trust the level of training they receive from a PhD degree at NCU than I would say from "American University" in New Dehli, India. 

With the new economic globalization, I realize the post Secondary education is a flood of sub-Par PhD's or MS and I realize that as employers you need to keep that in mind when you are looking over 200 applications from Beijing, China compared to 4-5 from the US. But what really bothers me the most is the dishonesty of changing your degree name.

 

Thank you for your post.  As I read it hough I couldn't help but think this guy offers no proof against these claims.  What exactly is your issue with NCU?

Yes, folks everything you read about NCU being bad is true. The dissertation/research sequence is designed to maximize profit and that is all. Please do not go to school here! I have spent 6 years in the process of writing my dissertation. They approved everything and now suddenly at the end they are saying my manuscript is completely wrong from the alignment to the statistics, to the research questions which their mentors and chairs helped me to design. If anyone is interested in a class action email me....kiersty66@gmail.com. I will not be divulging further information about the case until you go see the attorney so don't ask me for information. If something has happened to you please email me. Thanks.

To the original complainant:

Where are you getting your information.  A correspondence school is one in which the student and instructor communicate via mail (and I don't mean email).  I doubt there are many of those left in the U.S. In a doctoral program students are often taking courses alone or with a few other learners.  This is especially  true for online schools that offer students flexibility in scheduling.  That's kind of the idea behind an online school.  I considered one of three online schools that offered the PhD I want.  Benedictine University was one of them that offered an entirely online program, but was much more expensive for the same degree and requirements.  I also did not trust that the institution would provide adequate technical support.  I'm not saying the institution is not a good school, but its main focus appears to be traditional classroom learning. 

I have attended traditional college courses and online courses for my previous degrees.  One of the features that I found worthwhile is the Dissertation board.  Many online schools do not offer this and it can make all the difference in completing a dissertation.  I have found my course work to be challenging and the professors (mentors) to offer quite a a bit of constructive criticism.  The online library of previous institutions I have attended pales in comparison to what NCU offers.  Yes, its online format is somewhat different, but the basic functions are the same. What is more impressive to me is that the entire learning system is designed in-house, rather than going with an out of the box solution like many institutions use.  It is much easier to access courses and staff, as I don't have to go through several screens to to find the information I need.  Designing a system in-house is often more costly.  It shows a commitment to students and a desire to support learning. 

Most PhD programs require quite a bit of independent learning.  I have found the supplemental course materials provided by mentors to be extremely helpful.  If I still have a question I can send an email or do some additional research on my own.  I would hope that any student at the PhD level would be able to work on his or her own.  Perhaps you lack the maturity to do the work required at such a level.  It is an entirely online school and is highly ranked by many independent rating organizations who are not affiliated with any accrediting bodies. 

Maybe you just can't cut it in an online learning environment.  That's not a reason to call an institution a rip-off. 

Before I started taking classes at NCU, I talked to counselors and teachers about this school.  I also talked to National Associates of the FBI and some military commanders.  I was told that online schooling was very difficult.  The NCU instructors are very helpful.  If you want to be babied through an education; attend a regular classroom college, go to class, go to the learning center, and work with other students.  If you go to an online school that has a good reputation, be prepared to study and learn on your own.  It was good advice. 
Online learning is not like sitting in a classroom.  For me it is perfect.  I hated sitting in a classroom.  I hate constantly being held up by the lease intelligent or laziest person in the room.  And there is always that one guy that cannot keep his mouth shut.
There is a lot of research and independent thinking when working on NCU assignments.  Your success is dependent on you.  I know several professionals in law enforcement and in the military who are highly knowledgeable people and obtained their degree from NCU. 
If you are not motivated and cannot learn on your own, do not take classes at NCU.  If you are intelligent, driven, and goal oriented; you will do fine at NCU.  It is not easy, but it fills the need for those of us who cannot attend regular classes or are not in one place long enough to fulfill a specific colleges requirements for graduation.
The instructors at NCU have impressed me. 

Richard IS right in all that he said about this pathetic Northcentral university.  It is deceptive, rude and extremely unprofessional in all it does.  No student in their right minds should be associating with this school it is a waste of money and .................thought!!!!!

I've attended an AACSB type university at the PhD level (GRE of 530/540).  I finished all the coursework and got a 3.7.  However, the program had a very hard time supporting my dissertation topic and things turned kind of nasty--typical tenure faculty committee member who gets in the lowly PhD student's way.  I'm in the process of moving my research over to NCU to puruse my passion. I am just finishing up the third course and should get back into the dissertation mode in about another six months. 

I've taught at AACSB and ACBSP schools as well at the grad level and I gotta tell you the NCU coursework is some pretty serious sh*t.  The detractors should take the quant, policy process or strategy (SKS7000) course and then report back on a comparative.   I think the detractors will be surprised.  And finally,  I looked at the Univ of Maryland program.  It had a better brand name but the DBA is problematic for potential academic appointments  that have a PhD requirement.   Not sure which direction is best since an on-line PhD may not be all that much more credible.  So far so good and I'm working on the topic that is very applicable to industry and I may be able to get some grant monies.  That being said I did run into a "prickly" prof the last course, but then again those kind are all over academia. 

I hope that helps.

P.S.  If you are military ex-miltary  there is a nice discount on the tuition.  Also, if there are any typos in the above the site spell check doesn't work.

I could not help but point out that if anyone takes the advice of the person in this complaint and goes to a University mentioned - University of Maryland - UC , they will probably end up being taught by a Northcentral graduate - in this case George Demetropolis (Phd, Northcentral 2006- http://www.umuc.edu/faculty/services/facultylist/facultylist_d.shtml).

And if there are a little bit more thorough and go for an reputed AACSB school - lets say Syracuse University in New York, they might have their class being taught by another Northcentral graduate - Dr.John Torrens, Phd - Northcentral -2008 (http://whitman.syr.edu/Directory/showInfo.aspx?id=379). It goes without saying that most of the learners at Northcentral have practical industry experience before they graduate- hence their unusual acceptability in brick and mortar university academic environment. So please take the advice and go to brick and mortar universities where the graduates of Northcentral will be waiting for you as faculty on the basis of quality education they were imparted at Northcentral. 

Just found this amusing so thought I might share this with everyone. Peace!

First of all, I recently earned my Ph.D. from NCU and overall, this was a positive experience. Like any other school, it is not perfect. I have other educational experiences to compare this to, because I did much of my coursework for my previous degrees (AA, BS, and MAT) in a traditional manner. The NCU program was the first online program I have enrolled in, and it was the most challenging of all, but I think that is the problem that some have with it. They are not up to that kind of challenge.

I keep hearing this and it is true. Today's students, even online students, want someone to hold their hand and show them every step of the way.

NCU is NOT a correspondence school, but even if it was, I don't see the problem as long as your work and learning has to be evaluated by objective, qualified personnel with doctorate degrees. I have taken correspondence courses from many regionally accredited, highly acclaimed schools (such as Penn State and Brigham Young University), in the days before Internet, and the learning was very high quality, maybe even more so because I had to be evaluated the same was as students who sat in classes regularly, but had to find resources and apply the learning on my own, and prove to my evaluators that the learning did take place. This type of school is not for everyone and unless you are a highly motivated, independent learner, this is not for you.

I have noticed a trend. The angriest consumers from these schools have trouble articulating themselves; it is more than just typos and not proofreading what they post; I see signs why they would start a program like NCU's doctoral programs, thinking if they paid their money and put in the time, there would be enough "interaction" to walk them through everything and they would come out on the other end with a Doctorate degree. Most of us who make it through NCU's program are highly intelligent and most of us can string together a good sentence in English. Yes, even for these casual postings, I see signs that those who make it, are more intelligent and more capable than those who come here to complain about the school.

I keep hearing so much about NCU's lack of a residency requirement. I think residencies defeat the whole purpose of distance learning. It is a compromise in the belief that distance learning is viable. I for one do believe distance learning is viable and I see no need to compromise that. I applaud NCU for sticking with the no residency requirement (so far). I suspect that some day in the future, NCU will succumb to the expectations of those who speak so loudly, but in reality don't know what they are talking about, and make changes to conform more with B&M universities, or even worse, the online universities that require "group" assignments and work with cohorts that get "group grades." That would be my bottom choice. I would definitely choose a B&M school over any school that required mostly "group work."

As I read this posting I am can think of only one thing. If this is infact a Ph.D candidate, why didn't they do a better job researching the school of their choice before they started. As a graduate of Northcentral's MBA program I can tell you that I had a much different experience than the one described here. It seems to me that a learner should research the educational institution that they choose, especially before committing to a Ph.D program. We all know how we learn, some of us don't need constant communication and consultation. Northcentral provided me with all the feedback that I needed, but they did not hold my hand. I found the assignments to be challenging, but rewarding, and I never had an occassion where a mentor did not do everything possible to give me solid feedback. I am really sorry that some learners have a bad experience, but I think that most schools websites pretty well outline what services come with the program. If you look at a program and it is completely on line, then you must come to the conclusion that no one is going to sit down with you and walk you through the program. If a learner needs that then there are a host of good schools online that advertise that type of one-on-one attention.

In the end all I can say is I learned a great deal during my program at Northcentral, and I worked my tail off in the process. For prospective students all I can say is look at the program, if you are an independent learner who doesn't want to be tied down to web class times the Northcentral program is for you. If you need additional support it is not. Northcentral does not deserve this bad rap and I hope that objective readers will take this into account.

I am a student at NCU. NCU has earned none of the criticism wielded against it. The report has not one particle of substance beyond a diatribe - and is full of rhetoric that fails all logical tests and the little evidence it provides is inapplicable (AKA bull).

I have attended 4 other respected and regionally accredited brick-and-mortar universities across 3 states -- and have successfully experienced every form of class delivery available.

I looked at Ph.D. programs at the state and private institutions in my area and I understand what the competition is about. In fact, I was serious about attending one state college because of their "psychology department's prestigious heritage". I discovered the most profound and dominating characteristic was their bias, and after interviews, a couple of courses and thoroughly examining the prospect, I had zero confidence I would be able to achieve a return on my 6 year investment of no income and high tuition. Moreover, my goals didn't match those they were funded to do or were trying to get funding for.

I know at least one other Ph.D. student at that university in a different field who butt against the same bias I would have - that she had to put forth great effort to challenge. The result? She was the first Ph.D. student in the history of that university to make it past stage one of getting published in Nature. Though she attended in person full time, the majority of her interactions with academic staff were electronic.

