Capella University

Date: Dec 23 2010
Major: Psychology (This Major's Salary over time)
While every experience is subjective, I can say with certainty that my graduate experience at Capella was positive and fruitful. I recently finished my MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, so my judgement may be clouded by the fact that I'm so relieved to have finished. Bottom line: The format makes for a challenging and rich experience. In many ways it is a "sink or swim" format because the instructors want you to complete the syllabus while participating real-time with others in the course (while maintaining the rest of your life). So, if you get behind, catching up can be very challenging and stressful. However,once you've made the decision to attend Capella, and are ready for the work, then you shouldn't have any problems getting through. You just have to be engaged, don't make excuses for not getting the work done, and be your own advocate for learning.

I attended the U.S. Air Force Academy for my undergrad degree. Academically it was very challenging and overwhelming at times. Comparing an online school to this is difficult, but I can honestly say that I worked every bit as hard at Capella—just in different ways. Like another reviewer said, online schools should be judged by their ability to present the material, challenge learners, and provide a seamless format that accentuates the process, and doesn't hinder it.

Capella's iGuide has continually improved during my 3.5 years and the faculty and staff are responsive and open to suggestions. This is a professional organization with dedicated people. The problem is that most people would rather complain about what they don't like—instead of doing something about it!

Feel free to contact me if you'd like more information about my experience.