Marian U Wisc MPath Flex: 4-Wk Term Competency Masters, Pay By Sem Hr

[Jonathan Whatley]

Marian University Wisconsin offers online programs all branded MPath including graduate programs available by one of four delivery modes depending on program: Traditional Online Programs (15-week courses), Accelerated Online Programs (7-week courses), and Flex Online Programs (4-week courses).

With 4-week terms and all or most courses 1, 1.5, or 2 semester hours, MPath Flex offers scheduling flexibility. Marian describes “Ability to take time off or study full- or part-time. The ability to visually track your personal progress with clear and measurable competencies. Engaging learning experiences that build on the skills and experience you bring to the program.”

Tuition is 627 per sh. MPath Flex programs:

MAEd Teacher Education with License 35 sh = (20 courses x a mix of 1 and 1.5 sh each) + 5 sh Planning Social Studies Curriculum + 8 sh Clinical Practice

MAEd Special Education with License 35 sh = (22 courses x a mix of 1 and 1.5 sh each) + 8 sh Clinical Practice and Seminar

MHCA Health Care Administration 30 sh = 30 courses x 1 sh each

MS Industrial Organizational Psychology 30 sh = 30 courses x 1 sh each, including within the 30 a choice of either a thesis or practicum sequence, either sequence being 4 courses x 1 sh each

MS Management 30 sh = 30 courses x 1 sh each

MS Public Safety Management 30 sh = 25 courses x a mix of 1, 1.5, and 2 sh each

“Students can transfer up to 9 credits into the graduate program. We individually review each potentially transferable course for equivalence and appropriateness and courses [must] be less than seven (7) years old. Request to transfer credits must be made at the time of application for admission to the program. Applicants requesting graduate coursework earned prior to admission to Marian must report credits on the application for admission and documented by means of an official transcript requested by the student from the registrar of the institution previously attended.”

2021-22 Graduate Academic Bulletin (catalog) [pdf]
 
Tuition and fees
 
MPath online programs landing page

[Courcelles]

A “competency-based” program that charges by the credit seems unusual to me?

[ss20ts]

A “competency-based” program that charges by the credit seems unusual to me?

There are a few of them out there. I have yet to see one that charged by the credit be any kind of deal. They're usually just as much as a regular online degree.

[Jonathan Whatley]

A “competency-based” program that charges by the credit seems unusual to me?

The competency assessment charged per credit model could be a better fit for a student whose schedule varies through the year: some months able to take a heavy course load, but maybe some months 1 or 2 sh or some months off even, without having to pay for a full-fledged subscription through the lighter-course-load periods.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Correction to my OP: The MS Industrial Organizational Psychology is 36 sh = 36 courses x 1 sh each.

[sanantone]

Interesting find. It's my understanding that one of the main purposes behind competency-based programs is to pay for the time students use instead of time pre-determined by the school. Each semester or quarter hour represents a regulated number of study hours. If you're in a CBE program and can go faster, then you should save money. Charging per credit hour kind of defeats the purpose of being CBE; it more resembles the self-paced correspondence courses of the past. If you can speed along the process by passing one or two assessments, then I guess that would still be competency-based, but CBE courses these days look just like regular courses with multiple exams and written assignments.