I did comprehensive research on NCU before I even considered it - including researching the results of their accreditation, the backgrounds of faculty leaders, interrogating alumni, and even their physical presence and reputation in their local community. It met my standards as much then as the other institutions I attended; and exceeded them since.

As far as the SOX (Sarbanes Oxley) act, it only applies to public companies that file with the SEC, so it does not apply to traditional universities (NPOs). But NPOs have problems unique to them; I happen to work for a world-renowned educational NPO so I know it first hand.

When it comes to a public company, a whole different set of values are at play and SOX addresses ethics only in that milieu. A private company is a better deal when it comes to ethics but it doesn't have the kind of access to capital that a public organization has. So the author's argument in this regard is invalid.

Another thought... Traditional universities have numerous problems that detract from educational quality. I won't go into the social constructs of quality assigned to hard-to-get-into institutions - with a big pick list you get the best students. But one nasty problem that is seldom mentioned is they have a prime focus on getting published and getting funding.

Most of the professors I had at traditional universities offered nothing I couldn't find on my own, and they seemed to not be concerned with how well they taught. Part of this may stem from the very low interaction with individual students that occurs.

Most were also horrible speakers and you had to either correspond with their TAs or hope to catch them during their scant office hours, so communication was far worse than the distant/web/online learning courses I took - including NCU.

I could invalidate every logical premise, but that would take too long. In short, NCU offers challenging, high quality education that matches what I received at brick-and-mortar institutions - but without the deficits. Moreover, I found absolutely zero deception.

Finally, not only does the reputable educational institution I work for view NCU as worthy of reimbursement, but so does the federal government and the military.

BTW, now all other traditional educational institutions - including Harvard - have distance/online programs.  In fact, one graduate program at Harvard I was interested only required to prove residency for its minimal residency requirement - and you can take an online or distance course for that requirement! (Residency is tied to state funding.)

I attend Northcentral University and LOVE it!  It is regionally accredited and is one of the most academically rigorous programs that are available online.  The majority of students who attend Northcentral refer other people because the program is truly flexible - they don't have discussion boards or group project like other online programs.  It is mainly a graduate university because the majority of students are doctoral and some masters level.

I'm not sure the education level of the person who orignally posted this in 2007?  But, they should know that the word they used "doctorial" is NOT a word - the proper term is doctoral.  Maybe they should know the correct terminology for a terminal degree before they make false accusations against a univeristy.

One of things I find interesting about these discussions is that they always reflect the standing of an institution in relation to other institutions.  This is a mistake, simply because very few institutions live up to their reputations, whether they be Yale, Harvard, or MIT.  I've taken classes at a number of well-known schools and they are rarely better than what you would find anywhere else.  In fact, some of the worst classes I have taken were at the best schools.

As for NCU - the degree is real.  I say this as an editor for a well-known, major academic publishing company that has contracted NCU graduates to produce cutting edge monographs.  This isn't a joke.  John House (a Ph.D. graduate), has produced a well-received volume on the causes of warfare.  Few academics, regardless of where they received their degrees, can say as much.  And I can say that with authority because I regularly turn down offerings from some of the best known and degree heavy people in the world. 

The reason Dr. House was able to publish his title is because he's intelligent, has a doctoral degree, exceptional experience, and tremendous ideas that few people can boast.  A degree is absolutely meaningless to 99% of the world unless you have the ability to back it up.  Again, I say this having dealt with thousands of academics in my life.  I'm also saying this with the ability to seriously influence people's careers by publishing their work, putting them on advisory boards, and otherwise recognizing them as experts in a given area.  There are plenty of NCU graduates who have been recognized as such, regardless of the fact that they have online degrees.

I am not an NCU graduate or student, although I do have several degrees from brick and mortar institutions.  I'm also a published author with ten years of professional publishing experience working with some of the most accomplished people in the world.  I'm replying to this post because I frequently come in contact with academics who rather enjoy trashing other people's degrees, regardless of where they come from.  It may shock some people, but unless you want to teach, your accomplishments carry a hell of a lot more weight than your degree ever will.  NCU has an accredited doctoral program.  The degree takes, what, four years to complete?  Compare that with a lifetime of serious accomplishments.  Guess which one gets taken into account when professionals look for real qualifications? 

So for those of you who are considering NCU, as long as you you don't want to be a tenured instructor at a traditional school, go out and pursue the degree.  Then accomplish something worthwhile.  You would be surprised by how many people are are associated with the best schools and businesses that don't have fine pedigrees.  Here's a hint - they outnumber the people with outstanding GPAs and shining diplomas. 

 

 

Beware not just NCU, a crappy correspondence school masquerading as "online" education, but also their cadre of shills.  Because so many people get screwed over by NCU and their corrupt and incompetent admin, there are lots and lots of complaints on this and similar online discussions.  So NCU has to post lots and lots of bogus postive comments to try to offset the truth.  Don't be fooled.  NCU is a joke and a waste of money.  Don't get ripped off, don't enroll at NCU.

this is for Riz houston usa

to see i just want to know if ur da same person from muslima.com

hmmm. well if you are

email me back at mairajsobia@yahoo.com   

rabia mairaj

Here is what you all forgot. It has nothing to do with the quality of the program deliverable. It's all about this --- if you get your degree from an online school, you will only EVER be able to teach at at online school, or small private schools. No state school, AACSB school, or, dare I say it, even an on ground ACBSP accredited school would dare hire someone who earned the terminal degree online.

How do I know? I've worked for state schools, AACSB schools, and small, on ground, ACBSP accredited schools in the Northeast and in the South for 20 plus years and we will not even look at the CV of anyone from an online school, whether it is NCU, TUI, Walden, or Capella. Maybe you should all have looked at the prospects for hiring before you started your program.

I know many who have completed their masters and PhD through this school.  I have talked to many educators about the quality of Northcentral's program.  This is what I have found before attending this university.  It is very difficult to attend school on-line.  The programs are very good but you have to be a driiven person to succeed.  Most people must attend a regular class and be pushed by an instructor.  For the majority of the population to work on their own, they are unsuccessful.  There are people who will hate this type of school.  Don't tear the program apart just because you have had problems.  You just have another way of learning.  One is no better than the other, just different.  I have always learned more on my own than sitting in a class and getting unbelievably bored.  Just different.

I 've just graduated Ph.D at NCU. I am a CU alumni.

Since the new mgmt (private equity firm) took over 2 years ago, the tuition has been increased to a maximum level every year. There are also a lot of new additional fees as you can imagin. Believe it or not fee increases upto 25% every year. However, service is faster a bit.

By the way, at this university, there is no class or online class at all. You just read text books and do 3-15 assignments depending on your class.

Lots of professors (20%) are really excellent, 30% are good, and 50% are poor (only check your grammar on your writing. no good feedback at all). The university assigns them for you, so it depends on your luck. My friend got a bad Dissertation advisor, so he spent 150% tuition over his budget. Luckily, his company paid for that. At the process, you can  ensure that you pay for waiting time, indeed.

There are a lot of more than I can type here.

I think NCU is for people who are unable to go to a class at all such as solders in fields or business people who travel abroad a lot. Other than that, please choose other u with more recognition such as U of MD college university.

I think other universities such as TIU, Capella, Walden, and  Indiana U are also ok. I just think.

As long as your company or the gov are responsible for your tuition, it is fine to choose this u. Otherwise, please expect to pay more than you estimate at least 15-50%. I mean for PhD.

Try to get to a u with more recognition first. If you cannot, then ..... 

Here are a few links you may want to review before your next bout of creative writing: http://www.bestbizschools.com/doctorate/list.asp and http://www.allonlineschools.com/search/aacsb-accredited/. Just because a school is not AACSB accredited does not make the school less of a learning institution. As far as discrediting a school, here is what I recommend: If you're not a top level scholar, find a school that is a little softer. There is no hand-holding at the doctorate.

Northcentral University is a regionally accredited distance learning university, located in Prescott Valley, Arizona. Northcentral (NCU) offers programs and degrees in business, education, and psychology. Northcentral is classified as a DRU: Doctoral/Research University by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

The University was founded in early 1996 as a for-profit 100% distance learning university based in Prescott, Arizona. The vision was to combine academics with the convenience of distance learning. NCU began by offering degree programs in business administration and psychology. Today NCU offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees (PhD, EdD or DBA) in business, education, and psychology.

The University was the first distance learning university to have its business school accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, whose mission is to develop practices that contribute to improvement of business education. [4] In its brief history, Northcentral University has had more than 600 graduates. Today NCU has a student body of more than 7,500 students worldwide. NCU students represent every U.S. state and territory and 52 other nations.

Accreditation: It is fully regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. NCU's business school is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). ACBSP and AACSB are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) of the US Department of Education for accreditation of business schools in the United States.Only forty-two percent of business schools in the United States possess external specialty accreditation. There are three principal accrediting agencies for business programs - AACSB which is recognized by the CHEA and is a research and excellence in instruction oriented accreditation, ACBSP which is also recognized by CHEA and is a more business oriented accreditation, and IABSP. These three accreditations represent the majority of specialty business accreditation.

The Graduate programs in Management Information Systems and Computer Information Security are recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States government based on its certification of the schools curriculum for compliance with the requirements of NSA national training standards NSTISSI No. 4011 (Information Systems Security Professionals). As a result of this certification, Federal civilian and military personnel will be permitted to take the schools certified graduate courses under government sponsorship, and the school is authorized to issue certificates to students who complete such courses. [edit] Rankings NCU is unranked in the current listing at U.S. News & World Report.

 

Notable Alumni

Brigadier General Olin O. Oedekoven - Assistant Adjutant General - United States Army/Wyoming Army National Guard.

Command Sergeant Major Marvin L. Hill - Command Sergeant - United States Central Command - United States Army.

Colonel David W. Smartt - Command Chaplain, Installation Management Command - United States Army.

Colonel(retd) John House - United States Army, currently Executive Director for Army Wargaming and Operations Analysis for AgileCast Inc, Virginia. Lt.

Colonel Robert Herz - United States Air Force. Lt.Commander(retd) Sherrill Stamey - United States Navy.

Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Juan Morales - U.S. Fleet & Industrial Supply Center - United States Navy.

Rafael Azuaje - Professor of Management Information Systems - Sul Ross State University, Texas

Mary Bornheimer - Director of Institutional Research and Planning - McKendree University, Illinois

Deb Coffey - Assistant Professor of Business Administration and E-Commerce - Dakota State University, Dakota

I was reading the comments about Northcentral University and agree with the fact that NCU is truly not an on line school. They operate as a correspondent school and not a true on line school as the rip-off person pointed out. However, I go on to say, I have an extensive business background, and currently teach in three brick and mortar schools and the following is my opinion.

