Amberton University

[ss20ts]

I have begun my graduate degree program journey with Amberton University. Last summer I started a grad program in project management at Charleston Southern University. I knew the school was religious when I applied, but I was not prepared for how religious and that religion would be in every single class including reading a book on Proverbs and writing about religion. What religion has to do with project management I don't know. Because of this experience I was VERY hesitant to apply to Amberton because they too are a Christian school. I chatted with a few folks on this forum and the sister forum who attend Amberton and put me at ease so I applied. Yes they are a Christian school however religion isn't in the courses except for a handful of classes which I will not need to take. There is an ethics course required but there are 2 sections - one looking at ethics from a religious perspective and one without the religion. 

I applied and was accepted within 2 days. The application was very short and easy to fill out online. It was free. I did have to send my transcripts proving I had completed a bachelor's degree. No biggie. They received the transcripts the next from UMPI. Updated my FAFSA the same day and my financing is already completed. Overall, they are on top of things and pretty speedy. 

Few things to note....

Tuition and fees:
Tuition is $855 for a 3 credit class $285 per credit 
Fees are $35 per semester
So full time with 9 grad credits is $2600
Pretty sweet deal for grad school!
Oh and the tuition and fees are the same amount for undergrad.
*This is the tuition for Spring 2022. I imagine it will increase over time.

Semesters:
There are 4 semesters every year - fall, winter, spring, summer.
They are 10 weeks long.
There are breaks for holidays.

On the website you can see when every class will be offered for the next year. This a really nice thing to have access to. I was able to plan out every course required for my entire degree and know when I'll graduate before I even applied. 

Every course also has the syllabus on the website so you can see what work is involved, how the grades are calculated, what textbooks are required, etc. 

Transfer credit:
They may accept up to 12 graduate credits. They only accept RA credits with a B or above and must be 5 years old or newer.

Admission requirements:
There are GPA requirements and you need a bachelor's degree. Looks like you can still be accepted with a 2.5 GPA and if it's lower you can contact them to discuss your options. No GRE or GMAT exams required. 

There are 2 campuses. Both are office buildings. There is a library and offices on the main campus. No dorms. No sports. No clubs. None of that extra fluff that costs $$$$. Being an adult thousands of miles away I don't need that fluff. The textbooks are available through a link with ecampus. There is also a link to purchase school merch directly from the printer. So no on campus school store. I try to get Kindle books whenever possible so I won't be using ecampus unless it's a book I can't get elsewhere. 

The online courses use Moodle.

In person commencement ceremonies happen twice a year - at the end of the fall and spring semesters. They're held in a nearby church. One thing that is very unique is that you get to bring someone with you to walk across the stage side by side. It's supposed to be someone who helped you through your journey. People bring their kids, parents, co-workers, etc. That was a pretty cool thing to see. You're also encouraged to cheer which is not the case at every school for some odd reason. 

I'll update this post as my journey progresses. Classes begin March 12.

My degree is the MS in Agile Project Management.

[ss20ts]

I just received an email from my advisor that Amberton has accepted my grad credits from Charleston Southern University. It's 6 credits. They fill degree required courses so that is awesome. I was really hoping they would give me credit for those 2 classes. They gave me credit for:
RGS6035 Theory & Application of Research Methods
MGT6145 Advanced Project Management Foundations

There is also a prereq required in pm. This was waived due to my pm classes at UMPI as an undergrad. This class was waived:
MGT4495 Project Management Foundations

8 classes needed to complete my MS in Agile Project Management! The goal is to finish in 3 semesters. 

I'm registered for 3 classes for the spring semester:
RGS6036 Ethics for Decision Making (non-religion version)
MGT6505 Agile Project Management
MGT5690 Managing the Generations (business elective)

I'm really interested in the Managing the Generations class. I haven't seen this at another school. I'm a GenXer so sandwiched between the Boomers and Millennials. Seems like we're the forgotten generation....story of our lives. There are a couple of books for this class - all of them aren't textbooks.

[jsd]

Awesome, good luck in this program! I'm excited to see how it unfolds.

[newdegree]

How are your classes so far? I was looking at some of the syllabi for some courses it seems you can pick what type of class you want. I saw some were more paper-based or test-based classes or a mix of both.

[ss20ts]

How are your classes so far? I was looking at some of the syllabi for some courses it seems you can pick what type of class you want. I saw some were more paper-based or test-based classes or a mix of both.

I start in March. I'll be writing papers. Few tests. I'm in a grad program. There's always way more writing in grad programs. Everyone is required to take a grad course on research and writing unless you transfer it in from another school like I did. 

