Ottawa University Ottawa

Date: Jan 17 2010
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
I graduated from Ottawa University with a BA in Management in the summer of '09. I was a transfer student previously attending Capella University. Ottawa has a very generous credit transfer policy. All of my credits from Capella as well as from my military service were transferred, including some credits from previously earned industry standard certifications. For my learning experience and because of my work schedule I prefer a combination of online learning and traditional. Ottawa provided both. Some of my courses were completed at either the Phoenix or Chandler AZ campus, as well as a few online. Both experiences were wonderful, however, I must say that I preferred working directly with the instructors in the live classes. The instructors were great in either format but I prefer live real time interaction from faculty and students. The lessons were very challenging and did not come across as busy work. They were directly related to real world issues and up to date. The faculty members are very experienced in their fields as well as very approachable with a desire for you to succeed.

I appreciated the flexibility of the schedules as the courses here in Phoenix are geared towards working adults and are 8 week courses at both the undergrad and grad levels. Average costs for tuition were on par for most private institutions, but I feel the high quality of the education here is what separates Ottawa from the rest. Ottawa is a Baptist based university that emphasizes Christian values. However, the values do not overshadow the core concepts of courses taught. It's wonderful however, since I am a Christian, to include my Christian perspectives in discussions and written assignments without being insulted as the case with many liberal colleges. It's a very welcomed part of the learning experience. I happen to work at a local university as well and although my education would be a free benefit for me where I work, I still preferred to study at Ottawa because of the high quality of the education. Sorry to disappoint some folks, but this is not a diploma mill; you will work hard for the degree!

The only disappointment I've had at Ottawa so far is the length of time it takes them to confer a degree for students that completed all required course work during the summer; their degrees do not confer until December of that year. I believe that that process could be accelerated especially in a sour job market where having the diploma will give you an edge. However, a college diploma from Ottawa University is worth the wait.

I've been accepted in the MBA program at Ottawa and plan to start in the Spring.