The quality of the assignments I have experienced is much more difficult and the level of expectation is much higher at NCU than the schools I teach at.  I also teach at 2 different main stream on line schools which I believe use on line discussion boards that resemble a tweet or email to a friend or family member than they do a scholarly assignment. I have not had that experience while attending NCU as a student. I did experience one course that did have a few gaps in the course (in my opinion), so I gave myself a few assignments and completed them to make sure I was very proficient in the disciple of accounting the course pertained too.

I believe once I finish my dissertation in July 2010 or so, you would be able to put me up against most PHD educators or researchers and ask me to compete and there will be several areas I will be more advanced in than a student graduating from a traditional brick and mortar school.

The only negative for NCU is there is interaction between the student and your mentor, so when you get a bad mentor, it can become very stressful. However, of my 12 mentors, I have only had one bad one which is much better than I the percentages I experienced in my undergrad and MBA programs. Both of them where from AACSB accredited schools and consisted of no on-line courses at all.

For the money I have spent, I believe NCU is more advanced than many of the other schools and hits a happy medium between on line programs and brick and mortar type programs. NCU is the future and the future is now.

Leander

I am a graduate from a brick and mortar University with a Master's degree in Public Administration (program ranked 1st in the nation).  The doctoral program I am enrolled in at NCU is regionally accredited and is as strong as my program with the brick and mortar University.

Please check regional accreditation standards for yourself and note they do not provide for correspondence schools.  My instructors are helpful and responsive.  The negative article is just not true.

Good Day!

I have been a non-traditional learner for many years - Undergrad - SUNY/Regents.

Masters - Troy State University

PhD - NCU - presently in the dissertation phase.

Has it all been roses? No - has it been terrible? NO!

I had one issue with a NCU mentor - Dr. Turner QUICKLY fixed it and I moved on.

Do I find it intellectually challenging - YES! Having a full time job, family, and trying to just have a life - this is a challenge!

Do I recommend NCU to friends - yes to close friends. I have been in the Coast Guard for over 25 years - and I would recommend NCU to a shipmate in a second.

My present mentor/committee chair - is outstanding - he must not sleep, becuause I get responses from him (even the most trivial questions) within 8-12 hours.

The way I look at it - you will NEVER make everyone happy - I'm sure there are people that go to Disney world and leave miserable!

Please use your own judgement - if you are at the PhD level - you have to anyway!

I was recently informed about this online institution by a fellow police officer (coworker) and after much research and correspondence with NCU staff, I have found them to be quite helpful thus far. Even though I will be graduating from my state university in May with magna c*m laude honors, the NCU staff were very willing and able to help me achieve getting lined up with one remaining class I could not register for at my own 4 yr institution (I missed the registration). Their accelerated course (8 weeks) will fall right into my graduation time frame as I walk in May. In addition, NCU's accreditation certainly means something and it holds much more weight than a posting by some individual who provides no backing to his claims.

Thanks,

Brent (Las Vegas, NV)

I was recently informed about this online institution by a fellow police officer (coworker) and after much research and correspondence with NCU staff, I have found them to be quite helpful thus far. Even though I will be graduating from my state university in May with magna c*m laude honors, the NCU staff were very willing and able to help me achieve getting lined up with one remaining class I could not register for at my own 4 yr institution (I missed the registration). Their accelerated course (8 weeks) will fall right into my graduation time frame as I walk in May. In addition, NCU's accreditation certainly means something and it holds much more weight than a posting by some individual who provides no backing to his claims.

Thanks,

Brent (Las Vegas, NV)

I was recently informed about this online institution by a fellow police officer (coworker) and after much research and correspondence with NCU staff, I have found them to be quite helpful thus far. Even though I will be graduating from my state university in May with magna c*m laude honors, the NCU staff were very willing and able to help me achieve getting lined up with one remaining class I could not register for at my own 4 yr institution (I missed the registration). Their accelerated course (8 weeks) will fall right into my graduation time frame as I walk in May. In addition, NCU's accreditation certainly means something and it holds much more weight than a posting by some individual who provides no backing to his claims.

Thanks,

Brent (Las Vegas, NV)

I was recently informed about this online institution by a fellow police officer (coworker) and after much research and correspondence with NCU staff, I have found them to be quite helpful thus far. Even though I will be graduating from my state university in May with magna c*m laude honors, the NCU staff were very willing and able to help me achieve getting lined up with one remaining class I could not register for at my own 4 yr institution (I missed the registration). Their accelerated course (8 weeks) will fall right into my graduation time frame as I walk in May. In addition, NCU's accreditation certainly means something and it holds much more weight than a posting by some individual who provides no backing to his claims.

Thanks,

Brent (Las Vegas, NV)

I have attained my Masters in Psychology at a State College in Kentucky and I also instruct online as well as in classroom at a Community College in Kentucky. The reality of online education is that you have to be self motivated. As an online instructor, I have students actually read the text and do assignments. If they do not do these things I will fail them.

Northcentral University offers fully accredited degrees that are of very good quality.I have taken courses at NCU and at regular colleges and I will tell you that I have gotten more out of the courses at NCU than at a regular college. I actually read the material and synthesize it into papers that satisfy the requirements, not copy and rip off of the internet. I go after what I am seeking and not what I can get away with. If you are a PHD learner and you voluteer information about plagerism or have a GPA below 3.9, then you flat out are not motivated and are what I would consider a disgruntled learner that will not succeed in any environment.

In online courses that I teach at a state college, the student has to be motivated or they will receive less than satisfatory grades. In the online education world you cannot have a baby sitter. I have had better interaction with my mentors at NCU than I have had at regular colleges that I have attended.

There are very poor instructors at regular colleges as well as online. I have had a poor mentor at NCU and I recognized it immeadiately and got rid of them. If you are mature enough to realize this then you will do fine. The reality is that 99.9% of our failures are self inflicted and we do not want to own up to this as a failure of our own making. Students want to blame the instructor or the institution for their short comings. We always know it is someone else's fault, not ours when we fall short of the mark.

I find this report to be totally inaccurate. I am an online graduate student in Psychology at Northcentral University in Prescott Valley, AZ, and I am a former online graduate student at Texas A&M University -- Commerce. I have found the online program at NCU to be of at least equal, if not better, caliber to TAMU -- Commerce, and TAMU -- Commerce has an EXCELLENT online program.

I have done nothing by correspondence at NCU, and the program has been totally online with many, many resources and much interaction and feedback. Academic and moral standards are extremely high, and cheating, lying and/or plagiarism is not tolerated. Instructors are highly qualified professionals with both professional and academic credentials that would qualify them to instruct at any accredited public university.

I would suggest that prospective students review the university for themselves prior to making a decision. I highly recommend NCU for anyone looking for an excellent and accredited online university. On a scale of 1 to 10, NCU merits a 10! --Robin

For a University which has a motto of providing online education accessible to everyone, NCU has an unrealistic high bar for entrance to its Phd programs. I realize that they have to maintain standards and accreditation but they must realize that there are people who have a family and a job who are trying to fulfill a dream and work towards the same.

Suggesting insufficient qualifications and possible entry to the bachelors/masters program is ok but other Universities might offer bridging courses which might eventually lead to an entrance to the program which the University does not seem to offer to my knowledge. Also, burdening a prospective candidate with so many pre-requisite courses that it is effectively doing 2-3 degrees in one degree also does not seem fair.

Will anybody from NCU please take notice?

Thanks.......(Angry and sulking in Austin)

What a load of nonsense. I thought only sewing clubs gossiped like this! NCU is an accredited institution with high academic standards. Is there some form of institutional sabbotage going on here? By the way, NCU is in Prescott Valley...you could have at least got that right.

I accept the gentleman's right to post his comments but suggest that Phd level coursework and research are not for everyone. If the University if regionally accredited by the HLC which conforms to the US department of Education's standards((assuming that the US government's education department is not sleeping or is populated by plain dumb idiots!) and has a business accreditation from ACBSP, they must be doing something right.

Instead of griping about a lost chance, it might behoove certain people to focus their energies and educational efforts towards a less demanding degree or program. Not everyone is cut for higher level research after all and might have talents which can be better utilized somewhere else. Just my two cents.

Cheers!

Quote from B: By posting the comment you did, you did not attack NCU, you only successfully cast doubt in people's minds about the HLC and the accreditation process just like the author of the original post. Congratulations on missing your target and doing significant collateral damage.

B - to quote Elvis Costello, my aim is true. I am questioning not only NCU's recent accreditation result, but also the HLC's ability to provide an objective evaluation of NCU.

The president of NCU, Clinton D Gardner, currently serves as a consultant/evaluator for the HLC. Another NCU Board of Trustees member, Michael Horowitz, also serves as an HLC consultant/evaluator as well. 25% of NCU's leadership board has past, present and continuing relationships with the HLC.

This doesn't pass the sniff test, nor the duck test. What we have here is a very smelly quacker. Most likely two. "Incestuous", although inflammatory, appears intuitively obvious to even the most casual observer.

B, I appreciate your insight into the accreditation process. Your post comes across as reasoned and knowledgable, unlike many of the shills that are seen on comment sites like this. Unfortunately, I think you're trying to show validation for a horse race whose outcome was decided long before the race was run. The addition of Gardner and Horowitz to NCU's top leadership months before the accreditation visit smacks of a desperation attempt to prevent the loss of accreditation and hence, the loss of those all-important revenues.

There's going to be some who say that no matter how they got there, NCU is still accredited. I've been asked to shut up and not spoil it for others. Spoil what? A sub-standard education from a university that had the right idea in 2002, but is now favoring profits over instructor quality? Lately, it seems that NCU is thinking who needs to supply good research & dissertation mentors when the industry shows that 50 to 70% of the students will self-terminate their programs anyway. For every student that just completed the prerequisite class work, there's a dozen that will start. The big money today for NCU is in the classes leading up to the research phase, not afterward.

NCU has become a very bad example of the right idea gone horribly wrong. Back in 2003 as NCU became accredited, the focus was on the student's success. From my direct experience, instructors were responsive to any questions and supplied good constructive feedback. As the years passed, the instructors have become more distant and detached from the mentor-student relationship. Is NCU's focus on revenues and profit having a direct and negative impact on the quality of the instructors?

