The University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Date: Dec 31 1969
Major: Education (This Major's Salary over time)
Given the choice I would NOT choose this school again to pursue my PhD. "The U" as it's so arrogantly referred to is expensive ($900 per grad credit), the East Bank campus is in the middle of dirty Dinkytown, the building where I primarily took my classes is run-down, there was too much required coursework that has a very easily identifiable agenda (indoctrinate everyone to focus on meaningless minutiae) and the faculty in my program are all old and haven't been in a real classroom teaching for 20 years at least. Here's some more:

relevant or pragmatic research in education is not promoted or fostered

the admin office in my department is largely a mess full of idiots (save one decent person) who are incapable of giving anyone the correct information or friendly, timely service

the profs are largely whiney, cantankerous belly button gazers who care more about their research than teaching

there is not adequate funding or Graduate Assistant opportunities in the department for the number of grad students accepted into the program (I received most of my meager funding ($20/hr for 20 hrs per wk max which doesn't go far when trying to live on your own in a large metro area) from opportunities I created outside the department

there is no training on working with students in the initial teaching licensure MEd program (which are pretty much the only in-department GA/TA opportunities available) or on how to supervise and manage student teachers

the Student Services and Career Services offices should remove the word Service from their name because they provide NONE and I would daresay they actually hinder the Master's students more than anything

my advisors are cranky, negative, unavailable, insensitive and tired and really have provided me with no advice-I've basically had to learn how to advise them to advise me

I've received ZERO guidance on what it tales to complete my thesis

when you do actually manage to get a GA or TA position you are treated like a servant or lackey

the one article I've been able to publish while here was one I wrote completely but my advisor (who cant multitask and is overly pre-occupied with going up for tenure review) somehow ended up as first author

trying to stay in the K-12 classroom to actually teach while in the PhD program is discouraged (to put it mildly) and the program is just not friendly overall for working teachers

anyone who applies for the Master's or PhD program is basically accepted-even if severely under qualified or under performing-there is no prestige. Its a school where everyone settles for whats here and puts up with the politics, crappy instruction, bad advising and poor student service since there really are no other public universities in the Twin Cities and no other options in-state go pursue a PhD or grad level initial licensure in Education. If there was some competition the programs might improve.