Many classes only have 1 option in the grad program. Only the ethics class do I have an option. Undergrad may be different. Not much choice for classes either as you have to follow the degree plan. I only have 2 electives in my degree plan and they come from a list of options not just any course.

[SteveFoerster]

Good luck, and, uh, Godspeed!

[ss20ts]

Good luck, and, uh, Godspeed!

 I see what you did there. LOL

[lidel]

I have begun my graduate degree program journey with Amberton University. Last summer I started a grad program in project management at Charleston Southern University. I knew the school was religious when I applied, but I was not prepared for how religious and that religion would be in every single class including reading a book on Proverbs and writing about religion. What religion has to do with project management I don't know. Because of this experience I was VERY hesitant to apply to Amberton because they too are a Christian school. I chatted with a few folks on this forum and the sister forum who attend Amberton and put me at ease so I applied. Yes they are a Christian school however religion isn't in the courses except for a handful of classes which I will not need to take. There is an ethics course required but there are 2 sections - one looking at ethics from a religious perspective and one without the religion. 

I applied and was accepted within 2 days. The application was very short and easy to fill out online. It was free. I did have to send my transcripts proving I had completed a bachelor's degree. No biggie. They received the transcripts the next from UMPI. Updated my FAFSA the same day and my financing is already completed. Overall, they are on top of things and pretty speedy. 

Few things to note....

Tuition and fees:
Tuition is $855 for a 3 credit class $285 per credit 
Fees are $35 per semester
So full time with 9 grad credits is $2600
Pretty sweet deal for grad school!
Oh and the tuition and fees are the same amount for undergrad.
*This is the tuition for Spring 2022. I imagine it will increase over time.

Semesters:
There are 4 semesters every year - fall, winter, spring, summer.
They are 10 weeks long.
There are breaks for holidays.

On the website you can see when every class will be offered for the next year. This a really nice thing to have access to. I was able to plan out every course required for my entire degree and know when I'll graduate before I even applied. 

Every course also has the syllabus on the website so you can see what work is involved, how the grades are calculated, what textbooks are required, etc. 

Transfer credit:
They may accept up to 12 graduate credits. They only accept RA credits with a B or above and must be 5 years old or newer.

Admission requirements:
There are GPA requirements and you need a bachelor's degree. Looks like you can still be accepted with a 2.5 GPA and if it's lower you can contact them to discuss your options. No GRE or GMAT exams required. 

There are 2 campuses. Both are office buildings. There is a library and offices on the main campus. No dorms. No sports. No clubs. None of that extra fluff that costs $$$$. Being an adult thousands of miles away I don't need that fluff. The textbooks are available through a link with ecampus. There is also a link to purchase school merch directly from the printer. So no on campus school store. I try to get Kindle books whenever possible so I won't be using ecampus unless it's a book I can't get elsewhere. 

The online courses use Moodle.

In person commencement ceremonies happen twice a year - at the end of the fall and spring semesters. They're held in a nearby church. One thing that is very unique is that you get to bring someone with you to walk across the stage side by side. It's supposed to be someone who helped you through your journey. People bring their kids, parents, co-workers, etc. That was a pretty cool thing to see. You're also encouraged to cheer which is not the case at every school for some odd reason. 

I'll update this post as my journey progresses. Classes begin March 12.

My degree is the MS in Agile Project Management.

Thanks for giving us the short summary. It sounds like a great program, I'm sure you will excel at it

S

[allvia]

Transfer credit:
They may accept up to 12 graduate credits. They only accept RA credits with a B or above and must be 5 years old or newer.

Just a note to clarify - those 12 graduate credits for a master degree must be made up of 3 credit courses (only).
So, you can transfer in up to four courses - they will not take courses < or > than 3 credits each.

I personally transferred in 4 courses (12 credits), and I have been very please with my experience at Amberton.

---

How are your classes so far? I was looking at some of the syllabi for some courses it seems you can pick what type of class you want. I saw some were more paper-based or test-based classes or a mix of both.

This is common in the business courses that run year round (offered each session), there is usually one version that is more weighted on paper(s) and one that is a mix.  The program that ss20ts is enrolled (Project Management, specifically Agile Project Management) is a more fixed rotation schedule with standard course format (no matter when it is offered in the rotation). So, depending on your major your options will vary of course format (papers vs tests), but all have some papers - you will not get away from writing papers at Amberton (some courses they may just hold less weight to the overall grade).

[bjcheung77]

Congrats! Wow, that was a fast application process! Good luck and have fun! I look forward to reading about your new journey into this MS Project Management degree... It's an interesting Masters, 30 credits, 6 required, 18 for the major, and 6 credits as electives. I am curious, did you have any previous courses to transfer in?