During my last class at NCU, I was assigned a 67yr old retired surgeon living in Georgia. I'm still at a loss to understand why NCU assigned that individual as a research mentor to a Computer Science/Business Admin major. He had no perceived interest, nor constructive criticism for my presented dissertation topics as judged by his dismissive responses to my emails. During the course, he initiated contact only once via email. Once - during a 16 week course. NCU appears to condone this mentor's behavior by academically dismissing me instead of just correcting the issue by assigning a new engaged mentor and resetting the course clock back to the start.

If you can find them, look at the Learner's guides from 2002 to current. You'll see a gradual shift in NCU policy from being student centric to being punitive towards the student. Somewhere in 2007, we as students were reclassified as little more than revenue generation units. Any pushback from the student on issues of academic quality is met with dismissal, as was my situation.

Too bad NCU couldn't go back to the way they were just prior and just after accreditation. 100% distance education was and is a great idea. NCU was doing it right back in 2003. It's a shame that NCU is now ruining it, by it's poor example, for the rest of the universities that want to pursue 100% distance education programs.

This is a response to Reverendricks comments above. So if you have the slightest urge to consider his points on accreditation valid, read this first.

Let me start by saying I don't refute anyone's right to post a testimonial in ROR or provide factual, verifiable infromation about an organization. Reverendrick thinks NCU sucks. He just may be right. Others obviously like it. They may be right. That is not why I find myself posting in here once again...

Reverendrick

Your dissatisfaction with NCU is apparent. I had posted earlier in response to the original authors post and the misinformation about online degree programs in general. While I am not here to discredit your personal opinion about NCU, it is obvious by your post that you are providing misinformation to those who might come across this report. Considering that misinformation such as that which you provide in your post tends to discredit online education in general, I will set the record straight on just how misinformed you appear to be about accreditation.

First, let's start with the title of your post, ONLY 3 Years Left Let me be clear, I have not been able to read the HLC's final report on the visit as it is not yet available on the HLC site. I will take you at your word here that they indeed did get re-affirmed for 3 more years. By your words, NCU would have been RE-AFFIRMED not re-accredited. There is a difference.

It seems that you know very little about the initial PEAQ (Program to Evaluate and Advance Quality) accreditation most HLC governed institutions receive for their initial 5 year. During this time the institution prepares a SELF STUDY and through routine reporting & scheduled visits over the 5 year period, the HLC assists the institution in moving towards compliance for RE-AFFIRMATION. Let's be clear here, the HLC does not award accreditation to an institution and disappear until it's time to check-up on the college. The HLC, if you read their handbook http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=116
does not act as a POLICE unit. There is no standardized, uniform approach to compliance with a single standard or test by which an institution passes or fails. Obviously, an undergraduate liberal arts college will have different academic requirements, goals, staffing, and student body than a graduate engineering institution. It is impossible to apply a single standard to EVERY COLLEGE so the HLC does not.

I assume by your point about NCU GOT 3 YEARS you are attempting to make it seem like 3 years from now the HLC is simply going to show up again and pull accreditation. Let's be clear here, while this may serve your purpose of attacking NCU, IT'S COMPLETELY WRONG and misleads people about how accreditation works.

If what you say were true, the problem would not be with NCU, but with the HLC.

If the HLC had the intent of revoking NCU's accreditation, they would not re-affirm them. Obviously you do not understand the process here. If you are correct about NCU receiving 3 year re-affirmation then the final report by the HLC will not contain a SHOW CAUSE mandate. This is very important.

If the intent of the HLC is to pull NCU's accreditation, you will not see a 3 year extension, nor a 2 year or even a 1 year. You will see a SHOW CAUSE, most likely a probationary period and mandate to comply. However, it will not take 3 years for this to occur.

Understand that the HLC serves the interest of the student body. While you may want to make it appear that the 3 year extension is a gift to current students, understand that the HLC is concerned with ALL STUDENTS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.

In all likelihood NCU will have more students in 3 years from now than they have right now. Are you actually trying to say that the HLC simply doesn't care about these future students? That is foolish. You may try and argue that 3 years is to serve notice and any student that chooses to enter NCU had fair warning. Again, completely foolish when you look at the processes, goals and mission statement of the HLC. They simply would not let NCU continue to operate with accreditation if loss of accreditation was pending.

Again, I cannot verify if you are correct on the 3 year re-affirmation. I know that neither you or I or anyone else has read the HLC report because it isn't out yet. But, if you are correct on the 3 years then the HLC report that does finally come out will not have a SHOW CAUSE. It will contain specific compliance directives that NCU must comply with. I can promise that if the challenges NCU faces warranted a 3 year extension, they will have monitoring and visits over that entire 3 year period to make sure they are moving in the right direction.

Let's think about that for a moment. Why would the HLC waste their time and effort assisting NCU with visits and directives for the next 3 year period if their intent was to revoke accreditation? More importantly, if NCU has any interest in self-preservation they will most likely do what they need to do to comply with those HLC directives. So if the HLC tells them what to do, visits them while they are doing it, and NCU does it, what grounds would the HLC have in 3 years to revoke?

By posting the comment you did, you did not attack NCU, you only successfully cast doubt in people's minds about the HLC and the accreditation process just like the author of the original post. Congratulations on missing your target and doing significant collateral damage.

I understand you feel NCU is responsible for providing sub-par education. If true then they are responsible for the dumbing down of America. The problem here is, you accomplished the same thing and you are just as responsible for making people more ignorant about the facts of accreditation.

All this to settle a vendetta? Fine, but at least stick to facts or testimony. Ignorant speculation serves no purpose and makes you look worse than the institution you hate.

Just know that there are people like me out there that know what you're trying to do and we can smell the BS miles away. You're entitled to your opinion about NCU. By all means, post as many negative comments as you would like, this is Rip-Off Report after all. But, when you move from providing testimonials to making basely assumptions to support your personal agenda ,you cross the line. You're not helping anyone.

Before you comment, read the report. If you are wrong and there's a SHOW CAUSE in the report then you can have a field day in here. It would validate any negatives you may have about NCU. But if you're right and they got 3 years, you simply look like a fool because getting 3 year re-affirmation is a long long way from losing accreditation.

To anyone reading this, it's a pretty safe bet that you should leave the accreditation to the experts at the HLC. If Reverendrick is right about the 3 year re-affirmation, just know he is totally wrong about it representing the end of NCU or any other institution that might get 3 more years. NCU would simply have to refuse to comply with any directives given by the HLC for loss to occur.

Wait till the report HLC comes out:

3 years, 5 years, 7 years, 10 years. These are all good things for an institution.

SHOW CAUSE, PROBATION. These would be bad things.

I found NCU to be no different than a community college or state college I attended. I have the same issues. There a good instructors who communicate clearly and those who do not. I have the same administration problems - people not returning calls and no follow-up but it is not different than other schools I attended. In each case you have to follow-up. I would recommend NCU for its price, its programs, its accreditation. I recognize also they are attempting to improve their services through their recent hires and financial restructuring. I don't view that their primary purpose is to make a profit but rather to provide high quality educational services. I am also so relieved there are no Learning teams, however, any student is free to contact other students either through forums or class lists.

It appears that Northcentral University will be reaccredited by the HLC. However, the renewal is only good for another 3 years. HLC seems to be putting NCU on a very short leash since renewal periods can span 3, 5, 7 or 10 years. Schools with properly run programs get 10 years. NCU got... well, NCU got 3 years.

If you are thinking about starting a program at Northcentral University, perhaps you should reconsider. A full-time master's program can be done in 2 years or less. But if you are a part-time master's or a doctoral student, the degree will likely require over 3 years. Do you want to waste time and money on a program that may or may not be accredited 3+ years from now?

The 3 year accreditation extension is a gift to all current NCU students. It could be interpreted as fair warning to the students to finish their degree before accreditation is pulled from NCU.

Bryan...it was stated "It is true that NCU has been certified by ABCSP NOT AACSB. We want to be certified by AACSB, but that is a future state condition that Dr. Santin, and Dr. Turner are probably working on." It was a mistake on the part of the person who commented. You should probably read more responses.

I think that residencies are an unnecessary part of any type of Master's or PhD program. The student pays exorbitant amounts of tuition for the program itself, then have to shell out airfare, hotels, food, etc., to attend a three day seminar to satisfy residency requirements. I completed my MBA online, even thought the college I completed my degree with I was teaching with (on campus). The reason most professionals take online courses is to be able to obtain a degree based on their work schedule, family commitments, etc. Having residencies in the middle of the week or on the weekend defeats those purposes, especially when you have to travel half-way across the country.

I also am thinking about applying at NCU now based on other comments from current students. I abhor cohorts, group work--anything where I end up doing the majority of the work. I do not want others piggybacking off of my grade or work product. Those who think brick and mortar schools or other types of online programs are the best, go for it. There are those of us that reside in the middle of nowhere, with no access to schools that have adequate PhD programs (I do not want to drive 160 miles a day to go to school, thank you), and have family commitments (my husband is physically disabled), online programs are a career saver.

From the other end, I have taught online--and I think it is a great teaching medium...especially for undergrads. No offense, but I am really beginning to believe that society is dumbing down the younger generation, and it saves my sanity. If they have to actually read, and not put on the "listening ears," then students become functionally better students in the long run.

Bryan...it was stated "It is true that NCU has been certified by ABCSP NOT AACSB. We want to be certified by AACSB, but that is a future state condition that Dr. Santin, and Dr. Turner are probably working on." It was a mistake on the part of the person who commented. You should probably read more responses.

I think that residencies are an unnecessary part of any type of Master's or PhD program. The student pays exorbitant amounts of tuition for the program itself, then have to shell out airfare, hotels, food, etc., to attend a three day seminar to satisfy residency requirements. I completed my MBA online, even thought the college I completed my degree with I was teaching with (on campus). The reason most professionals take online courses is to be able to obtain a degree based on their work schedule, family commitments, etc. Having residencies in the middle of the week or on the weekend defeats those purposes, especially when you have to travel half-way across the country.

I also am thinking about applying at NCU now based on other comments from current students. I abhor cohorts, group work--anything where I end up doing the majority of the work. I do not want others piggybacking off of my grade or work product. Those who think brick and mortar schools or other types of online programs are the best, go for it. There are those of us that reside in the middle of nowhere, with no access to schools that have adequate PhD programs (I do not want to drive 160 miles a day to go to school, thank you), and have family commitments (my husband is physically disabled), online programs are a career saver.

From the other end, I have taught online--and I think it is a great teaching medium...especially for undergrads. No offense, but I am really beginning to believe that society is dumbing down the younger generation, and it saves my sanity. If they have to actually read, and not put on the "listening ears," then students become functionally better students in the long run.

I'm on AACSB's website as I write this letter. Northcentral is ***NOT*** listed anywhere with AACSB.

You may verify at: http://www.aacsb.edu/

Once on AACSB's website, select "ACCREDITATION" and search from there.

Can any of the previous folks stating that NCU was accredited with AACSB explain where they got their information, or is ROR just full of a bunch of BS'ers (which is seemingly the case).

I go to Colorado Technical University as a Doctorate student. We are required, and receive, 40+ hours of fact-to-face class room time with the professor. After this period, we work with the professors remotely-- doing assignments, research, and returning results through a blackboard portal for the students. I believe fact-to-face with your professors and other students is important at the post-graduate level, but that's not to say someone else hasn't discovered a better avenue.

It seems as though your real complaint should be with the accreditation commissions. NCU went through the "traditional" accreditation process and was granted accreditation by the regional body (and they are going through the reaccreditation process now -- go to their website and submit your comments). NCU has a very extensive online library system that rivals most universities -- please check it out before making a blanket comment. They certainly were not much in the beginning but have improved greatly over the years (but still not a Harvard or Yale).

My Educational Specialist and doctoral degrees are from Nova Southeastern University. I "attended" classes on campus two weeks a year. Their programs are really online programs with very limited campus visits.

Look closely at the University of Maryland programs -- not much campus time there either.

Good luck...

I am a current NCU student with an extensive educational and professional background -- BA History, BS Computer Science, MS Public Admin, MS Network Security. I am a part time associate professor at an extension campus of a major traditional (100+ year old) brick-and-mortar university -- I teach computer networking and network security.

My educational experience at NCU has been exceptional. The faculty and staff have been incredibly supportive and responsive. They always return a call/email within a day or so (try that at a traditional state/private university).

For the record:

Northcentral University is indeed accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Northcentral University's School of Business & Technology Management is also accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

FYI -- The well-respected graduate school where I teach is just now undergoing its ACBSP accreditation.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments. I am currently researching NCU as a potential for my PHD. I have found the information above to be very helpful.

Northcentral is a legitimate online school that has taken massive strides to update their curriculum. They've recently hired a provost that is a double doctorate, Yale graduate, has done substantial research, teaches international and has written programs for universities all over the world. They've also hired a new President that is just as credible.

Those of you who have an issue with online programs shouldn't attend one. If one can pass the GMAT or the GRE there is no reason to attend a traditional university. Arizona State and the University of Arizona are examples, they offer Graduate programs for working adults, why not take advantage of the once-a-week format?

Good day,

As a doctoral graduate of one of Northcentral University's Ph.D. programs, I'd like to take a moment to offer my professional disagreement with this report and to offer an important correction to erroneous information it contains.

This report claims that NCU is not ACSB accredited. While true at the time of this report, I am glad to report that NCU has achieved its ACSB accreditation - a testament to its professionalism, standards, and acceptance in the larger educational community. That makes NCU the ONLY ACSB accredited fully online school.

NCU advertises itself as a cost-effective, time-flexible, regionally accredited distance learning program offering a high quality education. I found all of these to be true. In fact, as a previous victim of an online school who misrepresented its credentials, I can attest to NCU's credibility. I have never found NCU's advertisements deceptive.

One indication of a school's credibility is the ability of its students to have academic papers accepted by peer-reviewed journals. Since graduation I have had one paper selected as the best paper at a national conference, I have had one paper accepted for publication after under-going peer review, and I have two more papers under peer review at this time. Clearly, NCU prepares students to function at a level equal to that of other institutions.

Online education in all its forms requires a well-informed and committed student. I regret that some students experience unfortunate events during their educational paths. However, I must report that my own personal experiences with NCU were all positive. I am glad to report that NCU does not discourage student discussion of problems they experience. In short, NCU has nothing to hide and encourages an open dialogue.

Also, in distance learning, as in other forms of education, the quality of education is directly relate to the combined efforts of student and staff alike. NCU opens many doors to education as well as to professionals working daily as experts in their field - if a student has the maturity and the desire to take advantage of them.

Is NCU a rip-off? No. I disagree.

One final note. Since my graduation from NCU I have accepted a position there as an Adjunct Faculty. Formerly as student but now an insider, I can personally attest to NCU's commitment to its learners on many levels, to include quality of education, diversity, and fairness. These are commitments I take seriously.

If I felt NCU was a "rip-off" I would not have graduated from its program and I would not have become a member of its organization.

I'm sorry all, but I have to chime in here as a current student at NCU and completely rebuke Richard's off the wall comments. Is it any wonder that he has yet to respond to any of your rebuttals?

There is one important fact that has not been mentioned about NCU -- the partnerships NCU maintains with other universities. These bridge programs, often with bricks and mortars institutions, produce viable and efficient means for both parties to expand their offerings and produce value adding services to the consumer (student). In my case, I received my first Masters from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Through the bridge program ERAU maintains with NCU, I was able to make a smooth transition and feel confident that a well respected and long tenured school like ERAU had such confidence in NCU. That was the major selling feature as far as I was concerned. Oh, and you know what else is interesting? I looked at other schools on the ASBSP website and discovered that well known bricks and mortars state and private schools are on that list. Just food for thought. No, I didn't see Harvard, or Yale, or Columbia, but there are some good B-schools on that list regardless.

Thanks for reading!

I'm sorry all, but I have to chime in here as a current student at NCU and completely rebuke Richard's off the wall comments. Is it any wonder that he has yet to respond to any of your rebuttals?

There is one important fact that has not been mentioned about NCU -- the partnerships NCU maintains with other universities. These bridge programs, often with bricks and mortars institutions, produce viable and efficient means for both parties to expand their offerings and produce value adding services to the consumer (student). In my case, I received my first Masters from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Through the bridge program ERAU maintains with NCU, I was able to make a smooth transition and feel confident that a well respected and long tenured school like ERAU had such confidence in NCU. That was the major selling feature as far as I was concerned. Oh, and you know what else is interesting? I looked at other schools on the ASBSP website and discovered that well known bricks and mortars state and private schools are on that list. Just food for thought. No, I didn't see Harvard, or Yale, or Columbia, but there are some good B-schools on that list regardless.

Thanks for reading!

I'm sorry all, but I have to chime in here as a current student at NCU and completely rebuke Richard's off the wall comments. Is it any wonder that he has yet to respond to any of your rebuttals?

There is one important fact that has not been mentioned about NCU -- the partnerships NCU maintains with other universities. These bridge programs, often with bricks and mortars institutions, produce viable and efficient means for both parties to expand their offerings and produce value adding services to the consumer (student). In my case, I received my first Masters from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Through the bridge program ERAU maintains with NCU, I was able to make a smooth transition and feel confident that a well respected and long tenured school like ERAU had such confidence in NCU. That was the major selling feature as far as I was concerned. Oh, and you know what else is interesting? I looked at other schools on the ASBSP website and discovered that well known bricks and mortars state and private schools are on that list. Just food for thought. No, I didn't see Harvard, or Yale, or Columbia, but there are some good B-schools on that list regardless.

Thanks for reading!

I'm sorry all, but I have to chime in here as a current student at NCU and completely rebuke Richard's off the wall comments. Is it any wonder that he has yet to respond to any of your rebuttals?

There is one important fact that has not been mentioned about NCU -- the partnerships NCU maintains with other universities. These bridge programs, often with bricks and mortars institutions, produce viable and efficient means for both parties to expand their offerings and produce value adding services to the consumer (student). In my case, I received my first Masters from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Through the bridge program ERAU maintains with NCU, I was able to make a smooth transition and feel confident that a well respected and long tenured school like ERAU had such confidence in NCU. That was the major selling feature as far as I was concerned. Oh, and you know what else is interesting? I looked at other schools on the ASBSP website and discovered that well known bricks and mortars state and private schools are on that list. Just food for thought. No, I didn't see Harvard, or Yale, or Columbia, but there are some good B-schools on that list regardless.

Thanks for reading!

The comments made by Richard are untrue. NCU is a fully-accredited, reputable, distance-learning university. Yes, NCU is non-traditional, but non-traditional does not equal bad. In fact, nontraditional is actually the best option for many students. Calling NCU a correspondence school is an uninformed statement. NCU has excellent I.T. resources and provides learners with high-quality distance learning opportunities with plenty of interaction between mentors and learners.

I have two master's degrees from brick and mortar traditional universities, so I can accurately compare the quality of education at traditional universities with the quality of education at NCU. NCU curriculum is very rigorous, and both the mentors and the students are well-prepared and well-qualified.

I have read literally hundreds of dissertations from students from all types of universities, and the dissertations from NCU students are every bit as comprehensive and scholarly as dissertations from other colleges' students.

Distance learning is the modality of the future, so traditional universities might feel threatened. However, there is room in the education field for all types of universities, and traditional schools need to stop trying to discredit high-quality schools like NCU. When on-line banking was first introduced, people were wary of doing their banking on-line. Now, it's the fastest-growing way to conduct financial transactions. New approaches to traditional ways of doing things should be welcomed, not feared. I'm very proud of my affiliation with NCU.

This is in response to "Richard." It is unfortunate that comments like his get into the Internet without rebuttal due to the "Michael Moore Effect," that if enough people see his comments - without another viewpoint, then they must be true, no matter how unfounded or distorted they are.

I'm not as eloquent as "B," but thought I'd get in my two cents worth. Unlike Richard, who prefers NOT to disclose his affiliations, I am currently a student with NCU and do not agree with him on pretty much all of his points.

1. First, let me dispense with what I do agree with, that is, he has a valid point regarding some "online schools" as rip-offs and consumers must do some research prior to signing on with them. For example, some schools are not regionally or nationally accredited. NCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (an independent accrediting organization that also accredits the big "brick and mortar" universities. NCU's accreditation is current (as of 10/17/2007) and is valid until a reinspection prior to 2/25/08. Concerned consumers can confirm this by going to the NCAHLC website at: ncahlc.org/index.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=93&Itemid=206

2. I'm at a loss who Richard works for. His comments lead me to believe that he works for a traditional "brick and mortar" school, one of the "other" online schools (potentially fighting a marketing campaign against NCU??), or the AACSB? While I cannot discuss the merits of that organization, I can say that NCU is accredited by ACBSP, but I'm not expert enough to know if one is better than the other. The point is, NCU has been screened by a business school accreditation organization and found to meet its standards. So what's Richard saying here - is it the old playground argument of "his organization is better than mine?"

3. While not associated with AACSB (I guess two A's at the beginning of your name are better than one), NCU recently was accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), an international business school and program accrediting association. Again, I cannot speak of the relative merits of this accreditation, but I've got to believe that as a program attractive to international schools, ACBSP must follow an objective process similar to the AACSB is followed in order to receive accreditation status.
Concerned consumers can verify NCU's accreditation by going to the ACBSP website at:
acbsp.org/index.php?mo=st&op=ld&sid=s1_039&rgn=7
In the future, perhaps NCU will also seek AACSB accreditation - further weakening Richard's argument.

4. I also checked NCU's status with the US Department of Veteran's Affairs Educational programs and the Department of Defense's Tuition Assistance Program and found that NCU is in good standing with both these programs allowing students to sign up with NCU and have their tuition paid through these programs. While some federal government programs are not serviced by NCU (a totally different argument), it seems incredulous that federal auditors for those programs have not looked into NCU's accounting processes or educational delivery processes and are satisfied enough to keep these program options open. If NCU were as ill-managed as Richard would have one believe, I cannot imagine the DVA or IRS or another federal watch-dog agency not shutting down NCU very quickly.

5. Richard may have a minor point in that NCU does not specialize in "real-time, online" classroom delivery, and sometimes, there's something to be said by sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture, but not always. I've taken similar courses in real classrooms and unless one lives on campus (most of us do not - particularly those of us in the real-world workforce who cannot live on campus) the delivery of large data files, real-time video, etc. is impractical. For all I know, NCU may be working on such a system at this time. Richard would have you believe that it truly is a better educational experience to sit in a lecture hall (Freshman English 101 Large Group Lecture) at just about any brick and mortar school versus working on a project at your own convenience even if downloaded from a website.

6. Like any process, there are advantages/disadvantages to Internet-based educational delivery. Sitting in a library to do research is a luxury that most of us working students can't do it with our schedules. I've found the staff of NCU to be most helpful, that includes the Business Office, the Library and on occasion the Mentors. I recall specifically, during one of my first classes, I'd just come back from a two-week field exercise and had not been able to work an assignment. I called the mentor and had a great discussion on getting an extension and how I could complete the course without penalty. I've called NCU on several occasions and except for the huge time difference, they are responsive. I've had less responsiveness at a brick and mortar institution, where bureaucracy runs supreme.

7. Richard's comment about "NCU being financially-driven," is fey. I'd like to see any brick and mortar institution or other online school that doesn't have financial viability as a goal, or has he never heard of a "booster club" or "alumni association?" Actually, NCU charges less per credit than many of the other similar schools - like Phoenix or Walden for example. Even the brick and mortar schools that have online programs charge very high tuition - why is this? Would one of these schools break down their tuition versus direct online delivery costs to see if the student is getting a "fair" deal? I think not. Every school has a margin over cost factor - in the public schools it's poured back into the institution instead of paid out as dividends or profits, but what's the difference to the student? Point is, NCU charges a reasonable fee.

8. NCU is new and online or Internet-based delivery is still relatively new, but the world is changing and this method of education is becoming more acceptable. Many old institutions still maintain a high level of self-importance and academic s****.> 9. It is true that you get out of education what you put into it and I welcome anyone to review my coursework that I've completed towards my degree. I put in the same level of effort towards the NCU courses as I would towards any other school, I just didn't have the luxury of sitting in a classroom in the middle of the day. NCU's methods accomodates working students. Richard's arguments seem to criticize this delivery method when discussin NCU, but at the same time supports other, similar schools (Phoenix, Univ. of Maryland, Nova, etc.) - so which is it Richard - is it the method of delivery or is it just the messenger?

Richard, if you truly had a bad experience with NCU and this is your way of getting even, I sympathize; maybe you could have worked through it. If your motive is something else entirely, for your readers, you need to come clean with your motives, your agenda, your employer and your rationale for putting NCU in a negative spotlight. You are right in that some organizations pretend to be schools, but unlike them, NCU is heading in the right direction.

Regards,

Doughboy

This is in response to "Richard." It is unfortunate that comments like his get into the Internet without rebuttal due to the "Michael Moore Effect," that if enough people see his comments - without another viewpoint, then they must be true, no matter how unfounded or distorted they are.

I'm not as eloquent as "B," but thought I'd get in my two cents worth. Unlike Richard, who prefers NOT to disclose his affiliations, I am currently a student with NCU and do not agree with him on pretty much all of his points.

1. First, let me dispense with what I do agree with, that is, he has a valid point regarding some "online schools" as rip-offs and consumers must do some research prior to signing on with them. For example, some schools are not regionally or nationally accredited. NCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (an independent accrediting organization that also accredits the big "brick and mortar" universities. NCU's accreditation is current (as of 10/17/2007) and is valid until a reinspection prior to 2/25/08. Concerned consumers can confirm this by going to the NCAHLC website at: ncahlc.org/index.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=93&Itemid=206

2. I'm at a loss who Richard works for. His comments lead me to believe that he works for a traditional "brick and mortar" school, one of the "other" online schools (potentially fighting a marketing campaign against NCU??), or the AACSB? While I cannot discuss the merits of that organization, I can say that NCU is accredited by ACBSP, but I'm not expert enough to know if one is better than the other. The point is, NCU has been screened by a business school accreditation organization and found to meet its standards. So what's Richard saying here - is it the old playground argument of "his organization is better than mine?"

3. While not associated with AACSB (I guess two A's at the beginning of your name are better than one), NCU recently was accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), an international business school and program accrediting association. Again, I cannot speak of the relative merits of this accreditation, but I've got to believe that as a program attractive to international schools, ACBSP must follow an objective process similar to the AACSB is followed in order to receive accreditation status.
Concerned consumers can verify NCU's accreditation by going to the ACBSP website at:
acbsp.org/index.php?mo=st&op=ld&sid=s1_039&rgn=7
In the future, perhaps NCU will also seek AACSB accreditation - further weakening Richard's argument.

4. I also checked NCU's status with the US Department of Veteran's Affairs Educational programs and the Department of Defense's Tuition Assistance Program and found that NCU is in good standing with both these programs allowing students to sign up with NCU and have their tuition paid through these programs. While some federal government programs are not serviced by NCU (a totally different argument), it seems incredulous that federal auditors for those programs have not looked into NCU's accounting processes or educational delivery processes and are satisfied enough to keep these program options open. If NCU were as ill-managed as Richard would have one believe, I cannot imagine the DVA or IRS or another federal watch-dog agency not shutting down NCU very quickly.

5. Richard may have a minor point in that NCU does not specialize in "real-time, online" classroom delivery, and sometimes, there's something to be said by sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture, but not always. I've taken similar courses in real classrooms and unless one lives on campus (most of us do not - particularly those of us in the real-world workforce who cannot live on campus) the delivery of large data files, real-time video, etc. is impractical. For all I know, NCU may be working on such a system at this time. Richard would have you believe that it truly is a better educational experience to sit in a lecture hall (Freshman English 101 Large Group Lecture) at just about any brick and mortar school versus working on a project at your own convenience even if downloaded from a website.

6. Like any process, there are advantages/disadvantages to Internet-based educational delivery. Sitting in a library to do research is a luxury that most of us working students can't do it with our schedules. I've found the staff of NCU to be most helpful, that includes the Business Office, the Library and on occasion the Mentors. I recall specifically, during one of my first classes, I'd just come back from a two-week field exercise and had not been able to work an assignment. I called the mentor and had a great discussion on getting an extension and how I could complete the course without penalty. I've called NCU on several occasions and except for the huge time difference, they are responsive. I've had less responsiveness at a brick and mortar institution, where bureaucracy runs supreme.

7. Richard's comment about "NCU being financially-driven," is fey. I'd like to see any brick and mortar institution or other online school that doesn't have financial viability as a goal, or has he never heard of a "booster club" or "alumni association?" Actually, NCU charges less per credit than many of the other similar schools - like Phoenix or Walden for example. Even the brick and mortar schools that have online programs charge very high tuition - why is this? Would one of these schools break down their tuition versus direct online delivery costs to see if the student is getting a "fair" deal? I think not. Every school has a margin over cost factor - in the public schools it's poured back into the institution instead of paid out as dividends or profits, but what's the difference to the student? Point is, NCU charges a reasonable fee.

8. NCU is new and online or Internet-based delivery is still relatively new, but the world is changing and this method of education is becoming more acceptable. Many old institutions still maintain a high level of self-importance and academic s****.> 9. It is true that you get out of education what you put into it and I welcome anyone to review my coursework that I've completed towards my degree. I put in the same level of effort towards the NCU courses as I would towards any other school, I just didn't have the luxury of sitting in a classroom in the middle of the day. NCU's methods accomodates working students. Richard's arguments seem to criticize this delivery method when discussin NCU, but at the same time supports other, similar schools (Phoenix, Univ. of Maryland, Nova, etc.) - so which is it Richard - is it the method of delivery or is it just the messenger?

Richard, if you truly had a bad experience with NCU and this is your way of getting even, I sympathize; maybe you could have worked through it. If your motive is something else entirely, for your readers, you need to come clean with your motives, your agenda, your employer and your rationale for putting NCU in a negative spotlight. You are right in that some organizations pretend to be schools, but unlike them, NCU is heading in the right direction.

Regards,

Doughboy

This is in response to "Richard." It is unfortunate that comments like his get into the Internet without rebuttal due to the "Michael Moore Effect," that if enough people see his comments - without another viewpoint, then they must be true, no matter how unfounded or distorted they are.

I'm not as eloquent as "B," but thought I'd get in my two cents worth. Unlike Richard, who prefers NOT to disclose his affiliations, I am currently a student with NCU and do not agree with him on pretty much all of his points.

1. First, let me dispense with what I do agree with, that is, he has a valid point regarding some "online schools" as rip-offs and consumers must do some research prior to signing on with them. For example, some schools are not regionally or nationally accredited. NCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (an independent accrediting organization that also accredits the big "brick and mortar" universities. NCU's accreditation is current (as of 10/17/2007) and is valid until a reinspection prior to 2/25/08. Concerned consumers can confirm this by going to the NCAHLC website at: ncahlc.org/index.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=93&Itemid=206

2. I'm at a loss who Richard works for. His comments lead me to believe that he works for a traditional "brick and mortar" school, one of the "other" online schools (potentially fighting a marketing campaign against NCU??), or the AACSB? While I cannot discuss the merits of that organization, I can say that NCU is accredited by ACBSP, but I'm not expert enough to know if one is better than the other. The point is, NCU has been screened by a business school accreditation organization and found to meet its standards. So what's Richard saying here - is it the old playground argument of "his organization is better than mine?"

3. While not associated with AACSB (I guess two A's at the beginning of your name are better than one), NCU recently was accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), an international business school and program accrediting association. Again, I cannot speak of the relative merits of this accreditation, but I've got to believe that as a program attractive to international schools, ACBSP must follow an objective process similar to the AACSB is followed in order to receive accreditation status.
Concerned consumers can verify NCU's accreditation by going to the ACBSP website at:
acbsp.org/index.php?mo=st&op=ld&sid=s1_039&rgn=7
In the future, perhaps NCU will also seek AACSB accreditation - further weakening Richard's argument.

4. I also checked NCU's status with the US Department of Veteran's Affairs Educational programs and the Department of Defense's Tuition Assistance Program and found that NCU is in good standing with both these programs allowing students to sign up with NCU and have their tuition paid through these programs. While some federal government programs are not serviced by NCU (a totally different argument), it seems incredulous that federal auditors for those programs have not looked into NCU's accounting processes or educational delivery processes and are satisfied enough to keep these program options open. If NCU were as ill-managed as Richard would have one believe, I cannot imagine the DVA or IRS or another federal watch-dog agency not shutting down NCU very quickly.

5. Richard may have a minor point in that NCU does not specialize in "real-time, online" classroom delivery, and sometimes, there's something to be said by sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture, but not always. I've taken similar courses in real classrooms and unless one lives on campus (most of us do not - particularly those of us in the real-world workforce who cannot live on campus) the delivery of large data files, real-time video, etc. is impractical. For all I know, NCU may be working on such a system at this time. Richard would have you believe that it truly is a better educational experience to sit in a lecture hall (Freshman English 101 Large Group Lecture) at just about any brick and mortar school versus working on a project at your own convenience even if downloaded from a website.

6. Like any process, there are advantages/disadvantages to Internet-based educational delivery. Sitting in a library to do research is a luxury that most of us working students can't do it with our schedules. I've found the staff of NCU to be most helpful, that includes the Business Office, the Library and on occasion the Mentors. I recall specifically, during one of my first classes, I'd just come back from a two-week field exercise and had not been able to work an assignment. I called the mentor and had a great discussion on getting an extension and how I could complete the course without penalty. I've called NCU on several occasions and except for the huge time difference, they are responsive. I've had less responsiveness at a brick and mortar institution, where bureaucracy runs supreme.

7. Richard's comment about "NCU being financially-driven," is fey. I'd like to see any brick and mortar institution or other online school that doesn't have financial viability as a goal, or has he never heard of a "booster club" or "alumni association?" Actually, NCU charges less per credit than many of the other similar schools - like Phoenix or Walden for example. Even the brick and mortar schools that have online programs charge very high tuition - why is this? Would one of these schools break down their tuition versus direct online delivery costs to see if the student is getting a "fair" deal? I think not. Every school has a margin over cost factor - in the public schools it's poured back into the institution instead of paid out as dividends or profits, but what's the difference to the student? Point is, NCU charges a reasonable fee.

8. NCU is new and online or Internet-based delivery is still relatively new, but the world is changing and this method of education is becoming more acceptable. Many old institutions still maintain a high level of self-importance and academic s****.> 9. It is true that you get out of education what you put into it and I welcome anyone to review my coursework that I've completed towards my degree. I put in the same level of effort towards the NCU courses as I would towards any other school, I just didn't have the luxury of sitting in a classroom in the middle of the day. NCU's methods accomodates working students. Richard's arguments seem to criticize this delivery method when discussin NCU, but at the same time supports other, similar schools (Phoenix, Univ. of Maryland, Nova, etc.) - so which is it Richard - is it the method of delivery or is it just the messenger?

Richard, if you truly had a bad experience with NCU and this is your way of getting even, I sympathize; maybe you could have worked through it. If your motive is something else entirely, for your readers, you need to come clean with your motives, your agenda, your employer and your rationale for putting NCU in a negative spotlight. You are right in that some organizations pretend to be schools, but unlike them, NCU is heading in the right direction.

Regards,

Doughboy

This is in response to "Richard." It is unfortunate that comments like his get into the Internet without rebuttal due to the "Michael Moore Effect," that if enough people see his comments - without another viewpoint, then they must be true, no matter how unfounded or distorted they are.

I'm not as eloquent as "B," but thought I'd get in my two cents worth. Unlike Richard, who prefers NOT to disclose his affiliations, I am currently a student with NCU and do not agree with him on pretty much all of his points.

1. First, let me dispense with what I do agree with, that is, he has a valid point regarding some "online schools" as rip-offs and consumers must do some research prior to signing on with them. For example, some schools are not regionally or nationally accredited. NCU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (an independent accrediting organization that also accredits the big "brick and mortar" universities. NCU's accreditation is current (as of 10/17/2007) and is valid until a reinspection prior to 2/25/08. Concerned consumers can confirm this by going to the NCAHLC website at: ncahlc.org/index.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=93&Itemid=206

2. I'm at a loss who Richard works for. His comments lead me to believe that he works for a traditional "brick and mortar" school, one of the "other" online schools (potentially fighting a marketing campaign against NCU??), or the AACSB? While I cannot discuss the merits of that organization, I can say that NCU is accredited by ACBSP, but I'm not expert enough to know if one is better than the other. The point is, NCU has been screened by a business school accreditation organization and found to meet its standards. So what's Richard saying here - is it the old playground argument of "his organization is better than mine?"

3. While not associated with AACSB (I guess two A's at the beginning of your name are better than one), NCU recently was accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), an international business school and program accrediting association. Again, I cannot speak of the relative merits of this accreditation, but I've got to believe that as a program attractive to international schools, ACBSP must follow an objective process similar to the AACSB is followed in order to receive accreditation status.
Concerned consumers can verify NCU's accreditation by going to the ACBSP website at:
acbsp.org/index.php?mo=st&op=ld&sid=s1_039&rgn=7
In the future, perhaps NCU will also seek AACSB accreditation - further weakening Richard's argument.

4. I also checked NCU's status with the US Department of Veteran's Affairs Educational programs and the Department of Defense's Tuition Assistance Program and found that NCU is in good standing with both these programs allowing students to sign up with NCU and have their tuition paid through these programs. While some federal government programs are not serviced by NCU (a totally different argument), it seems incredulous that federal auditors for those programs have not looked into NCU's accounting processes or educational delivery processes and are satisfied enough to keep these program options open. If NCU were as ill-managed as Richard would have one believe, I cannot imagine the DVA or IRS or another federal watch-dog agency not shutting down NCU very quickly.

5. Richard may have a minor point in that NCU does not specialize in "real-time, online" classroom delivery, and sometimes, there's something to be said by sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture, but not always. I've taken similar courses in real classrooms and unless one lives on campus (most of us do not - particularly those of us in the real-world workforce who cannot live on campus) the delivery of large data files, real-time video, etc. is impractical. For all I know, NCU may be working on such a system at this time. Richard would have you believe that it truly is a better educational experience to sit in a lecture hall (Freshman English 101 Large Group Lecture) at just about any brick and mortar school versus working on a project at your own convenience even if downloaded from a website.

6. Like any process, there are advantages/disadvantages to Internet-based educational delivery. Sitting in a library to do research is a luxury that most of us working students can't do it with our schedules. I've found the staff of NCU to be most helpful, that includes the Business Office, the Library and on occasion the Mentors. I recall specifically, during one of my first classes, I'd just come back from a two-week field exercise and had not been able to work an assignment. I called the mentor and had a great discussion on getting an extension and how I could complete the course without penalty. I've called NCU on several occasions and except for the huge time difference, they are responsive. I've had less responsiveness at a brick and mortar institution, where bureaucracy runs supreme.

7. Richard's comment about "NCU being financially-driven," is fey. I'd like to see any brick and mortar institution or other online school that doesn't have financial viability as a goal, or has he never heard of a "booster club" or "alumni association?" Actually, NCU charges less per credit than many of the other similar schools - like Phoenix or Walden for example. Even the brick and mortar schools that have online programs charge very high tuition - why is this? Would one of these schools break down their tuition versus direct online delivery costs to see if the student is getting a "fair" deal? I think not. Every school has a margin over cost factor - in the public schools it's poured back into the institution instead of paid out as dividends or profits, but what's the difference to the student? Point is, NCU charges a reasonable fee.

8. NCU is new and online or Internet-based delivery is still relatively new, but the world is changing and this method of education is becoming more acceptable. Many old institutions still maintain a high level of self-importance and academic s****.> 9. It is true that you get out of education what you put into it and I welcome anyone to review my coursework that I've completed towards my degree. I put in the same level of effort towards the NCU courses as I would towards any other school, I just didn't have the luxury of sitting in a classroom in the middle of the day. NCU's methods accomodates working students. Richard's arguments seem to criticize this delivery method when discussin NCU, but at the same time supports other, similar schools (Phoenix, Univ. of Maryland, Nova, etc.) - so which is it Richard - is it the method of delivery or is it just the messenger?

Richard, if you truly had a bad experience with NCU and this is your way of getting even, I sympathize; maybe you could have worked through it. If your motive is something else entirely, for your readers, you need to come clean with your motives, your agenda, your employer and your rationale for putting NCU in a negative spotlight. You are right in that some organizations pretend to be schools, but unlike them, NCU is heading in the right direction.

Regards,

Doughboy

I began pursuit of a PhD from Northcentral University in 2003. I have found the program to be well run, facilitated learning, and worth the money I have paid. I would not caegorize NCU as more than what it is ... a distance learning program. NCU offers non-traditional classes, and these are well-suited for the Learner that cannot take summers off to attend dull "in residence" classes on a tired B&M campus somewhere being taught by graduate students.

It is true that NCU has been regionally accredited. it is true that NCU has been certified by ABCSP NOT AACSB. We want to be certified by AACSB, but that is a future state condition that Dr. Santin, and Dr. Turner are probably working on. Both Dr. Santin and Dr. Turner have credentials that reflect an exciting assortment of experiences which I shall not recite here, just check them out for yourselves. I have completed all the core requirements, and I am currently working on my research requirements (pounding out a concept paper, then a dissertation proposal).

Richard appears to me to be trying to justify a continuing wail from the overpriced B&M programs, and their underperforming Professors that only their programs are real and constitute the only way to get a "real" PhD. I disagree. I am a bright, hared working adult with family obligations, and I cannot stop my life to "do it" their way. Sorry, not going to happen. I have found the better way, and I am on it now.

Richard, whatever your hurt, why would you malign the rest of us for your inability to perform? Or, is there something else? I will wait for your next move.

Richard,

I do not feel your article justifies an answer. Clearly you are speaking from third hand knowledge at best. If you were a registered student at NCU, you would have found that it is one of the best schools out there, has the highest of recommendations, major accreditation, and even though it is less than 10 years old, probably making it the youngest school on the market, it has grown 5 X over since 2005. This bogus quality you speak of is pathetic at best. Your allogations are unfounded and unproven. Basically, you have just reinforced my belief in my school, because all my fellow PhD classmates, and the PhD learners that have graduated, do not put out products like your article..... so before you slam something you know nothing about... Get a "Real Education".

Bill H.
"Real Student" with a "Real Education"
Northcentral University - PhD Student

I am a huge proponent of Online Education, and as a result I am inclined to defend it; or at least explain it's purpose. I am currently a doctoral candidate in the department of education at Northcentral University. I received my Masters from the University of Phoenix Online and my Bachelors from University of Scranton ground campus. My son, diagnosed with ADD who dropped out of school, earned his high school diploma from PCDI's James Madison High School.

It seems that when individuals think of online learning or distance learning they have a perception that class is conducted in real-time. While at times this may be the case, it is the exception. At least in the field of education, it is atypical to find live classrooms, powerpoint presentations, video demonstrations or other technological bells and whistles that one may come to presume from a distance learning institution.

For whatever reason University of Phoenix felt the need to impliment learning teams. I found this activity an intrusion on my personal learning goals and an interferrence with my personal life and study schedule. Initially, mandatory attendence, postings and responses served a purpose and assited me in achieveing a broader vision of most of the topic areas; however, there did come a time when this mandatory activity did assimilate itself to 'beating a dead horse' by regurgetating the same comment/s in various ways. What I do like about Northcentral University is the fact that I am assumed to be a responsible adult learner, that I will ask for help if I need it, that I will complete my assessments in a timely manner, and that I will initiate communication with fellow students if I am interested in a more social academic experience. I find the referrence to NCU as a glorified correspondence school humorous and a testament to ignorance of the function of a fully online university. Online learning is rigorous, independent work that requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline.

To NCU I say thank you for sparing me the mandatory chat rooms, emails, group learning, cohort workshops and anything else that takes me away from my ability to concentrate and learn. Thank you for the tremendously supportive staff and mentors who take a genuine interest in my learning goals. I take pride in being a part of this University and have enjoyed watching your tremndous growth over the last couple of years and wish you continued success.

I am a Licensed Psychologist in California attending NCU for self-enrichment and to gain a complementary skill set in order to enhance patient care. Compared to the APA accredited program I attended about 15 years ago, NCU is just as rigorous at the masters level as my doctoral program. Indecently, that APA accredited school was excellent enough to prepare me, unlike most in my test-taking cohort, to pass both the written and oral licensing exams the 1ST time.

The major benefit to NCU besides the academic rigor & the distance format (i.e. no traffic, fuel and rigid schedule) is the incredible student instructor ratio. In my case , 2:1. We communicate in depth almost daily with dialogue that the traditional 1:15 ratio schools can't duplicate. And the instructor is a leader in his field whose motivation appears to be to give back to society one learner at a time.

Since this guy decided to post in my UOP online forum here on ROR I thought I would return the favor. I do this with reluctance because I do not want to draw more attention to the invalid information he is offering herein. Oh well.

First, he is making a blanket statement denouncing all online PhD programs as programs that clearly pulls down the image of regional accreditation. Let me start by pointing out this individual clearly has no clue how regional accreditation works. There are 6 regional accrediting bodies in the US. These are the gold standard of accreditation. People assume that there is some standard litmus test every institution that received regional accreditation must pass. This is wrong. O

bviously there are different types of institutions, promoting different types and levels of education, for different types of careers, for different types of educational consumers. The basic purpose of regional accrediting bodies is to ensure that institutions of higher education define their goals for governance and learning, and that they are able to achieve those goals.

Basically, what content, at what level are your students supposed to learn? How do you know, measure, or demonstrate that they are learning or have learned? How does the infrastructure and governance of the institution support these efforts in a clear non-conflicting manner? If an institution retains the ability to demonstrate that consistently and the academic content is demonstrated to be on par with what the accrediting body has established as a baseline of expectations within that degree and level, the institution can receive and maintain accreditation.

Richard here would like you to believe that somehow, the approximately 100 regionally accredited online colleges are somehow driving down the standards when compared to the 3000+ regionally accredited traditional institutions. Speaking from experience, online entities are scrutinized by the accrediting bodies more so than the ground campuses and therefore held to a higher standard.

He claims that more institutions will seek AACSB accreditation or risk loss because of declining regionally accreditation. Well gee, that would make sense if every college out there offered business degrees or if AACSB accredited programs outside of business. Yes, AACSB is well respected, as is APA, ACE, CACREP, AAMFT, and the literally hundreds of other additional, program specific accreditations an institution can go after. Of course this is assuming that the institution in question has programs that are relevant to the accreditation. Rick here is attempting to confuse you with irrelevant information to distract you from the reality.

He makes claims like schools with weak programs that use deception are going to destroy market value but cites nothing to demonstrate what defines a weak program or deceptive practices. What he wants you to believe is that he somehow has a keen intellect regarding what defines a weak program but somehow the accrediting bodies (who just happen to be the professionals) know nothing.

He goes on to use more irrelevant talking points such as the Sarbanes Oxley Act in what I can only see as an attempt to make the reader believe that this act has some type of relevance here. First, the Sarbanes Oxley act was just passed in 2002 and became necessary because of the accounting fraud engaged in by companies like Enron, World Com and Tyco. This is an SEC issue for publicly traded companies. He attempts to lay claim to the fact that publicly traded companies operate in a more ethical manner than non public companies because they must. Let's consider for a moment that the SO Act governs all publicly traded organizations. The vast majority of businesses in the US are not publicly traded. Therefore they too must operate in an unethical manner when it comes to accounting.

Not being publicly traded has no relation to an entities capacity to operate ethically when it comes to accounting. He limits this to the world of education in an attempt to attack an online university called NCU. He obviously has a personally vendetta against this entity but will not disclose why. He hides behind his claim that he thinks all online PhD programs are sub-par. The well known UOP which is publicly traded has shown that the SO Act does not stop an organization from engaging in unethical practices.

Richard fails to mention that governance of regionally accredited institutions includes finances and accounting practices. To comply with accreditation finances and accounting must not have any conflicts of interest. Richard also fails to mention that the IRS tends to be a little picky when it comes to accounting and scrutinizing income.

Above he seems to be attacking NCU specifically and also going after Walden, Capella and all other entities offering PhD's online.

I am extremely familiar with all of these institutions. All the information he provides regarding NCU is wrong. It is not a correspondence school. NCU uses a totally different format for educational delivery. The instruction is 1 on 1, no learning teams, no check-ins. NCU does not use Federal Title IV so no US tax dollars are being added to NCUs profits. This cannot be said at any other accredited online PhD program I am aware of.

My recommendation is to call or email NCU and speak with someone there just as I did. Have them send you a syllabus and give you an overview of their proprietary student-teacher interface system which uses asynchronous chat functions to interact. This is the same as many other institutions like Walden and Capella, however most other online entities use Web CT or Blackboard. Richard is using invalid info to attack NCU to appease his personally agenda. Bottom line, he knows nothing.

He also provides a link to Walden U in his statement denouncing online ed again. Walden is a good program and a great value. He attacks NCU again in that part but ties it to Walden. Walden and NCU are very different, both very good programs.

Ultimately Richard is using a tactic here that is old and played out, to support a personal agenda and attack online education, specifically NCU. He will not disclose why, and hides behind a claim that he has a problem with online in general. The tactic he is trying to use has been used before by others who felt threatened by the evolution of online education. When online education started is was viewed as invalid by traditional education. Then as traditional ed realized the potential of the adult education market, they changed their view to get at some of the money. Suddenly online education could be valid if used as a supplemental tool for traditional education.

However, traditional education stood by their view that the old way is the only valid way any degree could be earned. Evolution continued and today the tune by traditional education is that online education can be used to grant degree's but only if those degrees are earned at a traditional campus. So what we have over the last 30 years is online education being shunned by traditional ed to hundreds of traditional colleges offering full online degrees. Those once in control of education have lost that control. Online is here to stay. It is a valid form of education at ALL LEVELS. Richard wants to use this same argument to attack PhD's as if these degrees are so elite and so above what average joe can achieve, that no online program could possibly be legit. He has nothing to support this claim.

Lastly Richard suddenly starts promoting University of Maryland and NOVA. While I know very little about Maryland's program I am familiar with NOVA's. NOVA is a great school but only offers an EDS, EDD and DBA online. These are doctorate degrees, but they are applied doctorates not PhD research doctorates. To show you how little research Richard did, he forgets to mention that Dr. Claudia Santin is the president of NCU. Dr. Santin just happened to be at NOVA and helped design and launch the education doctorate programs at NOVA. I guess suddenly she left NOVA, went to NCU and forgot how to make and maintain a quality education program.

Like I said, I hate posting in here because it draws attention to this thread by Richard.

Bottom line. Anyone who reads his thread, please go do your own research about online colleges and programs before you render decision. Richard has no clue what he is talking about.

Later,
B

Hello- I am a PhD student at NCU and have found this school to be nothing other than great! Their staff is among the best and very helpful. The facilitators are experienced, detailed, and well paid! NCU just obtained the AACSB business accreditation in 2007!

This online school bashing is just terrible. So many studies have been done showing no difference in the education or learning of the students.

"Please help me find the appropriate outlets to discuss on-line doctoral programs."

BTW Richard, that topic and your report are being discussed here:

dltruth.com/showthread.php?tid=147

I had the misfortune of enrolling in the PhD program at Northcentral and found it to be exactly as described in the complaint. It is not an "online" school as the term is usually understood. Rather, it is a correspondence school, and not a particularly good one at that.

Further, the PhD program itself is a complete joke, particularly the dissertation portion. Anyone considering Northcentral really ought to compare the substance and quality (or lack thereof) of this program against those of any "real" PhD program. Northcentral comes up very short in every meaningful criterion.

The question you have to ask yourself is whether you (or your employer) should pay (or borrow) good money for a degree that is grossly substandard to those offered by even the lowest rung of reputable schools. If you are just doing it to have something to hang on your wall, a visit to a print shop can get you something with about equal value for a lot less money. If you really want a degree that represents academic achievement and that will be respected by others who know better, look elsewhere.